Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Ceremony

OK, once again I have fallen behind on this blog, so I will attempt to do some catching up. This year I did something I've been wanting to do for a very long time. I've been to Leavenworth many times but never for the Christmas lighting ceremony. So after checking the weather forecast and determining that the weather would be fair, I decided to make a day of it and headed north. When I got to Leavenworth, the weather couldn't have been better. I also found parking relatively close, so I didn't have to walk far in the cold. And yes it was pretty cold, but luckily, no wind. While wandering around town, I bumped into Father Christmas. This is the European version of Santa Claus. And since I spent most of junior high school and elementary school in England, this is how I remember him. The red suit and Santa hat are all Americanized contemporary versions of this old guy.
I also met the town crier. She's an interesting woman who actually had to audition for this role. There are only a handful of town criers in the whole country, so it's quite an honor to hold this position. She's a great ambassador for Leavenworth, and really seemed to enjoy her job. I saw her later dancing in the street with some children to Polka music.
But of course the big event is the lighting ceremony. After lots of fanfare, with real Alpenhorns, the arrival of Santa, and more hoopla, the switch is finally thrown and the streets are illuminated with a multitude of colored lights. It's quite a sight to see.
But I think my favorite were the colored lights on the gazebo. There is a small snow-covered hill to the side of the gazebo and all the kids were sledding down. It was like something straight out of a Courier and Ives print. I ended up using this image for our Christmas card. It was well worth the trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a winter getaway. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Ho, ho, ho......