Leavenworth Oktoberfest to move to new venue in Wenatchee in 2022 after city denies permit

Stow away your stein: Washington's old-world Bavarian town of Leavenworth is revamping its annual Oktoberfest festivities in the hopes of making it more family friendly.

While the main Oktoberfest event was canceled for the second year in a row earlier in the spring due to uncertainties surrounding the pandemic, Leavenworth is still hosting an "Oktoberfest Markt!" featuring local vendors on Oct. 8-10 and 15-17. However, the event is meant to be a "harvest festival/street fair" according to the city, and the beer garden, shuttles and entertainment are notably missing.

"With so many small businesses and artisans struggling over the last year and half we thought we could give them a hand up and promote more of a Harvest Festival this year," said Oktoberfest Chairman Steve Lord in a statement.

And next year's festivities will look even more different: Projekt Bayern, the non-profit organization that has hosted Leavenworth Oktoberfest since 1998, announced that the event would be moving to a new venue after the city administration declined a permit for the event.

"The new City Administration is seeking a new kind of partnership for a marquee event in October 2022," wrote Projekt Bayern organizers. "They have decided that the 23-year-old, World recognized 'Leavenworth Oktoberfest' is no longer working for City."

The organizers are now planning to hold the 2022 festival at the Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee until they can find a more permanent home. The organizers said they will be offering shuttles to and from Leavenworth for people who still want to stay in the mountain town.

The first Leavenworth Oktoberfest was held in October 1998 and was attended by about 400 people. In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, the beer-fueled festivities brought over 50,000 people a year to the small town.