LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
The city of Leavenworth announced Sunday the lawn area of Front Street Park is closed due to a “property damage incident” that occurred over the weekend.
In posts on Facebook and Instagram Sunday, the city explained the park in a central area of tourist town is shut down temporarily. The social media posts also contain a photo that show tire tracks and a significant amount of mud at the park.
“We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to restore the usability of our downtown park,” the posts state.
The posts also state the Chamber of Commerce’s Christmastown programming was expected to go on as planned. The city did suggest to potential visitors to keep in mind that schedules and programming are subject to change.
There is a video of the incident circulating on Facebook that has more than 360,000 views. It shows a large Toyota truck doing donuts and kicking up mud and dirt in the park. The driver of the truck also got close to two people, nearly kicking up mud onto them and forcing them to run from the moving vehicle.
It is not yet known if the driver has been identified or if any legal action will be taken against that person.
MyNorthwest has reached out to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce for comments or statements and have not yet heard back.
Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Jessica Stoller emailed a statement to MyNorthwest Monday morning expressing sorrow about what happened. However, she said those in the city will continue on and this won’t let the city get in the way of enjoying the holiday season.
“We are saddened by the reckless and egregious actions of the person(s) responsible for the vandalism to Front Street Park,” the statement from the chamber reads. “However, it has not dampened the holiday spirit that Leavenworth embodies. Our community takes action, and we have every faith in our small but mighty parks team at the City of Leavenworth, who will restore our beautiful park space in the heart of town for all to enjoy.”
Tourism: Mountain coaster adds to Leavenworth as tourist destination
More about Leavenworth
Located in Chelan County, the Leavenworth city website bills it as “a charming Bavarian village nestled in the picturesque Cascade Mountains.” On Thanksgiving Day, the city transforms into a Christmas lover’s delight as lights and various holiday displays can be seen around town. Live entertainment, including choirs, carolers and bands, can be seen in the heart of downtown. Also, holiday characters make appearances, with the one and only Santa Claus as part of the mix.
Visitors can go and enjoy the lights and performances for free. The lights will stay on through February, but the Christmas events wrap up Dec. 24. Finally, for those people not comfortable driving into the mountains to get to Leavenworth, the city’s website has suggestions for bus tours and other forms of transportation to get there.
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.