Crowds pack Front Street as Krampuslauf returns to Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH — Thousands packed Front Street to watch giant, horned, demon-like figures  parade through downtown Leavenworth during the 2025 Krampuslauf on Nov. 29.

“There's a lot of cool things about it. For me, personally, mine is watching kids who are a little intimidated…and then eventually, a lot of them will smile, or occasionally [tell you] how ugly you look, and they'll throw a big hug around you and pose for a photo,” said John Hurst of Krampus Seattle, the event organizer.

Often believed to have even older roots and influences, Krampus has been a prominent figure for hundreds of years among the alpine towns of Austria, southern Germany, South Tyrol Italy, and even parts of Central Europe. Krampus is known as the “darker companion” of St. Nicholas, visiting badly behaved children on Krampusnacht, the night before St. Nicholas visits the good children with gifts on Dec. 6.

“Like his American counterpart [Santa Claus, St. Nicolas] rewards good children with gifts, but here the similarity ends. He not only withholds gifts from the unruly but sees to it that miscreants are punished. This ugly duty, however, is below his ecclesiastic dignity and falls therefore to the Krampus,” writes author Al Ridenour in The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas.

Like Krampus, scary, disciplinary figures have long been paired with the giving of rewards in different parts of Europe, including the Germanic Belsnickel, French Père Fouettard and the Swiss Schmutzli.

“He's mostly there to put on a show…It’s just a little reminder, something to keep in the back of your head,” said JJ Hernandez of Leavenworth's Krampus Kave, who helps with coordinating the Leavenworth Krampuslauf.

To Hernandez, characters like Krampus also serve an important function of our imaginations, giving shape to fears that can be confronted in a controlled, symbolic way. 

“You show Krampus, big and scary, and now we can walk away, or the guys take their masks off, and it's gone. It's not with us anymore,” said Hernandez. “I think Krampus lets people acknowledge their fears and anxieties, and then overcome them.”

Hernandez added that “consent is everything” during the Krampuslauf, emphasizing that the group only interacts with those who express interest.

While the Dec. 5 tradition varies by region, in many places it takes shape as a Krampuslauf, when Krampuses walk the streets “scaring” children and adults on Krampusnacht.

“I was fortunate enough to live in Garmisch-Partenkirchen near Munich for a couple years before moving here. Garmisch is one of Leavenworth's model towns,” said Doghaus Brewery owner Joel Sams, one of the event sponsors. “I never made it to a Krampusnacht while I was living there and I regret missing out, so having a small Krampus celebration here helps me feel like I'm making up for it a bit.”

For decades, Krampus had a limited presence in Leavenworth. When Joe Seguin named his local comic book shop ‘Krampus Kave’ in 2015, it was the town’s first nod to the alpine tradition. According to Hernandez, the name was a “no-brainer” for Seguin. He grew up on a military base in Germany, and “his mom used Krampus as a way to keep him in line a little bit and have some fun.”

Around 2016, Hurst said he and several friends started informally celebrating Krampusnacht in Leavenworth, dressing as the figure and walking downtown. 

“We quickly discovered that it was very popular there. We could barely walk a block…because people would stop you every two or three steps to get photos. We knew that we were kind of onto something, so we just kind of kept coming back,” said Hurst.

When Krampus Seattle was invited to formally take part in the town’s December festivities in 2021, it had a complicated debut. That year, the winter festival, now known as Village of Lights: Christmastown, underwent branding and logistical changes, and a local social media post expressing frustration about those shifts circulated widely. The post was later amplified by outside religious groups, prompting a wave of backlash.

“As I recall, most of the criticism a few years ago originated from outside the region, largely from people associated with the individual who made a social media post through a civic group,” said Jessica Stoller, Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce. 

According to Stoller, the chamber received a small number of concerns from residents, businesses and visitors, but the vast majority of negative feedback came from outside the area, and from people who had never visited Leavenworth.

“The outcry we heard stemmed from imagery of the Krampus group and how it was interpreted on social media, not from the event itself, which generated no complaints. While Krampus has a long history in Austria and Germany, more people today are familiar with the character through European Christmas markets and pop-culture references, so the tradition is becoming far less surprising. Krampus may not be the sweetest looking holiday figure, but the cultural connection is strong and widely understood,” said Stoller.

Throughout its history, Krampus has been met with pushback from religious organizations and governments; various news outlets over the past century have documented calls for boycotts or outright bans over concerns about its demonic imagery, potential to frighten children, or unruly festivities. Krampus carries on.

Krampus Seattle didn’t return to Leavenworth after the criticism, but continued to organize similar events in Seattle, Bellingham and Bremerton. In fact, the online controversy actually resulted in more publicity and support, said Hurst. After a two-year hiatus, Krampus Seattle finally returned to Leavenworth in 2024.

“If there's a place that this tradition belongs in Washington, or really anywhere, it's places like Leavenworth,” said Hurst.

The group still receives some negative feedback on social media, and the occasional comment in person, said Hurst. This year, the Leavenworth Krampuslauf was attended by one protestor, Dillon Pastors. Pastors filmed himself following the participants and spectators with a microphone and amplifier, calling the event “demonic,” “satanic,” and “evil.” Law enforcement eventually intervened, telling Pastors to turn off his amp and leave the parade route.

However, the return of Krampuslauf has been predominately positive. Leading up to this year’s Krampuslauf, Ward Media put out a call for on-the-record comments on social media, but only those in support reached out. At the event, sentiments shared with Ward Media were also positive. 

“What we are hearing now is largely positive interest in the Krampuslauf Leavenworth event, and many visitors even plan their trips around the weekend when the Seattle Krampus group is in town,” said Stoller. “Local sponsorships have grown, and with Krampus Kave organizing and facilitating this event alongside the Seattle Krampus group, interest and participation seems to be thriving.”

This year, Krampus Seattle set-up a display in the Chumstick Grangehall prior to the parade, providing an opportunity to view the masks up close and learn about the tradition’s history. That evening, the Krampuses walked down Front Street, taking photos with brave souls.

“They are incredible, just some of the most generous people with their with their time, and they put so much energy making these costumes and finding and making sure they're authentic, and all of the kind of back-of-house work that goes into putting on this event too, that they've been really great,” said Hernandez.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media