This Christmas Store In Washington Feels Like December Any Month Of The Year

I know it’s currently the middle of a heatwave and the last thing you want to think about is heavy knit sweaters, but hear me out. I just stepped inside this hidden gem of a Christmas shop and honestly? I think I’ve reached nirvana.

It doesn’t matter if it’s July or October outside; the second you cross that threshold, the air turns crisp, the scent of pine needles hits you, and suddenly you’re fully prepared to debate the merits of tinsel colors.

It’s like a permanent portal to December, complete with more ornaments than a tree in a royal palace. Forget the seasonal blues, I’m moving in, and if you’re smart, you’ll meet me here for some much-needed festive therapy.

Grab a jacket, because it’s officially holiday season until further notice.

This family-owned store in Washington has been spreading holiday cheer since 1986

The Sweet Story Behind This Christmas Favorite

Some stores sell products, but Kris Kringl sells something far more personal: a feeling that has been carefully passed down through one family for nearly four decades.

The shop at 907 Front Street, Leavenworth, WA 98826, was established in 1986 and has remained family-owned ever since. Current owner Jessica Evans grew up surrounded by Christmas ornaments and nutcrackers, and today she carries on the tradition her parents built from the ground up.

Walking through the front door, you can sense that this place means something to the people who run it. It is not a chain store with a corporate checklist.

Every product on the shelves reflects a genuine love for the holiday season and a commitment to quality that only a family business can sustain over so many years.

That personal history gives Kris Kringl a warmth that no amount of holiday lighting alone could create. The story here is just as magical as the merchandise itself.

Leavenworth: A Bavarian Village

Honestly, if you were designing the perfect town to host a year-round Christmas store, you would probably end up with something that looks a lot like Leavenworth.

This small Washington village sits in the Cascade Mountain foothills and was deliberately reimagined in the 1960s as a Bavarian-style destination, complete with Alpine architecture, painted murals, and flower boxes on every windowsill.

Getting there is part of the adventure. The drive along Highway 2 from Seattle takes roughly two and a half hours and winds through some of the most stunning mountain scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

By the time you roll into Leavenworth, you already feel like you have arrived somewhere special.

The town consistently earns recognition as one of the most festive places in America, and Kris Kringl sits right at the heart of that reputation. The Bavarian setting and the Christmas store feel like they were always meant to share the same zip code.

Thousands Of Ornaments

Few things stop a shopper in their tracks quite like an entire wall covered floor to ceiling in ornaments of every shape, color, and theme imaginable. Kris Kringl carries thousands of ornaments, ranging from classic glass balls to novelty designs that celebrate hobbies, professions, pets, and pop culture.

There is genuinely something for everyone, which makes the selection feel almost overwhelming in the best possible way.

What truly sets this store apart from any online shopping experience is the free personalization offered on any ornament in the shop.

Watching a store associate carefully letter your name or a special date onto a delicate glass piece turns a simple purchase into a keepsake that will hang on your tree for years to come.

Whether you are shopping for a teacher, a grandparent, a best friend, or just treating yourself, the combination of variety and personalization makes every ornament feel like it was made specifically for you. That is a rare and genuinely lovely thing to find.

Department 56, Christopher Radko, And More

For collectors, stepping into Kris Kringl feels less like shopping and more like a pilgrimage. The store carries an impressive lineup of brands that serious holiday enthusiasts actively seek out, and seeing them all under one roof is a genuinely rare treat.

Department 56 Villages, with their intricately detailed miniature buildings and glowing windows, occupy a prominent section of the store and draw collectors who spend years building complete scenes.

Christopher Radko ornaments, known for their hand-crafted European glass construction and vivid colors, sit alongside Mark Roberts fairies, elves, and Santas that look like they belong in a high-end gallery.

Fontanini nativities bring a timeless spiritual dimension to the collection, while Jim Shore pieces offer that beloved folk-art warmth that photographs beautifully on any shelf.

German pyramids, cuckoo clocks, and traditional nutcrackers round out the selection with authentic Old World craftsmanship. Collectors who visit often leave with something they have been searching for across multiple holiday seasons, which makes the trip feel especially rewarding.

Christmas Spirit Without A Calendar

Stepping inside Kris Kringl in the middle of August is a genuinely surreal and delightful experience. The store is dressed for December regardless of what month you arrive, with fully decorated trees, twinkling lights strung across the ceiling, and garlands framing every doorway.

The scent alone is enough to trigger holiday memories before you have even looked at a single product. What makes the atmosphere work so well is that it never feels overdone or artificial.

The displays are thoughtfully arranged, giving each product category its own visual identity while still contributing to the overall sense of festive abundance. It feels curated rather than cluttered, which is an impressive balance to strike when you are stocking thousands of items.

Spending time inside the store has a calming, almost meditative quality that is hard to explain until you experience it.

The outside world, with all its noise and rush, seems to pause the moment you cross the threshold. That feeling alone is worth the drive to Leavenworth.

Practical Tips For Planning Your Visit

Planning a trip to Kris Kringl is pretty straightforward, but a few details are worth knowing before you go.

The store is open Monday through Sunday throughout most of the year, with the only closures falling on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, which is a charming irony for a shop dedicated entirely to the holiday.

Arriving on a weekday morning tends to mean smaller crowds and more time to browse without bumping into fellow shoppers.

If you are driving from Seattle, budget at least two and a half hours each way and consider making a full day of it by exploring Leavenworth itself. The town has plenty of cafes, bakeries, and boutique shops that pair well with a Christmas store visit.

One genuinely useful perk is the layaway plan the store offers, which means you can claim a big-ticket collectible without needing to carry it home that same day. For collectors eyeing a Department 56 set or a large nutcracker, that option is a real convenience worth taking advantage of.

America’s Most Christmasy Town

Leavenworth did not stumble into its reputation as one of America’s most festive towns by accident.

The community has worked hard over decades to build and maintain an identity that leans fully into the holiday spirit, and the results have earned it spots on national lists including Top 10 Places to Find Holiday Cheer and One of the Most Christmasy Places in America.

Kris Kringl is a central part of why those titles stick.

During the actual holiday season, the town transforms into something that feels genuinely cinematic. The Bavarian architecture gets draped in lights, carolers perform on street corners, and the mountain backdrop adds a natural grandeur that no stage set could replicate.

But even in spring or fall, the town holds onto its festive identity better than almost anywhere else in the country.

Visiting outside peak season means shorter lines, easier parking, and a more relaxed pace that lets you actually absorb what makes this place so special rather than just rushing through it.

It Turns Browsing Into A Tradition

There are plenty of reasons to visit the Pacific Northwest, from volcanic peaks to old-growth forests to dramatic coastlines. Adding Kris Kringl to that list might seem unexpected at first, but a few minutes inside the store will quickly change that perspective.

This is not just a shop. It is an experience that taps into something most people rarely feel outside of the actual holiday season.

The combination of a beautifully themed Bavarian village, a genuinely passionate family-owned business, and a product selection that spans everything from affordable ornaments to high-end collectibles creates something that feels truly one of a kind.

I left Leavenworth with a personalized ornament, a new appreciation for Department 56 villages, and a strong urge to plan a return visit before the year was out. Some places just have that effect on you, and Kris Kringl is absolutely one of them.