Autumn Leaf Festival rings in the fall season

This year’s Royal Lady of the Autumn Leaves Jenny Evans waves at the crowd.

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Crowds gather along Front Street for the 2026 Autumn Leaf Festival Grand Parade.

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Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) leads the 2026 Autumn Leaf Parade.

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Queen Lauren represents Penticton Peach Festival, an annual celebration of the peach harvest in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

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Grand Marshal Henry Hettick waves from a vintage car.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

Royalty on the Heart of Cashmere float make their way down Front Street.

TAYLOR CALDWELL/WARD MEDIA

Veterans wave from a 1957 Shore Patrol Jeep.

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Princess Ava waves from the Spokane Lilac Festival float.

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Judy Derpack represents the Greater Leavenworth Museum.

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Posted Sunday, September 27, 2026 4:03 pm

By TAYLOR CALDWELL
Ward Media Staff Reporter

LEAVENWORTH — Sunny skies and fall colors set the scene for the annual Washington State Autumn Leaf Festival in downtown Leavenworth Sept. 25-27.

Dating back to 1964, the Autumn Leaf Festival is Leavenworth’s longest running festival, celebrating community, visitors and the turning colors of the fall leaves.

The weekend drew large swaths of crowds for activities, music and Saturday’s Grand Parade. The parade marks the end of a summer long tour for the 2026 Royal Lady of the Autumn Leaves Jenny Evans, who represented Leavenworth at festivals across the Pacific Northwest.

It was led by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and grand marshal Henry Hettick, a longstanding leader in the arts and theater community, followed by the Royal Lady. The parade featured participants from all over the Pacific Northwest, including representatives of Spokane’s Lilac Festival, the Portland Rosarians, and Penticton Peach Fest.

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