I've been getting an excellent fill of Krampus, the Germanic Christmas imp, this holiday season. In addition to looking forward to Krampusnacht this Saturday, December 7, at Marz Community Brewing Co. , our family took a break over Thanksgiving week to visit friends in Seattle, including a side trip to Leavenworth, Washington: a fairy-tale Fachwerk town in a stunning mountain setting.

Leavenworth goes bonkers for Christmas, bedecking its German-themed town square, high streets and shops and restaurants in holiday lights and splendor, attracting thousands of visitors each day. I felt very lucky we visited at exactly the right time for the Krampuslauf, when Krampus-costumed fans stalk the town and entertain everyone. This coming weekend I'll look forward to more Krampus fun at Marz Brewing: I went with friends last year, and it was a blast to watch everyone in costume and enjoy the Environmental Encroachment Marching Band, which is performing again this weekend. We'll see you there!

The Krampus fun continued this past Saturday, December 6, at Marz Community Brewing Co., which was celebrating its Krampusnacht event with performance by the Environmental Encroachment Marching Band and many costumed Krampuses.

Here's a short video from the night. Enjoy!