Leavenworth International Accordion Festival celebrates music and history

LEAVENWORTH — From the Alps to classical and jazz, the Leavenworth International Accordion Festival spent the weekend of June 26-29 celebrating the history, culture and sounds of the accordion.

The weekend festival included workshops, lessons, performances and competitions, from the historic Chumstick Grangehall to the Front Street Gazebo and Festhalle. The educational experiences were led by experts such as National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Hank Thunander, local collector and Alpenfolk musician Thomas Tilton, historian and musician Matt Tolentino, Zydeco musician Mark Myking, and tango expert Ben Thomas.

The Leavenworth International Accordion Festival has gathered annually since 1989, and is organized by the Northwest Accordion Society.