In the fall of 2001 Wolf Noack, a former ballroom dance teacher and native of Germany, began a German/Austrian folk dance group with twenty high school girls. Some of the girls asked if their parents could join the group as they found it necessary to drop out due to involvement in sports and too many other high school activities. The new members were from every age group, eighteen through seventy something and all walks of life including builder, doctor, nurse, engineer, school principal, etc. Practice is once a week with some couples coming from as far away as Seattle.

A local seamstress created the ladies’ costumes and the men bought used lederhosen. A year or so later Projekt Bayern, an organization that was formed to preserve and enhance the Bavarian theme in Leavenworth purchased brand new trachten for the dancers, which numbered eighteen by then. With the new costumes came a new name, Edelweiss Tanz Gruppe (Edelweiss Dance Troupe).

The folk dances performed by the troupe are dances of the German and Austrian people, which express their history, cultural heritage, and traditions. Each routine radiates with joy and enthusiasm and the diversity of the dancers is refreshing and helps to create a wonderful bond and sense of pride within the group.

Edelweiss Tanz Gruppe also performs at other Leavenworth activities and events which include Maifest,  Accordion Fest and Autumn Leaf Festival.