‘Tis the most wonderful time of the year and nothing compares to the beauty and joy of festive decorations. The mere sight of a place decked up in holiday merriment can put a smile on your face, even in a blizzard. While you might want to go and see buzzing places like Disneyland or New York during the holiday season, there are many towns in America that will make you feel like you are stepping into your favorite holiday flick.
Here we have compiled a list of the best towns in the US for you to travel to in December. These small towns are just as much cheerful as their big-city counterparts when it comes to holiday vibe and offer an amazing festive experience to all. Check out these 10 festive US towns that are perfect to visit this Christmas.
Park City, Utah
This Utah mountain town becomes a winter wonderland once the snow falls. This idyllic town is perfect to celebrate the holiday season. Park City lights its iconic tree and holds the annual Electric Parade in late November. It has tons of Christmas events including holiday markets, sleigh rides and a Christmas Eve torchlight parade. During the holidays, the city has a gingerbread display at Montage Deer Valley, which the kids and sweet tooth of all ages will simply love.
Leavenworth, Washington
With an Alpine holiday vibe, this town attracts many visitors during the winter festivities. The town gets clad in 21 miles of lights along the homes and fences. It also offers handbell concerts, harp music and a weekly festival with carolers and sledding around the town’s tree. The month-long festivities include a show of Santa costumes from all around the globe, a gingerbread house contest and an opportunity to win a Leavenworth-themed Christmas tree decked with gifts.
Asheville, North Carolina
The historic Vanderbilt mansion, Biltmore, in the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of the major Christmas attractions in the town, which is dressed in lavish ribbons, garlands and plenty of sparkling lights. The mansion offers many decorations, food and festivities for all the attendees. Elsewhere in the artsy mountain town, people gather to watch Santa climb down Chimney Rock as a warm-up for Christmas Eve activities.
Franklin, Tennessee
Famous for its annual Dickens of a Christmas festival, the historic town of Franklin brings characters from A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist to life during the two-day event that features over 200 dancers, musicians and actors. This Victorian village will transport you to the iconic era with its beautiful decorations and Victorian-era Christmas treats such as sugar plums. With plenty of places to explore and activities, the town becomes an ideal winter vacation destination in the US.
Aspen, Colorado
This ski resort town in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains becomes one of the merriest during Christmas. The town celebrates festivities for 12 days with plenty of activities. While walking around Cooper Avenue, you can encounter cookie exchange, public s’mores roasts and elf meet-and-greets. With plenty of lodging and gorgeous locations to explore, the town becomes a year-round destination for vacationers, especially during the winters.
Williamsburg, Virginia
The historic town of Williamsburg dresses each house in holiday cheer. The town has a centuries-old tradition of lighting at least one candle by a window of each home during the holiday season. It offers many festive events such as caroling by torchlight and a gun-salute display. As far as lights go, the Busch Gardens are adorned with 10 million lights for the largest display in the country.
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus, Indiana, has been called America’s Christmas hometown, which is no surprise. It is home to Santa Claus Candy Castle, the Christmas Lake Village Festival of Lights, and a 3-week Santa Claus Christmas celebration. As the legend has it, in the late 1920s, the local postmaster started to promote the town and since then thousands of letters pour in every year from children across the world, which are answered by volunteer Santa’s Elves.
Rhinebeck, New York
This tiny town in upstate New York is home to many celebrities and is known for its Christmas celebrations. Sinterklaas is a Dutch celebration that was brought to New York by the town’s founders in the 1600s. Local children dress as kings and queens to honor the “bringers of the light” in the annual parade, pageant and other events. You might see actor Paul Rudd in a candy shop in Rhinebeck that he co-owns with actor Jeffery Dean Morgan.
Woodstock, Vermont
Famous for its annual Woodstock Wassail Weekend event, this quaint town is at its best on Christmas. You will find a parade of horses and buggies, carolers and every structures in the town dressed in festive cheer. There are many other things to do such as walk through holiday craft markets and attend live music performances. The Town Hall Theater plays family-friendly holiday films like Home Alone etc.
New York City, New York
No list of US Christmas towns is complete with New York City. This is one of the most cheerful places on the planet during Christmas. It has got all the charm, countless attractions, skating rinks and shopping opportunities abound. Besides, nothing compares to the view of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The breathtaking festive window displays at major departmental stores are the talk of town during the holiday season every year.
