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15 Magical U.S. Christmas Towns to Visit in December
Head here for major holiday cheer.
Even if you’ve twirled up the most perfectly rustic Christmas tree and outdone the neighbors with the prettiest paper chains, sometimes the holidays are best spent away from home. Looking for a great getaway that doesn’t forgo all the red and green razzle dazzle? This collection of magical Christmas towns across the U.S. is sure to provide inspiration for where to spend your 2025 holiday—and beyond!
Our favorite Christmas towns in the U.S. include a little bit of everything. There are big cities, small towns, Southern hotspots, and way-up-in-the-mountain hideaways. Seeking out a steeped-in-history celebration? Try Colonial Williamsburg or the Bavarian-style towns of Helen, Georgia and Leavenworth, Washington. More in the mood to break with the norm? There’s a magic to Taos, New Mexico. And if a white Christmas is an absolute must, know you’re pretty much guaranteed to find snow in Crested Butte, Colorado, or Park City, Utah.
Also good to know: the best small towns at Christmas go big on Yuletide activities. From Christmas villages and markets full of handmade ornaments and seasonal sweets to the most utterly Instagrammable outdoor light displays, there will be plenty of things to do. (Which is good, because you won’t be spending time in the kitchen cooking up holiday dishes for a big family feast!) So pack your bags, bundle up the kids, and alert the in-laws that you’ll be heading outta town this year. These magical American Christmas towns are ready and waiting for you!
In need of more ways to make merry this year? We’ve got plenty of ideas:
Nevada City, California
Set among the pine forests of the Northern Sierra Nevadas, this former Gold Rush town turned film and performing arts hub infuses the holiday season with a distinct Old West spirit. Commune with costumed carolers along gas-lamp lined streets during the Victorian Christmas celebration, fill your stockings at an assortment of independently-owned small businesses, including Kitkitdizzi and J.J. Jackson's, and be sure to score tickets to a holiday-themed production at Nevada Theatre, the oldest original-use theater west of the Mississippi. Nearby Grass Valley kicks off its Cornish Christmas celebration with a tree lighting on Mill Street Plaza (pictured above).
Crested Butte, Colorado
Nestled high in the Slate River Valley, this historic mining town turned come-as-you-are ski haven brings fresh alpine air and a freewheeling pioneer spirit to the holiday season. Stock up on Christmas decor at holiday haberdashery Vincent Cranberry's, cozy up for a meal in an old mining cabin at Soupcon, or spend a leisurely afternoon on the cross-country skiing trails. Don't miss the Night of Lights in nearby Gunnison, when Main Street businesses serve cookies and hot chocolate while Santa lights the downtown tree.
Middleburg, Virginia
Settle in for an old-fashioned Christmas in the heart of Virginia’s horse and hunt country, where you can cheer on a parade of loyal hounds as they ride through the streets, sip on small-batch hard ciders at Mt. Defiance, and shop for old-world holiday decor, including Wilhelm Schweizer pewter ornaments, and Wendt & Kühn windup music boxes, at year-round holiday shop The Christmas Sleigh.
RELATED: Get More Insider Tips With Our Country Girl's Guide to Christmas in Middleburg
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Gruene, Texas
A two-steppin' Texas Christmas awaits in this cotton town-turned-thriving historic district located within the community of New Braunfels. Pose for pics with Cowboy Kringle, Gruene's distinctive wrangler spin on Father Christmas, take in the annual Pony Express Ride, a beloved holiday tradition that sees a horseback cavalcade carry a message of yuletide cheer from the state governor straight through town, then head to Gruene Hall, Texas’s oldest continuously running dance hall, for a calendar jam-packed with holiday shows.
RELATED: Find Out More Ways to Spend the Holidays in Gruene, The Best Christmas Town in Texas
Woodstock, Vermont
In the heart of the Green Mountains, a Christmas card-worthy village and its surrounding hamlets shine with New England charm. Go cross-country skiing, visit covered bridges, and bundle up for horse-drawn sleigh rides through snow-covered pastures at Billings Farm & Museum.
RELATED: Get Our Complete Insider’s Guide to Christmas in Woodstock
Park City, Utah
Why not escape to a literal winter wonderland for Christmas? Park City is a breathtaking place nestled in the mountains. There are tons of Christmas events throughout December such as holiday markets, sleigh rides, and a Christmas Eve torchlight parade, where skiers and snowboarders come down the mountain carrying torches to lead Santa into town.
Franklin, Tennessee
Step back in time at the annual Dickens of a Christmas festival in historic downtown Franklin. The festival brings characters from A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist to life throughout its weekend-long festivities. Roam the Victorian Village and try Victorian-era Christmas treats like sugar plums while listening to carolers. Stop for a chat with Jacob Marley or Ebenezer Scrooge before visiting Father Christmas.
Solvang, California
Take a trip to gorgeous wine country this holiday season and visit Solvang, located in the Santa Ynez Valley. The town hosts Julefest, which lasts all December long. Guests can go on go on a Holiday Lights Tour, take part in the Santa Sprint, listen to live holiday music, and much more.
Leavenworth, Washington
On any day of the year, this Bavarian village gives off an Alpine holiday air. But during Christmastown, visitors are met with 21 miles of lights along the homes and fences, and can also anticipate handbell concerts, a lively Christkindlmarkt, harp music, and a weekly festival with carolers, mulled Gluhwein, and sledding.
Asheville, North Carolina
Not surprisingly, much of Asheville's holiday focus is on the Biltmore, the historic Vanderbilt mansion, which dresses up lavishly with ribbons, garlands, and sparking lights. Elsewhere in this active mountain town, locals gather to watch Santa rappel down Chimney Rock as a warm-up exercise for his upcoming Christmas Eve activities. The well-established arts scene in town makes shopping for unique gifts easy at craft shows and studio visits in the River Arts District.
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Known as Michigan's Little Bavaria, Frankenmuth's European heritage is on full display during the Christmas season. Some of the town's charming holiday highlights include a traditional Christkindlmarkt, a holiday home tour hosted by the Frankenmuth Women's Club, whimsical light displays, and Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the world's largest Christmas store.
Helen, Georgia
You may not expect to find an Alpine village along the banks of Georgia's Chattahoochee River, but Helen, a former logging town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, reinvented itself long ago as a Bavarian town. Visitors come to town in December to view the wreaths and artist-decorated holiday trees on auction at the Festival of Trees and shop the Christmas Market.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial holiday traditions like caroling by torchlight, fife and drum performances, and interpretive programs (care to celebrate with the Madisons and Jeffersons?!) set the stage for Christmas in Williamsburg. The activities culminate in the Grand Illumination, a celebratory fireworks and historic gun-salute display, best viewed from the town green. For the less historic-minded, nearby Busch Gardens opens for the holiday with Christmas Town, a stroll through European holiday traditions.
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus, Indiana, with a strong year-round commitment to the holiday, calls itself America's Christmas Hometown. In the late 1920s, the local postmaster began to promote the town and pretty soon, children's letters to Santa began pouring in. Every year, thousands of letters are answered by volunteer Santa's Elves. Local festivities include a themed parade, a candy castle selling nostalgic treats, and Santa Claus Land of Lights, a 1.2-mile drive-through holiday light show.
Taos, New Mexico
In the days leading up to the holidays, Taos holds tree-lightings, concerts, and crafts fairs like many other towns, but on Christmas Eve, the game changes. A religious procession in ancient Taos Pueblo, the Native American settlement outside town, includes bonfires, luminarias, and a historic gun salute. It can make the most jaded Scrooge feel holiday magic stir.
Sarah Zlotnick is the Lifestyle Director at Country Living, where she has run point on travel, rural lifestyles, and all things vintage and antiques since 2021. Previously a lifestyle editor at Washingtonian and Philadelphia magazines, she has been championing small businesses and regional destinations for 15 years. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in American Studies from Georgetown University, a major her younger self would be quite surprised to learn has come so in handy. First and foremost a service journalism enthusiast, she loves an in-depth explainer on an everyday topic or a deep dive into the history of vintage objects. When she’s not editing and writing, you’ll find her needling her husband to pull off the highway so they can explore a new small town or cozying up with a juicy murder mystery.
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