You haven’t really experienced the true spirit of Christmas until you see it through the dazzling lens of Las Vegas.
Here are the best places to celebrate Christmas in the United States, from Charleston, South Carolina, to Alaska. As always, be sure to check your local vaccination and travel restrictions before hitting the road this year.
Best Christmas Towns To Visit During Christmas
Alexandria, Virginia
Located about 20 minutes south of D.C., Alexandria is an ideal place to spend the holiday season. The Old Town’s centuries-old brick lanes and streets are even more charming when decorated with snow and Christmas wreaths, and you can expect plenty of seasonal activity.
The festivities kick off along the banks of the Potomac with the Alexandria Holiday Boat Light Parade and the annual Scottish Christmas Walk on weekends (December 3-4). On Christmas Eve, try to spot Santa on a water slide along the Potomac River.
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is easily one of the best places in the country to spend Christmas, offering all the bright displays and holiday shopping, not to mention the perfect spot nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains that any Every tourist wants it.
Some of the city’s seasonal offerings include an illuminated wonderland at the North Carolina Arboretum and the 29th annual National Gingerbread House Contest at the Omni Grove Park Inn (November 28-November 28). January 2nd).
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
This Christmas, visit the small town of Bethlehem, which is in Pennsylvania. The city’s German-inspired Christmas City Village and Christkindlmarkt (November 19-December 19) feature rotating craft exhibitions, live music, and glass-blowing demonstrations. After stocking up on handmade decorations and nutcrackers, take a carriage ride through downtown Bethlehem to see all the Christmas lights. It is one of the best Christmas towns to visit during Christmas.
Blue Bowling, Kentucky
You wouldn’t expect an arctic experience in southern Kentucky, but Bowling Green is rocking the game this holiday season.
The Christmas spirit is always alive at the town’s reindeer farm, where families can feed their reindeer, watch holiday movies and drink cocoa while writing letters to Santa. (There’s even an adult tasting.)
Now in its second year, the National Corvette Museum will also light up with Twinkle at the Track, an exhibit for motorists with a million lights spanning two miles.
Branson Missouri
Like the little sister of a Las Vegas family, Branson tries his best every holiday. The town on Mount Ozark turns into a winter wonderland with 1,500 Christmas trees in and around town, ice skating under the Branson Ferris Wheel, and some light shows for drivers. The only thing to put you in mind:
Head straight to the 1880s-themed amusement park, Silver Dollar City, for the annual An Old Time Christmas festival. The party runs until December 30 and includes 6.5 million lights, 1,000 trees (including an eight-story building), outdoor performances, parades, and, of course, horseback riding.
Charleston, South Carolina
If you want an immersive Christmas experience but don’t like the cold, then Charleston is the perfect destination for you. This year’s holiday attractions include the 32nd annual Holiday Lights Festival (November 12 to December 30), with some two million twinkling lights.
Chicago, Ill.
From the European-inspired Christkindlmarket to rich light shows, Chicago knows a thing or two about embracing the Christmas spirit (and freezing temperatures). Must-do activities include visiting the 51-foot Christmas tree in Millennium Park and relaxing in the hot igloo at the Godfrey Hotel.
Dallas, Texas
Proving that you don’t need cold temperatures to get in the Christmas spirit, Dallas’ holiday celebrations put most northern cities to shame.
Most notable is the Holiday at the Arboretum (now through December 31), a Christmas village with millions of lights, a 50-foot tree with animated lights set to music, and visits of Santa Claus. Elsewhere in town, you can take the Dallas Zoo Lights route and skate next to the nation’s largest covered Christmas tree at the Galleria Dallas Skate Center.
Denver, Colorado
Experience the magic of the Denver holidays this season with special events and millions of twinkling lights. Enjoy a family outing under the lights of the Denver Zoo or a fun day of shopping and skating downtown. Get in on the culture by checking out A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker (see the full schedule here), then visit the Mile High Tree at 16th Street Mall (it’s 110 feet tall, actually, but still pretty impressive). The only thing to put you in mind:
The Denver Christkindlmarket (one of the best German markets in the country) is back this winter in Central Park, open daily until December 23.
Kennebunkport, Maine
If you’re wondering where to go for Christmas like no other, look no further. Every December, this small New England town buzzes with joy during the annual prelude to Christmas, an 11-day holiday quite similar to New England. One of the main attractions is the lobster trap tree.
(The event will run from December 2-12 this year.) The Clam Shack’s lobster roll, considered one of the best rolls in Maine, will make you completely forget about the gingerbread and sugar plum.
Las Vegas, Nevada
If you thought Las Vegas was brilliant before, wait until you see it decorated for Christmas. Essentially, the entire Strip turns into a winter wonderland full of festive events for the whole family.
This year’s activities include skating on the roof of the Cosmopolitan building in Las Vegas, colorful shows off the LINQ promenade, a 6-foot gingerbread man at ARIA, and a giant show about the holiday – with a 42-foot Christmas tree – at Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Garden. Las Vegas is one of the best Christmas towns to visit during Christmas.
