The Best Christmas Celebrations In The U.S.

Christmas trees are going up, wreaths are decorating doors and string lights are turning on—at least in our picture-perfect fantasies, that is. The holiday season can turn even the grinchiest among us into giddy elves, cranking up the Christmas tunes and craving cookies, eggnog and the sweet smell of pine at all hours.

If the neighborhood holiday cheer isn't loud enough for you, Christmas celebrations all over the country are ready and waiting. From Alaska to Vermont, tiny towns that might not typically get a lot of foot traffic the rest of the year are throwing some of the best holiday parties in the country, and you're invited. So while you're checking your list twice, check out these seven small towns.

McAdenville, North Carolina, is so festive that the town actually changes its name every year to Christmas Town USA. Need we say more? From December 1 through 26, Christmas Town USA decorates all its homes with more than 10,000 lights and almost 400 trees.

This picturesque Vermont town takes a trip back in time every year with Wassail Weekend. Expect festivities like concerts, feasts, and the famous parade of decked-out horses and buggies.  

Dubbed America's Christmas hometown for obvious reasons, this tiny town goes big during the first three weeks of December. Visitors can literally roast chestnuts over an open (camp)fire in front of Santa's Candy Castle (yes, real place), watch a Christmas parade and stamp mail at the only post office in the world actually called the Santa Claus Post Office.

You don't have to cross the pond if you're looking for a traditional German Christmas market. Head straight to Helen, Georgia, for Christkindlmarkt and never look back. Now in its ninth year, the market runs from December 3 to 11, and there's no better place to shop, eat and dance.

Yes, there is actually a town called North Pole in Alaska, and, yes, it's like Christmas every day there. It even has a Santa Claus house that sends personalized letters from Santa. If that's not enough, you can also sidle up to live reindeer while you sip on hot chocolate and gaze at a 50-foot Santa–the tallest in the world.

Wander into a serious winter wonderland in this snowy mountain town, which hosts Race of the Santas each year, featuring runners decked out in full Santa garb, as well as a caroling night and a winter open house for those looking for last-minute crafty gifts.

Finally, for a verifiable Christmas village on steroids, look no further than Bernville, Pennsylvania, for the ultimate celebration. Koziar's Christmas Village puts up what's been called the best outdoor Christmas display in the world, featuring no fewer than one million lights.