“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” and you already feel it. That fever, that “contagious” cheerfulness is in the air and you already breathe it and feel better. Of course, there are minor shortcomings: the hustle and bustle, the mad run to find the best presents, the last finishing touches at work, the office Christmas party you don’t really feel like going to and the list is long “and full of perils”. Nevertheless, you know you’re going to reach that magical night when it will be just you and your dear ones, in front of the Christmas Tree celebrating your love and kinship.
All of these will be happening while on the background a Christmas movie is playing. From time to time, you’ll plop yourself down on a couch and watch a little bit of Home Alone, a little bit of Grinch and so on and so forth. The thing is, in all of these Christmas movies there is always a small town that looks marvellous and your idea of Christmas somehow stays stick to that Christmas movie image. Although most of those towns are pure fiction, mostly a movie set, there are some that are real. It’s true, you’ll have to travel the whole USA to find them, but isn’t this the joy of Christmas?
So, let’s have a look at 9 lovely small towns that look like out of a Christmas movie!
1. McAdenville, North Carolina
Nicknamed Christmastown, this town of only 832 people really delivers on its promise. It boasts 400 trees and half a million twinkling lights. About 20 minutes west of Charlotte, this little town “embraces” a man-made lake. The Christmas beauty of this charming town is not unknown. Every year, around 300,000 cars drive through here to enjoy some of its unique Christmas spirit.
2. Stockbridge, Massachusetts
If you’re familiar with Norman Rockwell’s works, then you’ll also recognize this town. Yes, it is the famous Stockbridge from Rockwell’s famous “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas” painting. The town is famous for its classic white homes with pillars wrapped up in Christmas garlands and its Christmas festival which begins on the second weekend of December. We recommend you visit at that time of the year and you’ll see carolers filling up the porches and also have the chance to take guided tours of the homes that Rockwell made famous and also take pictures of the vintage cars covered in snow that are being parked on the main street for maximum authenticity.
3. Pacific Grove, California
Well, this town is a little bit different for Christmas because it sits on a Californian beach. Nevertheless, it’s the best place in the whole Golden State where you can spend your winter holidays. There are seven historic B&Bs in this town and they’ve got Movie-like fireplace mantles covered in bows and gift-wrapped staircases for the annual Christmas at the Inns event. If you’re Christmas decorations die-hard fan, then you should definitely go to Candy Cane Lane, a residential street where everybody is competing with everybody over who has the most over-the-top Christmas decorations!
4. Anderson, South Carolina
Anderson is a city of 26,000 people located in a warm-wheater state, but they seem so in love with Christmas that they even have a Christmas market filled with Christmas regalia, from fresh-baked goodies to warm cinnamony drinks. Moreover, the city offers an incredible Christmas Lights show where you can drive through different nativity scenes, reindeers and other Christmas images made of litte Christmas bulbs.
5. Cooperstown, New York
The Cooperstown is basically a huge museum of baseball memorabilia, but when winter comes and Christmas is near, everything is covered in a soft blanket of snow which will hardly let you notice anything but the extremely cute Christmas decorations. Yes, it really looks like a Christmas town!
6. Frostburg, Maryland
This is the land of Buddy the Elf. Each year, the residents turn themselves into elves for the annual Storybook Holiday. The Festival has it all: an elf-hosted breakfast, an elf parade, elf Olympics and even children book authors reading their stories out loud for everybody to enjoy! Moreover, you can sing along to “White Christmas” at the art deco Palace Theatre in the evening.
7. Mandeville, Louisiana
This town is all about holiday food. There are about 25 shops along the towns main drag with all the food you could dream of: all kinds of baked goods, hot Christmas drinks, ciders and holiday delicacies that make us run to the gym after Christmas is over. Once the Christmas hunger is quenched, then you can take a stroll down Lakeshore Drive alongside the 100-year-old Live Oak trees draped in Christmas lights.
8. Monterey, California
This is not your usual red-brick main streets kind of Christmas. This is a 19th-century-Mexican-adobe-homes turned into Christmas’ finest cheer. Moreover, if you’re up for a Christmas-on-the-water experience, then you can enjoy it here and be a happy witness of locals lighting up their boats for the Brighten the Harbor Lighted Boat Parade.
9. New Castle, Delaware
This is a little 19th-century London where you can enjoy a Victorian ball, tea and mingle with costumed characters before a live performance of “A Christmas Carol”. Moreover, you can also jump on a historical tour of New Castle of historic homes and churches dating back over 200 years and decorated in full Christmas splendour.
If you really enjoyed these charming little towns where Christmas is magical, then why not pack your bags and pay them a visit? Have a wonderful Christmas, folks!
Via Matador Network
