Small Towns With Big-Time Christmas Celebrations (Slideshow)

Delray Beach, Florida

Delray Beach proves that you don't need snow to get into the Christmas spirit. The town is famous for its 100-foot-tall Christmas tree. There's also ice skating, miniature golf and much more.

Frankenmuth, Michigan

Frankenmuth is the home of Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, the World's Largest Christmas Store. The whole town gets into the spirit during the holidays and Bronner's is lit up all year. The Old Christmas Station restaurant boasts a museum of antique ornaments.

Fredericksburg, Texas

Enjoy German Christmas traditions deep in the heart of Texas. Check out the 30-foot Christmas tree and 26-foot German Christmas pyramid at Marktplatz. Yule be glad you did.

Helen, Georgia

An alpine-styled town in the Appalachian Mountains, tiny Helen claims only 430 residents but is the state's third most visited city. Helen goes all out for Oktoberfest and throws a great Christmas party too: carols, cocoa, cookies and more.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster promises Christmas lights, a holiday-themed amusement park and much more. There's even a special train ride with a reading of "The Night Before Christmas." Who wouldn't be jolly?

Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth has a pretty festive look all year-round. That's because the town center is modeled on a Bavarian village. Around Christmas, it becomes a "Village of Lights" with more than 500,000 twinkling bulbs downtown. There are carolers strolling around town, doglsed rides and more. It really is a winter wonderland.

McAdenville, North Carolina

McAdenville calls itself "Christmas Town USA." It's hard to argue. Most of the tiny town (pop. 651) is decorated with Christmas lights. More than 300,000 vehicles drive through to see the sights each year.

Natchitoches, Louisiana

Natchitoches does Christmas up right with lights AND fireworks. Natchitoches says it is home to one of the oldest community-based holiday celebrations in the country (est. 1927). More than 300,000 lights and 100-plus set pieces are on display every night.

North Pole, Alaska

The Christmas decorations never come down in North Pole. Pay special attention to the candy-cane striped street lights. And the Santa Claus House gift shop has been spreading good tidings for more than 60 years.

Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford gets into the Christmas spirit of giving. The Gingerbread House Village supports local food banks by encouraging visitors to donate. The Holiday Ornament Auction raises money for local artists.

Red Wing, Minnesota

A parade, fireworks, pancakes, cookies, live ice carving, vintage snowmobiles, holiday postcard making, commemorative ornaments, a live Nativity, visits with Santa. There's something for every good girl and boy during the holidays in Red Wing.

St. Augustine, Florida

Around 3 million lights are twinkling in historic downtown St. Augustine each holiday for the Nights of Lights festival. Nights of Lights harkens back to the Spanish tradition of displaying a white candle in windows during the holidays.

Santa Claus, Indiana

It's Christmas every day of the year in Santa Claus, Indiana. During the holiday season, you can enjoy actual chestnuts roasting on an actual open fire, then drive through Lake Rudolph's 1.2-mile "Land of Lights." 

Skaneateles, New York

This charming upstate New York village goes back in time each December for Dickens Christmas. Rub shoulders with Charles Dickens and more than 50 other characters; they stroll the streets, interacting with visitors.

Solvang, California

More than 100 years ago, a group of Danes re-created a Danish village in Southern California. Every December, the town goes all out for Julefest. There are candlelight tours, Christmas carols and something called a Skal Stroll, a two-day walking tour of the village's wineries and breweries. Plenty of good spirits!

 

Woodstock, Vermont

How Christmas-y is Woodstock? A Budweiser Chrismas commercial was filmed here! You can get in on the fun during Wassail Weekend, with tours of decked-out houses, an equestrian parade and Celtic music.