Check out any store today, and you’ll see vestiges of Halloween décor overpowered by the rollout of Christmas. It’s always fun to see an evil clown hovering right near Santa Claus! But that’s a sign that pre-Thanksgiving, we are already ramping up to arguably the most celebrated holiday in the U.S. And to help us designate a place to hunker down and experience snowflakes drifting past the window frame and smoke rising from both chimneys and hot cocoa mugs, Country Living has created a list of the 30 most magical Christmas towns in the U.S. It’s always entertaining to see which city lands the honor of being most magical—on our list of best Christmas towns, it’s Stowe, Vermont, and on our list of the cities that most look like they’re in Europe (because after all, Germany is the heart of the Christkindl markets), it’s Tarpon Springs, Florida. So we’ll be curious to see what takes first place on this list: take a look! And don’t forget to leave out cookies for that puffy-cheeked gentleman and his reindeer entourage.
1. Middleburg, Virginia
This town gets fresh snowfall, a key component to looking Christmas-y. And its annual parade of hunters dressed in red on horseback accompanied by their hound dogs is pretty picturesque. There’s a Christmas Sleigh store open year-round and Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery to get your handcrafted holiday cider.
View this post on Instagram
2. Gruene, Texas
Decked out in holiday splendor, this town’s historic district is a sight to behold. You can meet Cowboy Kringle, the Lone Star State’s Santa alternative in true Texas style. Watch the Pony Express cavalcade bring a yuletide message through town from the governor and enjoy a holiday show at Gruene Hall, the state’s oldest continuously running dance hall, in operation since 1878.
3. Woodstock, Vermont
We knew Vermont had to wind up high on this list! You can take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snow at Billings Farm & Museum (just like in the song Jingle Bells! and check out their Wassail Weekend in early December; there’s a Christmas carol about that, too). You can go cross-country skiing, pay a visit to a covered bridge also covered in snow...and enjoy the beauty of this largely rural state.
Here’s the rest of the list:
4. Stockbridge, MA
5. Park City, UT
6. Franklin, TN
7. Essex, CT
8. Cape Cod, MA
9. Ann Arbor, MI
10. North Pole, AK
11. New York, NH
12. Bethlehem, PA
13. Greenville, SC
14. Solvang, CA
15. Andalusia, AL
16. Bardstown, KY
17. Leavenworth, WA
18. Branson, MO
19. Asheville, NC
20. Frankenmuth, MI
21. Jackson, WY
22. Natchitoches, LA
23. Helen, GA
24. Williamsburg, VA
25. Delray Beach, FL
26. Annapolis, MD
27. Sierra Madre, CA
28. Santa Claus, IN
29. Taos, NM
30. Red Wing, MN