10 charming small towns to visit during the holidays

Santa travels all over the world, but surely he feels most at home in cozy, small cities. In these Christmassy destinations, the Jolly Old Elf—and everyone else—can enjoy spectacular light displays, festivals, one-of-a-kind shops, concerts, fireworks, and more. These 10 towns that celebrate the holidays in a big way will fill you with the spirit of the season.

For nearly 50 years, Santa and other holiday legends like Ebenezer Scrooge, Jack Frost, and the Sugar Plum Fairy have made Main Street in St. Charles a favorite holiday hangout during Saint Charles Christmas Traditions. They’ll parade along the cobblestone streets accompanied by a fife and drum corps on the day after Thanksgiving and make occasional appearances through December 24.

Greet Santa and his friends on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays while shopping. Roaming carolers will perform, and vendors hawk wassail and roasted chestnuts.

“Come on Wednesday nights for A Christmas Carol Stroll, when you might get invited to take part in one of the scenes from Charles Dickens’ book,” says Ryan Cooper, St. Charles Christmas Traditions director, who also portrays Jack Frost. “Don’t miss the activities at Frontier Park at the KATY Depot on Friday nights—the night of our Krampus Karnival.”

Party like it’s 1735 in the old French village of Ste. Geneviève during the Holiday Christmas Festival on the first full weekend in December.

Festivities kick off on Saturday, December 2, with a Santa-led parade, followed by plenty of shopping opportunities. Also on December 2, the 1818 Felix Vallé House State Historic Site will re-create Le Réveillon. The traditional 13 desserts served at the event honor Jesus and his disciples.

In the weeks before Christmas, pop into the village’s many boutiques for holiday gifts. Then return to Ste. Geneviève on December 31 for La Guignolée, a French New Year’s Eve tradition. Costumed La Guignolée revelers travel by trolley to select sites in town and sing a beggar’s song for drinks and favors. The party continues at the final stop, the Centre for French Colonial Life, as participants welcome the new year.

Dubbed the most Christmassy town in Illinois by several media outlets, Galena redefines the concept of holiday lights. Perched on a hillside along the Galena River, the town heralds the holidays with a bang during the Holiday Fire in the Sky fireworks show on December 2. You can watch from just about anywhere in town, but the arched Galena Pedestrian Bridge at Grant Park offers a great view.

Galena’s seasonal light show continues with the Night of the Luminaria and Living Windows on December 9. More than 5,000 luminarias illuminate the city, creating an old-fashioned, romantic holiday experience.

Follow the luminarias along the half-mile shopping district and beyond. More than 125 shops are along the winding route, many decorated with holly and pine roping. While searching for gifts, you’ll also see holiday-inspired performances in numerous shop windows.

Santa isn’t the only gift giver who visits Lindsborg, the village often referred to as Little Sweden. St. Lucia, clad in white and wearing a crown of holly and candles, arrives on the second Saturday of December (December 9 this year) to celebrate Lindsborg’s St. Lucia Festival. St. Lucia, usually portrayed by a local student, is just part of the day’s many festivities, which include folk dancing, live music, and pepparkakor (Swedish ginger cookies), a favorite treat among festivalgoers.

Watch out for the tomtes, who are Swedish elves or trolls. “They’re considered troublemakers unless you give them treats,” explained Holly Lofton, director of the Lindsborg Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We leave treats out for them just like we do for Santa. Tomtes are always found in Lindsborg at Christmastime.”

Other Lindsborg festivities include the Snowflake Parade and Artists’ Studio Open House on December 2. Plus, stop by anytime to see a herd of decorated fiberglass Dala horses scattered around town. A popular Swedish icon, the rounded, tailless horses symbolize welcome in Lindsborg and recall the city’s heritage.

Santa may live at the North Pole, but his mailing address is in Santa Claus, Indiana. Just ask the postmaster, who hand-cancels thousands of cards and letters at the Santa Claus Post Office every year. Tourists often bring their Christmas cards to be postmarked there throughout December, including during the Santa Claus Christmas Celebration, which is held the first 3 weekends of December.

Shop and nibble sweet treats at Santa’s Candy Castle. Marvel at the Santa Claus Land of Lights, a 1.2-mile drive-through light extravaganza at the Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph campground and RV resort, which is on view from Thanksgiving through Christmas.

Take a selfie in front of the 22-foot-tall Santa statue or next to the 12-foot Santa mural located at the Santa Claus Museum and Village, which houses the original Santa Claus post office. On celebration weekends, elves stand ready to help kids write letters to the man himself. Step inside the village’s 1880 church, where you can catch concerts on December 2 and 16, and a reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas on December 3.

During the holidays, Eureka Springs glows like a Victorian village found under a Christmas tree. Built on a mountainside in northwest Arkansas, the town’s 19th-century historic district is festooned with glittering lights and evergreens. It’s the perfect backdrop for the annual Christmas Parade of Lights on December 1.

Catch the trolley that loops around town during the day on Wednesdays through Saturdays in December for a ride past decorated shops, galleries, and restaurants. Hop off at the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa and explore its Christmas Forest, where decorated trees illuminate the mountaintop property December 2–31.

For even more sparkling fun, drive through a forest of 150 illuminated trees and dozens of nativities lighting the way to the 7-story Christ of the Ozarks statue at The Great Passion Play outdoor theater’s grounds on weekends from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

Become immersed in a symphony of lights and sound in “Listening Forest,” a dynamic display on the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s North Forest Trail. Not a holiday light show per se, the immersive display’s 8 installations by artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer help you connect with nature. Dress warmly for this outdoor event presented Wednesdays through Saturdays and on select Sunday evenings through December 31. Adult tickets start at $25.

Transition from the forest to Bentonville’s downtown city square, where Lighting of the Square on November 18 ushers in the yuletide. More than 30 miles of lights drape nearly every available tree, shrub, and building from November 18 through January 1. Holiday festivities also include the Bentonville Christmas Parade on December 9.

Now in its 97th year, the Natchitoches Christmas Festival ranks among the country’s oldest holiday festivals. What began as a 1-day party has grown into 7 weeks of festivities, including a spectacular light display. More than 300,000 lights and 100 elaborate display pieces shine in downtown and the Cane River Lake levee area.

The kickoff party on November 18, known as Turn on the Holidays!, includes fireworks and musical entertainment. That’s when Natchitoches switches on the lights that will burn brightly through January 6.

In between those dates, visitors can enjoy concerts, home tours, a lighted boat parade, pop-up Christmas markets, the Kids Fest area, and more fireworks displays. And don’t forget to eat like a local—try the famous Natchitoches meat pie.

Spirits of Christmas past seem a little more spirited in Lafayette, where 2 historic sites are dedicated to preserving Acadian culture and holiday traditions.

Lights flood LARC’s Acadian Village with cheer during Noel Acadien au Village. The holiday celebration runs from December 1 through 23. Admire the decorations among the 19th-century Cajun houses in this open-air museum village. Visitors 3 and older, $10.

From December 12 to 23, Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park’s Old Time Winter Traditions celebration showcases handmade ornaments and live demonstrations of candle- and soap-making. On December 16, the Old Time Winter Family Day presents music, storytellers, crafts, and foods that were popular from the late 1700s to the late 1800s. Sip apple cider while chatting with Papa Noël, as Santa is known in Cajun country. Adults, $10.

During the festivities, visit Santa on Saturdays and shop an array of boutiques. Plus, go ice-skating in a temporary rink at the Old Armory Pavilion. After filling your soul with holiday cheer, fill your belly. Fine Southern cuisine awaits at the landmark City Grocery, operated by James Beard Award–winning chef John Currence.

Suzanne Corbett is a freelance writer from St. Louis.