7 Small Towns That Will Bring Your Hallmark Christmas Movie Dreams to Life

No matter where you live in the U.S., your own charming holiday scene is a short trip away

a man and woman looking at each other on a christmas tree farm

Festive trips to these small towns can put you in the holiday spirit.

Gallery Stock

Sheeka Sanahori,

AARP

Published November 10, 2023

/ Updated November 01, 2024

Add this to your seasonal to-do list: After you finish a holiday movie marathon, you can put yourself at the center of a festive Hallmark scene. Traveling for the holidays is the fourth-highest motivator for domestic travel for travelers 50-plus, according to AARP’s recent travel survey. And even though some of that travel may be to visit loved ones, starting off the season with a festive trip can do wonders to put you in the holiday spirit.

There’s a natural cheery feeling that comes with a stroll down a small town’s Main Street, holiday lights twinkling and evergreen wreaths crowning every door. Towns including Leavenworth, Washington; Frankenmuth, Michigan; and Santa Claus, Indiana, have grown in popularity because of their merry (and affordable) traditions. If you’re looking for a new small town with impeccable Hallmark Christmas movie ambience, consider these seven gems found all across the United States.

aerial view of Kennebunkport, Maine, as it gets ready for the holidays

Kennebunkport, Maine, gets ready for the holidays during the annual Christmas Prelude event.

Visit Maine

Kennebunkport, Maine

No other region in the United States delivers small town holiday cheer the way New England can. In Kennebunkport, Maine, the cozy comforts begin with a stay in one of the town’s many inns or bed and breakfasts. Kennebunkport’s small shops will be decorated with lights beginning Dec. 5, when the town’s annual Christmas Prelude kicks off with a holiday-decorated Maine Central Model Railroad at the Seashore Trolley Museum. The celebration continues with a tree-trimming ceremony, but the highlight happens Dec. 8, when Santa arrives in Kennebunkport in true New England fashion — by riding in a lobster boat. Christmas Prelude events continue through Dec. 15, but the holiday cheer carries on throughout the season.

Petaluma, California, in the heart of Sonoma wine country, exudes California Christmas.

Courtesy Sonoma County Tourism

Petaluma, California

If you’re looking for a town that exudes California Christmas, look to the town that provided the backdrop for the Netflix film series of the same name. Petaluma exudes historic charm year-round thanks to its many Victorian homes and 19th-century iron-front buildings. In early December, the town turns out for a free holiday lights boat parade, in which thousands of dazzling lights brighten the way down the Petaluma River. Hotel Petaluma also hosts an annual Gingerbread House Showcase, with some of the entries made to look like cherished local buildings. Petaluma is in the heart of Sonoma wine country, but the cooler months offer a new way to enjoy the area, with activities such as whale and seal watching in nearby Bodega Bay.

Dahlonega, Georgia square lit up for Christmas

Dahlonega, Georgia, has been the backdrop for Hallmark and Lifetime holiday movies.

Michelle Kraft Deblois

Dahlonega, Georgia

This small town in the north Georgia mountains was a well-known gold rush town in the 19th century. Today, it’s transformed itself into a holiday destination, especially for winter wonderland lovers who may be less enthusiastic about a forecast of snow. You may recognize Dahlonega’s downtown from Hallmark’s 2015 film Christmas in the Smokies. Lifetime’s 2020 movie A Taste of Christmas also was filmed across the town, including at its Festival of Trees.

Dahlonega starts decorating for the season in early November, then multiple events begin the day after Thanksgiving, including the lighting of the square and carriage rides. The city’s Christmas Market opens Dec. 6. Check Dahlonega’s Old Fashioned Christmas website for specific event timing.

Family fun holiday events in Estes Park, Colorado, include a parade and festivals.

Courtesy Visit Estes Park

Estes Park, Colorado

Estes Park’s cinematic claim to fame may not include the most holiday-reminiscent movies. Its most classic film contribution is being the home of the hotel that inspired Stephen King’s novel and subsequent movie, The Shining, the psychological thriller starring Jack Nicholson. However, the small town is serious about its cheerful vibe for the winter holiday season. Starting in late November, the town hosts a nightly light show with its 36-foot-tall Pixel Pine tree taking center stage. The town hosts other family-friendly holiday events throughout the season, including a parade and festivals featuring snowmen and sweet treats. If snow-capped mountains and trees are more your vibe, enjoy the base of Rocky Mountain National Park in all its winter splendor.

an angel in lights on a boat for the Alexandria Boat Parade

The boat parade along the Potomac River is one of Alexandria’s signature holiday events.

Carol Jean Stalun

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is technically a midsize city, with a year-round population of slightly more than 155,000, but this Washington suburb still gives cozy small town vibes, especially during the winter months. Take a stroll down King Street’s brick-laden sidewalks through Alexandria’s historic district, and you may feel like you’re in an old European village.

Alexandria’s Scottish Christmas Walk Parade on Dec. 7 continues its old European roots by paying homage to the Scottish merchants who founded the town in 1749. Scottish clans dressed in traditional tartans (the plaid, woolen cloths) march through Old Town Alexandria. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs to watch anywhere along the mile-long route. The festivities continue later that day with a holiday boat parade. Onlookers can watch decorated boats float by on the Potomac River.

Horses dressed for the Horse-Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival

Horses of different breeds and sizes pull carriages through Lebanon’s downtown streets.

Eric Andrews

Lebanon, Ohio

If your holiday cheer isn’t complete until you’ve seen Clydesdale horses pulling an antique carriage, Lebanon, Ohio, is your go-to small town. Every year, the city hosts the Horse-Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival. This year, it takes place twice on Dec. 7 — at 1 p.m., followed by a separate candlelight parade at 7 p.m. Horses of many different breeds and sizes pull carriages through Lebanon’s downtown streets.

Lebanon is about halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Those coming from farther away can stay where stagecoaches originally rested the horses, at the Golden Lamb. It’s the oldest inn still in operation in Ohio.

Skiing in Deer Valley is one of the highlights of a trip to Park City, Utah.

Deer Valley Resort

Park City, Utah

According to the 2022 Netflix film Falling for Christmas, starring Lindsay Lohan, “Christmas is a time for miracles” — and it’s also a time for skiing. If you want to visit a lodge that puts you in the middle of this film, a visit to Park City’s Goldener Hirsch in Deer Valley is in order. According to a local news report, many of the scenes were filmed at the ski resort, but there are many others in the area to choose from if you are looking for an active holiday.

Skiing and snowboarding are just the tip of the iceberg for outdoor winter activities in Park City. Snowbiking, snowmobiling and snowshoeing are also available, to name a few. For those who want to bring their favorite Christmas carol to life, sleigh rides are offered. Park City Mountain will have its annual tree-lighting ceremony and other holiday events, but one that’s not to be missed is the Park City Mountain Torchlight Parade, where you can watch resort staff light up the side of the mountain as they ski down holding large flares.

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