From small town celebrations for the locals to mega-events televised from big cities (we’re talking to you, Times Square in NYC), America loves to celebrate the holiday season. While some commonalities can be counted on like a big, decorated tree, caroling and parades culminating in Santa and his sleigh, some destinations do things their own way. Here are our picks for some fun events that speak to the location, interests, and history of these cities. Criss-crossing the country, they are must-see holiday celebrations. A couple of the events we’ve chosen have already happened this year so plan to go next year. Meanwhile, we linked to some fun videos for them to entice you.

Must-See Holiday Celebrations: 

The event: Canyon Road Farolito Walk
The destination: Santa Fe, New Mexico  
When: Christmas Eve, annually
Stroll the (beautiful anyway) arts district, winding Canyon Road and see sand-filled paper bags illuminated with votive candles line historic streets and adobe walls. “Farolito” is derived from “Spanish for paper lantern; diminutive of farol, lantern; from faro, lighthouse, lantern; from Latin pharus, from Pharus, Pharos) or luminarias (small bonfires)” according to the website. Carolers gather to sing and warm themselves. Insider tip: Thousands turn out for this event. Go later in the evening, around 8pm. Sidewalks are uneven and streets are cobblestone so walk cautiously and leave strollers back at the hotel.

The Farolitos path along Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photo courtesy Visit Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The event: Nights of Lights
The destination: St. Augustine, Florida
When: November-early February
If your preferred lighting choice during the holiday decorating season is tiny white lights, this is the event for you. The historic city (it’s the oldest, continuously-occupied city in the United States), celebrates the season with millions of white lights. Trees, roofs, doorways, balconies – it’s all aglow. The festival goes back to the Spanish tradition of displaying a white candle in the window during the Christmas holidays. Insider tip: Crowds diminish in January so take advantage of fewer people throughout the month.
 

The Nights of Lights covers the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida, including the beautiful Lightner Museum. Photo courtesy Visit St. Augustine.

The event: The holiday season
The destination: Grapevine, Texas
When: Throughout December and a little into January
It may be all about wine in the warmer months, but in the winter, Grapevine, Texas is the Christmas Capital of Texas. That’s not just opinion – it’s official, designated as such by the Texas State Senate. With more than $150,000 worth of holiday decorations adorning everything, plus a North Pole Express train, twinkle light boat parades, scuba-diving Santa and elves, parades and ice sculptures, it’s where you need to go to be fully immersed in Christmas spirit.

The event: Las Noches de las Luminarias and Electric Desert: A light and Sound Experience
The destination: Scottsdale, Arizona
When: December and beyond.
See 8,000 hand-lit luminarias and thousands of twinkling lights inside the Desert Botanical Garden.  The dramatic shapes and textures of the plants in the Garden are accentuated in exciting ways during Electric Desert which mixes music and dramatic lighting.

Los Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. Photo credit Desert Botanical Garden.

The event: The Osthoff Resort Christmas Market
The destination: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
When: November and December
Modeled after authentic German Christkindlesmarkets, this annual tradition is unlike other open-air markets. Shoppers get to stay warm inside a heated tent the size of a football field. It’s decked out with  traditional wooden booths, fresh pine trees, garlands of twinkling white lights and an authentic German food court. It was voted the #1 holiday market in the U.S. in the December 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards from USA TODAY and 10Best.

A Turkish textiles vendor at the Osthoff Resort’s award-winning Christmas Market. Photo courtesy Osthoff Resort.

The event: The Marina Del Rey Boat Parade
The destination: Marina Del Rey, California
When: Early December
See a show of holiday light displays on boats as well as in the reflections of the water. The boats are privately owned and proudly festooned on the water in Marina Del Rey. Boat owners are encouraged to use lights, decorations, music and animations. Insider tip: There are two areas for watching the parade on land. But you can also plan ahead for a Hornblower or other tour to watch from the water.

The event: Race of the Santa’s
The destination: Breckenridge, Colorado
When: First weekend of December
Every man, woman and child participating dresses as Santa (or some facsimile) and races down Main Street. The event is in conjunction with the ski town’s lighting ceremony and a Holiday Dog Parade. Insider tip: Plan ahead and book lodging. Breckenridge is a very walkable town with charming shops, great restaurants, home of Breckenridge Brewery, distilleries and wineries. Oh, and skiing. It’s nice to be able to park once and take in everything conveniently.

Hungry for more? While you’re in Santa Fe, here’s our guide to great places to eat. Or, get a recipe for a festive holiday dessert from St. Augustine.