Best Christmas Town

Whether you're looking for a balmy coastal yuletide or Jack Frost nipping at your nose, you're sure to find the perfect spot to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year on our list of top Christmas towns and cities. We've rounded up the places that really know how to trim their trees, deck their halls and make everyone feel the magic of the holidays.

These 10 Christmas towns were selected by our featured panelists and contributors and voted on by readers as the best of the best.

1. Grapevine, TX

As the Christmas Capital of Texas, Grapevine spreads holiday cheer like no other city. You'll find hundreds of seasonal events, from magical rides aboard the North Pole Express to frigid slides carved out of tons of ice at Gaylord Texan. Besides plenty of shopping and family-friendly fun, the icing on the Christmas cake is the life-size village that you can walk through to take Christmas card-worthy photos.

2. Solvang, CA

For a unique take on the festive season, visit Solvang, where you can experience a Danish Christmas in Southern California's wine country. From late November to early January, Solvang's Julefest celebration lets you in on Danish Christmas traditions like hunting for gnomes, taking candlelight tours of the city and shopping at a European-style market. The end of the holidays is marked by the popular (and safe) Christmas tree burn.

3. Healdsburg, CA

From tree lightings and night markets to complimentary carriage rides and photos with Santa, Healdsburg is the perfect place for a Sonoma wine country Christmas. Make your way downtown for the tree lighting ceremony, and then join a holiday wine and restaurant tour that takes you through some of the most festive—and tasty—parts of the city.

4. Fredericksburg, TX

Everything's bigger in Texas—including Christmas! Head to the Hill Country for Christmas parades, including one dedicated to Santa, and gifts at the holiday markets. During the Nights of Lights, which run from the end of November to the beginning of January, you can enjoy a nightly tree lighting, a 26-foot-tall German Christmas pyramid and caroling. There's even an ice-skating rink to bring some winter magic to the Texas wine country.

5. Santa Claus, IN

The town of Santa Claus lives up to its name: you'll find lots of Christmas cheer and the only post office in the world with Santa's name. Stop by Santa Claus Museum & Village to learn about the festive town and write a letter to Santa. Then pose for family pics with one of the oldest and largest Santa statues in the world before heading to Santa's Candy Castle for a sweet treat and driving through the sparkly splendor of Santa Claus Land of Lights. From May through October, visitors enjoy one of the merriest theme parks on earth, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.

6. Santa Fe, NM

Add Spanish flair to your Christmas traditions in Santa Fe. Each year, the city turns one of its train stations into a winter wonderland and offers train rides with cocoa, cookies and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. You'll be enchanted by the Canyon Road farolitos—small paper lanterns that line the sidewalks, walls and terraces and add their soft glow to the night. And don't miss the holiday-themed flamenco shows.

7. Aspen, CO

What better way to celebrate the holidays than with a ski trip to Aspen? From December 20 to 31, the city puts on its 12 Days of Aspen, when downtown is transformed into a winter wonderland of ice skating and visits with Santa, plus hot chocolate and s'mores. Explore the area with an après-ski drink while listening to carolers, and on New Year's Eve, watch the fireworks over Aspen Mountain.

8. Frankenmuth, MI

Home to Bronner's, the self-proclaimed "world's largest Christmas store," Frankenmuth is known for its Bavarian charm and its celebration of old-world Christmas traditions. You'll love the horse-drawn carriage rides, the 44-foot-tall singing Christmas tree, the German market and the hundreds of thousands of lights that brighten every corner. The city even provides a shuttle service to get you and your family to all the town's magical places.

9. Leavenworth, WA

Welcome to Christmastown! Leavenworth, known as the Village of Lights during the most wonderful time of the year, sparkles with warm lights against the frozen Cascade Mountains. Costumes are popular during the festivities, so you might see Krampus, the Grinch or a friendly group of elves roaming the streets. Be sure to stop by The Gingerbread Factory for a European-inspired holiday treat.

10. Prescott, AZ

A High Desert holiday awaits in Prescott, Arizona's official Christmas city. You're sure to love the frontier-inspired Christmas parades, live music throughout downtown, and festive lighting of the courthouse. To add more sparkle to your trip, you can drive through the Valley of Lights at Fain Park before checking out one of the world's biggest gingerbread villages at Prescott Resort.

About Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards

Our nominees are editorially driven with contributions from a panel of travel experts. The final list is determined by Newsweek editors. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For more details, read our terms and conditions. For any questions, please see our FAQs or email us at readerschoice@newsweek.com.

Our Featured Panelists

Dynie Sanderson is a "Wanderous" gal who loves to travel the world and experience regional wines and cuisine. When not on her global adventures, she lives among the breathtaking rolling vineyards of the lush Napa Valley. She is the former Publisher and Editor of GuestWest Magazine and Food and Flavor Editor for Napa Valley Life Magazine. The Digital Publisher of NapaFoodGalTravels, she contributes to a variety of luxury digital and print publications. She is also a member of SATW, IFWTWA, BATW and NATJA. You can follow Dynie's adventures on her website, on Facebook and on Instagram.

Jill Robbins is an expert writer focusing on family and adventure travel as well as practical tips to help everyone get the most value out of their vacation experience. Jill's work has appeared in the Business Insider, Fodor's Travel, San Antonio Magazine and many other publications. She lives outside San Antonio with her husband and two sons, but she's usually somewhere else. Learn more about her travels at https://www.rippedjeansandbifocals.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

An award-winning contributor to luxury lifestyle and travel magazines, Laurie Jo Miller Farr specializes in deluxe hotels and destination marketing. Based in New York City, she is a dual US/UK citizen, having spent half a lifetime in London. Formerly serving as the tourism promotion director for the city's official tourism boards in both NYC and Boston, she recently relocated from San Francisco, where she edited a weekly travel newsletter and co-hosted a podcast. Follow her @lauriejmfarr.

Mary Farah is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles. In addition to her own website, Along Comes Mary, she contributes to Go World Travel Magazine; Food, Wine Travel Magazine; Ventura County Mom Collective; and Big Blend Radio Magazine. She is a proud member and former executive board member of IFWTWA, the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association. Follow along with her adventures on her website, www.alongcomesmaryblog.com.

Melissa Garcia, known as the ConsumerQueen, is a full-time content creator with over 20 years of experience helping people save money and make savvy decisions. Her mission is to teach others to save where they can so they can spend on what they love. Melissa shares the best products to make life easier and also owns RoamingMyPlanet and The Oklahoma Homesteader, where she continues to inspire and educate her audience.

Penny Sadler is a freelance writer covering wine, food, travel and lifestyle topics. Currently residing in the Lone Star State, her glass is always full, preferably of something white and sparkling. Her work has appeared in Culture Cheese Magazine, Cheese Professor, Matador Network, Inside Hook, Alcohol Professor, Vintner Project, and elsewhere. Penny has appeared on numerous broadcasts as an expert on topics ranging from wine tourism to skin cancer to packing for international travel. She is a Wine Spirits Education Trust certified wine specialist and a member of SATW. Read more at www.adventuresofacarryon.com.

Susan Lanier-Graham is founder and publisher of Wander With Wonder, an award-winning online travel journalism magazine. She has authored more than 75 books and hundreds of magazine articles while traveling the world over the past three decades. Susan's work has appeared in a variety of publications, including various AAA publications, TravelandLeisure.com, Hotels.com, Modern Luxury, WHERE publications, Fairmont.com, Marriott.com and more. Susan is a member of Society of American Travel Writers, International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association, and North American Travel Journalists Association. She is also a Certified California Wine Appellation Specialist.

Newsweek contributors speak from a variety of backgrounds and offer expertise in a wide range of subject areas.