Known as Alabama's Christmas hub, Huntsville is the home of Santa's Village and this year, the beloved local attraction has been relocated to the historic Huntsville Train Depot. Kids of all ages can visit the Claus' residence, see live reindeer, watch the North Pole Express train come to life in lights and even spot some elves. Oh, and since you can't count on wintry flakes in Northern Alabama, Santa's Village is supplying their own "snow shows."

The easiest list selection this side of Santa Claus, Indiana, this Alaskan town was christened North Pole in the hopes it would attract a toy manufacturer. That plan didn't pan out, but its Santa Claus House has gone on to become one of the country's most interesting roadside attractions and a must-visit for locals and visitors alike during December.

While your chances of snow are slim-to-none, Christmas is still a great time to be in the Valley of the Sun. Nowhere in the Phoenix area gets more into the holiday spirit than Mesa, home of Merry Main Street. Go ice skating, feast at Jack Frost's Food Truck Forest and take the little ones for a ride on the Main Street Express Train. Then, stop by the Mesa Arts Center for seasonal entertainment.

It's an Ozark Mountain Christmas in Eureka Springs as this grand resort town saves its finest show of the year for the holiday season. You'll feel like you're in a snow globe when you stroll by the stately hotels decked out in their holiday best and cute shops sporting greens.

Denmark is certainly one of the most Christmassy countries in Europe, so it only makes sense that this town with Danish heritage is the place to be during December. Solvang sparkles with Christmas lights during the season and their Julefest is jammed with seasonal frivolity, including live concerts, candlelight tours, a nativity play and even scavenger hunts for a mischevious Danish Christmas elf called the Nisse.

You're almost guaranteed a white Christmas in Breckenridge, but there's much more than snow to get excited about here. From the holiday lights on Blue River Plaza to ice skating with Santa on Christmas Eve, the town really turns on the holiday charm. This year, you can even take in a live stage performance of A Christmas Story.

This seaside town may be more associated with summer, but December is definitely divine in Mystic. One of New England's most cherished Christmas traditions, Lantern Light Tours take visitors back in time to learn a bit more about the true meaning of the season while the "Christmas village brought to life" Olde Mistick Village buzzes with holiday shoppers.

The Cape May Lewes Ferry Terminal Grounds is the setting for the sparkle of Winter Wonderfest. Ice skate, see Santa's workshop, take a spin on carnival rides and then get toasty with a great craft beer in the Crooked Hammock lodge.

The Most Magical Place on Earth sure knows how to make the season merry. All the parks at Walt Disney World put on a holiday show with Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party taking over the Magic Kingdom, Epcot showing off global holiday traditions and Hollywood Studios getting a dusting of "snow."

Offering Bavarian charm in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Helen is the best place in Georgia to get into the spirit. The town gets decked out in holiday lights and when seen against the backdrop of the giant Tannenbaum, erm Christmas tree, you might just think you were in a small town in Germany.

Admit it, you've always wanted to use the phrase "mele kalikimaka" in person. The island of Oahu is the place to go as residents welcome Santa to their shores in a traditional canoe and are even known to build snowmen in the sand. Be warned though, one trip is usually enough to trade in dreams of a white Christmas forever.

Idaho's booming big city gets blanketed in Christmas spirit like nowhere else in the state. The Christmas in The City event sees a myriad of seasonal events occur downtown, including holiday farmer markets, a giant festive tree and holiday movie showings. Meanwhile, the nearby Idaho Botanical Garden twinkles with thousands of lights.

Window shopping on Michigan Avenue. One of America's best Christmas markets. Ice skating at Millenium Park. Yes, the Windy City is an awesome place to be during the most wonderful time of the year.

This town is so much more than just a name as there are several special events throughout December that will fill the whole family with glee. Visit the Santa Claus museum to learn about how the town got its merry moniker and then get your letter to the big man postmarked with the storied Santa Claus, Indiana.

Wyoming, Iowa calls themselves the "Christmas City" and who are we to argue at this time of year? Afterall, the locals cover the town in a blanket of bulbs each year, which attracts people from all over the region.

Overland Park is always a great base for exploring all the Kansas City metro area has to offer, but it really shines during the holidays. Take in the famous festive lights on Farmstead Lane before making the quick hop across the state line to Country Club Plaza, one of the nation's most beautiful outdoor shopping centers, home to a dazzling display of their own.

The "Horse Capital of the World" certainly knows how to do the holidays. The Kentucky Horse Park features a series of sparkling horses made from lights, dashing through the snow, while the Henry Clay Estate offers a glimpse into Christmas past.

Don't be surprised at all if you spot Santa with a team of alligators or The Night Before Christmas being recited with a Cajun twist-that's just how they roll in Lake Charles. During the Cajun Christmas Festival, you can take a carriage ride by the lake, gaze at lights over the water, admire gingerbread houses and take in top-notch entertainment.

While the world-famous Christmas Prelude (a festival full of many merry happenings) ends in early December, those who stick around through the season will be richly rewarded. Take in the sight of the Kennebunkport holiday lights reflecting off the water-a quintessentially Maine Christmas scene-or seek out a smaller community event.

This small town comes up big when it comes to Christmas. Things get started with a tree lighting ceremony, roving Victorian carolers and carriage rides, and come to a crescendo with their very own ball drop on New Year's Eve.

In Boston, you can take your pick of ice skating on several smooth sheets or chasing down dazzling displays of holiday bulbs all over the city. And when it's time to warm up, settle in at the Boston Ballet to watch a performance of The Nutcracker.

They went and named their entire town after everybody's favorite holiday, so surely they have the most Christmassy place in Michigan, right? The thirty-foot-plus Santa at the entrance of town says the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

The temperatures may already be freezing, but that doesn't stop the Twin Cities from being jolly. Go ice skating at one of the area's many rinks in December and you're sure to be surrounded by holiday lights and a trimmed tree. Then, head to Holidazzle festival for an adorable animatronic moose, toasty fires and warming food and drink.

The capital of Mississippi is also the jolliest place in the state. The Governor's mansion in the middle of town glimmers with holiday lights and scores of special events (wacky Tacky Christmas Party, anyone?) are sure to get you into the spirit.

This suburb of St. Louis sits directly on the Missouri River and during December, its cobbled Main Street comes alive with the spirit of the season. Cheery costumed actors (think Dickensian characters and Santas from around the world) walk the streets while the smell of roasted chestnuts wafts through the air.

While Big Sky Country is stacked with small towns that do Christmas in a special way, Missoula is home to more Christmas events than anywhere. Take in a performance of The Nutcracker at the Garden City Ballet before riding in a horsedrawn carriage through downtown.

Omaha bustles during Christmastime and nearly every day in December offers an opportunity to experience a jolly happening like a gingerbread festival or a cultural Christmas tree display. Miracle on Farnam is a particularly pretty affair, as on this street you will find twenty-plus storefronts decorated with holiday magic.

If a "Tahoe ski chalet" was good enough for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton in their festive tune "A Christmas to Remember," then it's good enough for the rest of us.

Portsmouth impresses with its spectacular Christmas tree, but it's the magical candlelight strolls at the Strawberry Banke Museum that will really get you in the spirit. Here, visitors tour a series of historic houses, being met along the way by costumed actors from Christmases long ago.

The historic Victorian facades of Cape May seem straight out of a Charles Dickens novel and at Christmas, they sparkle in their holiday best. Spend your nights here walking under the vintage gaslights, admiring the grand houses strewn with garland and lights along the way.

This historic city puts a twist on Christmas like nowhere else in the country. Shop for unique Southwest gifts before catching a reenactment of Mary & Joseph's quest for a room at the inn on the main plaza. Then, on Christmas Eve, join hundreds of locals and visitors alike for the famous Farolito walk, which strolls past hundreds of traditional paper lanterns.

It's not a coincidence that the Big Apple has been the setting for dozens of Christmas movies and is mentioned in multiple Christmas songs. It's just that magical in winter. Window shopping on Fifth Avenue and ice skating at Rockefeller Center are just the tips of the iceberg when it comes to bucket list holiday experiences.

They call themselves Christmas Town, USA in McAdenville and they back that talk up by stringing lights on nearly every last surface and residence in town. If this place doesn't get you in the spirit, then nowhere will. Spoiler alert: it will.

Fargo is home to more Christmas events than you can shake a stick at. The season kicks off with a grand parade in November and continues through December with a Christmas market and a Jingle Bell Run. The highlight for many is the Santa's Village at Rheault Farm, a non-commercial attraction where kids of all ages can meet Mr. & Mrs. Claus.

All you really need to know about Cleveland at Christmas is that you can visit the house where A Christmas Story was filmed. There are scores of other holiday things to do in the city though and they all pair perfectly with a Christmas Ale from local Great Lakes Brewery, one of the country's most beloved Christmas beers.

At Tulsa's Winterfest you will find Oklahoma's most wondrous Christmas tree and streets strewn with sparkling lights. Take a carriage ride through the city before heading indoors to warm up with hip local food and drink.

In December, downtown Ashland glows during the Festival of Lights. On Saturdays during the festival, carolers take to the streets to serenade shoppers browsing the many independent retail stores.

The town of Bethlehem is the place to go in the Keystone State to truly get into the spirit of Christmas. Their holiday market takes place on December weekends and has garnered a national reputation for excellent artisan crafts-including some direct from Germany. You can even have breakfast with St. Nick himself.

For nearly fifty years, Christmas in Newport has been illuminating the holiday season in Rhode Island. The harbor and wharf are both blanketed in white lights to symbolize candlelight and the entire month of December sees fun events like lantern walks and concerts.

Plenty of places in the Palmetto State put on a holiday show, but the Festival of Lights at James Island County Park in Charleston tops them all. Afterward, swing by the Dock Street Theatre for a special performance of A Christmas Carol or take in a holiday parade.

These Hills come alive with the spirit of the holidays each year. While it may be dark and cold outside, towns like Deadwood and Hill City get decked out for the season. Hill City hosts Olde Tyme Christmas, a festival that takes place on weekends in December and offers winter wonder for all ages.

This theme park in Pigeon Forge embraces the holidays with millions of sparkling lights and several special events each year. The highlight of the seasonal proceedings is Parade of Many Colors, which includes a cast of Christmassy characters.

They like to call themselves the "Winter Wonder Island" in Galveston and there's no doubt that they go all out for Christmas. You'll find ice carvings, lanterns and lights all over the grand houses in town and a Dickensian flair to Strand Street.

If you don't score tickets to the concert, take solace in the fact that the sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir seemingly echo through all of Salt Lake City in December. These concerts are just the start of the festive things to do at Christmas in SLC.

While the holiday classic White Christmas wasn't really filmed in the Green Mountain State, you can still find your own version of the fictional Pine Tree, Vermont all over the state. Stowe is a great stand-in with its chocolate box-cute center, access to the countryside and high likelihood of flakes on the big day.

Take a stroll back in time to see how Christmas was celebrated in Colonial times in Williamsburg. There are walking tours that show off seasonal decorations and the opportunity to see how both presidents and enslaved peoples marked the holiday. You certainly won't look at Christmas the same way again.

While there are certainly cozy small towns throughout Washington that make the season jolly and bright, the Emerald City has too much going on to be ignored. For starters, there's the Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and the brand new attraction Enchant, which is a magical world full of light mazes, ice skating paths and a gorgeous Christmas market.

Harper's Ferry honors the history of Christmas with its Old Tyme Christmas Festival. While it runs during early December each year, the rest of the month is just as magical in this history-rich river town.

Wisconsin's biggest city rolls out the red carpet for the holidays. Here, you will find a downtown decked out in thousands of lights (best viewed from the warmth of the Jingle Bus) and not one, but two Christmas markets that take place in December. If you miss the markets, then just do your shopping at the stylish shops of the historic Third Ward, which also hosts a myriad of holiday events.

Hop aboard the Cheyenne Trolley to be dazzled by the city's best Christmas light displays. Then, spend the rest of your night warming up at one of the many quality bars and restaurants in this lively Western town.