7 Christmas Towns In Minnesota That Will Fill Your Heart With Holiday Cheer
By Trent Jonas|Published November 08, 2023
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Trent Jonas
Author
Trent Jonas came to Minnesota to attend college - and never left. He's a Twin Cities-based writer with a BA in English and a MFA in creative writing, a Minnesota Master Naturalist, and the proud father of two adult children. With more than a decade of freelance writing experience under his belt, Trent is often out exploring his favorite topics: Minnesota's woods, lakes, and trails. Rhubarb pie is his weakness, so discovering new diners is also a passion.
We in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are fortunate to have so many unique and charming small communities throughout our beautiful state. They all have something to offer, but when the holidays roll around, a few take their charm and kick it up several notches. These are what we’d call Christmas towns in Minnesota. And if you’re looking for some festive places to go for Christmas in Minnesota, this septet of communities is certain to push your holiday spirit meter over the top.
The St. Croix River town of Stillwater is one of the best places to spend the holidays in the North Star State. During the season, you’ll find many things to do for Christmas in Minnesota, whether it’s shopping, caroling, attending a tree lighting festival, enjoying high tea - or any number of other festive events. Just don’t forget your holiday cheer!
Light the Night in charming Luverne is one of our favorite Christmas events in Minnesota. The annual holiday lights display culminates with a visit from Santa Claus - sometimes by train - and a fireworks show.
As far as Christmas spirit goes, historic Red Wing offers some pretty fierce competition. Between its Holiday Stroll and Parade of Lights events, it musters up some pretty significant community involvement and celebration - which makes the holidays more fun for everybody!
But then there’s tiny Dalton, which hosts its annual Christmas Fest, which is concentrated around the drive-thru lights display at its historic Thresher’s Village and Threshermen’s Grounds. But the festival and the holiday spirit practically takes over the entire community, which is why Dalton punches way above its weight when it comes to Christmas festivals in Minnesota.
The Lake Minnetonka community of Excelsior is charming at anytime of year. But it pulls well ahead of its neighbors come Christmastime. Apart from festive municipal décor, a full calendar of holiday events, and business competing with each other for cheer, it hosts one of our favorite holiday markets in the Metro: Excelsior Christkindlsmarkt. Add that to the town’s charming lakeside setting, historic trolley rides with Santa, and live reindeer seen about town, and you’re sure to find your holiday happy place here.
Every year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, folks from across the Heartland Lakes Region gather in the streets of charming Park Rapids and kick off the holiday season. The annual Community Tree Lighting and Yuletide Sampler is one of the best holiday celebrations in the state, with music, conviviality, and the lighting of a massive North Woods Christmas tree - erected right in the middle of the street, where it will stand for the entire holiday season. Pay a visit to Park Rapids during the holidays, and you’ll understand why we think it’s one of the best Christmas towns in Minnesota.
Few towns in Minnesota seem to have as much fun as New Ulm. With its German heritage and community pride, it throws some of the best municipal celebrations in the state. In fact, it’s renowned for having one of the best Oktoberfests in the whole country. But New Ulm is no slouch when it comes to Christmas, either. Its annual Parade of Lights, held on the Friday after Thanksgiving, draws thousands of revelers each year. Heck, even Santa shows up!
These are just seven of the best Christmas towns in Minnesota, and all are sure to put you in the holiday spirit. So what is the Christmas capital of Minnesota? I think it very well could be the capital city itself. Between Rice Park, the seasonal markets, and all the holiday events, St. Paul is a standout. Of course, Duluth is pretty hard to compete with for holiday spirit, especially with Bentleyville USA along its harbor front. Ultimately, what it all means is that we are fortunate when it comes to holiday cheer in the Land of 10,000 Lakes – there’s a lot to go around no matter where you are in the state!
And hey – when you’re doing your Christmas shopping this year, be sure to check out our holiday gift guide – it’s chock-full of presents perfect for the travelers in your life.
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