It is finally getting to be the holiday season. Aside from the shopping, time spent with family, and the festivities taking place at home or church, there are plenty of places throughout Michigan where the Christmas spirit is celebrated on an even splashier level. That’s not to say that there are not a ton of other communities that really get into it, but these towns and cities really go all out. Here are some of the best Christmas towns in Michigan:

1. Rochester
Rochester, MI, USA
Downtown Rochester/Facebook
Every year the downtown area of the city of Rochester gets all dolled up with a seemingly endless stream of Christmas lights. Buildings are drenched in twinklers, giving passersby a whimsical sight. It's a wonderful little place to be, whether you live here or you're just dropping by. Learn more about the twinkliest city in Michigan here!
2. Traverse City
Traverse City, MI, USA
XTRAICE Synthetic Ice Rink/Flickr
The holiday season in Traverse City kicks off in early December downtown when shops and restaurants join in the holiday fun of music and activities for the whole family. What is more, you get to enjoy the winter wonderland of the region with skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobile rides. Get more details about Christmas in Traverse City here.
3. Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island, MI 49757, USA
Wu Bomei/Flickr
Once named one of the best Christmas towns in the country by HGTV, a trip to Mackinac Island during the holiday season will transport you right to the past with horse-drawn buggy rides, a Christmas bazaar, and a visit from Santa. Plus, there's something about the holidays that make that fudge taste even better. Click here for the official holiday schedule.
4. Holland
Holland, MI 49423, USA
Downtown Holland, Facebook
This western Michigan town knows how to get in the holiday spirit, with its annual Parade of Lights event. More than 80 bands, floats, and decorated vehicles are decked out in thousands of Christmas lights. This year, the parade is on November 30th. Learn more about the event here.

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5. Christmas
Christmas, MI 49862, USA
Jamie R Rytlewski/Flickr
What started as a roadside factory for making holiday gift items in the 1930s, the small small-town of Christmas just outside of the UP city of Munising is now comprised of businesses all dedicated to Christmas. Get more information about this cute little town here.
6. Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Rachel Kramer/Flickr
The Grand Rapids area offers a mix of Christmas shopping options at the Tanger Outlets, winter sports options at Cannonsburg and Pando, and ice skating at Rosa Parks Circle. Plus, there is a lot going on to get you into the holiday spirit, including performances of The Nutcracker, A Christmas Story The Musical, and Holiday Pops with the Grand Rapids Symphony. See the full schedule of events here.
7. Frankenmuth
Frankenmuth, MI, USA
Bronners Christmas Store/Facebook
Step into the world-famous Bronners Christmas Store, where you will find just about every Christmas ornament imaginable. You will feel the Christmas spirit here any time of the year. Check this article about Bronners Christmas Store!
8. Detroit
Detroit, MI, USA
Noel Night/Facebook
Each year in early December, Midtown Detroit opens up all the doors to the area's cultural institutions to the public to get a free peek inside. Plus, you will find carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, holiday shopping, family craft activities, and performances by over 200 area music, theatre, dance groups, and other special performances. Check out what's going on in Detroit this year!

9. Dearborn

Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford Museum is fun all year round. During the holiday season, it gets even better, with a unique lantern-lit adventure through a living snow globe filled with skating, fireworks, and live music. This is a ticketed event so make sure you plan accordingly.

There is really no place like Michigan for the holidays. Especially when visiting some of these wonderful Christmas towns in Michigan.

Tell us though, how does your hometown shine during the Christmas season? Do they sparkle like Michigan at Christmas? We love hearing from you! Pictures are fun, too!

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Best Christmas Towns in Michigan

Tori Jane | November 25, 2021

What are the best places to spend Christmas in Michigan?  

Here in the good ol’ Mitten we love the holidays, and we take our Christmastime festivities quite seriously. As a result, this means there are plenty of awesome places that are perfect for spending the holidays and Christmas in style. Some of our favorite Christmas places in Michigan include delightful locations like Frankenmuth – a town so filled with Christmas spirit that it’s pretty much Christmastime all year, every year.

Frankenmuth is the proud home of, quite literally, the world’s largest Christmas store, which comes in at an astonishing 320,000 square feet. Now THAT’S some holiday cheer! Then, there’s good ol’ Christmas, Michigan, which was simply born to be a holiday town, and they say that the town of Saint Joseph is Santa’s real home – none of that North Pole stuff.  

What is Michigan at Christmas like?  

Michigan is pretty lovely year-round, if we do say so ourselves – though we could be a bit biased (we doubt it). However, during the holiday season, this state takes on a certain kind of special magic that’s hard to describe. Everyone’s just a little jollier, a little friendlier, a little warmer – enough so that it’s noticeable. The odds of having a “white Christmas” are pretty good, considering that snow is definitely Michigan’s thing.

On average, Michigan sees about 64 inches of snow yearly, and when Lake Effect snow or blizzards decide to show up to the party, sometimes it can be even more – one year, an incredible storm brought more than 355 inches (that’s 29 feet) of the white stuff. Michigan is wonderful in winter, and luckily for us, winter is when Christmas comes – so ultimately, it’s the perfect Christmastime getaway destination! Interested in coming to visit? Check out this list of several wonderful wintertime vacation spots here in the Mitten.  

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