Christmas In These 5 Illinois Towns Looks Like Something From A Hallmark Movie
By Melissa Mahoney|Published December 04, 2020
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
If you turn on the Hallmark Channel during the holiday season, you will, in no doubt, encounter one of the dozens of Christmas movies they air each year. They are almost always set in a small idyllic town, decked out in millions of twinkling lights and the air that anything is possible during the holiday season. Illinois has its fair share of these towns. So, grab your hot cocoa, and let’s explore a few places in the Prairie State that will make you feel like you’re a part of a Hallmark movie.
Carmi turns into a holiday wonderland with its yearly It's A White County Christmas celebration. With a schedule of yuletide events, there are plenty of options to get yourself in the Christmas spirit. You may want to drive through Christmas Lights of Hope held at the Fairground. The annual Merry & Bright Christmas Lights Home Decorating Contest as well as the Decorated Storefront Window Contest ensures that the entire town is all aglow with lights and decor that will put anyone in the holiday spirit!
Enjoy some alluring holiday magic with a trip to Galena. Several scheduled events help transform this town into a place people love to visit around this time of year. Toys Through Time: Holiday Antique Toy show will have you feeling nostalgic for past Christmasses. Visit Warren's Festival of Trees featuring over 50 Christmas trees decorated by organizations and members of the community. Partake in the Snowflakes and Sweets Stroll which will take you around Main Street to marvel at storefront decorations while you stop in shops for some sweet treats. Whatever you choose to do, Galena is the place to be during the holidays!
Canton is filled with so much Christmas spirit that there is even a reindeer farm here! At Snowman's Reindeer Farm, visitors can pet, feed, and learn about Santa's reindeer from the North Pole. No visit to this farm is complete without shopping at their seasonal The Jolly Old Elf Gift Shoppe where you are sure to find some lovely holiday trinkets. Afterward, stroll around the town and gaze at all the decorated storefront windows while you shop.
Make your season merry and bright with a visit to Rochelle during the holidays. Each year, the town hosts an Old Fashioned Christmas Walk with a lighted parade and horse and carriage rides. On Christmas Eve, the annual Community-Wide Luminaries is held. And there are plenty of places to shop downtown!
Each year, Effingham hosts a Holiday Lights & Festive Sights competition where residents and businesses can deck their halls to win a More the Merrier Award. One of the categories of this competition is even called "The Hallmark House Award!" Visit Effingham to see the lights on display throughout town.
