All over North Carolina each holiday season, towns and cities come alive with festive occasions to gather with family and friends to celebrate the season. From Christmas lights on Main Streets to holiday walks, drive-through light displays, and more, you’ll find a wealth of opportunities brimming with holiday cheer awaiting in the Tar Heel State. One of our favorite little towns to visit during Christmastime is Blowing Rock. If you’ve never headed to this tiny mountain town during the holidays, it’s one of the best Christmas towns in the US, and here are nine great reasons to go:

1. Main Street at night
Main Street, Main St, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Facebook/Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock's merchants and residents deck the halls with enchanting lights and displays during the holidays. Stoll down the street popping in and out of retail shops, galleries, and restaurants. With or without snow, it's loaded with Christmas charm.
2. Tweetsie Railroad Christmas
300 Tweetsie Railroad Ln, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Facebook/Tweetsie Railroad
A visit to Blowing Rock during the holidays just wouldn't be complete without a ride on the Tweetsie Railroad's Christmas train all decked out in twinkling lights. Plus, the evening promises a visit with Santa in his very own gingerbread house and even a Christmas show!
3. Blowing Rock's Christmas In The Park
Memorial Park, 1040 Main St, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Facebook/Blowing Rock, North Carolina
This two-day Blowing Rock Christmas festival takes place on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. On Friday, meet Santa, play carnival games, and listen to live music while sipping hot cocoa and cider. Then, at sunset witness the magical lighting of the town. Stick around for Saturday's Christmas Parade.
4. Shopping!
Main Street, Main St, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Facebook/Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock's Main Street area is a charming shopping district perfect for finding one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones. Plus, at Christmastime, the windows are decked out with cheerful holiday decor. For more shopping, head a short distance from Main Street to the Tangier Outlet Mall.

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5. The Blowing Rock
432 The Rock Rd, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Flickr/Gary Scott
Round out any visit to Blowing Rock with a jaunt over to THE Blowing Rock, North Carolina's oldest outdoor attraction. The mountain views from here are unsurpassed. It first opened to the public in 1933, but has been a regular destination for sightseeing pilgrimages for much, much longer. It's open throughout the holiday season, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Days. Learn even more about this unique attraction that sits on the edge of town in our previous article about THE Blowing Rock.
6. Linn Cove Viaduct and the Blue Ridge Parkway
Linn Cove Viaduct, North Carolina 28646, USA
Flickr/Jackie
As a National Park entity, the Blue Ridge Parkway is subject to closings due to inclement weather during the winter, but the entrance to the Parkway is a mere mile from Main Street. And the Linn Cove Viaduct is only minutes from there. You'll soon see why it's the most photographed segment of the entire 469-mile highway.
7. The Cone Manor
6570 Blue Rdg Pkwy, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
TripAdvisor/Laura A
The Cone Manor is the highlight of Moses Cone Memorial Park. This stately old mansion is open to the public and affords amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the grounds of the park. Plan to spend some time in the Southern Highlands Craft Guild gift shop within this mansion from the Guilded Age. It's perfect for finding holiday gifts!
8. Appalachian Ski Mountain
940 Ski Mountain Rd, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Facebook/App Ski Mtn.
Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the southeast travel to the Blowing Rock area for the wintertime sports the area offers — including Appalachian Ski Mountain. The mountain is already open for the season, so bring your ski gear and enjoy daytime skiing on this fun mountain.
9. Lightseeing (sightseeing the lights) at Chetola Resort
Chetola Resort, 185 Chetola Lake Dr, Blowing Rock, NC 28605, USA
Facebook/Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Free and open to the public, the Festival of Lights is a drive-through event the whole family will enjoy. Chetola Resort's dazzling holiday lights are spread throughout the resort, including outlining the buildings with sparkling lights, and whimsical figures around the lake.

Visiting the High Country at Christmastime is guaranteed to put anyone in the holiday spirit. Do you agree that Blowing Rock is one of the best Christmas towns in the US? If not, what’s your favorite town to visit at Christmas?

And for more outdoor fun near Blowing Rock during the holidays, head to Seven Devils for a spin down the longest snow tubing run in North Carolina!

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More to Explore

Holiday Activities In North Carolina

Sara Dager | November 02, 2022

Which Christmas light displays in North Carolina can't be missed?

There are so many stunning Christmas lights displays in North Carolina! At Christmas town in McAdenville you will find a town fully decked out for the holidays. With hundreds of trees lit up, almost every house showing a magnificent display, and a clock tower playing cheerful holiday music, you will find so much Christmas joy in this village of only 650 residents. If you want to drive through your Christmas lights, a fantastic choice is the Charlotte Motor Speedway Christmas lights. This stunning drive features over 4 million individual lights shapes into scenes, arches, and breathtaking columns, the whole family is going to love this one. You can fit in a bunch of displays in one drive by getting on the road for our Christmas lights road trip.

Are there any Christmas trains in North Carolina? 

If you want a charming Christmas train ride in North Carolina there are a couple of different options that you are sure to enjoy. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad Polar Express is an absolute charmer for everyone in the family. Aboard this train you will sip cocoa as the scenes from the beloved book come alive all around you. There is even a chance for the kids to meet Santa! Another lovely choice is the Museum of Life And Science's Santa Train. This train ride comes with your ticket to the museum's holidays in the park event, and it's such a fun time, with hot chocolate, light displays, and meetings with Santa available!

Does North Carolina have any Christmas towns? 

You wouldn't believe the sheer number of Christmas towns in North Carolina! And each one is more delightful than the next! Beaufort is one of these Christmas towns that goes all out for the holiday season. With a flotilla, parade, and candlelight tour, you will fall in love with this charming area, and that's not even mentioning all the houses that decorate beautifully! We also think you'll fall in love with Belmont, a North Carolina Christmas town with a botanical garden that gets all dressed up for the holidays.

 

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