Blessed with a picturesque location, tucked in among the bluffs of the Mississippi River valley, Red Wing is just about the perfect Minnesota Christmas town. With plenty of holiday tradition and a historic, red-brick downtown district that gets dressed up for the holidays, the town would have made a perfect setting for one of Norman Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers.
Red Wing is a river town whose mid-nineteenth century roots precede Minnesota’s statehood.
Now a bustling small city and county seat, Red Wing has managed to maintain the hometown character and charm that have drawn folks to it for more than a century.
This sense of community combines with the town’s historic, red brick architecture to create its old-fashioned charm. Sprinkle on a little snow, and you have something straight out of a Rockwell painting.
In fact, the city is considered a "distinctive destination" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation due to its architecture.
Each year, just after Thanksgiving, Red Wing plays host to its Holiday Stroll.
The event has been a local tradition for more than two decades, and it brings hundreds of holiday revelers together every yuletide season.
The town pulls out all the stops for the Stroll, with food, entertainment, and activities the whole family can enjoy.
Local merchants dress up their shops and restaurants to promote holiday spirit.
The historic St. James Hotel decks its halls and goes all out for its guests during the holiday season.
Check the city’s events calendar for the many festive happenings that take place in Red Wing at this time of year, like the Anderson Center’s holiday art sale.
Have you visited Red Wing during the holidays or attended the Holiday Stroll? Do you have another favorite Christmas town? You could make your own tour of Minnesota Christmas towns with a visit to Stillwater, which is only about an hour from Red Wing. The drive, along the Mississippi and up the St. Croix River valley, is also quite scenic.
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