7 Christmas Towns In Utah That Will Fill Your Heart With Holiday Cheer
By Courtnie Erickson|Published November 06, 2023
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Courtnie Erickson
Author
From Southern Utah to the Panhandle in Idaho, Courtnie Erickson has lived in what she believes are the best (and the most beautiful!) areas in the country. She graduated with a journalism degree from Utah State University and has more than 15 years of professional writing experience. You’ll likely see her with a Dr. Pepper in her hand and a pair of running shoes on her feet. Courtnie is a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState.
There is nothing quite like the holidays in Utah. While you will certainly find festive events throughout the entire state, there are a few towns that truly know how to make everyone merry and jolly. From exquisite light displays to train rides to community-wide activities, there’s no doubt that the best Christmas towns in Utah will fill your heart with holiday cheer. The following are just a few of my favorite Christmas towns in Utah and some I recommend everyone visit at least once during the holiday season.
Each year, Helper transforms into the ultimate Christmas town in Utah. This tiny town, with a population of just over 2,000, decorates Main Street with hundreds of Christmas lights, decorations, and more. Even businesses around town go all out, spreading holiday cheer to everyone who walks by their storefront. Plus, for three weekends throughout November and December, Helper hosts various community-wide activities ranging from a craft fair and light parade to fireworks and breakfast with Santa.
If you are looking for things to do for Christmas in Utah, visiting the city of Ogden and exploring the Ogden Christmas Village is an absolute must. For more than 60 years, this holiday tradition has been delighting residents and visitors alike. Downtown Ogden transforms into Santa’s workshop and you’ll feel like you are truly walking through the North Pole. You’ll see dozens of little cottages with window displays you can admire, millions of twinkling lights, and a holiday spirit that will put a smile on the grumpiest Scrooge.
When you visit Heber City during the holidays, you’ll notice that the town goes all out for the season. You’ll find twinkling lights and decorations along Main Street and in businesses throughout town — but that’s not all. Heber City is also home to the Heber Valley Railroad, which offers the North Pole Express. This 90-minute train ride takes you on a trip to the North Pole where you will pick up Santa Claus. Your ride will also include hot cocoa and Mrs. Claus’ famous chocolate chip cookies!
If you are looking for places to go for Christmas in Utah, you’ll likely find multiple Christmas tree lighting events you can add to your list. And while these trees are each magnificent in their own way, they are hard to compare to the Globe Willow Tree at Draper City Park. This single tree is brightly lit with more than 75,000 lights each year. Plus, you can wander through more than three million lights on trees and structures around the park. Visit the official tree lighting ceremony which includes pony rides, marshmallow roasting, hot chocolate, cookies, and visits with Santa.
One of my personal favorite holiday traditions is to visit Spanish Fork over the holidays. Here, you will find the Spanish Fork Festival of Lights, one of the most magnificent light displays in Utah. Located at Canyon View Park, you’ll drive through more than one million Christmas lights and dozens of displays. Don't forget to turn on your radio and listen to Christmas music as you explore.
Is there anything better than Christmas surrounded by red rocks? Moab celebrates Christmas with a long list of holiday events from the Moab Christmas Electric Light Parade to an annual tree-lighting ceremony. Plus, this is a wonderful time of year to head into Arches National Park as the weather is much cooler and the crowds are much smaller.
St. George may not be a small town but we had to include it on our list of the best places to go for Christmas in Utah. Here, you can enjoy incredible light displays like the one at the St. George Temple, but you can also attend the Dickens Christmas Festival. This popular holiday event will make you feel like you are walking down the street in Olde London as you shop the various vendors. This is easily one of our favorite Christmas festivals in Utah.
What Christmas towns fill your heart with holiday cheer? What do you believe should be the Christmas capital of Utah? Are there any Christmas events in Utah you never want to miss? Let us know in the comments!
One of our favorite ways to enjoy the many Christmas events in Utah is on a road trip. Grab some car-friendly snacks and hit the road to destinations full of holiday cheer!
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