The top 10 Christmas celebrations take place in various states. These are all must see celebrations and make excellent choices for a family get away.
Annual Lights of The Ozark Festival, Fayetteville, Arkansas
The number 10 celebration is called Annual Lights of The Ozark Festival and takes place in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas. It takes more than 2,000 hours and 450,000 Christmas lights to decorate for this event. The main campus of the University of Arkansas holds Old Main, an Arkansas landmark that gets decorated in Christmas lights as well. Then residents of the town gather to enjoy holiday music, horse-drawn carriage rides and visits from Santa.
Christmas in Odessa, Delaware
The number nine celebration is Christmas in Odessa and takes place in Delaware. Christmas in Odessa was first created over 44 years ago with the goal of raising money for scholarships for the local high schoolers. The celebration is a walking tour that is self-guided. The tour covers buildings in Odessa that date back to 18th and 19th century as well as private homes, both of which are decorated for the holidays. The other events that comprise Christmas in Odessa are a drum corp, carriage rides, holiday concerts held at St. Pauls Church and the Christmas Craft & Antique Show.
Coeur d'Alene Resort Holiday Light Show, Couer d'Alene, Idaho
The number eight celebration is called the Coeur d'Alene Resort Holiday Light Show and takes place in Couer d' Alene, Idaho. In 2007, Good Morning America named this event one of the best holiday shows in the nation. The event consists of more than 225 displays of holiday cheer and an attraction called "Journey to the North Pole," which is a visit to Santa. Over one million lights are used to decorate for this show. The event also features decorated cruise boats with beautiful holiday scenes.
The Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Chicago, Illinois
The number seven Christmas celebration is The Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony which takes place in Chicago, Illinois. For close to 100 years now, on the last Friday in November the tree is lit at exactly 5:00 pm. At ninety feet tall, the tree is made up of over 130 small Balsam Fir Trees. The tree is decorated with many ornaments and many more lights.
Downtown Lawrence Old Fashioned Christmas Parade, Lawrence, Kansas
The number six celebration is the Downtown Lawrence Old Fashioned Christmas Parade, which takes place in Lawrence, Kansas. For over 15 years, this parade has consisted of many stagecoaches, sleighs, carts and horses and wagons, all of which are decorated for the holiday. Over 300 horses are used in this parade, which travels from Seventh and Massachusetts Streets to 12th Street.
Winterfest of Lights, Ocean City, MD
The number five Christmas celebration is the Winterfest of Lights, held in Ocean City, MD. This celebration begins in mid November and runs all the way through January. Visitors to Winterfest of Lights are treated to a display of over 1,000,000 lights. The display features Santa playing a football game, sharks that are animated, Santa surfing and Santa fishing. The celebration includes a 60-foot Christmas tree and a sand sculpture, both of which can be found at the Northside Park.
Festival of Trees, Timonium, MD
The number four celebration is the Festival of Trees, which takes place in Timonium, Maryland and is one of the must see Christmas celebrations. Held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds for three days, it is the Mid-Atlantic region's biggest holiday event. Visitors will see over 500 decorated Christmas trees at the Festival. Also featured are gingerbread houses and wreaths, as well as live entertainment and at least 100 boutiques selling arts and crafts. Santa also makes an appearance at the Festival.
A Monumental Occasion, Baltimore, MD
The number three Christmas celebration is called A Monumental Occasion and takes place in Baltimore, MD. Held in the beginning of December at Mount Vernon Place, where it has been held for over 36 years, A Monumental Occasion is made up of the lighting of the National Monument as well as performances by a local choir. The Mayor of Baltimore officially lights the tree and then choreographed fireworks and music are played.
Holidazzle Parades, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The number two celebration is called Holidazzle Parades and takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The parade is run by Macy's and is held at the Nicollet Mall. More than one million lights are used and visitors will see many storybook characters in the parade. Musical groups and lighted floats are also a part of the parade. Visitors can watch the parade from Thursdays to Sundays throughout the holiday season.
National Christmas Tree Lighting & Pageant of Peace, Washington, DC
The number one Christmas celebration is called the National Christmas Tree Lighting & Pageant of Peace and takes place in Washington, DC. For the past 85 years, Washington DC has lit the National Christmas Tree. The only times it has not been is during war times. The Pageant features free performances by music groups. The Colorado Blue Spruce used for the celebration is 40 feet tall and was transferred from York, Pennsylvania to Washington DC in 1978.
Julie Wein - I am an aspiring writer/journalist with a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communications from Towson University in Towson, Maryland. My dream is ...
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