DALLAS (KDAF) — It’s that time of the year when you want to experience everything the holidays with friends and family – but where is the best place to spend it?
Your brain might conjure up the biggest cities across the country and assume they do Christmas better than anyone else, but you’d be wrong.
“Whether you love Christmas for the family time and well-worn traditions or the bright lights and festive atmosphere, the best places to get your holiday fix aren’t big cities like New York and D.C. (even though, yes, we love their holiday vibe, too),” reads a report from Time Out, which outlines the cities in the United States that go above and beyond for the holiday season.
“It is the smaller communities that really go all out,” Time Out said.
One city in Louisiana city rounded out the list’s top five.
Coming in at No. 5 on Time Out’s rankings is Natchitoches, home of the state’s best boudin and most charming Christmas celebration. The city of a little more than 17,000 is north of Alexandria and about an hour south of Shreveport on Interstate 49.
The critically acclaimed film Steel Magnolias was shot in Natchitoches and is known as the “City of Lights” because of its world-renowned Christmas festival.
“Throughout its 96-year history, the Christmas Festival has become a family-friendly event that is sensitive to the needs of both tourists and residents. The traditions that have evolved from this event have helped shape the area’s unique history. Every event and tradition has etched its way into the very fabric of our history and plays as much an important role as any historical figure, place, or event of the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. The many unique traditions set Natchitoches Christmas Festival apart from any other celebrations. Come make memories to last a lifetime,” Time Out said about Natchitoches.
Natchitoches isn’t all about the Christmas Festival. The city’s rich history has something for everyone from Creole architecture, to the Steel Magnolia tour and of course, more food than you can eat in one trip.
Here’s a look at all of the best Christmas cities for this holiday season:
- Bethlehem, PA
- North Pole, AK
- Franklin, TN
- Newport Beach, CA
- Natchitoches, LA
- Duluth, MN
- Santa Claus, IN
- Leavenworth, WA
- Williamsburg, VA
- Branson, MI
- McAdenville, NC
- Big Spring, TX
- Durango, CO
- St. Augustine, FL
- Newport, RI
