Christmas Town USA – McAdenville, NC
‘Tis the season for lights, decor, gifts and lots of home made food. December is halfway through and it means only one thing – it’s time to relax, rekindle and rejoice. Most of us are getting back to our hometowns and spending some quality time with our families, playing board games and sipping hot chocolate in our decorated living rooms. Some of us are probably stuck at the mall for last minute gift shopping. But if you are like me and looking for a quick day trip to enjoy the holiday with the same festive feels without too much effort, then this is where you go – McAdenville, NC – the Christmas Town USA.
McAdenville is a quaint little town in North Carolina, half hr away from Charlotte and two hrs away from Raleigh-Durham. The town, since the late 50s, decorates the streets and houses for display to the public and it has been published as Christmas Town USA since the 80s. The whole town dolls up and is decorated to look like Santa’s own village.
Around the holiday season, this place is a great one day trip. Start early in the morning. Stop at Amelie’s French Bakery and Cafe for breakfast. They are open on holidays as well. Then head to McAdenville. The town has limited food places to dine in for lunch and dinner. Packing a picnic lunch or grabbing something on the way is recommended.
Once you get to McAdenville, public parking is free and close to the town center. The decorations are open to public from Dec 1 – Dec 26 every year. So park your car and take two strolls – one during the day time, when the sun is still up and once more after sunset.
The neighborhood is decked and read with beautiful porches and yards. The people are warm and friendly. Each house has a social media handle and a hashtag. If you end up taking photos of their cute porches, don’t forget to tag them on Instagram or Twitter.
Christmas Town looks the best at night with the whole town lit up with Christmas lights and beautiful ornaments. The crowds are usually pretty thick. If you plan on visiting the place just during the evening, make sure you park only at designated parking areas to avoid your car getting towed and Uber is unfortunately not an option from Charlotte.
The whole town is centered around this lake. During the day I had fun feeding the tons of ducks and geese and staring at the beautiful fountain formations. Catawba Riverkeeper is a company that organizes a lot of boat house activities around the lake. Follow their site to know the current events happening. Be mindful of residents and don’t disrespect their properties or litter on their porches.
For more travel stories, check out this link here and for other stories, here is the link. Have fun with friends and family. Happy Holidays!