This Kentucky city is among America’s favorite Christmas destinations. Here’s why

Aaron Mudd
·2 min read

If you’re looking for the perfect place to kindle some holiday cheer, you’d have to go out of your way to beat this Kentucky small town.

The photo book retailer Mixbook surveyed 3,000 families to determine the 75 most “Christmassy” towns in America. Mixbook ranked Bardstown — a picturesque town in Nelson County billed as the bourbon capital of the world — No. 21 on its list.

Here’s a look at some of the other cozy Christmas towns that made the cut, and why Bardstown is a great place to spend the holidays, according to those surveyed.

What makes Bardstown a great place for Christmas?

Bardstown, known for its picturesque downtown and nearly a dozen distilleries located nearby, was once named the “Most Beautiful Small Town In America.”

Along with the beautiful churches, museums and distilleries you can visit all year-round, Bardstown becomes a special place during the holiday season. Its downtown is transformed “into a winter wonderland with elaborate twinkling shop window displays,” according to the city’s website.

You can stop for a tour at My Old Kentucky Home and see a cast of actors perform Charles Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” take a carriage ride through town or catch the local tree lighting ceremony, among other events.

The Mixbook accolade for Bardstown’s Christmas appeal is just one of several for the city recently. In May, Southern Living named it as one of the 50 best small towns in the South. In February, Travel and Leisure said it was one of the 20 most beautiful in the U.S.

America’s most ‘Christmassy’ towns

According to Mixbook, the most “Christmassy” towns in the country are those that “embody the essence of the holiday season” with their unique traditions, making them popular destinations for tourism.

Here’s a look at the top 10, according to Mixbook’s rankings:

  1. Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

  2. Durango, Colo.

  3. Lake Placid, N.Y.

  4. Stowe, Vt.

  5. Alexandria, Va.

  6. Old Saybrook, Conn.

  7. Stockbridge, Mass.

  8. Holland, Mich.

  9. Bethlehem, Pa.

  10. North Pole, Alaska

You can see Mixbook’s complete list of the 75 most “Christmassy” towns at mixbook.com/inspiration/most-christmassy-towns-2023.

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