North Pole, Alaska

This village looks like a holiday card year-round, with candy cane striped light poles and green and red signs. You can check out one of the reindeer farms or see the holiday decorations at Santa’s workshop, one of the biggest Christmas decoration stores in the US! The North Pole is exceptionally festive during Christmas, though, as locals mail Christmas cards to children worldwide, and Santa stops by the workshop to greet visitors.

The annual winter festival also includes night lights, ice slides, and artisanal booths during Christmas. If you’re willing to drive twenty minutes out of town, some of the best things to do in Fairbanks in the wintertime are going dog sledding and then heading inside one of the museums to warm up! When the sun sets and you’re all worn out for the day, pick an open clearing and grab some hot cocoa to stay up and catch the Northern Lights as they dance across the sky.