The Best Christmas Towns in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota

Ready or not, Christmas is only two months from today.

No doubt you have some traditional things you’ll be doing again this holiday season, but if you’re looking for a bit of a change this year, why not look at a new destination to start new traditions?

Reader’s Digest has come out with its list of “The Best Christmas Cities in America You Should Visit At Least Once” and the tri-state area is well represented.

In Iowa, the historic railroad town in West Des Moines, Valley Junction is on the shortlist.

The best holiday experience here is Jingle in the Junction, held every Thursday night during the holidays.

There’s a three-block area on 5th Street lined with over 125,000 twinkling lights, and visitors can enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides, Santa Claus and Christmas carols. You can also shop for gifts at the 150 unique shops, antique shops, and other shops downtown.

To the north is Stillwater, Minnesota, where the annual Hometown For The Holidays takes place all season and features carriage rides, Victorian Christmas carolers, musical and stage performances, a holiday bazaar in the old courthouse, and a Twinkle Party where guests decorate themselves with batteries – powered lights.

On December 9-10, attend Stillwater’s Candy Town Weekend, highlighted by a gingerbread house-building contest.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota is the ideal place for the holidays.

The celebrations begin each year with the downtown lights parade the night after Thanksgiving. This year the event celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Check out more than 350,000 lights in Falls Park as part of the winter wonderland.

There are also a variety of great Christmas concerts from the South Dakota Symphony, Tonic Sol-Fa, the Hegg Brothers and Lorie Line.

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