It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas — and in the Mid-Atlantic, that means more lights, music and holiday spectacle than you can shake a candy cane at. From cobblestone streets to waterfront harbors, towns and cities in this region go big, decking the halls with gusto. Grab your coziest sweater, pour a mug of spiced cider and follow along to 10 destinations that know how to celebrate the season.
Williamsburg, Virginia: Where History Gets Spectacularly Lit
Colonial Williamsburg sheds its quiet charm for theatrical festivity in December. Grand Illumination (Dec. 6, 13 and 20) lights the historic district with fireworks, music and candlelit façades, echoing 18th-century traditions of marking grand events. Walking along Duke of Gloucester Street, you can almost hear the whispers of colonial carolers beneath the glow of lanterns, while historic taverns and shops offer seasonal treats and handmade crafts. It’s a living tableau of Christmas past, amplified by the sheer theatricality of fireworks lighting up the sky.
colonialwilliamsburg.org
Just down the road, Christmas Town at Busch Gardens cranks up the sparkle to full-throttle with more than 10 million lights across the park. The Polar Pathway, a choreographed LED spectacle featuring over a million lights, creates a dazzling tunnel of color that twists and turns alongside ice-skating shows, live performances and themed rides. For visitors, it’s not just a theme park holiday experience — it’s a multi-sensory immersion in seasonal magic.
buschgardens.com
St. Michaels, Maryland: A Nautical Nod to the Nice List
This harbor town floats into the season with style. Christmas in St. Michaels (Dec. 12 to Dec.14) dresses streets in evergreens and sparkling white lights, while select private homes open their doors for the Tour of Homes. The harbor itself becomes a liquid wonderland during the Lighted Boat Parade, where yachts and sailboats glint like floating ornaments, their reflections dancing on the Chesapeake waters. Strolling along Talbot Street, it’s easy to experience the mingling scents of roasted chestnuts, mulled cider and briny sea air, a uniquely coastal Christmas aroma.
stmichaelsmd.com/events
Baltimore City: Monumental Fireworks and Festivities
Mount Vernon hosts the Washington Monument Lighting Dec. 4, transforming the neighborhood into a hub of music, vendors and fireworks that light up the night sky. Stately townhouses adorned with lights, festive window displays and the aroma of roasted almonds create an immersive urban holiday scene. Street musicians add a seasonal soundtrack as families gather on the plaza watching the monument flare into festive brilliance, making it a must-see event for both locals and visitors.
mountvernonplace.org
Baltimore County, Maryland: Holiday History
Just beyond the city, December nostalgia reigns. Holidays at Hampton Mansion in Towson offers visitors a chance to step inside a historic mansion resplendent with period decorations and seasonal tours, including candlelit halls, wreath-laden staircases and glittering dining rooms. nps.gov/hamp/planyourvisit/holidays-at-hampton.htm
Washington, D.C.: The Forest of Representatives
Politics aside, D.C. knows how to shine in December. The National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse is illuminated nightly from early December through Jan. 1, surrounded by the Pathway of Peace, a circle of smaller trees representing every state and territory. Nearby, the Capitol Christmas Tree, sourced from a different national forest each year, competes for attention with its own grandeur. Strolling through these displays, visitors encounter holiday-themed music, storytelling corners and decorative light installations, all against the backdrop of iconic monuments — a civic celebration that feels equal parts ceremony and spectacle.
nps.gov/ellp/planyourvisit/national-christmas-tree.htm
Cape May, New Jersey: The Queen of Victorian Maximalism
Gaslights glow, horse-drawn carriages clip-clop along streets and every gingerbread-trimmed manor leans into Victorian charm. The Christmas Candlelight House Tour (Dec. 6, 13 and 20) allows visitors to wander inside festively adorned homes, where period décor, roaring fireplaces and twinkling garlands conjure the sensation of stepping into a Dickens novel. Prefer to stay bundled and warm? Hop aboard the Holiday Lights Trolley Ride for a cozy pass through the town’s luminous streets. Cape May offers a full sensory experience: the shimmer of lamplight, the smell of pine and baked goods and the sound of bells echoing across cobblestone avenues.
capemaymac.org
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: German Glühwein and Giant Wonders
Christmas Village at LOVE Park and City Hall (Nov. 22 to Dec. 24) is a German-style market with wooden stalls, hot-spiced beverages and the Käthe Wohlfahrt shop. This year features a 35-foot rotating Glühwein Pyramid, glowing above the crowds like a seasonal beacon. After sipping mulled wine or hot chocolate and browsing handcrafted gifts, visitors can glide across the ice at Dilworth Park, surrounded by twinkling installations, or catch the traditional Macy’s Christmas Light Show. Philadelphia proves that urban holiday cheer can be just as immersive as a trip across the Atlantic — and with decidedly fewer flight delays.
philachristmas.com
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: The City That Peaked for Christmas
Bethlehem proudly calls itself “Christmas City USA,” and it isn’t exaggerating. The Christkindlmarkt (weekends Nov. 14 to Dec. 21) features German-style holiday crafts, music and food. Visitors can pair their strolls with a guided Christmas City Stroll led by a costumed guide, then glance up at the Bethlehem Star perched atop South Mountain. The town’s Moravian heritage permeates the streets, bakeries and light-strung buildings, making Bethlehem feel like the living embodiment of the season.
christmascity.org
Lancaster, Pennsylvania: The Land of Trains and Light Displays
Lancaster’s holiday motto: outshine everyone else. Tuba Christmas fills streets with brass renditions of “Jingle Bells” while the Strasburg Railroad runs themed holiday steam trains through Pennsylvania Dutch countryside. Nearby, Koziar’s Christmas Village celebrates its 78th season (Nov.1 to Jan. 3) with more than a million lights across barns, walkways and village scenes. Walking through Koziar’s, visitors are enveloped in a sensory feast: glittering bulbs, jingle bells, festive music and the smell of roasted nuts and cider. It’s a celebration of scale, nostalgia and pure holiday wonder.
koziarschristmasvillage.com
York, Pennsylvania: The Magic of the Lights
Christmas Magic — A Festival of Lights at Rocky Ridge Park transforms a half-mile trail into a luminous winter wonderland, running from the day after Thanksgiving through Dec. 30 (closed Christmas Eve and Day). Advance online reservations are now required. In downtown York, Light Up York kicks off Dec. 5 with a tree lighting in Continental Square, entertainment and seasonal cheer. Between the glittering trails and the city-center festivities, York combines small-town warmth with serious holiday sparkle.
yorkpa.org
So Have Yourself a Mid-Atlantic Christmas Now
From the cobblestone charm of Williamsburg to the glowing monument of Baltimore, the Mid-Atlantic transforms into a holiday playground each December. Whether you’re marveling at millions of lights, sampling regional seasonal treats, or immersing yourself in centuries-old traditions, these destinations offer a merry mix of history, culture and Christmas cheer. So, sing along: “Have yourself a Mid-Atlantic Christmas now.”
Eric D. Goodman is author of seven books and more than 100 published short stories and travel stories. His latest, the bestselling “Faraway Tables,” is a book of travel-centric poetry. Learn more about Eric’s travels and writing at EricDGoodman.com.
