2022's Most Festive Cities in America

Family looking up at snow and clutching warm beverages at a Christmas market

Sleigh bells are ringing, snow is glistening, while Mariah Carey serenades shoppers at department stores — it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Which of the 200 biggest U.S. cities most resemble a scene out of a Hallmark movie?

LawnStarter made a list of 2022’s Most Festive Cities and checked it twice. We looked for cities with bags of fun, like holiday festivals and European-style Christmas markets serving delicious goodies.

Of course, no winter wonderland is complete without snow, so we also measured the average snowfall in each city to find the most Instagram-worthy backdrops.

Check out our ranking below, followed by some highlights, lowlights, and expert holiday planning tips.

City Rankings
Highlights and Lowlights
Ask the Experts
Behind the Ranking
Holiday Markets in America

City Rankings

See how each city fared in our ranking:

Overall Rank (1=Best)	City	Overall Score	Frolicking Rank	Merrymaking Rank	Entertaining Rank	Eating and Drinking Rank	Shopping Rank
1	New York, NY	82.99	8	1	1	1	1
2	Las Vegas, NV	50.66	131	2	4	4	2
3	Los Angeles, CA	49.96	68	3	2	3	20
4	Chicago, IL	49.18	9	4	8	2	8
5	Denver, CO	39.87	22	5	16	18	7
6	Houston, TX	37.25	126	33	3	8	9
7	San Antonio, TX	35.66	173	9	5	10	14
8	San Diego, CA	33.88	87	13	6	7	16
9	Charlotte, NC	33.53	188	7	14	39	6
10	Philadelphia, PA	32.69	23	6	33	6	44
11	Seattle, WA	31.96	41	8	28	9	23
12	Portland, OR	30.04	59	28	31	13	4
13	Colorado Springs, CO	29.92	79	14	24	61	10
14	Boston, MA	28.86	5	16	143	12	28
15	Austin, TX	28.81	147	19	10	17	25
16	San Francisco, CA	27.85	38	21	34	5	33
17	Albuquerque, NM	27.78	105	18	41	37	5
18	Raleigh, NC	27.65	151	10	35	45	12
19	Honolulu, HI	27.34	71	32	86	20	3
20	Dallas, TX	26.82	121	35	7	16	27
21	Columbus, OH	25.85	65	22	39	23	18
22	Orlando, FL	25.40	155	45	17	11	11
23	Phoenix, AZ	25.39	154	29	9	28	35
24	Washington, DC	25.15	33	11	50	27	53
25	Omaha, NE	24.87	52	61	20	50	13
26	Atlanta, GA	24.21	112	39	12	19	26
27	St. Paul, MN	23.98	19	12	127	59	52
28	Pittsburgh, PA	23.95	18	37	68	22	32
29	Buffalo, NY	23.87	2	40	100	36	74
30	Minneapolis, MN	23.72	10	58	139	31	15
31	Miami, FL	23.49	53	77	13	15	38
32	Louisville, KY	23.34	108	26	18	35	34
33	Jacksonville, FL	22.93	198	20	26	48	19
34	Detroit, MI	22.78	29	15	94	64	61
35	Tampa, FL	22.54	96	89	11	29	17
36	Baltimore, MD	22.50	42	36	74	21	24
37	Cincinnati, OH	21.69	57	44	37	25	36
38	Nashville, TN	21.23	165	23	47	26	22
39	Indianapolis, IN	20.26	83	24	21	40	75
40	Grand Rapids, MI	20.02	4	41	60	79	119
41	Syracuse, NY	19.85	1	93	174	68	97
42	Sacramento, CA	19.73	114	63	19	30	42
43	Rochester, NY	19.66	3	98	120	41	71
44	New Orleans, LA	19.56	88	25	104	14	46
45	Virginia Beach, VA	19.47	115	17	61	63	55
46	St. Louis, MO	19.45	44	27	43	24	93
47	Oklahoma City, OK	19.15	141	56	27	44	31
48	Salt Lake City, UT	18.97	13	92	73	47	47
49	Tucson, AZ	18.79	139	49	25	38	45
50	Reno, NV	17.33	76	66	88	67	29
51	Kansas City, MO	17.30	90	65	30	53	49
52	San Jose, CA	17.22	99	104	15	32	59
53	Worcester, MA	16.94	6	54	183	103	104
54	Providence, RI	16.59	11	80	186	58	66
55	Scottsdale, AZ	16.42	180	55	22	51	64
56	Richmond, VA	16.22	74	34	92	77	69
57	Anchorage, AK	16.10	27	30	154	82	115
58	Memphis, TN	16.08	164	68	80	43	21
59	Boise, ID	15.95	73	82	78	78	40
60	Savannah, GA	15.88	123	64	124	56	30
61	Mesa, AZ	15.74	150	67	29	74	50
62	Fort Collins, CO	15.68	49	59	111	109	67
63	El Paso, TX	15.66	101	128	32	42	39
64	Charleston, SC	15.43	144	62	106	69	37
65	Tulsa, OK	15.31	122	57	44	46	60
66	Cleveland, OH	15.16	12	91	91	34	117
67	Milwaukee, WI	15.12	15	74	145	33	109
68	Arlington, TX	15.01	149	47	52	90	56
69	Akron, OH	15.01	31	75	167	89	68
70	Aurora, CO	14.68	45	84	53	83	78
71	Tacoma, WA	14.53	75	60	163	76	57
72	Madison, WI	14.40	28	52	126	95	127
73	Greensboro, NC	14.10	168	31	66	86	77
73	Lincoln, NE	14.10	64	86	72	108	63
75	Fresno, CA	13.89	124	48	36	70	106
76	Des Moines, IA	13.84	50	76	170	100	65
77	Sioux Falls, SD	13.74	55	50	129	131	100
78	Baton Rouge, LA	13.66	167	70	59	87	48
79	Toledo, OH	13.53	39	51	123	84	139
80	Fort Worth, TX	13.13	162	148	23	49	54
81	Huntington Beach, CA	13.12	82	71	38	134	96
82	Plano, TX	12.75	117	69	48	111	76
83	Anaheim, CA	12.70	85	53	65	73	114
84	Lexington, KY	12.68	95	88	51	72	72
85	Little Rock, AR	12.67	172	43	79	96	84
86	Salem, OR	12.34	107	129	89	107	41
87	Huntsville, AL	12.32	195	72	49	118	51
88	Long Beach, CA	12.05	58	119	45	52	103
89	Alexandria, VA	11.81	40	106	153	116	94
90	Spokane, WA	11.80	26	124	102	55	123
91	Rockford, IL	11.43	51	85	188	153	95
92	Dayton, OH	11.32	62	157	141	75	58
93	Tempe, AZ	11.10	97	42	148	81	152
94	Aurora, IL	11.04	36	120	173	105	102
95	Jersey City, NJ	10.93	7	154	192	102	165
96	Fort Lauderdale, FL	10.71	91	83	58	54	121
97	Orange, CA	10.63	32	181	42	155	135
98	Winston-Salem, NC	10.38	127	86	124	88	79
99	Newark, NJ	10.36	14	145	185	136	155
100	Wichita, KS	10.23	110	103	46	71	107
101	Shreveport, LA	10.09	187	46	69	168	130
102	Torrance, CA	9.92	67	172	83	129	80
103	Eugene, OR	9.87	102	90	177	106	88
104	Jackson, MS	9.73	103	171	194	145	43
105	Henderson, NV	9.69	171	105	56	99	86
106	Bakersfield, CA	9.49	178	81	55	66	113
107	Fort Wayne, IN	9.48	69	107	121	149	125
108	Joliet, IL	9.48	47	156	147	112	105
109	Riverside, CA	9.47	142	79	67	80	128
110	Springfield, MA	9.45	20	135	197	169	185
111	Naperville, IL	9.30	34	149	105	141	183
112	St. Petersburg, FL	9.27	138	125	90	62	83
113	Killeen, TX	9.24	48	168	142	192	98
114	Irvine, CA	9.23	111	97	96	91	108
115	Overland Park, KS	9.20	80	140	98	133	90
116	Yonkers, NY	9.20	17	169	199	139	167
117	Norfolk, VA	9.18	89	108	180	177	87
118	Lakewood, CO	9.16	46	117	165	114	161
119	Lubbock, TX	9.08	120	113	40	110	137
120	Oakland, CA	9.05	60	136	171	60	110
121	Bridgeport, CT	9.01	21	146	178	161	189
122	Knoxville, TN	8.98	156	100	63	57	111
123	Grand Prairie, TX	8.89	163	38	193	190	192
124	Pasadena, CA	8.82	66	143	70	101	141
125	Hialeah, FL	8.74	63	196	113	180	92
126	Stockton, CA	8.68	140	94	77	154	118
127	Thornton, CO	8.66	24	134	195	200	199
128	Paterson, NJ	8.45	16	195	198	175	193
129	Birmingham, AL	8.42	184	147	71	65	73
130	Tallahassee, FL	8.40	192	73	76	85	129
131	Irving, TX	8.39	113	99	81	159	146
132	Fullerton, CA	8.28	25	186	161	179	173
133	McKinney, TX	8.27	157	78	64	170	180
134	Fremont, CA	8.20	104	112	93	186	120
135	Mobile, AL	8.06	183	116	122	125	81
136	Springfield, MO	7.90	93	137	75	123	124
137	West Valley City, UT	7.89	35	150	191	197	195
138	Salinas, CA	7.86	43	190	133	135	151
139	Pomona, CA	7.85	37	173	138	164	190
140	Warren, MI	7.82	30	193	158	143	197
141	Augusta, GA	7.73	72	152	115	137	133
142	Santa Ana, CA	7.70	70	177	83	104	136
143	Santa Rosa, CA	7.63	106	110	144	126	134
144	Amarillo, TX	7.51	56	162	155	150	147
145	Glendale, CA	7.50	54	179	109	146	150
146	North Las Vegas, NV	7.48	61	131	166	165	188
147	Garland, TX	7.48	135	95	97	174	175
148	Oxnard, CA	7.20	81	123	160	115	157
149	Vancouver, WA	7.19	116	163	57	122	122
150	Chattanooga, TN	7.11	186	139	131	94	82
151	Chandler, AZ	7.04	158	109	110	93	148
152	Corpus Christi, TX	6.91	159	122	117	113	112
153	Durham, NC	6.90	174	96	156	127	126
154	Bellevue, WA	6.90	92	130	168	132	131
155	Chesapeake, VA	6.87	182	155	103	183	85
156	Clarksville, TN	6.81	190	182	128	187	62
157	Newport News, VA	6.52	129	101	184	188	149
158	Montgomery, AL	6.48	196	111	176	172	99
159	Escondido, CA	6.45	119	164	62	148	160
160	Roseville, CA	6.40	145	141	112	147	116
161	Columbus, GA	6.36	200	121	164	163	89
162	Ontario, CA	6.35	109	127	150	120	174
163	Modesto, CA	6.23	118	161	95	117	140
164	Hayward, CA	6.21	86	191	82	173	153
165	Santa Clarita, CA	6.15	125	159	54	119	196
165	Chula Vista, CA	6.15	98	178	108	92	132
167	Peoria, AZ	6.10	176	102	114	191	184
168	Fontana, CA	5.94	137	133	87	199	186
169	Surprise, AZ	5.91	193	176	179	195	70
170	Garden Grove, CA	5.85	77	197	149	130	172
171	Pembroke Pines, FL	5.82	160	118	137	155	168
172	Fayetteville, NC	5.77	194	115	118	124	138
173	Murfreesboro, TN	5.70	175	170	169	196	91
174	Carrollton, TX	5.68	132	132	136	167	178
175	Macon, GA	5.66	189	151	134	181	101
176	Kansas City, KS	5.63	100	138	151	184	194
177	Elk Grove, CA	5.59	169	126	99	185	182
178	Glendale, AZ	5.58	153	153	116	98	145
179	Denton, TX	5.46	152	114	189	176	169
180	Laredo, TX	5.17	143	165	101	157	166
181	Hollywood, FL	5.16	94	175	187	97	156
182	Frisco, TX	5.06	166	142	107	152	180
183	Sunnyvale, CA	5.02	78	187	196	182	177
184	McAllen, TX	4.94	128	160	172	166	144
185	Corona, CA	4.80	148	185	85	162	171
186	San Bernardino, CA	4.72	136	174	162	138	142
187	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	4.60	134	187	130	158	159
188	Oceanside, CA	4.55	146	167	146	142	176
189	Olathe, KS	4.51	84	194	181	198	191
190	Waco, TX	4.42	179	158	140	144	162
191	Pasadena, TX	4.32	130	198	135	178	170
192	Brownsville, TX	4.12	161	183	152	140	143
193	Hampton, VA	3.94	133	183	182	194	158
194	Mesquite, TX	3.86	170	166	190	151	154
195	Cape Coral, FL	3.79	197	144	159	121	163
196	Moreno Valley, CA	3.36	181	200	132	160	187
197	Lancaster, CA	3.35	185	180	157	128	163
198	Palmdale, CA	3.25	191	192	119	189	179
199	Miramar, FL	2.21	177	199	200	193	200
200	Port St. Lucie, FL	2.03	199	189	175	171	198

Infographic showing the Most Festive Cities in America, a ranking based on 20 factors, such as snowfall, holiday festivals, and ice rinks — **Note:** For presentation purposes, not all ties may be displayed for certain metrics above.

Highlights and Lowlights

Christmas in New York

Kids from 1 to 92 will find it hard to sleep in The City That Never Sleeps. New York is our No. 1 most festive city for the second year in a row.

Earning over 32 points more than Las Vegas, our silver-bell medalist, the Big Apple dominated four out of five categories in our holiday ranking.

Even though New York placed eighth in “Frolicking,” no other city holds a fir-scented candle to America’s most popular tourist destination. It would take a miracle on 34th Street to beat the city with the most holiday festivals, attractions, music venues, gift shops — you name it.

Only in New York will you find time-honored traditions like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting, and the Times Square Ball Drop. So, if you want a unique holiday experience, add New York to your bucket list.

Polar Opposites

Baby, it’s warm outside in some of our top 10 cities. If you loathe snow, Las Vegas (No. 2), San Antonio (No. 7), and San Diego (No. 8) will not only keep you toasty, but they’ll warm up your holiday spirit, too.

The average snowfall between November and December in these cities ranges from nada to less than a fifth of an inch. There’s no shortage of holiday cheer, though. Each of these cities ranked in the top 20 of every category except “Frolicking,” as expected.

To rub icy elbows with your pal Jack Frost, head to Upstate New York. Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester are true winter wanderlands, boasting excellent walk scores and the highest average snowfalls among all 200 cities. The region already hit an icy milestone, a historic 4 feet of snow in a single day, back in November.

There’s plenty of merrymaking to be had in these frigid cities, but you’ll need the warmest pair of winter boots — or even snowshoes — and a well-insulated coat.

Where the Grinch Stole Christmas

Crowd-averse residents of several California, Florida, and Texas cities can enjoy more than one silent night this holiday season. Three cities from each of these states make up most of our bottom 10.

Let’s just say St. Nick won’t be stopping by Port St. Lucie, the least festive city of all. He might skip over cities on the outskirts of Greater Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas, too, along with Brownsville, Texas.

What went wrong? Each of these cities is lacking in most holiday-themed anything — with a few exceptions. Cape Coral, Florida, sped past 155 cities in holiday-themed races. Moreno Valley, California, made its merry way to 63rd place in party supply stores, while Mesquite, Texas, gave a nutcracking performance in number of bakeries, at No. 65.

Where these cities really shine: low crime. If you’re home alone this holiday season, you can forget setting up booby traps in one of our least festive cities, especially Port St. Lucie and Cape Coral, our third and seventh safest cities overall.

Ask The Experts

A few travel smarts can go a long way, especially during the holiday season. We turned to a panel of travel experts for tips and insights. Read their thoughts below.

What are some holiday trends, if any, that you’ve observed this year?
Why aren’t Christmas markets more prevalent in the U.S.?
What is the best way to avoid tourist traps and discover a city’s hidden gems?
Where are the best places to do last-minute holiday gift shopping?
How far in advance should consumers book their winter holiday travels to avoid paying more for flights and hotels?

Julie S. Son, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of the Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management program

Gary L. Deel, PhD, JD, MS, MA, CHSE, CHIA, CHE, SHRM-CP, CFE, APP, CSC, PCI, PSP

Adjunct Professor

Julie S. Son, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of the Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management program

University of Idaho

Julie S. Son, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of the Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Management program

University of Idaho

What are some holiday trends, if any, that you’ve observed this year?

After being cooped up during pandemic restrictions, people are excited to travel and will travel farther to visit family or go to a long-desired destination. One trend is the huge demand for travel despite inflation-spiked rates.

The pandemic has underscored the necessity of seizing the moment and the importance of spending and cherishing time with family and friends. A concept called “socioemotional selectivity” suggests that when our mortality is spotlighted, we’ll seek out our dearest friends and family with whom to spend our precious moments. People are “zoomed” out and ready for these meaningful in-person interactions, so expect busy holiday travel as a result.

Why aren’t Christmas markets more prevalent in the U.S.?

There are two primary reasons why Christmas markets aren’t more prevalent in the U.S. Given the longer history of towns and cities in Europe, European countries boast a much longer tradition of holiday market shopping compared to the U.S. Additionally, the U.S. system of city planning centers on shopping malls and big box stores in contrast to European cities that typically have a more centralized market square with less traffic and roadways.

This allows for a more open space for a “charming” market feel than U.S. main streets with busy roads and large road dividers. One exception in the U.S. is Leavenworth, Washington which is a Bavarian Christmas-themed town that has a series of small roads and lanes with sidewalks on both sides to encourage walking and strolling to window shop.

What is the best way to avoid tourist traps and discover a city’s hidden gems?

No joke but one of the best ways to discover a city’s hidden treasures is by talking to your hotel concierge or BnB host, as well as restaurant servers and bartenders. Hospitality people know the city the best!

Where are the best places to do last-minute holiday gift shopping?

Go to your chamber of commerce website for announcements on holiday shopping events. If you prefer alternative giving, see what your local nonprofits are doing –– they may have a holiday giving market. And, of course, visit your local stores to support the local economy and community. Not only will you be giving a unique local gift, but you will be helping local vendors and artists.

How far in advance should consumers book their winter holiday travels to avoid paying more for flights and hotels?

This has been a challenge the past year. When possible, try to book several months in advance of your planned travel. Additionally, if you can be flexible on your arrival and departure days, certain days of the week tend to be less expensive. For instance, traveling on Saturdays tends to be the most expensive. A general rule of thumb is to book no less than two weeks prior to travel, with more time from booking date to departure date providing the best prices.

Gary L. Deel, PhD, JD, MS, MA, CHSE, CHIA, CHE, SHRM-CP, CFE, APP, CSC, PCI, PSP

Adjunct Professor

University of Florida Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management (THEM) Program

Gary L. Deel, PhD, JD, MS, MA, CHSE, CHIA, CHE, SHRM-CP, CFE, APP, CSC, PCI, PSP

Adjunct Professor

University of Florida Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management (THEM) Program

What are some holiday trends, if any, that you’ve observed this year?

Consumers (including tourists and vacationers) seem to be a bit more conservative with their spending based on the uncertain state of the economy and the potential for a recession in the near future. This follows on the heels of comments from business magnates such as Jeff Bezos, who encouraged people not to make big purchases this season.

Why aren’t Christmas markets more prevalent in the U.S.?

With so many consumers today transitioning predominantly to online shopping (especially for non-perishable purchases), traffic for Christmas markets (not unlike shopping malls) is fading.

What is the best way to avoid tourist traps and discover a city’s hidden gems?

Two of the best ways to avoid tourist traps and discover value-oriented points of interest in a vacation destination are to research carefully online before visiting and to talk to locals from the area who do not have an interest in trying to sell something to the would-be tourist.

Talk to restaurant servers, postal workers, taxi or Uber drivers, and others who know the community well but don’t necessarily have a motivation for any kind of personal gain in the conversation.

Where are the best places to do last-minute holiday gift shopping?

This obviously depends largely on what kinds of gifts are being sought, where they can be purchased, and how strong demand is. Shopping online for holiday gifts has become a preferred method for many shoppers. And even last minute gifts can either be delivered in time via expedited shipping or, in the case of gift certificates, event tickets, and other intangibles, delivered electronically via email.

How far in advance should consumers book their winter holiday travels to avoid paying more for flights and hotels?

Travel costs will ultimately vary with demand in a particular season. Normally, holiday seasons see heavy demand and consequently drive prices up. However, in unusual years (such as 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic), demand can be unpredictable.

It is generally a good idea to book airfare and other accommodations at least four to six weeks before traveling in order to avoid last-minute price gouging from travel markets. Earlier is generally better, though sales and promotions throughout the months leading up to a trip may also affect the optimal time for booking.

Behind the Ranking

For each of the 200 biggest U.S. cities, we gathered publicly available data on the factors listed in the table below.

We then grouped those factors into five categories: Frolicking, Merrymaking, Entertaining, Eating and Drinking, and Shopping.

Next, we calculated weighted scores for each city in each category.

Finally, we averaged the scores for each city across all categories.

The city that earned the highest average score was ranked “Most Festive” (No. 1), while the city with the lowest was ranked “Least Festive” (No. 200). (Note: The “Least Festive” among individual factors may not be No. 200 due to ties.)

Metric	Weighting	Lowest Value	Highest Value	Best
Frolicking
Average Snowfall (in Inches) Between November and December	3	0	23	Highest
Walk Score	2	13	97	Highest
Crime Index	0.5	0	85	Highest
Merrymaking
Holiday Festivals	3	0	7	Highest
Attractions	2	13	5,711	Highest
Music Venues	1	0	189	Highest
Ice Skating Rinks	2	0	15	Highest
Holiday-Themed Races	1	0	13	Highest
Entertaining
Holiday Decoration Shops	2	0	28	Highest
Holiday Decorating Services	2	0	28	Highest
Independent Christmas Tree Vendors	0.5	0	44	Highest
Big-Box Christmas Tree Vendors	1	2	117	Highest
Party Supply Stores	1	1	136	Highest
Eating and Drinking
Bakeries	1	0	376	Highest
Candy Stores	1	0	128	Highest
Nightlife Options	1	0	779	Highest
Shopping
Holiday Markets	3	0	6	Highest
Shopping Centers and Department Stores	2	4	219	Highest
Gift Shops	1	2	181	Highest
Holiday Card Stores	0.5	0	162	Highest

Sources: Ace Hardware, Big Lots, Christmas Market Guides, Everfest, FestivalNet, Find Skating Rinks, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, Kmart, Lowe’s, Menards, Michaels, NeighborhoodScout, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Running in the USA, Sutherlands, Target, TripAdvisor, True Value, Walk Score, Walmart, and Yelp

Holiday Markets in America

Craving mulled wine, bratwursts, and blintzes? You’re in luck.

Although Christmas markets are a bigger tradition across the pond, they’re catching on here at home. You just might be able to get a taste of this European experience in your own backyard.

Be transported to another continent in one of these holiday markets: