In this article, we will talk about the most festive cities in the US. You can also take a look at the 30 Countries With the Most Paid Vacation Days Per Year.
The holiday season in the United States is a time for family, friends, and of course, festive cheer. However, the festive experience isn’t the same across the country. While some of the most festive cities such as New York City or Chicago offer a classic winter wonderland view and bustling Christmas markets, others such as Honolulu, Hawaii offer a sunny getaway.
The festive spirit also leads to a significant economic boost, with the National Retail Federation (NRF) reporting that holiday spending in the US reached a record-breaking $964.4 billion in 2023. This massive spending occurred despite economic pressures created by inflation and rising interest rates. The 2023 holiday season spending reflected a 3.8% increase from 2022 and met NRF’s forecasted figures.
Meanwhile, according to preliminary data from MasterCard, online spending during the holiday season rose by 6.3%, compared to 2022. This outpaced in-store spending, which only saw a 2.2% rise, highlighting the faster growth rate of online holiday shopping.
Beyond the winter holidays, other festivals also witness significant spending increases. Valentine’s Day, for instance, saw Americans spending an estimated $25.9 billion in 2024, with candy, jewelry, and flowers being popular purchases. Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping are also major seasonal events. Consumers reportedly spent about $38 billion on items such as furniture, electronics, and toys during the Thanksgiving weekend in 2023.
Major retailers like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Walmart particularly benefit from these festive seasons. For instance, last year’s holiday shopping season significantly boosted Amazon.com, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) revenue growth for the quarter ending in December 2023. The company recorded a quarterly revenue of $170 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations and reflecting a 14% increase year-over-year (YoY).
Maintaining the growth trajectory, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) posted strong financial results in Q1 2024 as well. The company recorded $143 billion in revenue, reflecting a 13% increase over the last year, excluding the impact of foreign exchange rates. Operating income reached over $15 billion, a 221% rise YoY. Furthermore, the company achieved $48.8 billion in trailing 12-month free cash flow, marking a $53.2 billion YoY improvement.
Here’s what Baron Funds said about Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) in its Q1 2024 investor letter:
“Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) is the world’s largest retailer and cloud services provider. Shares increased 18.7% on quarterly results that exceeded consensus expectations, with revenue growth of 13% year-over-year and operating margins of 7.8% (up from 1.8% a year ago). We believe that Amazon is well positioned in the short to medium term to continue improving its core North American margins, which have reached 6.1% in the fourth quarter, the seventh straight quarter of margin improvement and an overall improvement of 800bps. Amazon has been rearchitecting its fulfillment network, improving efficiency, reducing cost-to-serve and accelerating delivery speeds thanks to initiatives such as regionalization, with the number of items delivered during the same day or overnight increasing by nearly 70% year-over-year. Reducing the cost to serve also enables Amazon to sell lower priced items and expand its addressable market to everyday purchases. Additionally, Amazon continues to benefit from its fast-growing, margin-accretive advertising business winning market share in digital advertising thanks to its structural advantages of a closed loop system, which enables a deterministic calculation of Return on Ad Spending. We also believe that e-commerce still has long duration growth ahead as it still accounts for less than 15% of retail. Similarly, Amazon’s cloud service, AWS, remains relatively early in its S-curve with cloud representing around 13% of worldwide IT spending13 incremental tailwinds across the three layers of the GenAI stack – infrastructure with NVIDIA’s own AI chips (Trainium and Inferentia) as well as with its offering of NVIDIA chips, platform (Bedrock), and applications (first and third party).”
Our Methodology
To shortlist the 25 most festive cities in the US, we used a consensus methodology. We referred to various sources such as Business Insider, Thumbtack, Realtor, Kiplinger, and Reddit threads to gain information regarding the festive spirit across different cities in the US. We collected information on various festive attractions these cities offer throughout the year, such as decoration shops, holiday markets, shopping options, and music venues.
Following the shortlisting of the cities, we assigned a score to each city based on the number of times it appeared across our sources. In the case of cities having the same score, tiebreaking was done on the basis of which city was outranking the other in our sources. The most festive cities in the US have been ranked in ascending order of their scores.
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25 Most Festive Cities in the US
25. Omaha, NE
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Located on the Missouri River in Nebraska, Omaha is famous for more than just great steaks. The city hosts the annual Holiday Lights Festival, now in its 25th year, creating a festive atmosphere. Visitors can also check out the historic Old Market district, a popular spot for shopping and dining with its variety of stores and restaurants.
24. Columbus, OH
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Columbus, Ohio’s capital, has been home to BalletMet’s production of “The Nutcracker” for almost 50 years. During the festive season, over 400,000 LED lights transform the Columbus Commons into a winter wonderland. Furthermore, Columbus ranks eighteenth on the list of most trustworthy cities in the US.
23. Raleigh, NC
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Raleigh is one of the 10 cities with the highest quality of life in the US. From December 1st to January 4th, downtown Raleigh turns into a festive area.
22. Albuquerque, NM
Insider Monkey Score: 2
New Mexico’s largest city, Albuquerque, offers festive fun and cultural charm. Old Town features over 150 shops, restaurants, and galleries, ideal for shopping and dining. The highlight in December is the Albuquerque River of Lights, the state’s largest event which turns the city into a winter wonderland.
21. Philadelphia, PA
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Philadelphia, the most populous city in Pennsylvania, hosts a grand holiday parade on Market Street in Center City. This parade features marching bands and dance groups. Over 100 local artisans present their handmade items in wooden stalls each year.
20. Washington, D.C.
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Washington DC, the US capital, is known for its festive celebrations. Visitors and residents can enjoy ice skating at Washington Harbor or join the holiday events at the US Capitol. Interestingly, Washington DC is amongst the cities with the highest average salary in the US.
19. Colorado Springs, CO
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Colorado Springs is a city in Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The Festival of Lights Parade on Tejon Street is rated as the best downtown event in Colorado Springs.
18. Honolulu, Hawaii
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii and the gateway to the US Island chain. The Honolulu City Lights Festival is a popular annual event, which includes stunning fireworks displays, live music, and cultural activities.
17. Phoenix, AZ
Insider Monkey Score: 3
In Phoenix, Arizona, you can enjoy Christmas under the sun. This desert city offers year-round sunshine, making it an ideal escape from the traditional winter cold. Some top activities to enjoy in Phoenix during Christmas include exploring the Desert Botanical Garden’s Luminous Nights, hot air balloon rides, and seeing the giant Christmas tree lighting at Arizona Mills Mall.
16. Charlotte, NC
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Charlotte is a major city in North Carolina. Holiday attractions such as the Mistletoe Market at the Camp North End and the nearby McAdenville Christmas town make Charlotte one of the most festive cities in the US.
15. San Diego, CA
Insider Monkey Score: 3
San Diego is located on California’s Pacific coast. The city comes alive with festive spirit at the Hotel del Coronado. Guests can enjoy skating on the beachfront “Skating by the Sea” ice rink. Afterward, they can visit Gallagher Square’s Holiday Market, which offers unique items from local and European artisans. Seasonal food and beverages add to the holiday atmosphere.
14. Boston, MA
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Boston, the capital and largest city of Massachusetts, starts its Christmas countdown at Boston Common. The city’s official Christmas tree is lit during a special ceremony on December 2nd, marking the beginning of the festive season. Boston is among the top 20 most festive cities in the US.
13. Dallas, TX
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Dallas kicks off the holidays with the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot. This festive race sets the stage for a season full of events. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s performance and the Dallas Holiday Parade are also key highlights.
12. Austin, TX
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Austin, the state capital of Texas, hosts Mozart’s Christmas Light Show at Mozart’s Coffee Roasters, a beloved annual event. One can also go to the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, a shopper’s paradise featuring nearly 200 local artists and makers.
11. Los Angeles, CA
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Los Angeles, a city in Southern California, comes alive during the holiday season with festivals, parades, ice rinks, and theme parks. Los Angeles also ranks second on our list of the 10 Most Glamorous Cities in the World.
10. San Antonio, TX
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Located in south-central Texas, San Antonio is a vibrant urban center. December in San Antonio is festive and less crowded, with the city’s famous River Walk glowing with holiday lights. The city is also known for its lively club scene, with popular spots like Pacha and Ibiza Rocks.
9. Houston, TX
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Houston, a major city in Texas, celebrates Christmas with festive spirit in its restaurants, bars, and holiday markets. It ranks ninth on our list of most festive cities in the US.
8. Portland, OR
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Portland is the largest and most populated city in the US state of Oregon. It is known as one of the most affordable cities for Christmas celebrations. The Portland Holiday Market is a popular spot for holiday shopping. Also, nightlife in Portland is thriving, with 47 bars per 100,000 people.
7. San Francisco, CA
Insider Monkey Score: 3
San Francisco is a major city in the state of Northern California. San Francisco hosts a variety of events during the December holidays. Events range from ice skating in Union Square to huge Christmas tree lighting. San Francisco is among the top 10 most festive cities in the US.
6. Orlando, FL
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Orlando ranks ninth on our list of the most fun cities in the US. Orlando is famous for its themed amusement parks, which also feature elaborate Christmas decorations and celebrations. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando prepares for Christmas with festive decorations, live performances, and new rides.
5. New York, NY
Insider Monkey Score: 3
New York secures the fifth position on our list of the top festive American cities. The city hosts famous events like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting, and Times Square Ball Drop.