When compared to their extravagant counterparts, small-town Christmas displays can be easy to overlook. I’m an adamant believer that small-town holiday celebrations are just as good—if not better.

Instead of towering cityscapes, Christmas lights are illuminated against historic buildings and greenery, giving each activation a more intimate feeling.
As a huge Christmas fan, I’ve been to my fair share of holiday displays. Here are just a few reasons why I love small-town ones.

Avoiding crowds

My least favorite parts of basically every major event? Traffic and crowds. I dread them. I love to see the community coming together to enjoy something wholesome, but it stops feeling so wholesome when your shoulder to shoulder with strangers and hear angry honking in the background!

I would take easy, free parking and pleasant crowd size any day!

Small Town Christmas Displays give Hallmark Channel vibes

Okay, small-town Christmases just scream Hallmark, right? There’s nothing quite like cobblestone sidewalks, brick buildings, and local bakeries to make you feel like you just stepped into a snow globe.

A quaint, charming downtown decked out in holiday decorations brings me so much joy!

The passion behind the displays

All Holiday events and displays have a team of hardworking people behind them. I’ve been working closely with the Town of Leland’s Parks and Recreation Department this year to help showcase their own small town illumination: Leland in Lights. I expected these employees to be passionate about their town’s Christmas celebration, but what truly caught me by surprise was what fuels this passion.

It is evident in every conversation I’ve had with the team that their excitement and effort come straight from a love of their community. They are not motivated by money or publicity but by their strong desire to bring something special to their neighbors. Their giddy excitement about each detail of Leland in Lights reminds me of parents watching their kids’ open presents on Christmas morning.

One thing I’ve learned through working with Leland Parks & Recreation: they truly appreciate every single person that walks through their activation and enjoys their hard work. Every single one. It gives me a new perspective and lights a fire in me to make an effort to enjoy more community events, especially in our small towns.