The Best Christmas Towns In Kentucky To Visit This Holiday Season

Paducah

In Paducah, small, local businesses drum up big holiday magic. Downtown watering hole Johnson Bar goes all-out for Christmas; last year their “Home Alone”-themed pop-up featured hanging paint cans, themed drinks and snacks, and a pizza partnership with a neighboring restaurant. Coffee and tea shop, Pipers, presents their annual “12 Days of Pipers Hot Chocolate” which features one-of-a-kind hot chocolate Christmas specials.

The Paducah arts community also pulls out the stops. The Paducah Symphony Orchestra and Chorus’ “A Christmas Celebration” concert is a beloved holiday tradition, and Market House Theatre presents a Christmas-themed production annually. This year, the “Sanders Family Christmas” tells the story of a gospel-singing family snowed in at the local church on Christmas Eve. Yeiser Art Center, Paducah’s oldest non-profit art organization, also presents “The Affordable Art Show,” an annual holiday tradition that showcases local artists’ work, with every item priced under $500 and a portion of the profits supporting the organization.

Don't miss Santa at the annual Christmas in the Park at Noble Park. He arrives the day after Thanksgiving by horse-drawn carriage to officially light up the park at the free event. Enter beneath the twinkling arches to a world of a half million colored light bulbs that lead to Santa’s House and other holiday vignettes.

London

The holiday fun begins in London the first week of December with “Randy Smith Christmas on Main Parade” (named for the deceased former chamber of commerce director who started the event) which features the largest nighttime Christmas parade in southeast Kentucky. London also celebrates the season with its annual 84-foot tree in Town Center Park.

In the last week of December, the winners of the Lights Around London are announced. Businesses and residents compete all month long to see who has the best Christmas lights. Visitors can enjoy lavish light displays on the driving tour and vote for the best. This tour has raised thousands of dollars for London’s Shop with a Cop program.

“We have a Christmas concert with our community orchestra, a Christmas Book Walk for children at our downtown businesses, and just last year we debuted a Christmas Drone Show at Town Center Park,” said Willie Sawyers, who works with the City of London, promising that the drone show this year will be even bigger.

Georgetown

It may be one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, but Georgetown firmly retains its small-town feel with a pristine Victorian downtown with more than 200 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Georgetown welcomes revelers to come “Home for the Holidays” with its annual downtown Christmas tree lighting and parade in early December and lots of holiday activities and open houses taking place throughout the season.

Even before Santa flips the switch on the city's towering downtown tree, the Southern Lights Holiday Festival gets underway at nearby Kentucky Horse Park. Drive through three miles and millions of enchanting holiday lights, the vignettes leading to the North Pole where kids of all ages can wave to Santa, then take a camel or pony ride at Animal Land.

On select December weekends, step inside Ward Hall, Georgetown’s gracious Greek-Revival-style mansion, resplendent in its holiday trappings amidst the glow of dozens and dozens of candles. The annual Christmas Candlelight Tours show off the 12,000-square-foot villa where Sallie Ward, the “Belle of Louisville,” once lived and entertained in grand style.

Grab a bite at Fava’s, a local favorite diner, or enjoy a Kentucky bourbon-glazed salmon or other signature specialties at Wilshire’s. Both downtown restaurants decorate lavishly for Christmas. Settle in for a long winter’s nap at Bluebird Studio; its trimmed trees and wreaths create a subtle elegance.

Bardstown

Not surprisingly, one of the most beautiful small towns in Kentucky is also one of the state's best to visit at Christmas. With its town square anchored by a towering Christmas tree, historic mansions dressed in seasonal splendor, and festive trains, Bardstown is as idyllic as it comes for Christmas cheer.

It all begins on Nov. 24 with Light Up Bardstown and the lighting of the Christmas tree in Court Square which includes music, refreshments, and pictures with Santa. On Dec. 7, Santa arrives during the annual Bardstown Kiwanis Club’s Christmas Parade.

Meanwhile, the vintage train at the Kentucky Railway Museum makes its yearly excursions to the North Pole for Saturday and Sunday afternoon and evening excursions in December. On Sunday, Dec. 3, 10, and 17, guests can join the train for a 30-minute ride to the Legacy at Dant Crossing for brunch, a hot chocolate bar, holiday crafts, and pictures with Santa.

Bardstown’s most famous landmark, My Old Kentucky Home, is decorated each season and welcomes visitors for its annual “Merry & Bright” event. Ladies in hoop skirts and gents in tailcoats will guide visitors through the mansion trimmed with a half dozen, 12-foot Christmas trees, each featuring a Kentucky theme. Learn about traditional Victorian-era Christmas customs like the history of the Christmas pickle and that of Krampus who punished bad children. Travel through different time periods celebrating Christmas, from colonial times to the Roaring Twenties.

Harrodsburg and Shaker Village

Harrodsburg, Kentucky's oldest town, and neighboring Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill come to life each December with holiday events. The annual Christmas parade in historic downtown Harrodsburg lights up the town on Dec. 5, and you can't miss a holiday stay at the century-old Beaumont Inn.

In Shaker Village, home of the largest restored Shaker community in America, it's a holiday extravaganza. Let the littles dress in their holiday best for Tea Time with Mrs. Claus, which takes place on the first three Saturdays in December. Big kids can gather with friends and family for Holiday Afternoon Tea in the 1839 Trustees’ Office, held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in December.

Shaker Village powers up the holiday wattage for its Illuminated Evenings, held on the first three Saturday evenings in December. The event includes holiday music, roaring fires, twinkling lights, and meet and greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus. You can also stop by the Elf Shop and create a holiday craft.

Join a Candlelight Tour of the Village and learn about the holiday traditions of the Shakers. Board the Jingle Bell Shuttle, a decked-out holiday hay wagon, to tour and hear about Kentucky’s largest National Historic Landmark. Gather around the outdoor Christmas Tree for caroling and the lighting of the tree, and shop The Shops for Shaker-made and holiday items.

Book the Enjoy the Holidays Package at The Inn at Shaker Village and spend the night in one of 72 guest rooms, suites, and private cottages spread throughout 13 historic Shaker buildings.

Madisonville

Visit Madisonville to see City Park transform into a Christmas wonderland from Nov. 23 through Jan. 1, 2024; rides include two Gondola Ferris wheels, a merry-go-round, a Reindeer Ride, and an inflatable snowman bounce house. Plus, beautiful holiday displays, a walk-thru LED ornament, meet-and-greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and festive holiday food make this a can't-miss affair.

Take the Mistletoe Art Stroll on Dec. 1 when downtown Madisonville shops host guest artisans for a shopping experience full of one-of-a-kind art, candles, jewelry, pottery, and more. The family-friendly event includes local shop and restaurant specials, a Christmas tree lighting, a local brass ensemble, free horse-drawn carriage rides, and ornament decorating too.

Come for the Christmas Parade on Dec. 2 with a theme of “Christmas Around the World” that will showcase different cultural traditions. Explore beautifully decorated homes on the afternoon of Dec. 3 during the Woman’s Club Holiday Tour of Homes.

For a seasonal treat, pick up a gourmet cupcake or iced sugar cookies at Maggie’s Cakes & More, Madisonville’s newest bakery. Stay overnight on Main Street at The Hammack Moore House B&B to be in the middle of the magic.

The Towns of Northern Kentucky

Lots of little towns comprise Northern Kentucky and all join together like the Whos of Whoville to sing in the holidays.

Burlington’s drive-through Light Up the Fair has so many blinking, winking holiday vignettes—including the smiling visage of Clark W. Griswold—that it takes months to engineer it. The free ChristmasTown event at Petersburg’s Creation Museum is a magical walk-through experience, with lights illuminating gardens and footbridges and reflecting in the ponds. Deck the Y’alls at the Florence Y’alls Stadium blings out for its interactive walk-through Lightfest with over two and a half million lights synchronized to music, plus ice skating, a kids train, and Friday night fireworks.

Catch Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland at the Newport Aquarium. At ChristmasTown at the Ark, enjoy holiday lights, carousel rides, Christmas caroling, gift shopping, and more at the life-size Noah’s Ark during this free event in Williamstown.

Watch the model trains chug around 250 feet of railroad track (and push dozens of activation buttons to your heart’s content) during Behringer-Crawford Museum’s Holly Jolly Days. Beginning in early November, the Covington venue pulls out all the festive stops with toy trains, antique Christmas decorations, and a winter wonderland of lights in the outdoor NaturePlay area.

Sip some Christmas cheer at the historic and cozy Tousey House in Burlington or the luxe Hotel Covington—both trimmed with greenery and aglow with candlelight.