If you're looking for a day trip to Massachusetts that will get you in the holiday spirit, consider a trip to Western Massachusetts.
House Beautiful released a list of the 30 best Christmas towns in the country, and a location in Massachusetts made the list.
The interior design magazine created the list by considering the best cities for a winter vacation, carefully selecting destinations for their beautiful scenery, charming inns and quintessential small-town spirit. House Beautiful's definitive list includes a Christmas destination for everyone, from the East Coast to the West Coast, from snowy to sunny, and from laid-back to crowded.
In a competitive list of just 30 cities from across the country, Stockbridge, a small town in the Berkshires of Massachusetts, made the breakthrough. Here's what you should know about the holiday magic of the destination.
Holiday attractions in Stockbridge
The holiday season transforms the quaint town of Stockbridge into a Christmas postcard, with hanging Christmas wreaths and glowing lights everywhere, from the town's many historical museums to the charming shops and restaurants on Main Street. It's the perfect place for Christmas shopping.
Stockbridge's natural beauty, for which the Berkshires are known, is best showcased at Christmastime with Winterlights, an outdoor light display with festive music and seasonal treats in the gardens of Naumkeag, a Gilded Age country estate.
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While Stockbridge's winter lights and decorations are on display throughout the season, the town also dedicates a weekend in December to its official holiday event, Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas. The 35th annual holiday celebration runs December 6-8 this year and features attractions such as holiday markets, live dance and musical performances, tours of historic buildings, visits from Santa Claus and a Winter Wonderland Walkway with decorated trees.
To conclude the weekend of celebrations, the town will come together on Sunday to recreate Norman Rockwell's “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas,” a painting that made the town's Christmas celebrations famous.