This NC town ranks among the nation’s most festive during the holidays
A North Carolina community affectionately known as “Chrismas Town USA” recently landed the No. 3 spot on a national list of neighborhoods with the most holiday cheer.
McAdenville, 18 miles west of uptown Charlotte in Gaston County, took the third spot.
Since 1956, when members of the local men’s club and workers at former textile mill Pharr Yarns first strung red, white and green lights on a handful of trees at the community center, McAdenville has grown into a renowned holiday-light phenomenon, WUNC reported.
According to Sixt, the global car rental company behind the list, the community dazzles with more than half a million lights, roughly 250 decorated trees, 100 ornamented homes and its beloved Yule Log Parade, transforming the town into a “winter wonderland” each December.
Sixt built the list by looking at online search trends, public nominations, Instagram hashtags and listings on popular Christmas-light finder sites.
McAdenville Christmas lights
Christmas Town U.S.A. transforms McAdenville into a winter wonderland every December, with more than half a million lights glowing nightly across trees, homes and a route through town.
The annual display runs this year from Dec. 1-26, with lights on each night from about 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Visitors can walk or drive through downtown, and parking is available near McAdenville Elementary School, Poplar Street and Elm Street to help avoid the traffic jams the tradition draws.
Most festive neighborhoods in the US
Here are the neighborhoods in the U.S. with the most holiday cheer, according to Sixt:
- Clarkston, Michigan
- Clifton, Ohio
- McAdenville, North Carolina
- Bernville, Pennsylvania
- Middleburg, Virginia
- Boothbay, Maine
- Helen, Georgia
- Lyons, Indiana
- Calhoun, Louisiana
- Woodstock, Vermont
This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM with the headline "This NC town ranks among the nation’s most festive during the holidays."
