Where to find Christmas spirit this season in the mountains

Fireworks light up the sky at Stowe Mountain Resort. (Dave Schmidt)

The Christmas season can be magical anywhere, but no more so than in the mountain towns of New England. Regions such as the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire, the village and resort of Stowe and the town of Woodstock, both in Vermont, are picturesque at any time of year. 

But when they are decked out for the holidays, with colorful lights, wreaths and garlands, decorated trees, and especially with snow on the ground, the holiday vibe is everywhere. The seasonal decorations, Santa appearances, sleigh rides, holiday music and performances, crackling fires and hot chocolate let visitors of all ages immerse themselves in the holiday spirit.

In the Mount Washington Valley, towns from western Maine to Bretton Woods offer a variety of activities to highlight the season and enchant the kids. A returning favorite is the Inn-to-Inn Cookie and Candy Tour, Dec. 11-12. Nine inns, stretching from Fryeburg, Maine, to Jackson, N.H., offer sweet treats, holiday recipes and a myriad of decorating ideas. This event has been held annually for 24 years and is open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. each day.

The Conway Scenic Railroad presents Santa’s Holiday Express, a scenic hour-and-a-half ride from North Conway to Conway and back joined by Santa and Mrs. Claus. It’s a must for the youngsters and fun for adults too. The train runs weekends in December through Dec. 19. Reservations are required.

Nestlenook Farm’s gazebo will host Santa on Friday and Saturday nights through Dec. 18, and Dec. 20-23. This charming inn in the scenic village of Jackson is sure to put you in the holiday mood. Nestlenook also offers horse-drawn sleigh rides along the Ellis River, ice skating on a 3-acre lake, and snowshoeing through 65 acres of forests and trails. It is truly a setting out of a holiday picture book.

The towns of North Conway and Jackson are alive with Christmas lights, shop window decorations, twinkling lights on trees, garlands strung and hopefully bright white snowbanks along the sidewalks and deep white fluff on the town greens, lawns and ski slopes.

Woodstock, Vt., is a quintessential New England town that shows off the holiday season at its absolute best. The village’s historic homes are beautifully decorated, and cheerful twinkling lights are everywhere. All through the month leading up to Christmas there are events including Wassail Weekend, which features outdoor activities in the center of town and at Billings Farm and Museum. There, you can learn about Wassail traditions and try your hand at activities like gingerbread house-building and candle-making. Concerts, plays, performances of the seasonal favorite “The Nutcracker,” carriage rides, and a scavenger hunt are among the activities that round out the December celebrations.

A little farther north is Stowe, where you will find a charming village center beautifully adorned for the holiday season, as well as breathtaking scenery and an abundance of activities. Vermont’s highest steeple marks the center of town, with opportunities for dog sledding, fat tire biking, sleigh rides, ice skating and ice fishing. Art and craft galleries featuring local artists, numerous cafes and restaurants, the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum and many interesting and eclectic shops throughout the village provide opportunity to explore. 

Of course, the ski resort itself, just up the road from the village, boasts world-class skiing and riding as well as nordic skiing and snowshoeing. At the base of Spruce Peak, adjacent to Mount Mansfield, you’ll find specialty shops (great for holiday shopping), lodging, restaurants and bars for après fun, and the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. Among the performances slated for December are the Squirrel Nut Zippers Holiday Caravan Tour, performing classic holiday music. Also appearing pre-Christmas is the Elan Ballet Theatre, indie/soul singer Myra Flynn with the Plattsburg State Gospel Singers, and “The Nutcracker,” a film in HD brought to you by the Bolshoi Ballet. On Jan. 1, the Black Jacket Symphony performs live with Queen’s “A Night at the Opera,” plus other greatest hits.

Smugglers’ Notch, always known for its family-friendly programming, is ready for the holiday season. A big draw in northern Vermont is the SD Ireland Christmas Mixer Truck. The cement mixer is adorned from front bumper to rear fender with 25,000 Christmas lights. A spectacular and unusual sight, it’s a great photo op. It will appear at the welcome sign in Smugglers’ Notch Village on Dec. 20 from 4:30-5 p.m. 

No matter where you travel in the New England mountains, you’ll be welcomed by the natural beauty, glittering decorations and friendly, warm spirit of the holiday season.

Joan Wallen can be reached at [email protected].