5 Christmas Towns In The Blue Ridge Mountains With Unmatched Hallmark Vibes

Believe it or not, the best part of Hallmark Christmas movies isn't the acting or the dialogue. While the storylines can take us on a heartfelt journey, like a widower finding love on Christmas or a magical cross-country train ride, they still pale in comparison to the settings. Whether you love, hate, or love to hate Hallmark Christmas movies, you have to admit some of the towns they're set in make you want to beeline it to the nearest mountain village covered in snow.

Now, not every Hallmark movie is filmed where the fictional story takes place, with most sets actually located in Canada. But that doesn't mean you can't find real-world Christmas towns in America that make you feel as though you've stepped into a Hallmark film. Many of these are located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a 615-mile range that passes through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. These snowy mountains and the cozy towns that sit around them create an inspired setting for a winter escape.

Don't expect to see any actual Hallmark shooting locations here. Not even "A Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas" was filmed in the Blue Ridge (yep, Canada again). But you don't need any manufactured romance or Christmas magic while you're here. These five Blue Ridge towns provide all of that without even trying, including fairy-tale holiday events and just a general atmosphere of enduring Christmas cheer.

Blue Ridge is located in the north of Georgia, just under a two-hour drive from Atlanta. After heading up into the mountains, you're greeted by a small town with friendly locals who know how to lean into Christmas. This is the time of year when colorful lights adorn the town's streets, buildings, and trees. It's also when you can see creative gingerbread houses made by locals and pop into cozy boutiques for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

One of the big draws of Blue Ridge during the holiday season is its packed events calendar. The characters in Hallmark Christmas movies are often at tree lightings, skating on outdoor rinks, watching plays, or learning to bake cookies. So it seems appropriate that Blue Ridge has so much on offer, including an ice-skating rink where the local farmers' market usually stands. St. Luke's Church hosts an annual bazaar in December, where you can buy handmade goods and homemade sweets from locals. The town also hosts a Christmas parade with themed floats, while Blue Ridge Community Theater stages a festive play.

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway also gets in on the holiday fun. Every year, it turns one of its trains into a Santa Express complete with lights, garlands, festive snacks, and the all-important appearance of Santa and Mrs. Claus. When you're aboard the train, it's like being inside a snow globe. The train chugs past the Georgia mountains for about one hour while you sip cocoa, sing along to Christmas songs, and enjoy a retelling of The Night Before Christmas. Kids can also share their gift wish lists with Santa along the way.

Like any good winter village worth its snow, Banner Elk sits in a valley between two ski resorts: Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain. It has all the makings of classic Hallmark films, like "A Very Vermont Christmas" and "Welcome to Christmas," with its resort-side setting, snow-capped mountains, and tight-knit community. Downtown Banner Elk is a small, spread-out cluster of bars and restaurants, plus the Banner Elk Artists Gallery. The latter is a good spot to find locally made jewelry and artwork for putting in stockings or under the tree.

The town's main Christmas event is the annual Small Town Christmas celebration at the beginning of December. It typically starts on Friday night with the official tree lighting in the town center, including carols and hot cocoa, followed by a variety show with special music and dance performances. Far from over, the festivities continue on Saturday with a Santa breakfast, downtown Christmas market, scavenger hunt, kids' crafts, ornament and bookmark making, cookie decorating, and much more. You can even get your pet photographed with Santa. Is there anything more Hallmark than that? Come nightfall, the festivities close with a parade of trucks covered in Christmas lights.

Aside from this Small Town Christmas weekend, Banner Elk is probably best suited to anyone wanting to get into the holiday spirit with some skiing or snow tubing. Sugar Mountain Ski Resort is only a 10-minute drive south and has its own December celebration called SugarFest. It's a weekend of skiing and snowboarding, plus après-ski events like fireworks, special dinners, live music, and lots of dancing.

Deep in Virginia's southwest reaches, tucked among the Blue Ridge Mountains, is Abingdon, an underrated mountain town with an award-winning food scene. With its roots firmly planted in the late 1700s, this historic Christmas village is filled with preserved buildings and homes from its earliest settlements. Around December, they look especially pretty covered in snow. You could imagine one of these stately homes setting the scene for Hallmark's 2018 flick, "Christmas at Pemberley Manor," despite it being filmed in Connecticut.

One of Abingdon's most famed historic buildings, Barter Theatre, creates some holiday magic with its annual Christmas production. These shows have included "How The Grinch Stole Christmas," "A Christmas Carol," "Miracle on 34th Street," and other seasonal classics. The theater gets its name from its earliest days, when actors traded performing for food. People still swear you can encounter the spirits of past actors within its haunted walls. Perhaps even the Ghost of Christmas Past lingers here on certain nights.

Abingdon also hosts an annual parade near the beginning of December, which includes festive floats and music. It's probably not the best parade compared to other towns on this list, so you can still get a great Christmas experience here even if you miss it. The town's overall aesthetic is the main reason to visit. Simply strolling down Main Street feels like walking through the set of "It's a Wonderful Life." Its boutiques, restaurants, and streets all transform during December with lights and ornaments. Many businesses are competing for the best Christmas window display, so take your time admiring the local creativity and holiday spirit. The Arts Depot is a must for gift shopping that gives back to the community. It exhibits paintings, sculptures, and more by local artists, including some for sale.

Sylva is a charming North Carolina mountain town between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky National Park, about a 50-minute drive west of Asheville. Sitting along the bank of Scott Creek, Downtown Sylva boasts a row of charming restaurants, shops, and galleries along Main Street. This is the setting for Sylva's annual Christmas parade, so you can imagine how it transforms for the holidays. The one-hour-long parade includes themed floats, marching bands, singing, and Santa. It's usually held the first weekend of December, a day or two after the town's Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the water fountain on Main Street.

Downtown is also the site of an all-day shopping event designed to help local businesses thrive. Sylva Shop & Stroll is held over the three Saturdays before Christmas. Shops open until later, carolers roam Main Street, and Christmas cheer flows throughout. As far as shopping goes, City Lights Bookstore is ideal for finding good reads, including specially curated Appalachian fiction and poetry. You can also browse quality antiques and vintage items at End of Main. Its shelves contain religious motifs, cute homewares, Christmas baubles, and many other treasures.

Visiting the Jackson County Courthouse is a can't-miss Christmas moment in Sylva. During December, the front lawn and parts of the building's historic facade are decorated with Christmas lights, trees, tinsel, and ornaments. You can also enjoy a sweeping view of downtown and its surrounding mountains if you climb the 100-plus steps to the courthouse's entrance. Sylva's weekly farmers market becomes a Yuletide market for one Saturday only in December. Don't miss this event in Bridge Park if you're hunting for locally made arts and crafts and other Christmas trinkets.

If you're looking for an American Christmas town with European flair, à la Hallmark's "Christmas in Vienna" (actually filmed on location for a change), add Helen to your wish list. It could even be part of your Christmas Mountain Towns Road Trip, Georgia's iconic Christmas journey through charming mountain towns, including the aforementioned Blue Ridge. Helen's colorful German architecture has been inspired by Bavaria, presenting a European-esque village with cobblestones, red roofs, and wooden trims reminiscent of gingerbread houses. Some people might find it a little too manufactured, but for others, this is all part of its fairy-tale charm.

Christmas shopping here can vary in quality and uniqueness. Main Street has a range of stores on either side, including more touristy shops like HGA Gifts and Apparel and Corner Gift Shoppe. These are best avoided if you prefer finding thoughtful gifts. Fortunately, there are plenty of boutiques worth browsing. Knick Knacks Shoppe is primarily a purveyor of candles, where you can watch them being made in-store. Across the street, The Glassblowing Shop stocks handblown glass figurines and bowls that exude bespoke craftsmanship.

Helen also helps you get into the Christmas spirit with its Lighting of the Village celebration at the end of November. It takes place at Riverside Park, where the town's Christmas tree stands proudly decorated and illuminated by lights. Expect live music and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus. The holiday events roll on from here, including a December Christmas parade through downtown and the yearly Christkindlmarkt at the Marketplatz. This is where you need to go to find unique gifts and decorations with a German touch. Helen is about 90 miles from Atlanta, so you can easily make it a day trip.