Seven US Towns That Put a European Spin on Christmas

Europe's Christmas markets may look like they belong inside a snow globe, but you don't have to cross an ocean to sip hot chocolate in an illuminated, centuries-old square. Dozens of American towns with deep European roots stage their own festive markets and celebrations, from St. Augustine, Florida, to Solvang, California. Some, like Kennebunkport, Maine, are distinctly their own - where else does Santa arrive by lobster boat?

Leavenworth, Washington, went Bavarian by design: after its railroad industry collapsed in the '60s, business leaders reinvented the mountain town as an Alpine alternative, and its Village of Lights: Christmastown festival now draws millions of visitors. Holland, Michigan, founded by Dutch immigrants in 1847, hosts a Kerstmarkt with 45 vendors in wooden booths, plus dog sled demos and handbell concerts. Solvang, California, established by Danish immigrants in 1911, marks the season with Julefest, featuring parades, caroling and a Maker's Market.

Kennebunkport's Christmas Prelude brings a tree topped with a red lobster, ice carving, fireworks and a dog parade. St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European-established city in the US, pairs its Christmas Market with the Nights of Lights, when white lights illuminate the Bridge of Lions and Lightner Museum. New Glarus, Wisconsin - "Little Switzerland" - lines its streets with mini chalets for its Christkindl Market. And California's Gold Rush twin towns, Nevada City and Grass Valley, honor their Cornish heritage with Victorian Christmas and Cornish Christmas celebrations.