North Carolina’s Best Christmas Lights According To Travel + Leisure

We started seeing Christmas lights displays pop up all over the place this month.  And, if you're looking to find North Carolina's best Christmas lights, Travel + Leisure tells us where they are.  But, if you know North Carolina you might be surprised at the light display they picked for the Tar Heel State.

So, when Travel + Leisure published their list for the Best Christmas Lights Displays in Every State I was curious.  Which one made the list for North Carolina?  Well, most of us think McAdenville when we think massive Christmas light displays in these parts.  However, Travel + Leisure selected the Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights as North Carolina's best Christmas lights this year.

And, this is one unfamiliar to me.  However, in browsing their site, we find Tanglewood Park is located just 10 minutes west of Winston-Salem right off I-40 in Clemmons, North Carolina.  Show dates run through January 1, 2024.  And, entrance to the event starts at $20 for families in cars, vans and trucks.  Plus, if you want to take a big group in a motorcoach or bus, that entry starts at $115.  And, their website lists certain nights designated as "discount nights."  Tanglewood Park cautions they prohibit riding in the back of pickups or in/on trailers connected to vehicles.

But, in researching this very special display dubbed North Carolina's best Christmas lights, I found so many beautiful events connected to it.  For example, there's S'moresville.  The event is in the festival Gift Village.  And, Lowes sells roasting sticks with marshmallows or s'mores kits.  But, visitors are not allowed to bring their own.

Also, inside the park take part in horse-drawn carriage rides and tractor-pulled hayrides.  The rides are by appointment.  But, Travel + Leisure says the festival area is more than 1,000 acres with over a million Christmas lights.  So, it's definitely worth a visit.

And, see Travel + Leisure's full list to find the Best Christmas Lights Displays in every state.  For more info on Tanglewood Park Festival of Lights see their website.

Christmas is a time to visit family and friends and get away from the daily grind. The holidays can be a wonderful time, but they can also be very expensive. From buying lots of Christmas gifts for family and friends to having to pay for plane tickets and travel, holiday expenses can really add up. But, the good news is that there are some affordable Christmas vacations in the U.S. that are available for a good deal. Also, North Carolina has one of the cheapest Christmas vacations in America.

One good thing about traveling during the winter months is that it's often the off-season for popular vacation destinations. Of course, the holidays are a busy travel time. That makes late December a difficult time to find a deal for travel. But, if you don't mind the cold and snow, some northern areas of the U.S. offer very good deals. That's true even during the Christmas season.

Some tips for finding a good deal for holiday vacationing include searching a lot of booking websites, comparing different hotel dates to find the most reasonable ones and finding bundle deals. Also, keep your eyes open for special deals on resorts and hotels that are just opening. That's because sometimes, during those opening months, new vacation spots try to attract a loyal clientele by offering special deals. One more tip is to search for airfare rates individually even if you are traveling as a couple or a group. If you put in a search for a group of tickets, the algorithms will often leave out information on one or two cheaper tickets being available. They'll just send you a group of tickets, sitting together, all at the same price. So, you might get a deal if you search for one ticket, instead.

So, what are the best affordable Christmas vacations in the U.S.? Here are some popular spots that won't break the bank. One is in North Carolina.

Frankenmuth, Michigan, is the self-proclaimed Christmas capital city of the world. Okay, so many argue that Strasbourg, France, takes that honor, but Frankenmuth is close, and it's a lot cheaper to get there. No passport needed. The villiage's Franconian-style architecture has given it the loving name "Little Bavaria." Frankenmuth is also home to the world's biggest Christmas store.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is located in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and it offers a beautiful view of snowy hills and Amish country. It's a very old-fashioned type of town, making it a charming winter getaway. There are plenty of fun, holiday-type things to do in Lancaster that won't break the bank.

You might never guess, but Las Vegas, Nevada, is a great spot for an affordable holiday trip. Think about it. Most people wouldn't think to go to "Sin City" for Christmas. Of course, it's much less the "sin" part these days, as Las Vegas offers fun activities for the whole family.

Fort Myers, Florida, is a popular destination for snow birds. But, that's doesn't mean to skip it during the holidays. If you want to get away from the snow and ice, Fort Myers offers a great escape over Christmas and for prices that are more reasonable than in many other areas of Florida.

Charlotte, North Carolina, is a great spot to visit in the holiday season, because it's not as crowded as other times during the year. It's also less expensive to visit during the holidays and offers beautiful decorations during Christmas. Don't forget the many holiday markets.

Boston, Massachusetts, gets cold in the winter, but it also has that classic Christmas charm. It's a big city with a smaller city feel during the holidays. What's more, it's a more affordable winter vacation destination than many other areas, and you won't have the fight the crowds.