McAdenville, NC - Christmas Town USA

We just completed our second annual trip to McAdenville - Christmas Town USA. This year we packed the car full of kids and grandparents and headed West to experience the lights.

We arrived a little later (6:40) than the year before (5:30) and were met with about 40 minutes of stand still traffic. Christmas Fail! Luckily everyone had extra Christmas cheer (especially E) and we were able to wait out the traffic. This year we went on a Friday, whereas last year we went on a Sunday. Christmas Town USA lesson: go on a weekday and arrive early!

In the end the lights were beautiful, and definitely worth the trip there. The pond is particularly fetching as it reflects the glowing trees. McAdenville houses sparkle nightly on the 2 mile route from 5:30-9:30 (M-F) and 5:30-11:00 (S-S). You can park downtown in several locations and walk the route to completely immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit, but it is hilly and can be cold. It's a FREE event (yeay!) and free to park in designated locations.

A few of the shops stay open but most are closed. Gastonia is only a couple of miles away and has every chain restaurant you could think of if you plan to catch dinner.

The pictures really don't do the town justice, it's definitely a must see in person experience to get the real feel that the lights bring.