10 Of The Most Welcoming Towns In The Northern United States
The Northern United States stretches from the shores of the Pacific in Oregon across the Great Lakes in the Midwest to the rich Atlantic coast. Throughout these landscapes, diverse communities come together to put on thrilling events and festivals for themselves and visitors. Just to name a few, there are balloon shows in the Adirondack Mountains, frozen-lake dives in Whitefish, Montana, boat parades in Mystic, Connecticut, a sandcastle-building competition in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and luxurious food festivals held within Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. These small towns are ideal for travellers looking for a welcoming place to enjoy community events, or for someone looking for a fun place to settle down. Read on to learn more about the 10 most welcoming towns in the Northern United States.
Lake George, New York
Known as the Original American Vacation, Lake George, New York, is a bustling community centered around its enormous lake, which has been called the Queen of American Lakes. It is situated in the Adirondack Mountains, and as a result, it has a rich mountain culture that shines through during its festivals. The most popular event is the Adirondack Wine & Food Festival in June, which gathers right on the shores of Lake George with more than 120 food and beverage vendors to choose from. Motorcyclists also flock to Lake George in June for Americade, a massive rally that attracts more than 50,000 riders each year. If you visit during the fall, you can enjoy a Bavarian festival with the Lake George Village Oktoberfest or head out to nearby Queensbury for the Adirondack Balloon Festival in September, which has been called one of the best events in America to attend as balloons fill the skies at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains.
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island, is one of the best Gilded Age towns in the U.S. With its beautiful cliffside views, magnates and industrial leaders from across the country set up luxurious summer homes, which today are maintained as mansions such as The Breakers and The Elms. Today, these mansions, along with Newport's beautiful ocean views on trails like the Cliff Walk, draw in visitors from across New England. Throughout the year, the Newport community comes alive with festivals celebrating holidays, beer, food, and its architecture. In January, brave plungers line up at Easton's Beach to jump into the frigid waters down below for the Polar Plunge, while in March the town wears green with its St. Patrick's Day Parade. Other events throughout the year include the Newport Beer Festival in May, Newport Mansions Wine + Food in September, and an Illuminated Boat Parade in November.
Grand Marais, Minnesota
Grand Marais is French for Great Swamp, despite the fact that there's no swamp here, but there is a beautiful coastline on Lake Superior. This lake has been an inspiration for artists for a long time, as seen at the Grand Marais Art Colony. Founded in 1947, it's the oldest art colony in Minnesota. Grand Marais also inspires local musicians and artisans, which can be seen at the Grand Marais Music & Craft Festival in August. Grand Marais has many relaxing events for residents and visitors to slow down and take in the scenery, such as during Wine Tasting & Art Auction On The Bay in September or the Starry, Starry Night event on the day after Thanksgiving. During this event, you can view the stars and sample food and drinks.
Whitefish, Montana
Located right by Glacier National Park, Whitefish, Montana, has long served as an outdoor paradise for those looking to hike through the wilderness and see still-frozen glaciers amid 700 miles of trails. Whitefish itself is a small community of just under 9,300 people that keeps the party going all year round, including on cold nights. One such event is the Whitefish Winter Carnival held in February with a parade, snow sculpture contest, carnival, pancake breakfast, and a Penguin Plunge challenge. With this challenge, guests line up to jump into the frozen waters of Whitefish Lake after a hole is cut out of the ice. Whitefish also celebrates its wide open sky with the Under The Big Sky festival in July, featuring music and rodeo. That same month, art lovers can come to the Whitefish Arts Festival to see the very best of local woodworking, pottery, jewelry, and other crafts.
Franklin, Indiana
Franklin, Indiana, sits just a short drive away from Indianapolis, but it is most known for its festivals. In fact, Franklin County is called Festival County for the sheer number of community events held in the region throughout the year. It's a great place to go after you're finished filing taxes, as every year on the tax deadline, it holds a Death & Taxes Day Festival, with food trucks, wineries, breweries, and others in attendance. Antique hunters can stay in town in April for the Spring Vintage & Homemade Fest with more than 100 vendors selling antique and vintage items. In the fall, Franklin puts on the Franklin Fall Fest, while in winter, it transforms into a holiday market with the Franklin Holiday Lighting and Winter Market.
Mystic, Connecticut
This magical town is a New England centerpiece that long served as a crucial seaport. Today, Mystic, Connecticut, has a proud connection to the past, especially at the top-ranking Mystic Seaport Museum, which offers rides on the last wooden whaleship in the world. Mystic still draws in boats from around the world during its Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous in July, with cruisers, sailboats and other vessels that take part in a parade down Mystic River. In June, the riverfront comes alive with its River Jam Festival, a music event with rock, reggae, blues, punk, and other genres. Mystic keeps the boating vibe up even during the holidays, as in December, Santa comes riding into town on a tugboat along with a Holiday Lighted Boat Parade.
Amana, Iowa
Amana is a part of a network of communities known as the Amana Colonies, which was founded in the mid-1800s by a group of Pietist German immigrants fleeing persecution. Here, they lived communal lives, even eating together in halls until the 1930s. Amana today is an accepting and fun-loving community that hosts the best German-themed events in Iowa. While Oktoberfest is the most well-known, Amana residents come out in droves to see the Maifest, where dancers prance around beautifully decorated Maipoles. During the summer, Amana holds a German cookout at the Wurst Festival, with plenty of sausages, games, crafts, and other fun activities. Lastly, Winterfest transforms the colonies into a winter wonderland with a Christmas tree forest set up inside the Festhalle Barn.
Warrens, Wisconsin
This underrated Wisconsin town is a must-visit if you enjoy cranberries. Formerly a lumber town, Warrens today produces one of the biggest cranberry crops in Wisconsin. Warrens puts on the biggest cranberry event in the country at the Cranberry Festival in September. It's been going strong since 1973 with miles of booths offering cranberry creations from drinks to fried cranberries, funnel cakes, and much more! It draws in hundreds of thousands of people each year, making it a busy event for this town of just over 540 people. If you arrive a month later in October, you can enjoy a slower-paced event at the Cranberry Harvest Days. The community keeps the fun going outside of cranberries with its Warrens Area Youth Association dancing and performing at the Warrens Independence Day Celebration.
Cannon Beach, Oregon
As soon as you arrive in Cannon Beach, Oregon, you'll see why this town is so renowned throughout the state, as the Haystack Rock rises off in the distance to meet you. This 235-foot-tall sea stack towers just off the shore and is reachable on foot at low tide. The community is centered around its beach, and this can be seen on a large scale at the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest held in June. This event began in 1964 as a way to entertain the townsfolk when a tsunami washed out the Elk Creek Bridge, almost isolating the community from the rest of the world till a new bridge was built. In May, the sandy shores are covered with bikes for the Cannon Beach Fat Bike Festival, which challenges everyone on fat bikes, trikes, scooters, and others to race or explore the coastline. Rain doesn't dampen the spirits of Cannon Beach residents. In fact, they celebrate it with the Stormy Weather Arts Festival held in November.
Sleepy Hollow, New York
Sometimes the most welcoming towns are also the spookiest, such as Sleepy Hollow. This community was the inspiration behind the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, a short story by Washington Irving about a headless horseman who rode around terrorizing the town. This haunting fellow is regular at events in Sleepy Hollow, especially during the fall. For example, he can be seen riding around the Sleepy Hollow Street Fair held in September with more than 145 vendors. The culture of Sleepy Hollow is on display at the Cultural Festival in September, complete with music, food, and kids' activities. Local musicians come out to play their best songs at the Sleepy Hollow Music Festival in October. Sleepy Hollow is also closeby to other welcoming communities, such as Tarrytown, which hosts the Tarrytown Street Fair in June.
Magical Festivals In Great Company
There's magic to be found in these welcoming towns. Whether that's enjoying spooky vibes at the many Halloween events in Sleepy Hollow or building a majestic sandcastle on the shores of Cannon Beach, or even sampling cranberry creations in Warrens, Wisconsin, you're going to discover something unique. You'll also have great company in all of these towns, whether that's vendors at festivals or local artists and musicians. Odds are, no matter when you're travelling, you'll find a magical event to attend in these 10 towns.
