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New · Dec. 1–24
24 Days of Downtown: Will Your Town Be Featured?
A new door opens every day through Christmas Eve: a downtown shop, inn, show or table, picked by the editors. Tune in daily, and nominate your favorite.
- Shop, Stay, Play, Dine
- 24 towns, no town twice
- Hanukkah nights, Dec. 4–11
- Nominations open now
Play · A Sunday read
7 Historic Downtown Churches With Magnificent Steeples
A shingled chapel beneath Castle Rock, a golden hand over Mississippi, and the lanterns of 1775: seven spires that still define their Main Streets.
- Green River, WY
- Savannah, GA
- Port Gibson, MS
- Litchfield, CT
- Providence, RI
- Boston, MA
- Helena, MT
Route 66 Downtowns · Part 1 of 7
Route 66 at 100: An Illinois Road Trip Through Six Main Street Downtowns
The Mother Road turned 100 on Nov. 11. Start the drive west with six Illinois downtowns, two roadside giants and lunch at a café founded in 1924.
- Joliet, IL
- Wilmington, IL
- Pontiac, IL
- Atlanta, IL
- Springfield, IL
- Litchfield, IL
Holiday 2026 · Family day trips
Christmas Tree Farm Road Trips: Cut Your Own, Then Lunch Downtown
Six choose-and-cut farms, each paired with a small-town Main Street close by for lunch, a parade or a visit with Santa.
- West Jefferson, NC
- Littleton, NH
- Media, PA
- Wooster, OH
- Snohomish, WA
- Montrose, CO
Day trips · Art on Main Street
6 Small Town Art Galleries Worth the Drive
A depot with a caboose out front, a co-op that bought its building with painted pigs, and a schoolhouse full of Georgia pottery.
- Watkinsville, GA
- Brandon, VT
- Lanesboro, MN
- Red Lodge, MT
- Jerome, AZ
- Ferndale, CA
Holiday 2026 · Events calendar
Holiday Open Houses and Late Shopping Nights Downtown
Ten downtown evenings and afternoons when the shops stay open, pour cider and decorate the windows, with dates checked against each organizer.
- Madison, GA
- Norcross, GA
- Bainbridge, GA
- Thomasville, GA
- Thomasville, GA
- Madison, IN
- Annapolis, MD
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Sterling, IL
- Cuero, TX
Holiday 2026 · Gifts for athletes
7 Downtown Sports Shops for the Athlete on Your List
Running shoes fitted by hand, team jackets, bikes and ski gear from sporting goods stores that still sit on Main Street.
- Newnan, GA
- Senoia, GA
- Covington, KY
- Huntington, WV
- Wausau, WI
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Franklin, NC
Holiday 2026 · Gifts for anglers
9 Downtown Fly Shops to Catch a Gift for Your Angler
Gift cards, shop-logo hats and guided days from fly shops on Main Street, each a short walk or drive from its home river.
- Sylva, NC
- Blue Ridge, GA
- Clarkesville, GA
- Roscoe, NY
- Durango, CO
- Livingston, MT
- Ennis, MT
- Missoula, MT
- Ketchum, ID
Holiday 2026 · Coffee before the shops
10 Downtown Cafés for a Christmas Latte Before You Shop
A white mocha in the Blue Ridge, eggnog by the Columbia River Gorge and house-made gingerbread syrup in central Vermont.
- Clayton, GA
- Canton, GA
- Columbia, TN
- Charlottesville, VA
- Lititz, PA
- Barre, VT
- Galena, IL
- Fredericksburg, TX
- Jackson, WY
- Hood River, OR
Downtown breaks · Taprooms near the shops
10 Downtown Breweries Made for a Shopping Break
A Georgia lager in a 1940s tire warehouse, a pint in an old Greyhound station and a brewpub inside Frederick’s first city hall.
- Athens, GA
- Decatur, GA
- LaGrange, GA
- Ogden, UT
- Paducah, KY
- Frederick, MD
- Sheridan, WY
- Dubuque, IA
- Staunton, VA
- Macon, GA
Holiday gift guide · Shop originals
7 One-of-a-Kind Gifts From Small Town Shops This Christmas
A truffle filled with North Georgia port, a leather crossbody from a Savannah studio, and a soap bar named for a hometown movie.
- Thomasville, GA
- Savannah, GA
- Dahlonega, GA
- Roswell, GA
- Natchitoches, LA
- Annapolis, MD
- Rockland, ME
Holiday guide · Decorated downtowns
The Best Christmas Towns to Visit in 2026: Five Decorated Downtowns for Holiday Shopping
Courthouse domes outlined in white, carolers in top hats, and shop windows worth crossing the street for.
- Natchitoches, LA
- St. Charles, MO
- Ogden, UT
- Annapolis, MD
- Marshall, TX
Holiday guide · Christmas markets
Small Town Christmas Markets 2026: Five Main Streets Worth the Trip
Wooden huts on the square, mulled cider in mittened hands, and makers who live a few blocks away.
- Easton, PA
- Carmel, IN
- Medina, OH
- Franklin, TN
- Winchester, VA
Holiday guide · Tree lightings
Christmas Tree Lighting 2026: Five Main Street Ceremonies You Don't Want to Miss
A countdown on the courthouse lawn, a brass band, and a whole town gasping at once when the switch flips.
- Grapevine, TX
- Coeur d'Alene, ID
- Rockland, ME
- Holly, MI
- Mount Airy, NC
About these guides
ShopDowntown covers the 1,194 towns with Main Street programs across America. Our holiday stories favor walkable, historic downtowns over malls and theme parks, and we link every pick to its organizer’s official site and, where we have one, to the town’s ShopDowntown guide.
Know a downtown that belongs on next year’s list? Tell us through the form.
The Daily Downtown Digest
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New downtown finds, events and deals, two or three times a week, with day trips close to home.
- New downtowns on the map
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For downtowns & shop owners
Put your downtown or shop in the Digest
Main Street programs, downtown authorities, chambers, shops, inns and makers: tell us what’s happening and our editors will consider it for an upcoming issue.
Tell us about your downtown or shop
Downtown teams and owners get the Digest every morning. We read every note and our editors choose each issue; featured placement for shops is a simple monthly plan.