Party in the USA: How to Experience the U.S. Festive Holiday Season

For a festive holiday season you’ll always remember, the USA is where it’s at.

The USA loves going all out for a festive celebration. Its melting pot of cultures means there is a holiday for every month and more, and the end-of-year holiday season is arguably its finest hour. In addition to Christmas and New Year’s, the USA has some uniquely U.S. celebrations, with all-out dress-up parties for Halloween, extra feasting on Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping sprees and more.

And while every U.S. city knows how to holiday, these are some of the top picks for unforgettable experiences.

Where to celebrate Thanksgiving

Appreciate U.S. history in Washington, D.C. 

What better place to experience a holiday commemorating our foundations than the U.S. capital?

On Thanksgiving, most of the city’s museums stay open – including the entire Smithsonian campus, covering American history, art, science and more. Follow these with a traditional feast (The Pembroke at The Dupont Circle serves up a memorable one) and walk past famous monuments and government buildings like the White House, Capitol Building and Lincoln Memorial.

Turkey Day also marks the unofficial start of the Christmas season, so head to the U.S. Botanic Gardens and Enchant DC to see elaborate light displays, gift shop at the Downtown Holiday Market or catch holiday flicks debuting at the AFI Silver Theatre.

Feel festive in Houston, Texas 

Everything is bigger in Texas, which makes it one of the best places to enjoy a fine feast. Start your morning at the Houston Turkey Trot and work up an appetite, then catch the H.E.B. Thanksgiving Parade as giant balloons and marching bands take over the streets of downtown.

Come supper, you are in for a treat as this city offers out-of-the-ordinary fare. Dine on Southern specialties like jalapeño cornbread stuffing, pecan pie and deep-fried turkey at WILD Montrose or State Fare Kitchen & Bar. Or consider booking a table amid tanks of tropical fish at the Downtown Aquarium, which serves a classic buffet meal accompanied by live music.

Rest up if you are thinking about heading out for the largest shopping spree of your life the next morning – Houston’s Black Friday has been rated one of the best.

Where to celebrate Christmas

Visit Santa at the North Pole, Alaska 

In Santa’s town, it’s Christmas year-round, so visit this winter wonderland anytime to get on Old Saint Nick’s ‘nice’ list.

The Santa Claus House and Workshop contains original toys and decorations (made by local elves, of course), fudge and cookies and cosy elf-wear. Santa himself will listen to your Christmas wishes every day of the year and his real-life reindeer always appreciate a pet.

Of course, the town musters most of its magic in December, with the Winterfest & Holiday Bazaar, ice skating and ice fishing at a frozen lake and the Northern Lights on show.

Discover the meaning of Christmas at Universal Orlando Resort’s Grinchmas 

The beloved Dr. Seuss story comes to life all December long at the Universal Islands of Adventure. Watch a live rendition of the classic tale, along with song and dance revues throughout the days. Feel your heart grow three sizes when you meet resident Whos and snap a photo on the lap of the Grinch himself.

If Orlando, Florida doesn’t suit your itinerary, you’ll find just as much Who-ville holiday spirit at Universal Studios Hollywood. While you’re at either, stop by the Leaky Cauldron, part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, for warm butter beer and see Hogwarts lit up by Christmas magic.

Make merry during Makahiki in Hawai’i 

If a warm-weather holiday sounds more appealing than a white Christmas, discover the meaning of ohana through the ancient Polynesian season of feasting, festivals and family time.

Traditional Makahiki celebrations, held from mid-November to March, included luaus, sporting competitions and prayers for prosperity. Now, many of these intermingle with common U.S. holidays – Christmas, in particular – making this time of year twice as eventful in Hawai’i with fireworks, parades, holiday markets and photos with Santa in his favourite Hawai’ian shirt at OUTRIGGER Waikiki.

Where to celebrate Chanukah

Say l’chaim to all eight days of Chanukah on Long Island, New York

New York is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, and it’s here you’ll find their traditions celebrated most. The world’s largest menorah lightings take place in Manhattan’s and Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plazas (with a concert, free latkes and children’s gifts at the latter). Kosher classics like Liebmann’s Deli and GRÜIT by Abe’s serve up pastrami and matzo. 

The five Boroughs’ take on the Festival of Lights gets loud and proud with Jewish performers showcasing comedy, big band shows, drag performances, vaudevillian burlesque at entertainment meccas including Q.E.D. in Queens, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and the Highline Ballroom. Plus find a Chanukah-themed ice rink in Central Park, children’s performances and so much more. 

Light up the menorah in Los Angeles, California 

Hollywood shows off its lights in a different style. Fitting to LA’s immense sprawl, you’ll find many more – and more intimate – menorah lightings at hubs from the Third Street Prom in Santa Monica to Newport Beach’s Fashion Island in Orange County. The Original Farmers Market in WeHo even has singalongs and Lego menorah building. 

Since everyone in LA is a foodie, you might get drawn into the debate of which bakery makes the best festive challah bread – Mensch and Shwartz both being top contenders. Or for a gourmet feast with flair and unexpected riffs on borscht and latkes, book in for a guest chef series like 8 Nights at Birdie G’s. 

Where to celebrate Kwanzaa

Close out the year at Kwanzaa in Atlanta, Georgia

Rooted in harvest festival traditions out of all different parts of Africa, this U.S. original celebrates the ideals and strength within African-American heritage from 26 December to 1 January.

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s hometown of Atlanta brings each of the holiday’s seven principles to life across seven days – a harambee, or ‘gathering’, at the Shrine of the Black Madonna that celebrates Kujichagulia (Self-determination), Black-owned holiday marts for Ujamaa (Cooperative economics), a dance and drum circle on the night of Kuumba (Creativity) and more.

This is a perfect time of year to visit King’s birth home and learn about the 1960s’ stand for civil rights, or to visit the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, which hosts a suite of Kwanzaa-themed performances and interactive exhibits.

Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve

Watch the New York City ball drop at midnight

While it’s not fair to say any city in the USA does New Year’s Eve best, the celebration in New York City’s Times Square is the only one broadcast around the world. Watching the ball drop at 11.59pm through the floor-to-ceiling windows of a city hotel or restaurant high-rise is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Plus, your admission to any organised viewing party may include a buffet feast or bubbly to celebrate.

Start the night right by passing the Rockefeller Center on your way to Broadway and skating a few laps beneath its iconic Christmas Tree, walking past Macy’s themed Christmas-story window display or catching the Rockettes at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

Bring in the New Year with a bang in Las Vegas, Nevada

If you’d rather ring in the new year with bright lights, bottle service and dancing the night away, it’s hard to do better than Vegas. Eight of the Strip’s most celebrated casinos – including the Aria, Treasure Island and the Venetian – set off their own spectacular fireworks displays. Book early for a hotel room with the best views or reserve your seat at one of the city’s top rooftop bars.

You could also take a helicopter tour to watch things light up from above or countdown to midnight with your favourite pop artist or celebrity DJ.

Where to celebrate Lunar New Year

See the streets alight at the Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco, California

The San Francisco Bay Area’s Chinatown is the largest in the country, and its celebration of Lunar New Year – running for 150 years – continues to shine bright. Starting in the evening, the parade features firecrackers, acrobats, an 80-metre golden dragon and the procession of Miss Chinatown USA with her entourage.

Stop by earlier in the day for the Chinatown Street Fair, where you can catch Chinese folk dancing and opera and snap up some souvenirs and street food. Join a game of mahjong at the California Academy of Sciences or bring in the new year the classical way at a concert of traditional Asian tunes by the San Francisco Symphony.

Where to celebrate other holidays in the USA

Have extra time to spend in the USA? Get a head start on the festive season by making the most of two October holidays: Oktoberfest and Halloween.

Stein up for Oktoberfest in the Midwest

Home to some of the largest populations of German immigrants, the Midwest brings its best to this beloved autumn festival. Cincinnati and Cleveland in Ohio, St. Louis in Missouri and Milwaukee, Wisconsin all put on standout events, but Chicago, Illinois is a standout choice for serious beer drinkers, thanks to its healthy craft beer scene.

Come to the city from late September to mid-October for brews, brats, bretzeln (pretzels) and live music. It’s a great time to catch the Cubs (baseball) and the Bears (American football) while they’re in town as well – or stick around a couple more weeks to watch the Bulls (basketball) start their season.

Celebrate spooky season in Salem, Massachusetts

Famous for its trying of witches in the 1600s, this settlement north of Boston will put a spell on you during the whole of October. A parade through town starts the month off, serving as a call to cauldrons and brooms for the street fairs and All Hallows Eve balls.

Fans of the 90s Bette Midler classic should join a Hocus Pocus town tour or Salem witches history tour to see some of the haunting houses and sites associated with the trials. Feel free to wear your own cape and pointed hat any day and you’ll fit right in, especially when you stop by one of the modern witch shops like Coven’s Cottage, or a seance led by Wiccan practitioners.

Have a Halloween for the whole family in Portland, Oregon

Known for the mantra ‘Keep Portland Weird’, this quirky West Coast haunt is home to a wide range of Pumpkin Day traditions. Everyone enjoys games and getting lost in the corn maze at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island. Enormous costume shops like Hollywood Vintage and Lippmann Co. run rife with character outfits, vintage accessories, makeup and more.

Plus, you can visit both Bella’s house from the Twilight films and the real-life Halloweentown in the St. Helen’s Old Town District, where the Disney Channel classic was filmed. A very full schedule of boo bashes, costume contests, haunted hayrides and photo ops overtakes this township all October.

Do Dia de los Muertos the New Mexican way

‘Day of the Dead’ is all about celebrating deceased loved ones in style. Latin and Native American communities throughout the USA come together over food, dancing, brightly coloured decor and, of course, dressing up.

Albuquerque in New Mexico celebrates with one of the biggest and most beautiful parades in the country, full of floats bedecked in bright marigolds and parade-goers painted in skull masks. Neighbouring Arizona also deserves an honourable mention for the variety of events across the greater Phoenix and Scottsdale area.