There's a lot to like about Christmas in Grand Rapids: from skating in Rosa Parks Circle under the beautiful civic Christmas tree, to the GR Symphony's fantastic lineup of Holiday concerts, and the annual performance of the Nutcracker ballet. 

InYourState.com's list of the top nine Christmas towns in Michigan puts GR seventh in terms of Holiday cheer, while the lakeshore mecca, Holland, comes in fifth.

Here they are:

9. Detroit -- The Motor City has overcome a lot, and they have always done Christmas right, even though the Hudson's downtown store, with its magnificent toy train is gone forever.

8. Frankenmuth -- Once a quaint little village with a year round ornament shop, the town has added tourist trap sprawl, including a big hotel with a water slide and big box stores.

7. Grand Rapids -- Charming, as stated above, but many miss the downtown thrill from the days of Herpolsheimer's and Wurzburg's.

6. Christmas -- Sadly not as cute as it once was, and if you go by it in the summer, you could convince your kids that the North Pole had fallen on hard times and Christmas is canceled.

5. Holland -- One of the best downtown walking experiences in the state. Holland has had some growth problems, but the downtown, with its heated sidewalks and fire pit, keeps kicking.

4. Mackinac Island -- Nice change of pace from the hugely crowded summer scene, Christmas is very laid back on the island. And the horse poop is frozen and smells less.

3. Traverse City -- TC's downtown is always rocking these days, and their winter activities make it darn near year round.

2. Rochester -- Suburban, to be sure, but it still offers a small town feel.

1. Dearborn -- Greenfield Village does a bang up job passing itself off as a Dickensian Victorian English town, with an Americana twist.

 

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