Holiday roadtrip: These 8 enchanting NC Christmas Towns are like a storybook

With so many charming small towns and rich holiday traditions around North Carolina, there are plenty of enchanting Christmas towns to visit in December.

Whether you're looking for thousands of twinkle-lights, horse-drawn carriage rides or visits with Santa, here are some of the most magical North Carolina towns to visit during the holidays.

McAdenville is a historic mill town with a population of only around 600 people – and around a million Christmas lights! It's literally written into the town charter that every home, business, school and church must decorate for Christmas.

Santa can be seen wandering through town. Carolers sing in downtown, while church bells ring throughout the community. Children riding past shout "Merry Christmas!" as they pass.

The town itself has a story like a Christmas movie: It was almost abandoned in the Great Depression, when a wealthy family saved the town. There's an immense charm to the carefully-preserved mills and historic structures, all decked to the nines with greenery, ribbons and lights.

Want a good old-fashioned Christmas?

Old Salem is the only place in North Carolina where you can find a 200-year-old bakery still churning out gingerbread and Moravian cookies with a recipe from the 1800s.

Horses trot down the street, pulling carriages behind them. Candles glow in the windows of preserved historic buildings. Moravian stars and decorations shine from the gables of a rustic covered bridge that serves as a portal to Christmas past.

A village high up in the North Carolina mountains, Banner Elk serves up a "A Small Town Christmas," with luminary-lighted train rides and good old-fashioned choose-and-cut Christmas trees.

In the past few years, Downtown Cary has added thousands of lights and lanterns to a walkable winter wonderland.

The main street through downtown includes an ice-skating rink, a mailbox to Santa, a giant walk-through Christmas ornament and even glowing Chinese lanterns.

The historic Ashworth's Drug Store still has a lunch counter that serves up hot dogs and cherry Coke floats.

Bryson City offers up small-town charm in droves, with a magical train station that takes you on an enchanting Polar Express ride through the North Carolina mountains.

Grab a golden ticket and hop aboard! The ride features hot chocolate, a visit from Santa and a trip to the North Pole.

It's like a literal storybook.

Beech Mountain's downtown sits at the highest elevation on the East Coast. That premier location makes the rustic mountain town the snowiest town in the state.

A nearby ski resort offers a plethora of winter activities, like skiing, tubing and skating. Enjoy hot cocoa in the lodge -- or a visit with Santa.

Nearby, the historic general store, Fred's General Mercantile, offers a rustic small-town lunch and shopping experience.

The Town of Forest City's historic main street glows green and red with over a million lights – a tradition they've held for nearly a century.

Their historic downtown is like something from a Christmas movie -- including carriage rides, ice-skating, hot chocolate and boutiques with illuminated windows full of unique gifts. They offer classic Americana like a soda fountain, vintage decor and charming architecture.

The contrast of shimmering lights overlaid on a historic, small-town main street full of mom-and-pop shops is a major reason they were voted the #1 Christmas Town in the greater Asheville area.

All year long, the town of Blowing Rock looks like a fairytale village.

During the holiday season, it's even more enchanting.

Tweetsie Railroad makes holiday dreams come true. Start your trip roasting s'mores over a fire by Santa's gingerbread house and watching variety shows. Then finish with a magical Christmas train ride over a mountainous route lined with over a million dazzling lights.

Blowing Rock offers eclectic boutiques for creative holiday shopping in a storybook downtown with local dining and holiday lights.

North Carolina almost lost our most magical Christmas Town -- but it was saved by a wealthy family, like something out of a Christmas movie. Storytellers Amanda Lamb and Heather Leah share the inspiring holiday history of Christmas Town in our podcast! Cozy up by the fire on a cold day and listen to the tale!