Christmas came early this year!
Hallmark Channel is officially searching for America’s merriest Christmas towns and the grand prize is enough to make every wreath-hanging, cocoa-sipping, Main Street-loving heart grow three sizes.
Through Hallmark’s Merriest Christmas Towns Contest, communities can nominate their town for the chance to be named one of 25 “Official Hallmark Christmas Towns.” Even better? One grand prize-winning town will get the opportunity to be featured in a Hallmark original movie. Yes, that means your little town square, charming storefronts, twinkle lights, gazebo, church bells, Christmas parade, or suspiciously handsome local tree farmer could be one step closer to movie magic. (Okay, the tree farmer part is not guaranteed. But a girl can dream.)
Entering is pretty simple: Visit the contest website and submit a nomination by August 10, 2026. You’ll need to include your contact information, your town’s name and state, plus photos and/or videos and a letter about what makes your town so special at Christmastime. Hallmark says entries can highlight holiday traditions, community celebrations, local history, neighborhood charm, resilience, and all the warm-and-fuzzy things that make a place feel like it belongs in a Christmas movie.
After entries close, public voting runs from August 14 through September 4, with voters allowed to cast one vote per person per day. A panel of judges will also review eligible entries based on community spirit, holiday traditions, neighborhood charm, and goodwill.
The winners are expected to be announced around October 31, 2026, which is basically Halloween with a side of hot cocoa. And really, that’s Hallmark in a nutshell: a little romance, a lot of Christmas spirit, and a town full of people who know exactly when to turn on the lights.
So if your town goes all out for the holidays, this might be its big moment. Time to rally the neighbors, cue the carols, and make sure Main Street is ready for its close-up.
