As Halloween nears, the November-to-December slide will quickly follow. This annual evaporation of calendar pages means it’s not too early to make plans to get into the upcoming holiday spirit. Ann Shields, of CountryLiving magazine, has a notable recommendation for a great place to do just that: a 2021 Best Christmas Town, New Hope.

Shields evaluated locales nationwide for their light displays, decorations, shopping experiences, specialty foods, and jolly events.

The New Hope attraction she found particularly magical is the North Pole Express, a special excursion on the New Hope Railroad.

Passengers sit in cars that hail from a century ago but that have been restored to be plush and decorated to be festive. Butlered refreshments include hot chocolate and warm cookies, and there’s live music, too, accompanying seasonal singalongs.

Santa, of course, makes an appearance as passengers disembark.

New Hope was not the only Pennsylvania site to get a mention for Christmassyness.

No. 23 on the list is Bethlehem, a.k.a. Christmas City USA. It was noted for the annual Christkindlmarkt (a must-visit for shoppers), horse-drawn carriage tours of downtown, and its 91-foot-tall illuminated star on South Mountain, which can be seen 20 miles away.

The No. 33 recommendation is Bernville, where Kozair’s Christmas Village — a farmstead that glitters with more than 1 million lights — has attracted holiday fans since 1948.

More locations named a 2021 Best Christmas Town are at CountryLiving.