The Hallmark Channel is famous for its holiday films. Often, they feature towns where locals lavishly celebrate Christmas with carols and holiday decorations.
This year the Hallmark Channel marks its 25th anniversary. To celebrate, the channel has launched Hallmark’s Merriest Christmas Towns contest, with 25 communities across the United States in the running.
One California city is among the candidates. Placerville, located in El Dorado County, was founded in 1848. In the early days of the Gold Rush, the community was first known as Dry Diggins, then by the infamous name of Hangtown.
The search for gold in the nearby rivers and mountains led to a huge population surge, and a series of frontier justice hangings left the town stuck with its unfortunate name until 1854, when it was renamed Placerville.
Main Street shows a small-town setting with a range of local shops. Many of the storefronts present Christmas-themed window displays during the holiday season. Placerville, CA. December 19, 2025. Scott Lorenzo
Placerville is a community of about 10,300 residents, and its Gold Rush history is a major tourist attraction. The town is also locally known for its cheerful embrace of all things Christmas as well.
There’s the Hangtown Christmas Parade, the Hometown Holiday on Main celebration and Christmas Tree Lane, when Highway 50 is lined with lighted and decorated Christmas trees.
According to the Hallmark website, votes from the public and input from a panel of judges will be considered when choosing the “Merriest Christmas Town.” Each town will be judged on whether it possess “community spirit, holiday traditions, neighborhood charm, and goodwill.”
At the moment, each town in the running has already been designated an Official Hallmark Christmas Town. The winner of the Grand Prize, however, will get the chance to serve as a future film location for a Hallmark movie.
Votes can be cast online once a day until 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 4, 2026.
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Anne Ewbank is a service journalist and food reporter for The Sacramento Bee. Previously, she worked as a writer and editor for the New York-based travel website Atlas Obscura, where she covered food and culture. A California native, she is a graduate of Occidental College and Yale University.