The magic of the holidays comes from more than the gifts you give and get. It’s the feeling you get when you see the sparkle in your children’s eyes, it’s the way the snowy landscape seems to bring peace to your soul, and it comes from that child hidden deep inside you, the one that still believes in Santa Claus. West Yellowstone is a small town, and the families that live here year round celebrate the holidays in much the same ways they are celebrated all around the world and when your journey brings you to our doorstep for Christmas, you will discover a magic that speaks louder than gifts. This guide to our holiday events in West Yellowstone and your stay in our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways will show you how this Christmas will shine bright with all the magic it brings to those who believe.
Decorated for the Holidays
The shops and boutiques of West Yellowstone are special during normal times. But at Christmas? All decked out for the holidays, their colorful lights shimmering against the snow covered landscape and the sales they offer will make it easy to cross all the names off your Christmas shopping list. Buy your sister the homemaker something for the home from Sweet Pea Living, fill all your stockings with treats purchased from the Sweet Palace (they call themselves the World’s Greatest Candy Store and we wholeheartedly agree) and bring everyone home a souvenir tee shirt from Yellowstone T-shirt Company, all of which are open year round. Dancing Moose Gifts offers a great selection of toys, supplementing those that Santa leaves for your children.
West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll
The West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll is an event we can’t help but love, looking forward to it 364 days out of the year. (On the 365th day we are too busy enjoying all the fun we are having at this wonderful event.) Offering all the magic of Christmas, visitors can expect to find holiday backdrops in front of which the most festive of family selfies will be taken, arts and crafts booths that will allow your children to discover the joy of creating gifts for their parents, and maybe even meet Sparky, the Fire Dog. Rumor has it Santa is scheduled to take a break from his very busy Christmas preparations, and the games and activity booths will bring their own joy to the celebration. Also offering firemen reading Christmas stories and holiday food that includes S’mores stations set up throughout the area, the West Yellowstone Christmas Stroll is a magical event that offers moments that glimmer for everyone who attends.
Your Christmas with Sweet Home Montana
For many visitors, the choice to travel at Christmas lies in the realization that Christmas at home has lost its sparkle. Stores that start hawking Christmas before summer has even ended, the days spent trying to outdo the neighbor’s holiday displays (when did holiday decorating become a competition instead of a natural display of our love for Christmas?) and the cleaning, the cooking, the shopping, and fighting the crowds. The magic may have faded long ago, but in West Yellowstone you will find it once again. Our town is a small one, serving as the gateway to one of the most famous parks in the world, and at Christmas, the crowds will be gone, leaving behind happy families celebrating in all the best ways, and you and yours will be celebrating right alongside them, discovering beauty in simplicity and adding new traditions to your holiday adventures.
The Differences Are Clear
Even as many of your holiday traditions will stay the same, reading Christmas stories before bed, staying up late to put together complicated toys, and the sound of excited whispers when your kids awaken before the sun and discuss amongst themselves when it will be ok to wake you and start opening presents, the differences will be clear and wonderful. Your Sweet Home Montana escape will be in pristine condition, eliminating the need to deep clean for grumpy extended family members who never appreciate your efforts in the first place. You will have the choice of preparing your Christmas feast or skipping the tradition altogether and heading to local restaurants that will be open. (Hank’s Chop Shop is one of our favorites and is usually open on Thanksgiving and Christmas.) And for our guests who are not fortunate to live in an area where snow falls, waking to a landscape blanketed in snow will add an extra layer of festive to your Christmas celebrations.
Reserve Your Favorite Sweet Home Montana Holiday Hideaway Today
Magic and memories await you in our cozy escapes, starting a tradition that will be cherished for years to come.
The holidays are when we begin to appreciate family moments the most, spending more time at home our spouses and our children, playing, relaxing, and devouring the holiday feast, something you can continue to do when you choose to make a white Christmas visit to our West Yellowstone piece of paradise. And because the food that we eat over the holidays is as important as the decorations, the presents, even Santa Claus, you will be reassured to know that our Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaways offer fully equipped kitchens in which you can prepare the entire meal from scratch or heat up a takeout feast for less muss and fuss. For those who prefer to dine out on the holiday, there are some restaurants in town that will be open for business and this guide to helping you enjoy your Christmas dinner in West Yellowstone will point you in the right direction!
Three Bear Restaurant, 205 Yellowstone Avenue
This family restaurant is famous for its reasonable prices, its delicious comfort food, and for being open on Christmas day, cooking dinner for your family so that you don’t have to. As of this writing, the information we have states that they will be open regular business hours on Christmas eve and Christmas day, but that could change and they don’t state whether reservations are accepted, so you might want to call ahead of time to ask about both. Offering a rustic and colorful charm every guest feels at home when seated at their tables, tucking into a feast that fills the belly and warms the soul.
Hank’s Chop Shop, 221 N Canyon Street
Hanks Chop Shop is another family style restaurant open for Christmas, offering a comfort food menu made with locally sourced ingredients, their holiday menus are known to hit all the right spots in your stomach. Famous for being a popular selfie spot (due to the giant Sasquatch standing outside their front door) as well as for being so obviously passionate about the food they serve, Hank’s is worth visiting on any day of the year, not just during the holidays. Reservations are not accepted.
Takeout Is Good, Too
It will be cold and snowy during your West Yellowstone Christmas adventures and you may be reluctant to spend a lot of time out in the elements, preferring to stay in where it is warm, cozy, and a fire in the fireplace is adding romance to your holiday. Ordering your meal from Hank’s Chop Shop will ensure that you enjoy a traditional dinner and will mostly get to stay home, but what if the traditional is not what you are craving? Maybe it is a large pizza with all the trimmings that is making you salivate and fortunately for you, the Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon will be open for pick-up on Christmas Eve! Located at 14 Madison Avenue, travelers can finish up their last-minute shopping with a stop in the saloon, perhaps taking the time for a drink before picking up your pizza and heading back to your holiday hideaway for a night of family memories. Reheat your pizza for dinner the next day and enjoy; for some reason pizza always tastes better the second day, but only if you heat it in the oven. Popping a slice in the microwave is guaranteed to be a disappointed, but when you heat the entire pizza in the oven, soon your rental will be filled with the savory scents of tomatoes, cheese, and all the herbs and toppings that make pizzas the international food of love. The best part of Christmas in West Yellowstone is knowing that you can do whatever you want to do and if eating pizza for the holiday feast is what you want to do, the Wild West Pizzeria & Saloon is here to help!
Feasting at Home with Sweet Home Montana
We’ve offered up quite a few ideas as to how you can get a meal on Christmas Day, but perhaps your favorite kitchen to visit will be the one inside your Sweet Home Montana holiday hideaway. Fully equipped with new appliances, spacious counters, and a cheerful vibe that can only come from the heart of the home, it won’t feel like work putting together a family meal. Pick up the ingredients you need at Food Roundup, 107 Dunraven Street, and when it is time to do the work, pour yourself a glass of wine, stream your favorite Christmas music stations, and prepare for a couple of hours of fun and flavor. This could be the year you share the secret ingredients in your great-great grandma’s homemade stuffing, keeping the recipe alive for another generation. Or it could be the year you choose to make grilled cheese sandwiches for your Christmas feast. It doesn’t matter which direction your meal goes, all that matters is you spend this holiday in our West Yellowstone sanctuaries. Reserve your favorite today!