Grand Rapids Named Jolliest City in the U.S.

Grand Rapids has a new festive honor to add to its list!

In addition to being ranked tops in tourism and real estate, GR has just been named the No. 1 Jolliest City in America!

Shari's Berries compiled a list of the 10 cities in the U.S. that have the most holiday spirit.

Cities were examined for their safety (because to be truly jolly, you need to feel safe), number of foodbanks, bakeries, Christmas events, cost of living, and number of Christmas tree farms.

Grand Rapids topped their list!

According to Shari's Berries:

The author of the famous children’s book The Polar Express grew up near Grand Rapids. It only makes sense that America’s jolliest city would inspire such a Christmas classic. Just witness as the holiday season kicks off with the Art Van Santa Parade. After that the city will have you believing that a train might be coming to take you to a winter wonderland.
The people of Grand Rapids certainly have good reasons to be jolly. The city has one of the the highest numbers of food pantries per capita out of all 200 cities we looked at. It also tied with Salt Lake City in terms of unemployment and has the best cost of living index out of the whole top 10. With jobs to go to and bills that don’t break the bank, the people of Grand Rapids can focus on the joy of giving this season.

There's also the GR Symphony’s fantastic lineup of Holiday concerts, and the annual performance of the Nutcracker ballet, plus ice skating and the giant Christmas tree at Rosa Parks Circle!

Also, Shari's Berries didn't mention it, but being a Top Beer City in the U.S. may have something to do with our jolliness too. Hey, good beer = jolly times!

Here are the other cities high in holiday spirit: