These Towns in the Northern United States Come Alive in Spring

While you might be tempted to fly south for spring break, there are towns in the north that can sustain a springtime vacation. What they lack in scorching temperatures and annoying partiers, they make up for with breathtaking nature, splendid shopping, delicious food, quirky activities, and seasonal festivals celebrating everything from flowers, crabs, kites, and skiing to traditional European culture. Discover seven towns in the northern US that come alive in spring without the throngs of tourists for a peaceful escape.

Amana, Iowa

Located in east-central Iowa, Amana is the main community in a German septet known as the Amana Colonies. These seven settlements were founded in the 1850s and 1860s by radical Christians from Germany. Although not the self-sufficient commune it was a century ago, Amana survives off heritage buildings, folksy industries, and unique culture, which combine for a Eurodivergent spring celebration called Maifest.

Scheduled for May 4 and 5 in 2024, Maifest, like in other years, is expected to have maypoles (or "maipoles") and maypole dancers, traditional music, food, and a parade. Festhalle Barn, a restored century-old dairy barn, is the setting for this year's festivities, while Hotel Millwright, a historic textile mill turned inn, can handle the rush of mid-spring tourists.  

Nantucket, Massachusetts

There once was a girl from Nantucket, whose daffodil was so long you could pluck it. But she chose to plant more on the island's shore with a bunch of bulbs in a bucket.

That is the poetic origin story of the Nantucket Daffodil Festival, which was started by Jean MacAusland of the Nantucket Garden Club in the 1970s. She ordered and distributed eight tons of bulbs with the goal of planting one million daffodils across the Massachusetts island community. Today, Nantucket has over three million daffodils, which are honored during the festival via a flower show, flower party, picnic, pageant, bazaar, and multiple parades. It is held in late April when the weather warms, the snow disappears, the flowers bloom, and The Cottages at Nantucket Boat Basin open for the season.

Big Sky, Montana

Not every northern springtime destination celebrates snowmelt. In fact, residents and visitors of Big Sky, Montana, hope for snowfall during spring break. This is because Big Sky has the "biggest skiing in America."

Despite that clever slogan, Big Sky is not America's biggest ski area, but it is close. Big Sky Resort spans 5,850 acres, 4,350 vertical feet, and 320 runs. It also operates an entire mountain village, where guests can dine at restaurants like Everett's 8800, drink at bars like Westward Social, and shop at stores like Huntley Trading Post. Moreover, sleep at hillside haunts like The Summit Hotel and Shoshone Condominium Hotel.

From late March to late April, Big Sky Resort hosts Spring Series Après, five consecutive weekends of good music and good vibes ending on the last day of the skiing season. This year, it is April 28. Check the resort's website for event details.

Cape May, New Jersey

Although Cape May, New Jersey, is known as a summer hotspot, it also serves as a spring mildspot. "May" is in its name. You can spend that month in this seaside city doing almost everything that you can do in summer, just with milder weather and traffic. Plus, attend the Cape May Spring Festival from May 16 to 19 and the Wildwoods International Kite Festival in nearby Wildwood from May 24 to 27.

In earlier months, you can bring the whole family for Spring Break Family Adventures, which run from March 25 to April 6 and consist of hiking, birding, crafting, gem hunting, animal feeding, tie-dye T-shirt making, and many other kid-friendly activities.

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island is a community on its namesake island in Lake Huron, Michigan. It is easy to stop and smell the lilacs in this 600-person, 0-vehicle "city," especially during the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival. Scheduled to run from June 7 to 16, the festival, in its 76th year, promises lots of lilacs, music, and games, plus a grand parade with horse-drawn carriages to circumvent the island's longstanding motor vehicle ban.

While attending this fest, visitors can eat at a number of high-rated restaurants like The Chuckwagon, Patrick Doud's Irish Pub, and Cannonball Oasis before crashing at the Grand Hotel or Bicycle Street Inn.

La Conner, Washington

La Conner is a tiny Washington town that has not one, but two famous flower festivals. The first is the La Conner Daffodil Festival, which takes place in March and displays some 450 acres of yellow daffodils in full bloom. The second is the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which is held in April and is called the "largest tulip festival in North America."

Hundreds of thousands of people view millions of multicolored tulips in fields across the county, many of which are in La Conner. Aside from floral displays, the town is set to host Tulip Parade on April 6 and Art Bash 2024 from April 12 to 14.

Kodiak, Alaska

Want a truly northern spring destination? Check out Kodiak, a 5,500-person community on an Alaskan island of the same name. Although you probably know it for its bears, Kodiak celebrates crabs each Memorial Day Weekend. Kodiak Crab Festival has been held since 1958 and features vendors, music, rides, races, games, an art show, a parade, and, tons of fresh crab meat.

For a change of pace, you can also watch live animals, such as whales, eagles, foxes, Sitka black-tailed deer, and the famous Kodiak bears, during wilderness tours offered by companies like Kodiak Island Expeditions and Adventure Kodiak, the latter of which is based in Anchorage. Moreover, spring in Kodiak facilitates excellent shopping at such stores as Norman's Fine Gifts and Big Ray's.

If you thought that spring break had to be spent in an extreme southern city, these northern towns may make you rethink that assumption. It does not matter if you are in Iowa, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, Michigan, Washington, or even Alaska; you are a short trip from a worthy springtime destination. Should it not be the norm to spend spring amongst appropriate seasonal attractions, such as blooming flowers, serene slopes, traditional cultural festivals, and nature trails coming to life before your eyes, rather than in a tropical destination trapped in an endless summer? Visit Amana, Nantucket, Big Sky, Cape May, Mackinac Island, La Conner, and Kodiak to put the spring back in spring break.