There’s something about watching a Hallmark movie around the holidays that makes you want to pack up the car and go. The twinkling lights, decorated historic downtown streets, locally owned shops, cozy coffee shops, and small towns where everyone seems to know one another by name.
Take the slower route this holiday season and plan a road trip through Berlin, Snow Hill and Pocomoke City. Shop small, make something of your own, find a few unexpected gifts, and plan your trip around some of the holiday traditions that make each town along Maryland’s Coast worth visiting this time of year. Then you can return home, refreshed and full of wonderful gifts to put under your tree to give to your family and friends.
First Stop: Downtown Berlin
Downtown Berlin knows how to dress for the holidays, and if you want your road trip to feel like a Hallmark movie, this is the place to start. Frosted glass window displays line the historic streets, garland wraps around the old-fashioned streetlights, and the warm white lights glow overhead. There is a chill in the air as you walk along Main Street, passing locally owned shops decorated for the season and neighbors stopping to say hello. Berlin is the kind of place that just feels like Christmas.
Make a Glass Ornament at Jeffrey Auxer Designs
During November and December, Jeffrey Auxer Designs offers glass blowing classes where you can create your own glass Christmas ornament. This experience has become an annual tradition for many families who return year after year.
There’s something about the ornaments we hang on our trees that tends to tell the story of our lives. They remind us of trips we’ve taken, old childhood memories, and different seasons along the way. Years from now, when you pull out the ornament you made and hang it on the tree, it will have a story of downtown Berlin to share for generations to come.
You will want to plan ahead for this part of the trip, because reservations are required. Holiday ornament reservations open November 1, so make a mental note.
Take Your Time on Main Street
There is no need to rush through downtown Berlin during the holidays. Grab a coffee, walk Main Street and the surrounding side streets, and stop wherever catches your attention.
Browse locally owned boutiques, flip through vinyl at a record shop, wander into a gallery or speciality shop, or stop and watch local artists at work.
Part of the fun is peeking through the windows to see what catches your eye. A window display might pull you into a shop you hadn't planned to visit, and once you are inside, you start to notice all the little things you probably would never find in a big-box store. Give yourself enough time to wander without much of an agenda. Grab something homemade to eat, warm up with a hot drink, and see where the afternoon takes you. That’s part of what makes Berlin so much fun.
Plan Around Berlin’s Holiday Events
If your schedule is flexible, check events happening in Berlin before deciding when to visit. The Friday after Thanksgiving brings Ice Ice Berlin and the town’s annual tree lighting ceremony. More than 30 hand-carved ice sculptures are placed throughout downtown, many outside the businesses that sponsor them. Grab a map and make your way from sculpture to sculpture, stopping inside the shops along the way. Stores stay open late, the streets are filled with people, and the evening ends with the annual tree lighting in front of the historic Atlantic Hotel.
The holiday festivities continue throughout the season. Merry Marketplace brings local art, roasted chestnuts, and hot cocoa downtown. You can also look for free horse-drawn carriage rides, Santa visits, and other holiday activities to give you plenty of reasons to return. And yes, riding through a decorated historic town in a horse-drawn carriage is about as close to a Hallmark movie as you can get. Cue the snow.
If you would rather not head home when the day is over, make a weekend out of it. The Inn Berlin offers five guest rooms inside a restored historic home just outside the center of downtown, with breakfast included for overnight guests. Or stay right on Main Street at the historic Atlantic Hotel, where they filmed Runaway Bride. Ask to stay in the Richard Gere Room (Room 20).
Next Stop: Snow Hill
From Berlin, head about 20 minutes south to Snow Hill, a small riverfront town that has served as the county seat since 1742. Downtown Snow Hill has seen new energy over the past few years, with new shops and businesses joining some longtime favorites. But it still holds onto that quiet, small-town charm that makes you want to slow down. During a season that can often feel rushed and crowded, there is something nice about having a little room to wander.
Start with a coffee at Fika Coffee Roasting, where the idea behind “fika” is pretty fitting for this road trip. Fika means to slow down, enjoy your coffee, and spend a little time connecting with the people around you. From there, walk a few storefronts down to Caprichos Books, an independent bookstore filled with new and used books. Then make your way to Toy Town Antiques & More. This place feels more like a toy museum than an antique store, so if you love walking down memory lane, you will want to give yourself some extra time. With more than 6,000 square feet filled with vintage toys, trains, old games, cars, holiday collectibles, and pieces from decades past. Look up and will spot a life-size yellow bi-wing plane hanging overhead. With thousands of square feet of vintage toys, trains, records, holiday decorations, and more, you will never know what will bring back a childhood memory.
A Little Who-Hill for the Holidays
If you really want the Hallmark version of Snow Hill, plan your trip around Who-Hill. Who-Hill? Don't you mean Whoville?
The Who-Hill celebration started in 2025, bringing a little bit of Whoville to downtown Snow Hill. Local businesses get in on the fun as storefront windows are painted and decorated for the occasion, and you will even spot a few familiar characters walking around town. The celebration continues with Breakfast with the Grinch, character meet-and-greets, train rides, games, face painting, a Who-bilation Band Parade, and a Grinch Passport that encourages families to make their way through participating downtown businesses. It’s a great weekend to plan a road trip around, especially if you are bringing the kids.
Snow Hill also celebrates throughout December with its annual tree lighting, Christmas parade, special Santa visit, and other activities downtown. Just check the calendar before you go.
Stay Along the Pocomoke River
If you want to turn this stop into an overnight trip, Snow Hill gives you a pretty special place to do it. The Cypress River Inn & Spa sits along the Pocomoke River in a restored historic 1860 property that has recently undergone extensive renovations. Stay along the river, and give yourself one more night away from the noise. Wake up the next morning to the sounds of songbirds and nature outside your window. Grab a cup of coffee and ease into your next stop on your holiday road trip.
Final Stop: Pocomoke City
Keep heading south along the Pocomoke River for the final stop of the road trip, Pocomoke City.
If you’re traveling with kids, stop at the Delmarva Discovery Museum along the riverfront. Kids can climb inside a recreated beaver dam, explore a replica steamboat, learn about life along the Pocomoke River, and visit the museum’s resident river otters Mac & Tuck.
Before you leave downtown, stop by Christmas Sweet. Order a homemade hot cocoa or something from the bakery and browse many local handmade ornaments, nutcrackers, Santas, and holiday decorations. Be sure to look for the antique sleigh beside the 14 ft Christmas tree, and if Santa’s there, make sure to get your photo taken.
From there, there really isn’t a more fitting way to end your holiday road trip inspired by movies than by watching one inside a historic theater that has been part of Pocomoke since 1927, the Mar-Va. Check the schedule before you go. Who knows? You may even get lucky and catch a Christmas classic while in town.
Take the Slower Road This Holiday Season
You don’t need a perfectly planned itinerary to make a holiday road trip memorable. Pick a weekend. Take the slower roads and give yourself permission to wander a little.
Berlin, Snow Hill, and Pocomoke City are close enough to visit in one trip, but different enough to give you a reason to stay a little longer. The holidays are hectic enough. Why rush
Modal title