Boats docked at Smithfield Station sport festive lights.

A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Sparkle in a Small Virginia Town" is from the December 2005 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.

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Residents here hang pigs on their Christmas trees. If you don't believe me, ask Jim Abicht, owner of The Christmas Store on Main Street in Smithfield, Virginia.

"In a town that calls itself the Ham Capital of the World, it's one of the necessities of doing business," he admits sheepishly.

Hamming It Up
This town has long been famous for Smithfield ham, that salt-cured, ruby-hued delicacy that defines the flavor of Virginia. Smithfield hugs the banks of the Pagan River, a marsh-fringed tributary of the mighty James. Though just 30 miles west of Norfolk, Smithfield seems a world away from the region's bigger cities.

Huge, dreamy houses line Church Street, the road that traces the serpentine path of the river as it leads into town. Most of the shops congregate around Main Street, which branches off Church and runs from northwest to southeast through town. Brick sidewalks and wrought iron street signs lend character to the thriving business district.