Parade and Steller Announce Finalists for America's Favorite Small Town
Parade (AREN) and Steller announced 40 finalists for America's Favorite Small Town on March 5, 2026, drawn from nationwide entries and public voting.
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Rhea-AI Summary
Parade (AREN) and Steller announced 40 finalists for America's Favorite Small Town on March 5, 2026, drawn from nationwide entries and public voting. Finalists include towns such as Lodi, Lancaster, Fredericksburg, Kalamazoo, and Dunedin.
Regional winners will be named June 1, 2026, and the national winner on June 12, 2026, with a Parade x Steller July 4 activation as the grand prize.
Key Figures
- Finalist towns
- 40 communities
- Finalists in America's Favorite Small Town competition
- Population threshold
- 250,000
- Eligible town population must be under this figure
- Audience reach
- over 130 million
- Potential travelers across Parade and Steller platforms
- Video views
- 2.4 million
- Views of finalist town videos during competition
- Regional winner date
- June 1, 2026
- Date regional winners will be announced
- National winner date
- June 12, 2026
- Date national winner will be crowned
- National exposure issue
- July 4
- Winner activation at July 4th celebration
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Forty communities emerge from a nationwide pool of entries representing the best of American spirit and character
The competition celebrates the charm and unique character of communities across the
The Final 40: Celebrating the Heart of America
Finalists include towns such as
To view the complete list of 40 finalists, visit https://americasfavoritesmalltowns.parade.com/.
The finalists will now move forward for review as the competition prepares to crown regional and national winners.
Giving Small Towns a Platform for Local Impact
Finalists are currently being showcased to an audience of over 130 million potential travelers on Parade.com, Steller.co, and on their combined social platforms—providing these communities with unprecedented national exposure.
"These 40 small towns truly capture the stories and traditions that bring people together," said Lisa Delaney, General Manager and Chief Content Officer of Parade. "We are honored to give these communities a platform to show the rest of the country why they are so beloved."
"The level of engagement we've seen has been incredible," said Pete Bryant, CEO of Steller, adding that videos submitted by the towns were viewed over 2.4 million times during the competition. "The finalists' videos highlight the incredible diversity of travel experiences across the
The Road to the 250th Anniversary
Each finalist will be featured in Parade's "Favorite Small Towns in America" special print issue and across Parade and Steller's digital and social channels. A winner will be announced from each region on June 1, 2026, and the national winner will be crowned on June 12, 2026.
The National Winner will receive:
- Official Branding: The ability to promote the achievement with the "Favorite Small Town in America" badge and signage.
- The Grand Prize: A Parade x Steller activation at the winning town's July 4th celebration, complete with potential celebrity appearances, sponsor giveaways, and national media coverage.
To view the 40 regional finalists, as well as all of the other participating small towns, visit https://americasfavoritesmalltowns.parade.com/.
About Steller
Steller, headquartered in
About Parade
Parade, the premium legacy entertainment and lifestyle brand, has been enlightening, delighting and inspiring audiences for more than 85 years. Parade is owned and operated by The Arena Group Holdings, Inc (NYSE American: AREN), a brand, data and IP company that builds, acquires and scales high-performing digital assets. Arena combines technology, storytelling and entrepreneurship to create deep content verticals that engage passionate audiences across sports & leisure, lifestyle and finance. Through their portfolio of owned and operated brands including Parade, TheStreet, Men's Journal, Athlon Sports, ShopHQ and the Adventure Network (Surfer, Powder, Bike Magazine and more), they deliver trusted content and meaningful experiences to millions of users each month. Visit thearenagroup.net to learn more.
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SOURCE Steller
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