The illumination of Detroit’s 62-foot Christmas tree in Campus Martius Friday night is the gateway to season of festive, fun holiday events and attractions throughout the Detroit area.
Motown becomes celebration central as the area gears up for community tree lightings, dazzling light displays and seasonal theater events that have been yearly traditions for many. Read on for your 2025 guide to all the holiday hoopla throughout the tri-county area from now through the end of the year.
Downtowns Dazzle
Detroit Tree Lighting: For more than two decades the annual tree lighting ceremony in Campus Martius has drawn revelers from all over to not only watch the 62-foot Norway spruce come alive with 25,000 lights for the first time, but to also celebrate the holiday season in downtown Detroit. Friday’s party will have live music, ice skating performances by U.S. Olympic figure skater Polina Edmonds and others, food trucks and other fun. Officials are expecting more than 100,000 visitors to the downtown area and more will be watching a live broadcast on WDIV-TV starting at 7 p.m. The festivities are 4-9 p.m. Fri. Free. 800 Woodward, Detroit. downtowndetroit.org.
Menorah in the D: Celebrate the start of Hanukkah with the lighting of the city’s 26-foot Detroit menorah. The festivities include strolling entertainment, photo opportunities, food and drink and fun stuff for little ones to do. 5-7 p.m. Dec. 14. Free. 800 Woodward, Detroit. Learn more or watch the live stream at menorahinthed.com.
Kwanzaa Celebration: Alkebu-lan Village, the city of Detroit and the Downtown Detroit Partnership come together to welcome back one of the largest Kwanzaa Kinara displays in the world. The 30-foot display joins the other holiday imagery in Campus Martius park, with a special ceremony for the lighting of the first Kwanzaa candle, Umoja, in the spirit of unity. 3-7 p.m. Dec. 26. Free. 800 Woodward, Detroit. downtowndetroit.org/event/kwanzaa-celebration-and-motor-city-kinara-lighting.
Merry Midtown: Because Noel Night is taking a hiatus this year, business leaders have gathered to organize “Merry Midtown,” an evening of extended hours, food and drink specials and family friendly activities. There will also be DJs, loads of holiday decor and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. 5-9 p.m. Dec. 6. North Cass District in Midtown Detroit. citybirddetroit.com/pages/events.
Downtown Wyandotte: Neighbors will gather around the tree near Sycamore and Biddle at dusk Friday for the annual ceremonial tree lighting with jingle bells, a choir and entertainment for little ones. The 82nd annual Christmas Parade is 10 a.m. Saturday with grand marshal Stacey Bozymowski. Downtown Wyandotte. (734) 324-4502. wyandotte.net/departments/special_events/christmas_parade.php
Royal Oak Holidays: This weekend marks the Lighting of the Park ceremony in downtown Royal Oak with Detroit’s Queen of the Blues, Thornetta Davis, plus the season opening of the Rink ice skating attraction. Replacing the Royal Oak Winter Blast, Royal Oak Holidays continues weekends through Dec. 21 with different activities such as zip lines, horse-drawn carriage rides and a life-size “Hungry Hippos” game (Nov. 28-30). Each weekend will have visits with Santa, marshmallow-roasting stations, ice skating, food trucks and more. Friday’s kickoff event starts at 4 p.m. Centennial Commons and surrounding streets, Downtown Royal Oak. (248) 541-7550. Royaloakholidays.com.
Hometown Holiday Festival in Northville: This three-day celebration kicks off the season in downtown Northville with a holiday lighted parade and tree lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Friday, followed by markets and entertainment 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday. Sunday is Santa Day, noon-3 p.m. Free. Downtown Northville. downtownnorthville.com/whats-happening/hometown-holiday.
Holiday Light Displays
Wayne County Lightfest: A tradition going back more than 30 years, the Wayne County Lightfest is a five-mile drive through Hines Park with 50 animated themed displays featuring more than 100,000 lights. It opens 6-10 p.m. Thursday and runs through Dec. 24. Tickets start at $5 per car. Merriman Hollow Park, 7651 North Merriman, Westland. (734) 261-1990. Waynecountymi.gov.
The Detroit Zoo: The 13th annual Wild Lights display returns to the zoo with millions of LED lights and 500 displays. Stroll through the zoo and gander at the illuminated sculptures while making new family memories, enjoying holiday treats and getting into the holiday spirit. The seasonal attraction helps support the care of not only the animals at the zoo, but also conservation of wild animals, says Detroit Zoo senior director of guest experience Emily Crichton O’Hara. “Wild Lights is a holiday destination that truly has something for everyone — from families with young children, to couples on a romantic date, to old friends reconnecting for new memories,” she said in a press release. Wild Lights kicks off Saturday and runs through Jan. 4. $17-$75. 8450 W. 10 Mile, Royal Oak. Detroitzoo.org.
The Village of Rochester Hills: This 375,000-square-foot outdoor shopping center will be decked-out with more than 800,000 colored lights for the holiday season. To celebrate the shopping season and their attractive display, the center is hosting a party Friday night with free visits with Santa (8-9 p.m.), giveaways, face painting, high school marching bands, strolling performers, food trucks and a fireworks display at 7:15 p.m. Shuttles are available from Van Hoosen Middle School. 6-9 p.m. Fri. Free. Holiday festivities continue through Jan. 1. 104 N. Adams, Rochester Hills. Thevorh.com.
Magic of Lights: This drive-thru attraction at Pine Knob Music Theatre returns with digital animations and millions of LED lights. Some of the highlights include the classic 12 Days of Christmas, dinosaurs, Reindeer Road, illuminated tunnels and a 32-foot waving Christmas Barbie. Opens for the season 5:30-10 p.m. Friday and runs through Jan. 3, including 6-9 p.m. On Thanksgiving, Dec. 24, 25 and 31. Passes start at $28.55 per vehicle. Limos and party buses are welcome. 33 Bob Seger Blvd., Clarkston. magicoflights.com/locations/detroit-mi.
Glenlore Trails: The immersive experience “Aurora: Winter Wizard” kicks off Friday with interactive experiences along the one-mile forest trail. The attraction has projections, glowing art, LED light displays and interactive displays, plus visits from Santa, caroling, food trucks and other fun. Aurora kicks off Friday and runs Thurs.-Sun. evenings through Dec. 28 (closed Nov. 27 and Dec. 25). $25, $15 ages 4-12 and $20 65 and older. 3860 Newton, Commerce Township. Glenloretrails.com.
CPKC Holiday Train: The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train has been a moving light show for more than a quarter century. Following an event in Windsor at 5 p.m. Saturday, the train can be seen in Detroit and Downriver areas 7-10 p.m. One popular spot to watch is the Carbon Athletic Club bar (111 Gates in Detroit) which will have festivities to go along with the train’s appearance. It also passes by the Michigan Central Station. The CPKC Holiday Train raises money and food for local food banks. Learn more at cpkcr.com/en/community/HolidayTrain.
Seasonal show highlights
“Cirque Dreams Holidaze” at Fox Theatre: Blending Broadway with the circus, this seasonal show appeals to all ages and has some refreshed elements for 2025. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9-12, 11 a.m. And 3 p.m. Dec. 13 and 1 p.m. Dec. 14. $49 and up. 2211 Woodward, Detroit. (313) 471-7000. 313presents.com.
“A Christmas Carol” at Meadow Brook Theatre: The Charles Dickens tale returns for its 43rd year at the Meadow Brook Theatre, to tell the story of an old miser whose heart warms just in time for Christmas. Veteran actor Phil Powers returns to play Ebenezer Scrooge after his debut last year. “He really did an excellent job of showing how Scrooge recaptures his Christmas spirit,” said MBT managing director Cheryl Marshall in a statement. Two young actors from Rochester, Russell Clauser and Robert Spiro, will share the Tiny Tim role. “A Christmas Carol” kicks off this weekend with discounted tickets at $37, and half prices for ages 5-12; after that tickets are $41-$51. The show runs Friday through Dec. 24. 378 Meadow Brook, Rochester. (248) 377-3300. Mbtheatre.com.
“The Nutcracker” at Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts: Is it even Christmastime without a few performances featuring the Nutcracker Prince and Sugar Plum Fairy? The World Ballet Company stages their show at Music Hall for three performances Dec. 20-21. Visit musichall.org for details. See other “Nutcracker” performances Dec. 7 at the Fox Theatre and Macomb Center for the Performing Arts Dec. 19-21.
Detroit Public Theatre’s Holiday Cabaret: This bold and sassy tribute to the holiday season features moments of laughter, talented vocalists and other world-class entertainment. Several performances have already sold out. Dec. 4-21. $52 and up. 3960 Third, Detroit. (313) 974-7918. detroitpublictheatre.org.
“A Very Farmington Christmas” at Farmington Players Barn: A spoof on those cheesy Hallmark holiday films that are ubiquitous at this time of year, “A Very Farmington Christmas” stars four actors, two of which are a real-life married couple. The show is chock-full of local references, too. Dec. 5-20. $26, $24 students and seniors. 32332 W. 12 Mile, Farmington Hills. (248) 553-2955. Farmingtonplayers.org.
“Scrooge in Rouge” at the Inspired Acting Company: Billed as a “madcap musical riff” on Dickens classic tale, “Scrooge in Rouge” is a bawdy show about a troupe of 20 actors set to perform “A Christmas Carol” but all but three get sick, leaving a trio to pull off the entire thing. “Brace yourself for cheeky humor, corsets in chaos, show tunes gone sideways, and a whirlwind of accents that defy both logic and geography,” director Jeff Thomakos said in the press release announcing the show. Dec. 5-21. $38. 1125 E. West Maple, Walled Lake. (248) 863-9953. Inspiredacting.org.
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