Glimmering light displays, seasonal cocktails, and visits with Santa mark the holiday season in Detroit, Michigan. To spread the holiday cheer, I’ve rounded up some of the most joyfully festive things to do in Detroit and the metro area during the holiday season!

Festive Things to Do in Detroit During the Holidays

Attend the Detroit Tree Lighting 2024

The holiday season officially arrives in Detroit with the annual ceremonial lighting of the Motor City’s Christmas tree at Campus Martius Park in Downtown Detroit.  The 21st annual Detroit Tree Lighting kicks off the city’s holiday festivities from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22.

Last year’s 64-foot, Michigan-grown Norway Spruce twinkled with over 25,000 multi-color lights.

This festive event will feature live music and star-studded performances both on stage and on the ice. In years past, performers have included Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen and ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

Holiday merriment continues with visits from Santa, holiday shopping, hot cocoa, and food trucks!

For more information about the Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony, please refer to the Downtown Detroit Partnership.

See One of the Fox Theatre Holiday Shows

Dressing up for a holiday show at the historic Fox Theatre is a time-honored tradition in Detroit.

Holiday shows at the Fox Theatre for the 2024 holiday season include:

• Elf The Musical, Nov. 6 – 10
• A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage, Nov. 24
• Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Nov. 27 – Dec. 1
• Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet, Dec. 8
• Brett Eldredge “Glow, Welcome To The Family Tour,” Dec. 10
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis, Dec. 13
• “Twas The Night Before…” by Cirque du Soleil, Dec. 20 – 31

To purchase tickets for these holiday shows, visit the 313 Presents website. 

Holiday Shop at the Downtown Detroit Markets

From Nov. 7 through Jan. 5, 2024, the Downtown Detroit Markets will offer small, local shopping this holiday season.

These small gift shops in glass huts at Cadillac Square feature more than a dozen Detroit-area vendors and artisans.

With unique and artisanal items, such as home décor, specialty and vintage apparel, gourmet food items, toys, and more, you will surely find stocking stuffers and gifts to put under your Christmas tree.

Once you’ve finished shopping in the outdoor market, step inside the Cadillac Lodge. The heated tent, with its ski-lodge aesthetic, is a cozy space to sip hot cocoa or seasonal cocktails.

Please refer to the Decked Out Detroit website for the full list of participating vendors and market hours.

Visit Santa at 1001 Winter Wonders

Step inside 1001 Woodward Avenue to a magical winter wonderland right in the heart of Downtown Detroit!

Running Nov. 14 through Dec. 24, this holiday event is one of the best (and free) ways to visit Santa in the Motor City.

During your visit to 1001 Winter Wonders, share your Christmas wishlist and capture a memorable family portrait with the jolly ol’ elf.

Photos with Santa are free at this joyous holiday attraction, but dress warm to stand in line for your holiday photo op!

For more information and 1001 Winter Wonders hours, visit the Decked Out Detroit website.

Ice Skate at Campus Martius Park Rink

With Detroit’s Christmas tree setting a festive backdrop, ice skating around the outdoor rink at Campus Martius Park is a family-friendly holiday activity.

As one of the best things to do in Detroit at night during the holiday season, the rink typically remains open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays from mid-November through late December. 

Please refer to the Downtown Detroit Partnership for more information about the Rink at Campus Martius Park. 

Sip Tiki Christmas Cocktails at Sippin’ Santa Pop-Up Bar

Shoot a ginger-and-macadamia-flavored Ginger Snapped or sip the tropical Jingle Bird cocktail at this festive tiki pop-up bar at The Skip!

This Christmas pop-up bar runs from late November through New Year’s Eve and is one of 20 fun-and-festive holiday pop-up bars in Metro Detroit.

You’ll find The Skip in Downtown Detroit’s street art-filled alleyway, The Belt, conveniently near the Z Deck parking garage.

To keep up with all its Sippin’ Santa happenings, visit The Skip’s website. 

Listen to a Holiday Concert at Orchestra Hall

If you love traditional Christmas carols or the popular Christmas movie Home Alone, celebrate the holiday season with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra!

Holiday concerts in 2024 at Orchestra Hall include:

• Ellington & The Nutcracker, Dec. 6 – 8
• A Charlie Brown Christmas: Cyrus Chestnut and Friends, Dec. 6
• Let It Snow!, Dec. 7
• Home Alone in Concert, Dec. 11
• Home for the Holidays, Dec. 13 – 15
• The Muppet Christmas Carol, Dec. 20 – 21
• Leslie Odom, Jr.: The Christmas Tour, Dec. 22

Visit the DSO website for more information about the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concerts and to purchase tickets.

Metro Detroit Holiday Events in Wayne County

Greenfield Village Holiday Nights

Join Santa, live reindeer, and carolers to step back in time for one of the most unique Christmas experiences in the United States. Annually held at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village features homes and shops decorated for Christmas, holiday cooking demos, skilled artisan demonstrations, live music, and holiday vignettes in period attire.

To purchase tickets and find more information about Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village, visit The Henry Ford’s website. 

Ford House Christmas Events

Throughout the holiday season, the grounds of the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford estate in Grosse Pointe Shores will be decorated for a host of tours and holiday events that allow visitors to step back in time.

Visit the Ford House website to purchase tickets for a Ford House Christmas and other holiday events.

Wayne County Lightfest

Beginning at Merriman Hollow Park in Westland, drive through 4.5 miles filled with more than 45 colorful, twinkling holiday light displays of 100,000 lights along Hines Drive in the Detroit area’s Wayne County. The Wayne County Lightfest runs from late November through New Year’s Eve. However, it is closed on Christmas.

For hours, admission, and more information, visit the Wayne County website. 

Oakland County Holiday Festivities

Glenlore Trails Aurora

Bundle up for a wintry walk through an illuminated forest this holiday season! At Glenlore Trails Aurora, your nighttime stroll takes you through an immersive holiday light display.

Miracle Pop-Up Bar at The Oakland

Don your ugly Christmas sweater and head to The Oakland in Ferndale for the Christmas-themed cocktail pop-up bar Miracle. Surrounded by kitschy Christmas decor, you can sip a spiked egg nog of brown butter and cinnamon-infused Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Amontillado Sherry, vanilla, cream, sugar, eggs, almond milk, and nutmeg.

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