Headed for the Holidays | Things to Do This Holiday Season

Start off with a show or a seasonal-inspired stage play to set your holiday mood in high gear. Every year, Broadway shows and holiday favorites make their way to Detroit’s theater district. Check back to this section for updates on holiday shows.

Fantastical floats, Jolly Old St. Nick on his sleigh, hot cocoa and lots of twinkling holiday lights down city blocks. Make your picks for fun times and fantasy.

• Go curbside on Woodward Avenue to watch this year’s America’s Thanksgiving Parade on Thanksgiving morning. See the magnificent floats, clap for the Big Head Corp and see how Santa makes his debut in The D.
• Take a day trip with the family to the charming town of Frankenmuth and see the CHRISTmas Wonderland that is Bronner’s. If you prefer to stay closer to metro Detroit, check out all of the December dates for Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village, where you can enjoy the beautiful sounds of carolers and the twinkling lights while navigating about the village’s historic structures.
• Keep the holiday spirit going and head downtown with your family to enjoy Menorah in The D – a celebration featuring a 26-ft. menorah, kosher food court, family fun activities and a beer garden.

Metro Detroit has numerous ice skating rinks where you can bond with family and friends ⏤ many with heated reception areas and skate rentals available.

• City Square Ice Arena in Warren turns its summertime fountain into a glistening sheet of ice for residents and nonresidents to enjoy. The underground cooling system allows for ice skating up to 50 degrees.
• Civic Ice Arena in St. Clair Shores offers indoor skating year round. Bring your own shovel, and remember prepping the ice is half the fun.
• Stony Creek Metropark in Macomb County offers ice skating daily from 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Riley Park Ice Skating Rink in downtown Farmington is another arena available for outdoor skating.
• Don’t miss the Campus Martius Park annual tree lighting in November. Follow the ceremony with a skate around the park’s ice rink and a cup of hot cocoa in the cozy, heated area.

Looking for colder weather to-dos that keep you moving but don’t require bundling up? You can always take the younger brood to one of metro Detroit’s many activity-oriented indoor venues.

• The Michigan Science Center always has new exhibits for the young scientist. Check their website for current installations.
• Step inside the DNR Outdoor Adventure Center for a fun, educational way to learn more about Michigan’s waters and vast forests, and all of their non-human inhabitants.
• The water at Sea Life Michigan Aquarium never freezes, and the Lego-infused playscape at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Michigan, both at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, are always surefire party pleasers.
• Kids can also bounce and tumble off the holiday sugar high at one of the many fun zones in metro Detroit. Bounce House, SkyZone or Pump it Up have several locations in The D.