LG Holiday Magazine 2023

YOUR "LITTLE" GUIDE TO FAMILY ADVENTURES IN METRO DETROIT

HOLIDAY SEASON

Photo Credit: Bedrock

BRIGHT LIGHTS + TREE LIGHTINGS

SANTA FINDER + SHOPPING GUIDES

DAY TRIPS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS

TIS' THE SEASON

for giving

Each year is filled with ups and downs - and if you’re lucky enough to be closing out the year on a high note, we hope you’ll join us in paying it forward with supporting our gift collection for kids at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan!

Last year, the LittleGuide community collected over 300 gifts for kids and families spending the holidays receiving care at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. We know how much the parents and patients are struggling with this time of year and we love doing our part to make the season a little brighter.

Learn more about how to support LittleGuide Detroit’s SNOWPILE toy drive this November.

As always, we love to make planning a little easier for Metro Detroit families and we hope that this magazine serves to be helpful as you plan a fun and exciting HOLIDAY SEASON ahead! Don't forget, you can click every article and go directly to www.littleguidedetroit.com for more details and direct links.

Follow us on social media too and see our holiday adventures - you'll definitely find us at Holiday Nights, Wild Lights, and picking out our Christmas Tree at Blake Farms and tag us @littleguidedetroit to show us yours!

Here's to a joyful finish to 2023 and a very happy + healthy 2024!

The LittleGuide Team

AMERICA'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be marching down Woodward Avenue once again this year and you can watch it live on Thursday, November 23rd.

Wake up early Thanksgiving morning and head to Detroit to watch floats, marching bands, and live entertainment make their way from Midtown to downtown.

Reserve the best seats and order your Grand Stand tickets for $60 - $70 or find a spot on the sidewalk (free) along the route.

Rain, snow, or shine - this is an annual tradition that your family won't soon forget.

Behind the Scenes

Did you know that you can take a behind-thescenes tour of the actual floats from the parade and learn how they are made? Tours of The Parade Company Studio are available year round: $8 (ages 3-17) and $12 (adults).

TURKEY TROTS

FAMILY-FRIENDLY RACES GET READY TO RUN! ENJOY THE FRESH AIR AND QUALITY TIME TOGETHER AT ONE OF THESE FAMILY-FRIENDLY RUNS OR WALKS.

LIVONIA: NOV. 4TH Join the Livonia Parks and Recreation Department in a walk/run for the less fortunate. All proceeds from the race go to the Livonia Goodfellows.

DEXTER: NOV. 12TH Join A2 Turkey Trot at Hudson Mills Metropark for this annual autumn tradition and enjoy a lateseason run that is fun for the whole family!

ANN ARBOR: NOV. 23RD Join a morning full of holiday fun, costumes, and running before your Thanksgiving Day feast - with Turkey Tom and Santa waiting at the finish line!

CANTON: NOV. 23RD Runners/Walkers can support the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan at Canton's Thanksgiving morning run at Heritage Park.

DETROIT: NOV. 23RD “The Parade before The Parade”, participants frolic by the largest spectator crowd in Michigan before America's Thanksgiving Parade for a mile or a 5k.

TROY: NOV. 23RD The Mighty Gobbler is a family-friendly 5k or 1 mile run/walk event.

SHELBY TWP: NOV. 24TH Join a Turkey TRAIL Trot at Stony Creek Metropark on a 2 or 4 mile run.

Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can b one way or round trip.

Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movement

TREE LIGHTING EVENTS 01 02 03 04 05 06

07

01 10 05

Tree Lighting (Plymouth) - 11/10 Detroit Tree Lighting - 11/17 Wyandotte Tree Lighting - 11/17 Brighton Holiday Glow - 11/18 Big Bright Light Show (Rochester) - 11/20 Christmas Aglow (Shelby Twp) - 11/30

08

07 08 09 10 11 12

Tree Lighting (Auburn Hills) - 12/1 Taylor Winterfest - 12/2 A Sterling (Heights) Christmas -12/2 Holiday Spectacular (South Lyon) - 12/2 Tree Lighting (Birmingham) - 12/1 Holiday Hoopla (Waterford) -12/9

U-PICK TREE FARMS

U-pick farms open in November and are the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit.

1

BLAKE FARMS (ARMADA)

2

CANDY CANE TREE FARM (OXFORD)

3

WALDOCK TREE FARM (HOWELL)

4

WESTMAN'S TREE FARM (DEXTER)

5

HURON CHRISTMAS TREE FARM (NEW BOSTON)

LITTLEGUIDE FAVORITE We went to Blake Farms last year to cut down our first 'real' tree as a family. It is now a tradition we will do for years to come.

We had so much fun taking the tractor to the fields and picking the perfect tree - and we can't wait to do it again this year!

- LittleGuide Founder, Kerry Doman

TAKE A FAMILY HIKE November 17th is National Take a Hike Day. Unplug from the holiday hoopla and connect with family and friends on a scenic trail.

Short Trips

Scenic Walks

Long Trails

Top Pick:

Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve (Southfield)

Top Pick: Detroit River Wildlife Refuge (Trenton)

Top Pick: Kensington Metropark (Milford)

Nichols Arboretum (Ann Arbor) Beverly Park (Beverly Hills) Booth Trail (Birmingham) Heritage Park (Canton) Howell Nature Center Tatigian Trail (Livonia) Rosie's Park (Madison Heights) Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve (Rochester) Stage Nature Center (Troy)

Leslie Nature Center (Ann Arbor) Fox Science Preserve (Ann Arbor) Detroit Riverfront (Detroit) Heritage Park (Farmington Hills) Stepping Stones Falls (Flint) Crosswinds Marsh (New Boston) Graham Lakes Trailhead (Oakland Township)

Lake Erie Metropark Trail (Brownstown) Proud Lake Recreation Area (Commerce) Macomb Orchard Trail Maybury State Park Trail (Northville) Paint Creek Trail (Rochester) Pontiac Lake Recreation Trail (Waterford) Hines Drive (Wayne County) West Bloomfield Nature Preserve

The holiday season will be here before we know it - and these family favorites will sell out. Start making plans to get your tickets before it's too late.

Winter Wonder Lights (Rochester) Winter Wonder Lights transforms Meadow Brook Hall at night into a breathtaking light show featuring music, seasonal treats, and holiday magic.

Wild Lights (Royal Oak) The Detroit Zoo will be aglow for 40 magical nights with more than five million LED lights illuminating trees, buildings, and over 280 sculptures throughout the front half of the Zoo. Holiday Stroll (Lake Orion) Bundle up and enjoy a magical walk through Canterbury Village as it is taken over by more than one million festive lights and a light show spectacular, choreographed to classic holiday songs and the sounds of professional carolers.

Wayne County Lightfest (Westland) Put on your Christmas playlist and drive down Hines Drive for 4.5 miles of light displays - it’s only $5!

Glenlore Trails (Commerce) An immersive wintry experience for all ages. Visit Michigan’s original illuminated forest this holiday season! One-mile outdoor path with interactive story moments and other entertainment.

Magic of Lights (Clarkston) Drive thru a light display featuring holiday themed scenes and characters at Pine Knob Music Theatre.

HOLIDAY SHOWS IN METRO DETROIT

There's nothing quite like seeing your favorite characters live on stage!

Dr. Seuss The Musical

Rudolph The Musical

November 8 - 12 @ Fox Theatre

December 15 & 16 @ Fisher Theatre

Transport the family to the whimsical world of Whoville and watch Max the Dog narrate the story of how the Grinch decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos.

See all your favorite characters including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life.

Frozen: The Musical Nov 29 - Dec 17 @ Detroit Opera House

Home For The Holidays

Frozen the musical features the songs you know and love from the movie AND an expanded score with a dozen new numbers by the film’s songwriters.

December 15 -17 @ DSO

The Hip Hop Nutcracker

Gather friends and family, one and all, for a celebration of the season featuring your DSO, holiday favorites, and quite possibly, an appearance by Santa Claus.

December 9 @ Fisher Theatre

Elf In Concert

This contemporary dance spectacle is a remixed version of the classic, smashing hip-hop dance and Tchaikovsky’s timeless music together.

December 22 & 23 @ DSO Watch Elf on the big screen while the Detroit Symphon Orchestra performs the score.

8 FUN + FESTIVE HOLIDAY PARADES Bundle up and find a seat on the street for a holiday parade near you. From daytime down Main Street, to evening light parades - here are a few you don't want to miss.

1

NORTHVILLE LIGHT PARADE 11/17

2

FANTASY OF LIGHTS (HOWELL) 11/24

3

SANTALAND PARADE (GARDEN CITY) 11/25

4

LIGHTED PARADE (LAKE ORION) 12/2

5

HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA (PONTIAC) 12/2

6

HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR (SOUTH LYON) 12/2

7

MERRY + BRIGHT PARADE (LIVONIA) 12/3

8

HOLIDAY LIGHT PARADE (ROSEVILLE) 12/17

FIND THE 'POLAR EXPRESS' IN METRO DETROIT Holiday Express (Clinton Township) On December 10th, experience the magic of The Polar Express in real life. The story will be read as the train begins its journey, while families enjoy treats, sing carols and more!

Southern Michigan Railroad (Tecumseh) Take a 30 minute train ride to see Santa, spend about an hour visiting, and then take a ride back.

Trains are nearly 100 years old with weekend adventures beginning after Thanksgiving.

Spicer Orchards (Fenton) The train to see Santa runs every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Christmas at Spicer Orchard. After your special visit, warm up with cider and donuts around the bonfire.

Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad (Flint) Join friends and family for an evening ride on the Huckleberry Railroad. Afterwards tour Crossroads Village and experience the seasonal magic.

Coopersville and Marne Railway (Coopersville) Enjoy a 90 minute train ride with Santa! Read books with the Story Princess, as you wait for Elves to escort each child to see Santa individually so parents can take pictures.

Interactive Santa Finder Oakland County Holly Dazzle, Holly

CLICK THE PICTURE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH PARK!

Meadow Brook Hall, Rochester

Downtown Birmingham

Downtown Milford

Three Cedars Farms, Plymouth

Interactive santa finder: Wayne County CLICK THE PICTURE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH PARK!

The Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores

Downtown Detroit

Ford Performing Arts Center, Dearborn

Interactive santa finder: Macomb County CLICK THE PICTURE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH PARK!

Breakfast with Santa, Shelby Township

Blake Farm, Armada

Christmas Aglow, Clinton Township

plan your santa visit!

Find more events

7 IDEAS FOR HOLIDAY TRADITIONS The holiday season can be a blur, but finding a special activity for your family to do each year is a great way to step away from the chaos and have quality time together. Here are 7 activities in metro Detroit to consider.

1

ATTEND A TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

2

THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE 11/23

3

WAYNE COUNTY LIGHTFEST

4

HOLIDAY NIGHTS @ GREENFIELD VILLAGE

5

DSO'S HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

6

WATCH A LIGHTED HOLIDAY PARADE

7

ICE SKATING @ CAMPUS MARTIUS

CELEBRATE THE SEASON IN

DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM

The holidays are special in downtown Birmingham! With hundreds of local shops and restaurants, free events, and its small-town charm, Birmingham is a wonderful place to be this holiday season.

Birmingham Santa Walk (Saturday, November 25, 9:30 am)

Join us in welcoming Santa to town! The walk with Santa through downtown Birmingham includes stops at local shops, before concluding at Santa House in Shain Park. Stay for a visit with Santa and take a free horse-drawn carriage ride around the park. Registration is required and begins November 1 at 8am.

Santa House and Carriage Rides (Select Dates, Starting November 25)

Make an appointment to visit Santa* at his quaint home in Shain Park. While you're here, hop aboard a horse-drawn carriage for a short ride around the park. As always, Santa House visits and carriage rides are free! *Santa Visits are by appointment only except during the Winter Markt.

Winter Markt (Friday, December 1 – Sunday, December 3)

Experience the magic of the holidays at the annual Birmingham Winter Markt featuring displays from local artists and vendors, European cuisine, thousands of holiday lights, ice sculptures, live entertainment and more. Warming stations, visits with Santa and the Kinderhaus children’s activity area are sure to please visitors of all ages! Join us on opening night (Friday, December 1) at 6pm., for the annual Birmingham Holiday Tree Lighting featuring Santa, live caroling and the lighting of the holiday tree adorned with over 40,000 LED lights!

Visit ALLINBirmingham.com/events for all the details and to register.

Give the Gift of EXPERIENCE! Holiday shopping is stressful, and the truth is, having more toys at home is stressful too. This Christmas, consider a new kind of gift – an experience that your littles won’t soon forget.

01

SIGN UP FOR A CLASS

Give them the gift of life-long lessons with weekly swim classes at Aqua-Tots Swim School, coding class at The Robot Garage, yoga classes at DownPup Yoga, or climbing lessons at Planet Rock.

02

MUSEUM MEMBERSHIPS

A museum membership is an incredible gift that keeps on giving all throughout the year (and one of our personal favorite recommendations)!

Cranbrook Institute of Science ($75) Sloan Museum of Discovery ($99) The Detroit Zoo ($135) The Henry Ford ($200) Michigan Science Center ($99)

03

TICKETS TO A SHOW

Bluey, Paw Patrol, the Madrigal family and Elmo are coming to Detroit next year. Let your littles experience their favorite characters live on stage and surprise them with tickets!

TOP 8 MICHIGAN ROAD TRIPS Make the most out of your holiday break or simply escape the hustle and bustle of home, with a mini Michigan getaway.

Go for a magical ride on Memory Lane Train at the Christmas Lite Show in Grand Rapids. Be sure to stop downtown to experience their NEW Christkindl Markt.

If your littles are looking for Santa and his reindeer, take a trip to Rooftop Landing Farm in Clare.

Count HUNDREDS of decorated trees at Comstock Park in Adrian. This city beat the Hallmark record with 676 trees all lit up.

Bronner's offers Christmas all year long, but there's something extra special about being in Frankenmuth during December.

Stroll through the Wonderland of Lights at Potter Park Zoo in Lansing.

Visit Santa's House in downtown Midland and then take The Northern Star Train ride for a free downtown tour.

Head south and strap on your ice skates to experience The Ribbon, a 1,000 foot loop trail featuring rolling hills and curves at the Toledo Metropark.

5 REASONS TO VISIT DOWNTOWN DETROIT DURING THE HOLIDAYS WINTER WONDERLAND Bundle up and get ready for FREE family fun at the Monroe Street Midway. The Winter activation includes an arctic slide, puck-putt golf, winter bumper cars, a midway arcade and more beginning November 9th! From November 16th thru Decemebr 24th you can visit with Santa at 1001 Woodward for FREE!

HOLIDAY MARKETS & CADILLAC LODGE Shop local at Bedrock's Holiday Markets and then cozy up at Cadillac Lodge with oversized family games and seasonal refreshments.

ICE SKATE @ THE RINK Detroit's Tree Lighting Ceremony + opening of The Rink at Campus Martius is Friday, November 17th. Strap on some skates and soak up the city center from the ice.

NOEL NIGHT Noel Night brings together over 110 venues in Midtown including the DIA, Michigan Science Center and more for FREE activities, including horse-drawn carriage rides, crafts, live entertainment, Santa and more on Dec. 2nd!

BEACON PARK Check out the annual light displays and enjoy special events - including train rides - all for FREE at Beacon Park.

Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can b one way or round trip.

Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movement

Holiday Houses Worth Visiting Turn on your radio, turn off your headlights, and enjoy a FREE holiday light show from the comfort of your own car. These neighborhoods are really LIGHTING things up!

Bostick Family Light Show (Garden City) Palasek Light Show (Commerce) Ewles Family Lights (Fenton) Walter Family Lights (Linden) Perrin Family Lights (Livonia) Busch Family Lights (Livonia) The Kurdziel's Light Show (Novi) Lights On The Lake (Orion Township) LYP Family Light Show (New Boston) South Lyon Light Show (South Lyon) Wagner Lights (Warren)

Let Us Know...

Are we missing your favorite neighborhood house? Tag us @littleguidedetroit and let us know where we should visit.

kid-friendly new year’s eve PARTIES in metro detroit What a year it has been. Celebrate the end of 2023 and welcome in 2024 at a New (or Noon) Year's Eve celebration with ball drops, firework displays, pool parties and more!

If you’re tired of being out and just want to stay home, check out LittleGuide’s fun, easy “New Year’s Eve at Home” ideas that are fun for all ages.

Find family fun: Beacon Park (Detroit) Market Center Park (Southgate) Riley Skate Park (Farmington) Discovery Center Macomb Paradise Park (Novi) Canterbury Village (Lake Orion) Downtown Wyandotte

FREE INDOOR FUN FOR FAMILIES THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS EXPENSIVE, HERE ARE PLACES TO FIND FREE FAMILY FUN

Indoor Play Places 2/42 Community Church (Ann Arbor) Great Lakes Crossing (Auburn Hills) 2/42 Community Church (Brighton) Ward Church (Northville) Baxter’s Cafe (Riverview)

Nature Centers Farmington Hills Nature Center Indian Springs Environmental Discovery Center (White Lake) Sterling Heights Nature Center Belle Isle Nature Center (Detroit) Stage Nature Center (Troy) Lake Erie Nature Center (Brownstown)

Museums University of Michigan Museum of Natural History (Ann Arbor) Detroit Institute of Arts Cranbrook Institute of Science - FREE 1st Friday & 3rd Thursday (Bloomfield Twp) Belle Isle Aquarium (Detroit) Michigan History Museum FREE on Sundays (Lansing)

HOLIDAY BREAK ACTIVITIES 01 02 03 04 05 06

03

01

Cranbrook Institute of Science Belle Isle Nature Center LEGOLAND Discovery Center Detroit Pistons @ Little Caesars Arena Launch Trampoline Park Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum

11

07 05

07 08 09 10 11 12

Sloan Museum of Discovery SEA LIFE Michigan Urban Air Adventure Park Detroit Institute of Arts Campus Martius Ice Rink The Henry Ford Museum

5 Ways To Give Back During The Holidays It's not always about what you GET, but what you GIVE during the holidays. Kids of all ages can help make the holidays special for people in their community. Share these ideas of service with them and pick a project to do as a family.

Pick up extra ingredients at the store and donate to a food pantry or canned food drive.

Collect and return cans to donate change to the Salvation Army bell ringers.

Help a neighbor by raking leaves (or shoveling snow).

Bake cookies and deliver them to a local senior living complex, fire department, or hospital.

Find gently used toys and clothes at home and donate them to a local shelter.

CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF MICHIGAN'S

Snowpile

LittleGuide Detroit is a proud partner of

Children's Hospital of Michigan, and this year we will be supporting the Foundation's "Snowpile" program.

The annual donation drive provides gifts for hospitalized children AND their siblings.

You can join the effort by making a monetary donation or giving toys or gifts. Learn more by clicking the link!

A FEW OF OUR Favorite THINGS

If you’re looking for something tried and true, here are some of the LittleGuide Detroit team’s favorite activities and gifts for our kids. Check out our Amazon storefront for more ideas.

The perfect preChristmas craft that my kids can build and then help to decorate the tree with! - Kerry

My daughter loves using this as a special place to store her own little things.- Lorraine

My kids take these apart and put them back together daily!

- Rachel

A no-mess, no-screen activity that is perfect for car rides - long or short.

- Carrie

MORE OF OUR Favorite THINGS

These sticker books are the best for a creative activity you can easily bring anywhere with you.

- Jenna

Help your littles solve the case with clues in this cute board game they will love! - Ashley

LOCAL SHOPS TO CHECK OUT IN METRO DETROIT! If you want to find meaningful gifts or to get hands-on help picking the perfect present, shop local! Here are a few shops we love and know you will too!

Toyology (Bloomfield, Royal Oak & West Bloomfield) Fascination Factory (Birmingham) Genuine Toy Co (Plymouth) Modern Natural Baby (Ferndale) Toy Box (Utica) Coreander’s Children’s Bookshoppe (Grosse Pointe) Unicorn Feed & Supply (Ypsilanti) Village Toy Shoppe (Milford) Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy (St. Clair Shores) 2 Dandelions Bookshop (Brighton)

SANTA TRACKERS If your little ones are anxious for Santa’s arrival or you’re anxious to scoot them to bed, here are the best sites to track Santa's sleigh arrival in Michigan.

Official NORAD Santa Tracker Where is Santa Lite Google’s Santa Tracker

MY FAMILY WISHLIST Tree lighting ceremonies, local parades, holiday shows, Santa sightings, and weekend getaways. Get organized and start making your holiday plans.

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