As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the artists, small businesses and unique experiences that our region has to offer. Here are 14 ways to spend the holiday season in metro Detroit, from ugly Christmas sweater parties to dazzling light displays.

Upcoming events (Dec. 18 through Jan. 8)

The Original Turtleneck & Sweater Holiday Extravaganza

  Fifth Avenue Royal Oak

  Saturday, Dec. 20

  $26

The 25th anniversary of the ugly Christmas sweater party that started it all — right here in Michigan. There will be live music, a fashion show, food and drinks, professional photography and more. Festivities go from 5–10 p.m. and all proceeds benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. This event is 21+.

Downtown Trenton Noel Nights: Day 3

  Trenton City Hall

  Saturday, Dec. 20

  Free

An afternoon of activities encouraging residents to explore downtown Trenton, including pony rides, photos with Santa, a holiday market, a live nativity scene, kids crafts and a hot cocoa bar. Festivities go from noon to 4 p.m.

Art for the Holidays

  Detroit Artists Market in Detroit

  Ongoing through Saturday, Dec. 20

  Free

A long-running art exhibition and sale featuring nearly 1,500 unique, handmade works from nearly 100 local artists. Pieces span from ceramics and textiles to paintings and jewelry, and every purchase directly supports Detroit artists. The market is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WDET’s (Not So) Modern Music Holiday Special

  Online and on your radio

  Saturday, Dec. 20 and Tuesday, Dec. 23

  Free

A radio special hosted by Jon Moshier (host of WDET’s Modern Music) and DJ Dave Lawson featuring a brand-new batch of rare and unusual holiday music. The special premieres on WDET on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 4 p.m., and an encore broadcast will air on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m.

Detroit Public Theatre Holiday Cabaret

  Detroit Public Theatre

  Ongoing through Sunday, Dec. 21

  $25–$100

A festive performance crafted with wit and rowdy charm. An ongoing tradition, the Detroit Public Theatre’s Holiday Cabaret features talented vocalists and adult humor. General admission is $52, but rush tickets are often available for $25.

Eastern Market’s Holiday Market

  Eastern Market in Detroit

  Sunday, Dec. 21

  Free

A seasonal market featuring Michigan-made gifts, including clothing, art, jewelry, beauty products and more. Christmas tree vendors will also be in the parking lot outside Sheds 5 and 6. The market goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the final Holiday Market of the year.

Wayne County Lightfest

  Hines Park of Westland

  Ongoing through Wednesday, Dec. 24

  $5–$50 cash, depending on type of vehicle

A drive-through attraction featuring five miles of light displays down Hines Drive. Additional activities are available halfway through the route, including photo opportunities, food trucks and a mailbox for letters to Santa. Lightfest is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 6–10 p.m.

A Whole Lotta Love on WDET

  Online and on your radio

  Thursday, Dec. 25 through Friday, Jan. 2

  Free

A series of encore broadcasts from Ed Love’s legendary Evolution of Jazz program on WDET. The show is a master class in jazz history, featuring passionate, in-depth stories from Ed’s decades in the business. Episodes air on WDET weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kwanzaa Celebration and Motor City Kinara Lighting

  Campus Martius Park in Detroit

  Friday, Dec. 26

  Free

A community Kwanzaa celebration hosted by Alkebu-lan Village, the City of Detroit, the Downtown Detroit Partnership and other community partners. Recognized as one of the largest Kwanzaa Kinara displays in the world, the 30-foot-tall monument is designed to stand alongside Detroit’s other major holiday displays, serving as a vibrant symbol of African American life, culture and community. Festivities go from 3–7 p.m. and the Kinara will be on display through the full week of Kwanzaa.

Winter at The Station

  Michigan Central Station in Detroit

  Ongoing through Sunday, Dec. 28

  $0–$15

A family-friendly celebration of the season featuring festive decor, interactive exhibits, holiday shopping, live music and more. Special programming will also take place throughout the month, including dance performances, artist workshops and more. General admission is free and open to the public, but some of the special programming is ticketed. Parking is $5 per vehicle. The Station is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but will be closed Dec. 24–25 and Dec. 31 through Jan. 1 for the holidays.

Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village

  Greenfield Village in Dearborn

  Ongoing through Sunday, Dec. 28

  $36–$44

An immersive historical experience featuring carols, roasted chestnuts, artisan crafts, ice skating and Model-T rides. Limited tickets remain.

Parlay Detroit’s New Year’s Eve Daytime Celebration

  Parlay Detroit

  Wednesday, Dec. 31

  Free

A spirited, kid-friendly afternoon centered around the Michigan Wolverines vs. Texas Longhorns game so families can celebrate New Year’s Eve without staying out late. There will be face painting, DJs and a game day atmosphere. Kids eat free from 2–5 p.m., and seating is first-come, first-served.

Parlay Detroit’s New Year’s Eve Nighttime Celebration

  Parlay Detroit

  Wednesday, Dec. 31

  Free

A vibrant New Year’s Eve night experience for adults and older guests, featuring multiple DJs, an energetic atmosphere and a full food menu available until 2:30 a.m. Festivities kick off at 9 p.m. and the party is first-come, first served.

Guests of Honor: Art of Faith from the Jewish Museum, New York

  Detroit Institute of Arts

  Ongoing through Jan. 3, 2027

  Free with general admission

A temporary exhibit at the DIA featuring a selection of Jewish ceremonial objects from the Jewish Museum in New York. The pieces date from the 1400s to the early 1900s, and include Torah finials, Hanukkah menorahs and more.

As we draw closer to the Christmas season holiday cheer is right around the corner. What better way to bring in the Christmas vibes than a holiday concert extravaganza?

This Thursday, Holiday Detroit will put on a one night only showcase of music and dance featuring artists both near and far. Professional dancers, singers and musicians team up with students from Voyageur College Preparatory High School to put on this holiday performance. 

Lisa McCall is a renowned choreographer and a producer of the show. She joined the program with one of the showcases’ featured artist: The Temptations lead singer, Tony Grant.  

Tickets are available at holidaydetroit.com

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This year the Detroit School of the Arts will offer its Kwanzaa celebration to the public for the first time.

The program Seven Seeds, One Harvest: The Chronicles of Kwanzaa will feature African drumming, spoken word performances, visual art and a student-led fashion show.

The DSA has celebrated Kwanzaa since the 1990s. The annual event is sponsored by the dance department,  but incorporates the work of all seven arts majors at the school.

“Typically our Kwanzaa program is a school assembly because it’s designed as a cultural learning opportunity for students,” says DSA principal Mayowa Reynolds.

Reynolds introduced Kwanzaa to DSA when she was a new teacher at the school in 1999.  She credits current West African dance instructor Imani Ma’at AknhmenRa Amen Taylor with building the program to a level that’s ready for the masses.

Ma’at AknhmenRa Amen Taylor is a Kresge Arts Fellow and teaches West African dance to all of the dance majors and as physical fitness to all DSA students.

“The significance here at DSA is that as students who are going to go out into the world as artists, that they are deeply rooted in their own culture,” says Principal Mayowa Reynolds.

The event is also a fundraiser for dance students who have been invited to travel and train with the National Ballet of Guinea next year.

Seven Seeds, One Harvest: The Chronicles of Kwanzaa is Friday, December 12 at 7 p.m. at the Detroit School of the Arts at 123 Selden Street in Detroit.

This week, we’re highlighting holiday festivities from downtown to downriver. Here are seven things to do this week in metro Detroit, including gift markets, art exhibits, dance performances and more.

Upcoming events (Dec. 11–18)

Art for the Holidays

  Detroit Artists Market in Detroit

  Ongoing through Dec. 20

  Free

A long-running art exhibition and sale featuring nearly 1,500 unique, handmade works from nearly 100 local artists. Pieces span from ceramics and textiles to paintings and jewelry, and every purchase directly supports Detroit artists. The market is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Guests of Honor: Art of Faith from the Jewish Museum, New York

  Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit

  Ongoing through Jan. 3, 2027

  Free with general admission

A temporary exhibit at the DIA featuring a selection of Jewish ceremonial objects from the Jewish Museum in New York. The pieces date from the 1400s to the early 1900s, and include Torah finials, Hanukkah menorahs and more.

Seven Seeds, One Harvest: The Chronicles of Kwanzaa

  Detroit School of Arts in Detroit

  Friday, Dec. 12

  $6–$22

A performance by the DSA African Dance Ensemble featuring drumming, dancing, poetry, fashion and storytelling to celebrate unity, healing, power and purpose. This year’s performance is a fundraiser to help students take an educational trip to Guinea, West Africa in 2026–2027. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Downtown Trenton Noel Nights: Day 2

  Trenton City Hall, various locations

  Saturday, Dec. 13

  $0–$5

An afternoon of activities encouraging residents to explore downtown Trenton, featuring a Hot Cocoa Walk, Snowflake Scavenger Hunt and Holiday Concert. Festivities go from noon to 4 p.m., and activities are $5 for adults or free for kids. The Holiday Concert is free and open to the public.

Batch Brewing Holiday Market

  Batch Brewing Company in Corktown

  Saturday, Dec. 13

  Free

An alternative holiday market featuring a dozen local vendors offering a wide variety of gift ideas. The market goes from 1–5 p.m. and also features music by DJ Thornstryker.

Eastern Market’s Holiday Market

  Eastern Market in Detroit

  Sunday, Dec. 14

  Free

A seasonal market featuring Michigan-made gifts, including clothing, art, jewelry, beauty products and more. Christmas tree vendors will also be in the parking lot outside Sheds 5 and 6. The market goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the second-to-last Holiday Market of the year, as the final one will be Sunday, Dec. 21.

Menorah in the D

  Cadillac Square in Detroit

  Sunday, Dec. 14

  Free with RSVP

An outdoor Hanukkah celebration featuring a 26-foot-tall Menorah and eight community lamplighters. There will be greetings from Jewish leaders, strolling entertainment, hot soup and more. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. and the Menorah lighting ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

Merchants and organizations in the midtown area have organized a holiday event to keep the spirit of Noel Night going. The annual event’s 51^st run has been canceled. But almost 60 shops, restaurants, and community organizations have come together to launch “Merry Midtown” in the spirit of Noel Night.

City Bird’s Andy Linn says there will be concerts at the Detroit School of the Arts, exhibits at Wayne State, DJs at several sites and more.

“And there’s going to be pop up markets at about a dozen of the larger businesses including a really cool vintage and flea market at the majestic. And then there’s going to be live music at a number of locations including Red Hook and Motor City Brewing Works. There’s going to be so many little surprises.”

Business owners say Noel Night is often one of the most lucrative of the whole year – and also when many people discover small businesses in the area. They hope it returns next year, but Merry Midtown may also be here to stay.

For more information about Merry Midtown events visit citybirddetroit.com/events. 

Additional headlines from Tuesday, December 2, 2025

New Detroit lions

Detroit has welcomed three new lions at the Detroit Zoo.

A 9 year-old African lioness named Amirah gave birth to the cubs late last month. A fourth cub did not survive. The kitty cats are expected to meet the public in a few months.

Go Lions!

Pontiac’s Holiday Extravaganza

Pontiac is hosting its 44^th Holiday Extravaganza Saturday. There will be a 5K Elf Run, a “Run, Little Elf” Run, a holiday parade, pony rides, winter festival, a visit from the Clauses and more.

The event is a holiday celebration for Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Waterford and White Lake. It starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. around Saginaw Street in downtown Pontiac.  

Dry autumn

This fall was metro Detroit’s driest autumn since 1998. The National Weather Service’s preliminary data show we got just over four inches of rain, the least amount of precipitation for any fall this century.

That also ranks as the tenth driest autumn in southeast Michigan since the government started keeping records in 1874. 

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Walk through Detroit long enough and the city starts talking to you — in murals, in corner bars, in the way old streets bend and break. 

A new puzzle collection tries to put that experience on the page.

On Saturday night, people who love this city enough to puzzle over it will gather at The Congregation in Detroit for the release of the new crossword book Block Party: Detroit Edition.

There are many things in Detroit to be surprised by — a block you thought you knew. A memory stirred by the sound of a bus rolling by. A building with an unexplored hallway.

This new crossword book leans into all of that. Every puzzle carries a bit of the city.

At the center of it all are two friends: Sala Wanetick and Emily Biegas. They write with curiosity, tease with wordplay, and hide little nods to the places they grew up and the corners they still wander. Their clues feel like conversations at a bar you’ve been going to for years.

They joined Cary Junior II on The Metro to discuss how a crossword becomes a portrait of a place, and why Detroit is perfect for this kind of puzzle.

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Evidence of colonization is embedded in the United States government. Through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or the U.S. territories that are governed by colonial administration models, like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The place we now call Detroit, or, Waawiyatanong, the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Three Fires Confederacy, has a unique place in United States’ colonial history.

The people of the Three Fires Confederacy—the Ojibway, Ottawa and Potawatomi nations, or collectively Anishinaabe people, were subjects of colonialism, violence and displacement. First by European settlers, then by the United States government. That process was carried out and documented by bureaucratic process, what scholars call colonial administration.

Maggie Blackhawk is the Moses H. Grossman professor of law at the NYU law school. She’s an expert in colonial administration, law, and history.

She spoke to Metro producer David Leins about what we can learn today from the bureaucratic records of the past to better understand colonialism in the U.S. and Michigan.

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