Holiday strolls, carriage rides, parades: 5 things to do in metro Detroit this weekend
You can celebrate the magic of the season with parades and festive outdoor winter wonderlands in metro Detroit this Thanksgiving weekend. Here’s what’s in the lineup.
Canterbury Village Holiday Stroll
This outdoor experience will transport guests to a winter wonderland with more than a million festive lights, a light show choreographed to classic holiday songs and the sounds of professional carolers, Christmas performances and re-creations of favorite holiday scenes. Visitors can also visit with Frosty, Buddy the Elf, the Grinch, Jack Frost, Anna, Elsa and Olaf. Santa will be there, too, and his personal mailbox will be available to accept letters from children.
The Holiday Stroll opens at 5 p.m. FridaySunday. Other dates are Dec. 2-4, 9-11, 16-18 and 22-23. Canterbury Village, 2359 Joslyn Court in Lake Orion. Tickets are $14.99 per person and must be purchased in advance at canterburyvillage. Children younger than 2, active military members and veterans get in free. Parking is $5.
Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo
The Detroit Zoo’s annual display will feature millions of twinkling LED lights illuminating buildings, trees and more than 290 sculptures at the front half of the zoo. This year’s event includes an enchanted trail, live entertainment, a 4D movie and an option to dine on the Polar Patio.
The event runs through Jan. 8 on select weeknights and most Sundays from 5-9 p.m. Most Fridays and Saturdays, hours will be 510:30 p.m. Capacity is limited. Tickets start at $17 and can be purchased in advance at detroitzoo.org. A limited number of walk-up tickets will be sold at the gate. 8450 W. Ten Mile in Royal Oak.
Holiday fun in Garden City
Kick off the season with the 61st Garden City Downtown Development Authority Santaland Parade. It will feature inflatable characters, bands, floats, Miss Michigan, World War II veterans and more. The parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Garden City High School, travels south on Middlebelt, turns left on Ford and ends in the Garden City Town Center parking lot.
Birmingham welcomes the season
Hop aboard a complimentary horse-drawn carriage for a tour of holiday lights and decorations in downtown Birmingham. Rides will begin in Shain Park and are first come, first served. No reservations are needed. Rides will
be offered 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday as well as Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18 and 24. Also, 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 3.
The Annual Birmingham Santa Walk is 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday and will make its way from the Surnow Building at 320 Martin through downtown. It will include stops at various shops before concluding at Santa’s home in Shain Park. Register to visit Santa before appointments that begin at noon.
Parade through the Pointes
The theme of this year’s parade is Christmas in Toyland! The Parade Company’s Big Heads will be a part of the event. The route on Kercheval starts at Lewiston in Grosse Pointe Farms and proceeds to Cadieux in Grosse Pointe Park. It starts at 10 a.m. Friday.