Holiday activities and light displays happening in the area
There are plenty of upcoming activities and events to ring in the holiday season, including holiday light displays, music and theater performances, and visits with Santa. For the latest information on event times and dates, check the event websites.
Auburn Hills
• Winter Solstice Lantern Walk: 5-8 p.m. Dec. 18, at Hawk Woods Park & Campground, to celebrate Winter Solstice, when days will start to get longer until Summer Solstice in June. The event features a lantern-lit trail through the woods, wreath-making, hot chocolate and coffee, and a yule ceremony at the fire.
• “The Best Holiday Show Ever”: 7:05 p.m. Dec. 17 and 2:05 p.m. Dec. 18 presented by The Avondale Theatre Company at Avondale Performing Arts Center, 2800 Waukegan St., Auburn Hills, avondaletheatrecompany.ludus.com, minimum donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students.
• Santa’s Flight Academy: Through Dec. 24, at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills, greatlakescrossingoutlets.com/ pages/sfa. Photo packages start at $39.99.
Birmingham
• The Great DecorateFostering Hope for the Holidays to help Metro Detroitbased foster teens in need. More than 40 downtown Birmingham businesses will deck the halls with holiday trees and creative window displays. Cast votes for favorite display by donating any amount at www. TheGreatDecorate.com through Dec. 31.
Clarkston/ Independence Twp.
• Magic of Lights drivethrough holiday lights display: Through Dec. 31, Pine Knob Music Theatre Parking Area, 33 Bob Seger Drive, Independence Twp. Passes must be purchased online at magicoflights.com/events/clarkston, $20+.
Farmington/ Farmington Hills
• Farmington Chorus Brightest and Best Holiday Concert: 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 4 p.m. Dec. 17, at The Hawk — Farmington Hills Community Center, 29995 W 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, Farmingtonchorus. com, 248-473-1850.
• A Holiday Toast: 3 p.m., Dec. 18, North Farmington High School Auditorium, 32900 W. 13 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, fcbmusic.org, free.
Holly
11 • Holly Dickens Festival: a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, and noon-5 p.m. Sundays, through Dec. 11, downtown Holly, www.facebook.com/ hollydickensfestival.
• HollyDazzle — A Renaissance Christmas Extravaganza: 5:30-10:30 p.m. through Dec. 31 at Michigan Renaissance Festival, 12600 Dixie Highway, Holly. HollyDazzle is a three-quarter mile outdoor trail featuring more than 1 million lights with several lighted Christmas scenes, caroling, storytelling, live Santa photo ops, games and crafts for the children, food to purchase at Santa’s Sweet Shoppe. Adults- $21.95, children ages 5-12- $8.95, Elf Bundle-$21.95, (1 Adult and 1 Child) Children ages 4 and younger admitted free, free parking, purchase tickets at www.michrenfest.com.
Lake Orion/Orion Twp.
• Canterbury Village Holiday Stroll: Opens at 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday through Dec. 18, and Dec. 22-23, at Canterbury Village, 2359 Joslyn Ct., Orion Twp., featuring festive lights and a light show, choreographed to classic holiday songs, live Christmas performances and holiday scenes. Santa will be available for visits and his personal mailbox also will be available. Tickets for Holiday Stroll, which takes place rain, snow, or shine, are $14.99 per person and must be purchased online in advance at CanterburyVillage.com. Children younger than two, active military members and veterans admitted free. Parking is $5.
Northville
• “A Holiday to Remember”: 1-5 p.m. Dec. 11, downtown Northville (Main and Center Street closures), strolling music and carolers on Main and Center Streets, food truck, vendors, horse and wagon rides starting behind the Pavilion in Town Square, www.millracenorthville.org.
• “Tree of Teeth” Christmas Tree DMX holiday music light show is on the hour, 6-9 p.m. nightly through Jan. 6n in front of Preservation Dental, 371 E. Main St., Northville. The nearly 20-foot-tall tree is made up of over 1,000 oversized plastic white molars, with more than 1,000 twinkling lights.
• It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” performances through Dec. 18, at Tipping Point Theatre, 361 E. Cady St., Northville, www.tippingpointtheatre. com, $28+.
Novi
• Santa’s Flight Academy: Twelve Oaks Mall Lifestyle Café Food Court, 27500 Novi Road, Novi, reserve place online at shoptwelveoaks.com/pages/sfa, photo packages start at $39.99.
Pontiac
• Festival of Trees: The public can vote for favorite trees through Dec. 30. Christmas trees are “adopted” and decorated at participating merchants throughout downtown Pontiac by nonprofits. The nonprofit with the most votes receives $500, Holidayextravaganza.org.
Rochester/ Rochester Hills
• Old-Fashioned Christmas: Noon-3 p.m. Dec. 17, at Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm, 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester Hills, $8 museum members and $10 for non-members. Registration preferred but not required at rochesterhills.org/museum. Farm wagons transport guests to museum buildings for musical entertainment, theatre groups, railroad exhibit, crafts and snacks.
• “A Christmas Carol” performances: Through Dec. 24, Meadow Brook Theatre, 378 Meadow Brook Road, Rochester, 248-3773300, www.mbtheatre.com. $36+.
• Walk-up visits with Santa: Select times and dates through Dec. 24, in Festival Park at The Village of Rochester Hills Shopping Center, outdoor shopping center, 104 N Adams Road, Rochester Hills. Check website for times, no reservation needed, www. TheVORH.com. Guests are invited to bring their own cameras.
• Holiday Walk and Winter Wonder Lights: Through Dec. 30, on the campus of Oakland University, Meadow Brook Hall, 350 Estate Drive, Rochester. By day, Holiday Walk transports visitors through the historic mansion, gen. admission timed tickets are $20 and youth tickets are $7.50, while Winter Wonder Lights is a self-guided outdoor event featuring light displays across the grounds, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. most evenings through Dec.
30. Adult tickets are $22 and youth tickets are $12 each, www.meadowbrookholidays.com.
• The Big, Bright Light Show: 5 p.m.-midnight nightly through Jan. 21, downtown Rochester businesses holiday lighting, www.downtownrochestermi.com.
Royal Oak
• Royal Oak Concert Band “Joys of the Season”: 3 p.m. Dec. 11, at the Royal Oak Middle School Auditorium, 709 N. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and free for ages 12 and younger. Tickets are available at the door or at www.royaloakconcertband. org.
• Detroit Opera Youth Chorus “A Winter Fantasy” holiday music: 2 p.m., Dec. 11, First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak, 529 Hendrie Blvd., south of 4th Street), www.detroitopera. org,$20 for adults and $10 for ages 6-17.
• “Elf the Musical” performances: Through Dec. 18, The Baldwin Theatre, 415 South Lafayette, Royal Oak, Stagecrafters production, www.stagecrafters.org. Tickets are $28+ on Thursdays, and $38+ on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays.
• Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo: Through Jan. 8, on select weeknights and most Sundays from 5-9 p.m. Most Fridays and Saturdays, the event will take place 5-10:30 p.m., outdoor event limited to the front half of the zoo, no access to animal habitats, gen admission tickets are $17+ each, children younger than 2 are admitted free, parking is $8, wildlights.detroitzoo.org.
Southfield
• The annual “Holiday Sleigh of Giving”, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 17, in front of the Southfield Public Library, (circle drive), 26300 Evergreen Road, Southfield, presented by the Southfield Police Department and Fire Department, and other community organizations. Gift bags of toys and clothing for children will be distributed to Southfield and Lathrup Village families in need, first come-first served, while supplies last.
Sylvan Lake
• Santa in Sylvan & Annual Tree Lighting: Dec. 11, at the Community Center, 2456 Pontiac Drive, Sylvan Lake. Santa in Sylvan is at noon and tree lighting is at 6 p.m., sylvanlake.org.
Troy
• Santa Claus and The Grouch: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 23 at Oakland Mall, 412 W. 14 Mile Road, Troy. Santa will make solo weekday appearances, Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. First come-first served basis, no advanced registration for these events. Photo packages are available, but not required, $12.99+, OaklandMall.com.
• Victorian Christmas: Open to visitors of all ages, 6-8 p.m. Dec. 16; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 17 and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 18, Troy Historic Village, 60 W. Wattles Road, Troy. Tickets are $10/Troy Historical Society Members or $12/Non-Members. Early online registration is encouraged, www.TroyHistoricVillage.org.
• Visits with Santa: Through Dec. 23, at Somerset Collection’s holiday castle in North Grand Court, 2800 West Big Beaver Road, Troy. Santa visits are available Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-6:55 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5:55 p.m. Photos with Santa are $30 and reservations can be made at www. thesomersetcollection.com. The Children’s Only Holiday Shop is open noon to 6 p.m. through Dec. 23, on Somerset Collection North, Level 3 near Nordstrom.