🔒 Where to find holiday lights in Metro Detroit

Downtown Rochester holiday light display (Facebook page)

DETROIT – The spirit of the season glows bright throughout Motown with glimmering displays throughout the city. Bundle up and bring the family for holiday memories and traditions.

The Big Bright Light Show, 5pm to midnight through January 3: The streets of Downtown Rochester glow in bright, colorful lights draped over every building for the 15th year in a row. This year there will be over 1.5 million lights glistening Main Street with each shop getting its own color.

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Canterbury Holiday Stroll, weekends through December 23: Experience a winter wonderland at Canterbury Village under a million bright lights. Meet and greet holiday-favorite characters and sing along with professional carolers. The stroll is outdoors, rain or shine. Tickets are $14.99 per person with children 2 and under free. Get tickets here.

Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village, weekends through December 28: Go back in time to celebrate Christmas like the days of yore. Lanterns light the paths as carolers sing their merry tunes throughout the Village’s 80 acres. End the night with a warm beverage and watch as fireworks light up the sky every night. Schedule and tickets here.

Magic of Lights (DTE Energy Center), 5:30 to 10pm through January 1: Drive through dazzling displays of light and color all in the comfort of your own car. Thousands of lights engulf every rider bringing famous holiday stories to life in the latest LED and projection technology. Tickets start at $25 per vehicle. Reserve your time slot here.

The Rink at Campus Martius, through January 2: Tie up those laces and glide around in the glow of all of Downtown Detroit’s towering buildings and giant Christmas tree. Then hop on over to Bea’s in Cadillac Lodge for a cozy winter treat and games. Hours and prices here.

Starry Lights (Ford House), through January 9: Step into the grounds of the legendary Ford House for a nearly mile-long immersive display of lights and sound. Vintage holiday videos of the Ford family will be projected onto the façade of the home. Starry Lights is an all-outdoor experience, so dress accordingly. Tickets start at $20 per adult and $12 per child. Schedule and tickets here.

“Swinging Bells” (Beacon Park), through January 9: Hop aboard one of several bells throughout Beacon Park and watch as the large sculptures change colors and make their own unique sounds. Afterwards, soak in the glow of the park with a quick stroll through the illuminated trees.

Wayne County Lightfest, Wednesday-Sunday 6pm to 10pm through December 31: Hines Drive comes alive with 50 displays of shimmering lights to drive through. Kids can bring their letters to St. Nick with the return of Santa’s mailbox. Admission is $5 per car, cash only (more for larger vehicles). More info here.

Wild Lights (Detroit Zoo), select nights starting at 5pm through January 9: This holiday tradition gets bigger and glows brighter every year. Millions of LED lights will wrap around and sparkle the zoo’s famous trees and buildings featuring larger-than-life light sculptures of animals from around the world. Admission also includes the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit. Advance tickets only starting at $17. Schedule and reservations here.

Winter Wonder Lights, select nights through December 30: Meadow Brook Hall’s popular Holiday Walk just got even brighter with the addition of the all-new Winter Wonder Lights. Discover the magic of light and sound as you stroll through the grounds of the historic landmark. Watch as interactive displays illuminate and sparkle the gardens and trees, while a projection mapped installation features the works of local Detroit artists. Reservations and more info here.


About the Author:

Carmichael Cruz is a digital producer at WDIV and curates the Go Guide, our weekly weekend events newsletter.