Celebrate the Holidays with Detroit Tree Lighting

A night of holiday cheer is coming to downtown Detroit. On Nov. 22, locals can enjoy a tree lighting, entertainment, shopping, food, and more.

Considered the "official kick-off" to the holiday season, the 21st annual Detroit Tree Lighting runs 4-9 p.m., with additional events scheduled all weekend. The 66-foot, Michigan-grown Norway spruce, located in Campus Martius Park, will be decked out with ornaments and thousands of LED multi-colored lights. Santa will down the honors of counting down to the tree lighting.

Among the lineup of stellar live entertainment, are ice skating shows by Elladj Baldé, duo Linzy Fitzpatrick and Keyton Bearinger, and talents from area skate clubs along with musical performances by Alex Sampson, Southern Avenue, Thornetta Davis, The Next Generation Funk Brothers, and more.

In addition, the Downtown Detroit Partnership has teamed up with 313Presents to bring The Grinch from Dr. Suessâ€TM How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical in on the fun.

The event will also feature beverage stations, new for 2024, serving everything from Blakeâ€TMs Hard American Apple Cider and Michelob Ultra to Mistletoe margaritas, and espresso martinis. Non-alcoholic drinks will also be available and a wide variety of food trucks will be parked on site.

For those who prefer to tune in at home, WXYZ-TV Channel 7 is broadcasting live coverage of the event. The "Light Up the Season" special will be on starting at 7 p.m.

Admission to the Detroit Tree Lighting is free. The event runs alongside the Downtown Detroit Holiday Markets and Cadillac Lodge , so there will be plenty of opportunities for holiday shopping, too.

For more information, visit  downtowndetroitparks.com .

This post has been updated for 2024.