Holidays in Detroit

I absolutely love Detroit during the holiday season. The city really knows how to do it up! Not only are there many great restaurants and bars to eat at with family but the city completely transforms into a winter wonderland. The Holiday Markets at Cadillac Square are absolutely adorable and a great way to support small business. Cadillac Square also has a Lodge which will put you in the holiday spirit. Cadillac Lodge is decorated exceptionally and is a warm, inviting area for friends and family to gather around on couches, and at tables to play games and enjoy one another's company. There of course is a small bar in the Lodge where you can purchase beverages. Nathan and I sat inside for awhile warming up playing checkers. It was a simple way to spend some quality time together and we both enjoyed the nostalgia of playing checkers. My best friend and I also explored the city on our Detroit Day Date and we had a great time riding around the city on the Bird Scooters exploring all the best holiday spots!

        

Capital Park also has Holiday Market Shops and a large area to gather around fireplaces. Capital Park even has a small turf area for dogs! There is also a small shop to purchase Christmas trees as well as wreaths and other festive holiday plants.

 

Campus Martius has an outdoor ice skating rink and of course the 60 foot tall Christmas Tree proudly sitting on a platform above the fountain. This is the first year that the Tree was sourced from Metro Detroit. The tree is decorated with  about 19,000 lights and ornaments. It's one of my favorite spots to get a picture in front of every year. This year Campus Martius will host a second rink, however this one is not for ice skating, but roller skating! The Rainbow City Roller Rink is located at 1001 Woodward Ave just across the corner from the ice skating rink. The Roller Rink is completely free of charge, including skate rental, and lockers! The rink does accept walk ins however, it appears that they fill up very quickly, but you can make a reservation online! My husband and I have a reservation for this Saturday and I cannot wait!

The walk from Campus Martius to the  Spirit of Detroit Plaza is pretty magical. There are multi-colored light installations that guide your way and swinging benches to rest on the way there (even though the walk is short). My favorite is the arch walkway made from pine that is laced with white lights. It smells completely like Christmas as you walk through and of course is a perfect photo op! Once you get to the Plaza there are adorable igloos that are heated where you can lounge and play games like Jenga. I brought my Mom and younger sister, Kayla down and we played Jenga and had a great time. Of course, my luck I knocked the Jenga tower over.

 

       

I could go on forever but if you are looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon I would highly recommend visiting downtown Detroit during this holiday season. I am planning to spend NYE downtown and will be sharing what we get into then! If you have any suggestions, please feel free to send them my way!