MICHIGAN

Explore Michigan's top Christmas towns — including a city named after the holiday

Minnah Arshad
Detroit Free Press

As the scent of gingerbread houses, pine cones and holiday feasts are welcomed in with the season, take a look at some of Michigan’s best Christmas towns to visit with family and friends. From Dutch-inspired Christmas markets to snowmobiling in the Upper Peninsula, this map of winter wonderland has something for everyone.

Frankenmuth

Bronner's Christmas store in Frankenmuth covers nearly two football fields.

Nicknamed “Michigan’s Little Bavaria,” Frankenmuth touts its year-round Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, as the largest in the world. In 2011, Time Magazine named Frankenmuth as one of nine most Christmassy Towns in America, now complete with horse-drawn carriage rides, an ice rink and a big Christmas tree. 

Christmas, Mich.

Irene collects letters to be stamped with the Christmas postmark in Christmas, Michigan, 1984.

That’s right, Michigan actually has a little town nestled in the U.P. called Christmas. Stores are decked out in holiday decorations and the destination is popular for snowmobiling. Visitors also get the chance to mail their Christmas cards to be postmarked from the actual town of Christmas.

Holly

Firefly Drone Show's 300 drones perform a practice flight for an upcoming holiday show at Holly Cloud Hoppers fly field in Holly on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.

This year, the town of Holly features a three-quarter-mile outdoor trail lighted with Christmas scenes at the Renaissance Village, including Santa Claus, penguins, and a Candy Land castle. Purchase tickets on www.michrenfest.com. Adults pay $21.95, and children ages 5-12 pay $7.95.

Traverse City

Randy Safford, of Traverse City, Michigan, reacts as being the last one standing who has played tuba the longest for the Merry Tuba Christmas. Safford has been playing at various tuba Christmas concerts every year since 1985.

In the summer months, Traverse City is known for its cherry festival. Around Christmastime, however, the town is illuminated with festival lights and decorations. Visitors can enjoy the Festival of Trains, which runs from Dec. 18-31, excluding Christmas Day. The town also hosts dogsled adventures, corn mazes, skiing hills, snow tubing and holiday parades.

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Holland

Scenes from downtown Holland's Holiday Open House Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. The event featured shopping, Christmas carolers, pictures with Santa and a reindeer coral.

Enjoy Dutch-inspired holiday pastimes, like paying a visit to Sinterklaas, strolling through the outdoor holiday market, Kersmarkt, and enjoying musical performances. Go to www.holland.org for information on upcoming events from the community theater, farmers markets and more.

Detroit

Hundreds attended the annual Christmas tree lighting at Campus Martius on Nov. 19, 2021. The event featured food trucks and entertainment on the ice rink and stage.

See the 65-foot Christmas tree in the city and skate along Campus Martius this holiday season. The Detroit Zoo is presenting Wild Lights, a display with millions of lights and more than 280 sculptures, according to the website. Tickets are available for purchase online. Detroiters can also take a trip down to Belle Isle when the snow blankets the park. The Whitcomb Conservatory and Belle Isle Aquarium provide warm stops in frigid temperatures and beautiful attractions of nature.

Contact Minnah Arshad: MArshad@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter @minnaharshad. 

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