Enjoying holiday lights is a modern family tradition. Just ask City Lifestyle's publisher, Kimberly Janowicz.
"As a child, Christmastime could sometimes be rush, rush, rush: buying, shopping, cleaning, preparing," Kimberly recalls. "Seeing the lights was the one night where we just spent time together as a family. It was quiet, peaceful and joyful."
With Christmas music playing on the car radio, Kimberly and her family visited familiar neighborhoods and explored new displays. "It was a Christmastime adventure," Kimberly says. "I miss sitting in the backseat. Now I'm the driver, sitting in my dad's old seat with my mom beside me. I take her to make her Christmas more joyful."
Kimberly and her mom's own light-sighting traditions include a heated car blanket, chai lattes and cranberry bliss bars from Starbucks.
"Making Christmastime memories we can cherish is the best gift!" Kimberly declares.
So here's Kimberly's gift to you: luminous events in and around Mount Clemens where you can make your own holiday memories.
- 1) Step back in time with the Mount Clemens Historical Commission’s Holiday Homes Tour. You'll be whisked from one brilliantly lit, beautifully decorated historic home to another, with access to all five homes' first floors. You'll hear fascinating stories about the families who once lived there. It’s a colorful celebration of our city’s resplendent past, December 7 from 1 - 4:30 p.m. All transportation provided. Tours leave every half-hour from the Crocker House Museum and Gardens. Tickets on Eventbrite.
- 2) Mix headlights with holiday lights at the Downtown Light Parade on Saturday, December 14th! Deck out your ride with festive decor, and join the parade as it twinkles through downtown Mount Clemens. Meet at 5:00 p.m. in the Towne Square Parking Lot (Yellow Lot). The radiant parade starts at 7:00 p.m. Spectators can stop into Black Cat for hot chocolate, or enjoy Oasis District holiday drinks out on the street—create your own pub crawl! For info on registering, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mountclemenscitylifestyle
- 3) Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo features spectacular light shows, animal sculptures, an enchanted forest—and a talking wishing tree.
“It responds to your wish, then sends it out the top of the tree into the sky,” says Emily O’Hara of the Detroit Zoological Society.
Proposing this holiday? Emily says, “Wild Lights” is a popular spot: “We have a special package, a special area set up.”
For a “Wild Lights” photo op, Emily suggests the entrance's new lighted 15-foot logo: “You can sit in the O's of ‘Detroit Zoo.'" Tickets at detroitzoo.org - 4) Choose your environment with two festive Meadow Brook Hall events. Stay warm and explore the historic mansion on the Holiday Walk, November 29 - December 23. It features 50 stunning trees, flickering fireplaces and shimmering decorations over three floors. If you’re outdoorsy, opt for the breathtaking Winter Wonder Lights: the grounds are transformed into an outdoor spectacle of gleaming displays. Stroll the sparkling paths, indulge in seasonal treats and cozy up around a bonfire. Tickets at meadowbrookhall.org
- 5) Immerse yourself in the enchantment of the season with Home for the Holidays at Ford House. Stroll a one-mile path illuminated by elaborate light displays, including whimsical willow trees and festive gardens. Explore the historically accurate holiday decor of The Main Residence at your own pace. Enjoy complimentary hot chocolate—adults can spike it for a festive twist. After this glittering journey through history and holiday cheer, you can snap a photo with Santa himself. For info and tickets, visit fordhouse.org