With ample space and advanced safety features, the Blazer ensures every journey is as enjoyable as the destination.
Photo courtesy of Nadir Ali for Valade Park
As the cold wind continues to blow through Metro Detroit, the area stays anything but quiet. Winter brings a packed calendar of festivals, outdoor fun, cozy gatherings, and family-friendly experiences that make embracing winter feel easy, even on the chilliest days. Be sure to bundle up and check out these winter events…
BLAKE’S ORCHARD & CIDER MILL
17985 Armada Center Road, Armada
5590 Van Dyke, Almont
Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill delivers a robust winter lineup, blending food, family fun, wellness, and social events into a season-long calendar. Highlights include the 10th Annual Chili Cook-Off on February 21 from 1 to 4 p.m., where guests can enjoy unlimited chili samples, live music, games, and craft hard cider or beer, followed by an awards ceremony recognizing creative categories. For chefs interested in competing, be sure to register by January 31. Beyond the cook-off, Blake’s hosts a Backyard Book Club on the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m., guided mixology classes on the second Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Junior Baker Workshops for kids five through 12 on select weekends beginning January 24 at the Cider Mill, and seasonal events like Renew and Reset New Year Yoga (January 25), Mother-Son and Daddy-Daughter dances (January 31 and February 7, respectively), and a Galentine’s Charcuterie Board-Making class on February 12. Be sure to register early for whichever programs are calling your name. Igloo Dining runs now through March 1 at Blake’s Tasting Room in Armada and Blake’s Backyard in Almont, while weekend brunch at the Tasting Room offers a cozy way to enjoy winter mornings with friends and family, along with omelet stations, waffle bars, comfort food, and cider-forward drinks.
VALADE PARK
2670 Atwater Street, Detroit
Winter at Valade Park returns for its sixth season along the Detroit Riverfront, offering free family-friendly fun every weekend from January 10 through March 1. “Winter at Valade on the Detroit Riverfront has become a must-attend event for thousands of people throughout our community,” said Addison Mauck, Director of Visitor Experience for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy. “We’re proud to provide an accessible way to get outdoors during the coldest and darkest months of the year…” Guests can sled at Valade Hill when the weather cooperates, try curling on the patio, borrow sleds from the Sled Shed, warm up by fire pits, roast marshmallows, or head indoors to The Shed to play some board games. Food from Smokey G’s and seasonal drinks from the Valade Shed Bar are available Fridays through Sundays, while themed events elevate the experience. The Fire and Ice Festival on January 24 and 25 offers ice carving competitions, live performances, roaming characters, inflatable axe-throwing, and a seven-foot-tall ice tower turned bonfire. This is followed by a Lunar New Year celebration on February 14 featuring a parade, lion, dragon, and Nezha dances, crafts, and live music.
CAMPUS MARTIUS PARK
800 Woodward Avenue, Detroit
Campus Martius Park Rink and CHALET 313 continue to anchor downtown winter fun, pairing outdoor skating with a warm retreat inside the glass-enclosed, two-story CHALET 313 lounge. Overlooking the rink and Detroit’s skyline, the space offers seasonal cocktails, hot cocoa, and cozy seating. Through February 19, head to CHALET 313 for Winter Trivia on Thursday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. Go solo or with a group, with no registration required, for a chance to win prizes. With the rink open through early March, make it a day to skate around and then head indoors to heat up and try your hand at trivia.
DETROIT ZOO
8450 West 10 Mile Road, Royal Oak
The Detroit Zoo offers a calmer take on winter with its Winter Yoga series, hosted inside several indoor zoo spaces far removed from Michigan’s cold. These 60-minute sessions are led by certified instructors, include complimentary parking and Zoo admission, feature limited class sizes for a more focused experience, and wrap in an exclusive Zookeeper Chat. Morning sessions are available on select dates, including February 16 around the reptiles, March 2 along amphibians, and March 16 in the Ron Kagan Wildlife Interpretive Gallery, with additional classes scheduled into April.
WINTERFEST
14300 Oak Park Boulevard, Oak Park
Winterfest in Oak Park brings a classic, community-focused celebration to the Oak Park Recreation Community Center grounds on January 25 with a free event designed for all ages. Families can expect ice sculpting, live music, hot chocolate, chili, face painting, craft tables, s’mores, carriage rides, and plenty of family-friendly activities, including a reindeer pen and mini Scottish cows, making it an easy, feel-good way to spend a winter afternoon outdoors.
Winter in Metro Detroit proves year after year that cold weather does not have to slow things down. With festivals, food-driven gatherings, outdoor adventures, and cozy indoor experiences spread across the area, the season offers endless ways to stay connected, make memories, and enjoy everything winter has to offer.
This article has been updated to include new information. The original article was published on January 7, 2025, and was authored by Carolyn Hall.
