The Chevy Trax offers style and practicality, perfect for making every drive fun for the whole family.
Ice skaters at the Campus Martius ice rink. Photo courtesy of Downtown Detroit Partnership.
This week, many kids and adults will have time off from school and work to spend time with family and friends for the holidays. Many families will naturally be engaging in their favorite traditions, but while you have this free time to spend with each other, why not try to make the most of it?
There is so much to do with your family in Metro Detroit, so from ice skating and movie screenings to cooking and quality time, check out these family-friendly holiday break activities.
Ice Skating
Ice skating can be a perfect family outing for skaters of all skill levels. If you’re lacing up for the first time, it’s great to have people there to show you the ropes and short of competitive ice sports, kids and adults can enjoy ice skating at their own pace.
Now that Campus Martius’ ice skating rink is open, it’s a beautiful location for a family outing. Grab your skates (or rent a pair) and enjoy a few rounds on the rink. Plus, the 60-foot Christmas tree is the perfect background for family photos.
For a themed night of skating, head to Riley Park in Farmington for “Harry Potter and the Holiday Skate.” There will be a costume contest, a Horcrux Hunt and more. I recommend bringing your own skates as a proper rental system will not be in place.
Holiday Lights
Not until I grew up did I learn to appreciate the family trips to look at holiday lights. From your own neighborhood to the Detroit Zoo, there are some really beautiful light displays to see this time of year. My personal favorite are the lights found on Hines Park Dr. It’s a five-mile stretch of 47 big light displays using more than one million lights.
But, there are so many great light displays in Metro Detroit. Head here to see a round-up of a few of our favorites.
Local Movie Screenings
Going to the movies over the holidays is a common family tradition here and for good reason! Most people love movies, but it can be tough to find a movie the whole family will like sometimes. Below are a few family-friendly film screenings happening over the next couple of weeks:
- Greta Gerwig’s newest film, Little Women (Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Meryl Streep), will be released on Christmas Day
- The Farmington Civic is showing The Greatest Showman (Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya) on Dec. 31 at 9:30 p.m.
- If you haven’t already seen it, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will surely be playing at just about every theater around
Holiday Concerts
After ice skating, holiday lights and local movie screenings, I think there’s one more thing you should try to do with the family before your time off runs out: catch a concert!
- Local cover band The Underdog will be performing at Fifth Avenue Royal Oak on Dec. 23. Ugly Christmas sweaters are highly encouraged. (Facebook)
- The Hip Hop Nutcracker, which reimagines the classic musical, can be seen at The Masonic Temple on Dec. 23 (Facebook)
Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be performing at Little Caesars Arena on Dec. 28 for “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” (313 Presents)
