5 Things To Do This Weekend In Dearborn

DEARBORN, MI — Get out your calendar. Here's a rundown of Dearborn area weekend activities.

1. The Festival of Trees is back! The winter wonderland at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center (15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn) kicks off on Nov. 20 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission: Adults are $5, kids 3 to 16 are $3 and kids 2 and under are free. Funds benefit the Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation. Click here for the full Festival of Trees schedule.

2. Don't miss the Detroit Tree Lighting in Campus Martius! A 60 foot Michigan grown Norway Spruce will be lit up with 19,000 energy-efficient LED lights (thank you, DTE Energy!) around 7:45 p.m. The festivities start earlier though. At 5:00 p.m. there'll be horse-drawn carriage rides and pics with Santa. The Salvation Army lights the giant Red Kettle at 6 p.m. and a few minutes later enjoy a skating performance by Olympic champions and Michigan natives Meryl Davis and Charlie White. If you want to put your skate skills to the test, the rink opens to the public at 9:00 p.m.

3. How about seeing some of the most magnificent moments of animals in the wild in places ranging from India to Norway to the Swiss Alps? The phenomenal Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit is kicking off its U.S. debut at the Detroit Zoo on Nov. 18. The exhibit is free with zoo admission.

4. Sharpen up those ice skates! The Detroit Zoo has a brand new ice skating rink in front of the Polk Penguin Conservation Center. Guests aged 4 and up can skate between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. Skaters under 12 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Cost: $3. If you need to rent skates (a limited number of rentals are available) the price is $7, and includes a 25-minute skating session.

5. Want some culture? Head to the Detroit Opera House to catch "Silent Night" (which won the Pulitzer Prize for music). The opera is a story of a random cease-fire between soldiers on Christmas Eve. Click here for performance times on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20.

Photo by Gotovan via Flickr