Christmas, Hanukkah Events In Detroit Area: Parades, Tree Lightings

METRO DETROIT — There is no shortage of things to do in Metro Detroit to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Tree and menorah lightings in Metro Detroit are:

• Christmas Aglow, Shelby Township, Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. on the township municipal campus at 52700 Van Dyke Ave.
• Holiday Night at the Museum, Wayne, Friday Dec. 2, Downtown Wayne
• Birmingham Tree Lighting, Birmingham, Friday Dec. 2, Shain Park
• Tree Lighting Ceremony, Auburn Hills, Friday Dec. 2 in Downtown Auburn Hills
• Merry & Bright: Livonia's Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting, Livonia, Sunday Dec. 4, at the Livonia Civic Center
• Holiday Lights Celebration, Farmington Hills, Sunday Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. on the Farmington Hills City Hall campus at 31555 W. Eleven Mile Road on the southwest corner of Orchard Lake Road.
• Royal Oak Jingle & Light Parade, Saturday, Dec. 10, Royal Oak, in Downtown Royal Oak
• Illuminate, Ann Arbor, Dec. 4 at the Beth Israel Congregation, 2000 Washtenaw Ave.
• Grand Chanukah Celebration, Commerce, Dec. 5, Chabad of Commerce, 810 Sleeth Road
• Ice Menorah Lighting with Gelt Drop, Troy, Dec. 5, Chabad Jewish Center of Troy, 3179 Livernois Road
• Chanukah Wonderland, West Bloomfield, Dec. 5, Bais Chabad Torah Center, 5595 W. Maple Road

Christmas parades — often complete with Santa Claus, festively decorated floats and marching bands — are a holiday tradition, both nationally and locally.

Several big parades are taking place this year, including the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Parade in Baltimore City, Maryland, and the Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach, California.

Parades in Metro Detroit may not be able to match those in size, but the heart behind them is just as big. Parades to catch here at home include:

• Berkley Holiday Lights Parade in Downtown Berkley, Dec. 3 in Downtown Berkley
• Christmas Parade in Downtown Oxford, Dec. 3 in Downtown Oxford
• Orion Lighted Christmas Parade in Downtown Lake Orion, Dec. 3 in Downtown Lake Orion
• Christmas Parade in Downtown Trenton, Dec. 3 in Downtown Trenton
• Hometown Christmas Parade in Rochester, Dec. 4 in Downtown Rochester

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in Michigan are:

• Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, The Henry Ford & Greenfield Village 20900 Oakwood Boulevard
• Mackinac Island Christmas Tree Lighting, Mackinac Island, Dec. 2-4
• Festival of Trains, Traverse City, Dec. 17 through Dec. 31 (Closed Christmas Day)