What You Missed: A Barn Fire, Christmas Trees and '30 Days of Giving' Kickoff

If you logged off over Thanksgiving break and are just coming back, here's a look at some of the stories you missed over the holiday.

Barn burns down on Adams Road

The barn on the west side of Adams Road just south of Silverbell Road Friday night. The structure belonged to and was used to store Christmas decorations and lawn and snow removal equipment.

"Thank God it was just a barn and not a life – that’s the biggest blessing right now," Oakland Christian Church Pastor Dominic Russo said.

The cause is currently under investigation.

Patch launches "30 Days of Giving" series

Want to volunteer this season to help someone less fortunate, but don't know where to start? Don't worry – we've got you covered. Starting the day after Thanksgiving and continuing every day through Christmas Eve, we'll be showing you one way you can give back each day.

On Friday, we featured . Saturday it was , yesterday we showed you where to find , and today we're focusing on . Do you have a suggestion for a charity or organization we should feature in 30 Days of Giving? Email jen.anesi@patch.com.

O, Christmas Tree...

If you're heading out to buy a Christmas tree soon and want to know which trees will last through the holidays, here's a list of the , courtesy of 's Dwight Thomas. For a peek into the process through which a tree becomes a Christmas tree, check out filmed at Addison-Oaks Christmas Tree Farm in Oakland Township.

Coming up this week

is this evening in downtown Rochester. Starting at 6 p.m., there will be carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, a visit from Santa Claus and the debut of the at 7 p.m. Many local businesses will be offering “lagniappe” – Creole for “a little something extra” – to their customers in appreciation of their support throughout the year.

The is this Saturday at 6 p.m. in downtown Lake Orion. As one of the only nighttime parades in Michigan, it has become a tradition for several communities in northern Oakland County, including Oakland Township, which regularly participates in the parade.

Sunday at 2 p.m. is the , which is touted as the largest Christmas parade in Michigan. The parade begins at Rochester and Tienken roads and continues south through downtown Rochester. This year's theme is Six Decades of Christmas Joy, and the event will be broadcast on Channel 7. Keep an eye out for Patch (we'll be marching in the parade!).

If you love holiday cookies but can't (or don't want to) bake them yourself, you can buy three dozen holiday cookies for $20 through the 's , held on Dec. 9 and 10. To pre-order a box, and complete the attached form.

For more upcoming events, check out our Events calendar. To learn how to post your own event, check out our .