5 Things To Do In Rochester and Rochester Hills

ROCHESTER, MI — Here are a few weekend activities in the Rochester and Rochester Hills area to add to your itinerary.

1. Rochester is about to get lit up. The wildly festive Big, Bright Light Show will light up the Rochester night on Nov. 21 at 6:45 p.m. on East Fourth St. The actual "grab your camera and Instagram immediately" moment is at 7 p.m., when the light switch is officially flipped. Santa will be there and merchants will be partaking in Lagniappe.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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. In the holiday spirit? Check out ELF The Musical at the Fox Theater (2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit). Shows are this weekend and tickets range from $35 to $75.

Photo by Eric Michael1 via Flickr