Hi chica! Holiday season 2026 is on the calendar, and the dates are already out for the big nights around here. This is the checked list, gathered November 3, 2026: what St. Clair Shores usually lights up, plus the confirmed dates in Detroit, Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Grosse Pointe, with the source and the check date named for every item.
One honest note before the list. Nobody can promise you a perfect night out, and event details do change, so treat every date here as the starting point and confirm on the official page before you head out. What I can promise is that every date below is real, public, and current as of the day I checked it, and none of it is a guess.
01. St. Clair Shores: the two traditions to watch for
The City of St. Clair Shores runs two big holiday traditions every year. As of November 3, 2026, the city had not yet published the 2026 dates, so here is the shape of them from the city's own calendar and the last two seasons, and you will want to watch the events page for the official dates.
The first is the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at City Hall on Jefferson Avenue. In recent years it has been the first Friday of December from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, with the official tree lighting, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a petting zoo, live music, hot chocolate, and crafts. It was December 6 in 2024 and December 5 in 2025.
The second is the Tunnel of Lights at Blossom Heath Park, a free, nightly walk-through light display along the park's sidewalks, hosted by the city's Parks and Recreation department. Last season it ran from December 6 into late January, with food trucks and live entertainment on weekends.
The city's events page lives at scsmi.net/307/Events. The moment the 2026 dates are posted, that page is the source of truth, and this is where you will find them.
02. Detroit: the tree lighting and the Holiday Market
The 23rd annual Detroit Tree Lighting happens Friday, November 20, 2026, from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at Campus Martius Park on Woodward Avenue. It is free, presented by the DTE Foundation and produced by the Downtown Detroit Partnership.
Right across the way, the Downtown Detroit Markets Holiday Market at Cadillac Square opens Wednesday, November 11, 2026, and runs through Sunday, January 3, 2027, so the tree lighting lands right in the middle of its run.
03. Royal Oak: Lighting of the Park and a December market
Royal Oak kicks off its citywide festival, Royal Oak Holidays, with the Lighting of the Park on Friday, November 20, 2026, from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at Centennial Commons. The evening includes ice skating at The Rink, Santa visits, food trucks, live music, and the tree lighting at the Royal Oak Public Library steps.
The festival continues through December 20, and the Royal Oak Holiday Market is set for Thursday, December 3, 2026, from 4:00 to 9:00 PM at the Royal Oak Farmers Market on East 11 Mile Road, with more than 60 crafters and vendors, food trucks, and live entertainment.
04. Ferndale: Jingle & Mingle in the parking structure
Ferndale's Jingle & Mingle, with the Underground Holiday Market, happens Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 15, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at The dot parking garage on West Troy Street. It gathers 65 to 70 vendors, plus free kids' make-and-take activities and a food drive supporting local nonprofits.
There is something wonderful about a holiday market inside a parking structure. The space gets dressed up, the vendors line the floors, and you do your gift stroll with the cars right above you.
05. Grosse Pointe: three corners of the same season
Grosse Pointe spreads its season across a few spots. The City of Grosse Pointe's annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in The Village is Friday, November 20, 2026, at 5:30 PM.
The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe Farms lights its tree on Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 4:00 PM, with hot chocolate, an ice sculpture, a vintage holiday marketplace, and children's activities around the fountain.
And the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores hosts Home for the Holidays, an outdoor one-mile stroll through the grounds lit for the season, from November 27 and 28 through December 19, 2026, on Thursday through Sunday evenings.
06. How to use this list
Friday, November 20, 2026 is the big night: Grosse Pointe City lights The Village tree at 5:30 PM, and Detroit and Royal Oak both light theirs that same evening. Three tree lightings in one Friday, so you get to choose your scene, and I am a sucker for a good one, happy to stand in the cold for it.
Tree lightings draw a crowd, so give yourself a little extra time to park and wander. Markets run for days, which makes them easier to fit into a normal weeknight or a lazy Saturday.
Every date above was confirmed against official city pages and event listings on November 3, 2026, and organizers list these as subject to change, so confirm again on the official page as the night approaches. Then stop planning and go. Say yes and figure it out.
07. Sources checked for this post
St. Clair Shores tree lighting and Tunnel of Lights: the City of St. Clair Shores events calendar and the Oakland County Moms guide to the Tunnel of Lights, checked November 3, 2026. The city had not published the 2026 dates as of that check.
Detroit Tree Lighting and Holiday Market: the Downtown Detroit Partnership event pages, checked November 3, 2026.
Royal Oak: the Royal Oak Holidays official site, checked November 3, 2026.
Ferndale: the City of Ferndale's Jingle and Mingle 2026 page, checked November 3, 2026.
Grosse Pointe: the City of Grosse Pointe special events page, The War Memorial events calendar, and coverage of the Ford House holiday season, checked November 3, 2026.
