The holiday season is a magical time in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with festive events lighting up every corner. From tree lightings and parades to craft fairs and candlelight concerts, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Plan your calendar and join in the holiday cheer with this comprehensive guide to 2024 holiday celebrations across the UP!
Jack Frost Festival Tree Lighting, Downtown Ironwood
📅 November 21
Kick off the Jack Frost Festival with the Tree Lighting Ceremony at Ironwood’s Depot Park. This event launches a winter celebration filled with outdoor recreation, winter sports, and holiday excitement lasting through late January.
Escanaba Christmas Tree Lighting
📅 November 26
Head to Escanaba’s Center Court at 1025 Ludington Street for the Christmas Tree Lighting at 7 p.m. Enjoy live music from the Escanaba City Band starting at 6 p.m. and admire ornaments crafted by local elementary students.
Lights at the Lake, Iron Mountain
📅 November 28–December 31
Lake Antoine Park transforms into a winter wonderland with dazzling Christmas lights. This free event is a community favorite. Enter through the main gate, dim your lights, play holiday music, and drive slowly to take in the display!
Gladstone Old-Fashioned Christmas
📅 November 29
Celebrate an old-fashioned Christmas in Gladstone with a festive tree lighting. Explore local businesses for activities, treats, and live music, and visit Santa at the Farmers Market.
Parker Ace Hardware Parade of Lights, Sault Ste. Marie
📅 November 29
Don’t miss the dazzling Parade of Lights at 7 p.m. in Sault Ste. Marie. Sponsored by Parker ACE Hardware, this event will fill the streets with holiday cheer.
Christmas Walk: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, Hancock
📅 November 29
Hancock comes alive with its 53rd Annual Christmas Walk from 6-8 p.m. The evening features a Christmas parade, tree lighting, cookie decorating, hayrides, crafts, and Toys for Tots donations. Quincy Street will be closed to ensure safe family fun.
Starry Starry Night, Grand Marais
📅 November 29–30
Join the Grand Marais community for the Polar Bear Express-themed holiday celebration. Enjoy a light parade, tree lighting, crafts, and more.
Schoolcraft Memorial Festival of Trees
📅 November 29–December 14
The event’s focal point is the display and sale of spectacular holiday trees, wreaths, gift certificates, getaways, merchandise, and more donated by businesses and community groups.
Deck the Walls Holiday Gala, Curtis
📅 November 30
The Erickson Center for the Arts hosts a festive gala featuring a silent auction, cash bar, and holiday-themed shopping.
Old-Fashioned Christmas, Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse, Gulliver
📅 November 30
The Gulliver Historical Society invites you to an old-fashioned Christmas event. Santa will arrive via fire truck, and attendees can enjoy refreshments, tours, and holiday fun.
Rekindle the Spirit, Downtown Munising
📅 December 5
This festive evening features Santa’s Parade, tree lighting, hot cocoa, and wagon rides. Don’t miss photos with the Grinch and other holiday characters!
DeTour Village Community Christmas Tree Lighting
📅 December 6
Christmas Tree lighting on December at DeTour Ambulance. Enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and singing Christmas Carols leading up to the light of the tree. On Saturday enjoy Breakfast with Santa, auction, market place and specials throughout the Village.
Christmas in Norway
📅 December 6
Celebrate the season in Norway with a winter market, ornament making, Santa’s parade, fireworks, and more.
Escanaba Christmas Parade
📅 December 6
Line Ludington Street to watch the marching bands and beautiful floats and wave at Santa, the star attraction.
St. Ignace Hometown Holiday
📅 December 6
Experience the small-town charm of St. Ignace during its festive Hometown Holiday celebration filled with seasonal magic.
Iron River Christmas in Lights Parade
📅 December 6
“Dreamin’ of a White Christmas” is the theme of this years Christmas in Light Parade.
Winter Wonderland Celebration, Houghton
📅 December 6
Enjoy a festive evening on Houghton’s waterfront pier from 5-8 p.m. Activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, and free hot cocoa.
Christmas Walk, Iron Mountain
📅 December 6
Visit Santa at the library, enjoy a live nativity scene, and join the foot parade to the downtown plaza where the community Christmas tree will be lit.
A Village Christmas, DeTour Village
📅 December 6–7
Start with a tree lighting on December 6 at the Ambulance Hall, followed by a full day of breakfast with Santa, an auction, and village specials.
Escanaba Christmas in the Village
📅 December 6–7
The Village creates an old-fashioned, Yuletide celebration with free roasted chestnuts, carols in the chapel, cookie sale, wagon rides, quilt raffle, can raffle and a large selection of arts and crafts from local vendors.
Hometown Christmas Ontonagon
📅 December 6–8
Plenty of events the whole weekend including concerts, dance craft fair, shop local events. Don’t forget to visit Marina Park for fireworks and RICC park for the lighting of the tree. Sunday a cookie sale at Holy Family, Christmas parade and visits with Santa!
Mackinac Island Tree Lighting and Christmas Bazaar Weekend
📅 December 6–8
Celebrate the season with Mackinac Island’s tree lighting on December 6, followed by a weekend of festive activities like silent auctions, crafts, and snowmobile raffles.
Jack Frost Festival of Lights Downtown Ironwood
📅 December 7
The Jack Frost Festival is a celebration of winter sports, outdoor recreation, and holiday excitement. Starting the second Thursday of November with the Tree Lighting Ceremony in Ironwood’s Depot park and ending on the last Saturday of January.
Lake Linden Christmas
📅 December 7
The Lake Linden Christmas Craft and Food Bazaar will take place in the Little Gem Community Center’s gym, accessible via the left front entrance. Attendees can expect high-quality goods from local farmers, artisans, and crafters.
Christmas by Candlelight
📅 December 7
Prepare to be enchanted by The Hiawathaland Chorus during this special candlelight concert at The Pine Performance Center.
Light up the Park Rapid River
📅 December 8, 15
Come see this beautiful light display. Admission is free, but please bring non-perishable food for the canned food drive. Blue Barn Farm will be there selling fresh doughnuts and hot apple cider.
Chassell’s Old Fashioned Christmas
📅 December 11-14
Enjoy a lighting contest, carriage rides and a tree lighting, holiday craft bazaar, a visit from Santa, cookie decorating, story time, games, and a Home Tour complete with a gourmet tasting at the Chassell Heritage Center!
Marquette Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting
📅 December 13
Experience the magic of the holiday season as children of all ages take in the wonder of the annual Downtown Marquette Winter Snow Fun Holiday Parade. Bundle up with friends and family as illuminated floats, tinsel-strewn trucks and colorful carolers transform Third Street into an enchanted scene from the North Pole.
Tinseltown, Negaunee
📅 December 14
Kick off the holidays in Negaunee with the Christmas Parade, tree lighting, caroling, and Gingerbread Lane, a magical new lighting display.
Winter Wonderfest, Copper Harbor
📅 December 14
Shop local artists’ crafts, enjoy a bake sale, and partake in ornament-making. The festivities end with a tree lighting and fireworks at Town Park.
Light Up Baraga County
📅 December 21
Christmas Carnival at the American Legion with Santa visiting at 3pm. Streets will be closed soon after and the parade will start. Open skating at Meadowbrook from 6-9 and tree lighting at Waterfront Park at 6:30.
Santa Arrives in DeTour
📅 December 24
Santa arrives in town about 5:00 Christmas Eve. He jumps aboard one of our fire trucks and travels the village streets, spreading good cheer. At 5:15pm he stops at the Fire Hall, where he spends time with children who have gathered. By 6:15 he’s back in the air enroute to another village, and more boys and girls
Whether you’re looking for parades, tree lightings, or unique craft fairs, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is the place to be this holiday season. These events are perfect for creating cherished memories with family and friends while embracing the warmth and joy of the season.
