Cue the jingle bells — Noel Night to set Midtown Detroit aglow for 47th year

It’s easy to be a bit of a whiny little Grinch this time of year. Out-of-town relatives, credit card maximization, and, the ultimate trigger, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” on rotation everywhere you go. But there are some things, like Detroit’s Noel Night, that embody the holiday spirit so deeply that you can’t help but go along for the sleigh ride.

Entering its 47th year as Detroit’s longstanding holiday tradition of a neighborhood-wide, open-house celebration is Noel Night, when more than 50,000 visitors are expected to descend on Midtown. The event will open the doors to more than 110 businesses, venues, and cultural institutions, and will welcome more than 100 performances from local theater companies and musical acts, including the Detroit Actor’s Theatre Company, Mosaic Youth Theatre, Erin Zindle and the Ragbirds, Ural Thomas and the Pain, Ranky Tanky, On the Sun, Etienne Charles, and Thornetta Davis. Returning are event favorites the Ice Scraper Challenge, as well as the headlining event, the Salvation Army Sing-Along, which takes place at the corner of Cass Avenue and Canfield Street.

An interactive map can be viewed here and a full schedule of events, performances, and activities can be found at NoelNight.org.

Noel Night runs 1-7 p.m north of Warren Avenue and 5-10 p.m. south of Warren Avenue on Saturday, Dec. 7; Midtown, Detroit; 313-420-6000; noelnight.org. Event is free and open to the public.

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