Christmas in Plymouth: markets, lights and festivals

It is still the middle of summer, but Plymouth's Christmas line-up is already taking shape, and there is a good spread of things to pencil in once the cold sets in. The biggest draw is Christmas in the Village, the Plymouth Improvement Committee's outdoor street market and festival, now in its eleventh year. It runs across two days in early December, with the first evening packed with the Parade of Lights and a fireworks display to close it all off.

The festival is free to wander, and that is a big part of its appeal. There is a small-business market under a heated tent, food trucks and drink vendors, a Christmas Spirits Lounge for adults, a 1,500-square-foot skating rink, a giant slide, carousel rides, character appearances and carriage rides on the first night, plus Plymouth Polar Express Train rides, a live reindeer exhibit and a live Nativity on the second day. Live entertainment runs across both days, with a model train exhibit in the village building and plenty for younger visitors. The Parade of Lights sets off at 6:30pm on the first evening, and afterwards Santa hands out cookies and hot cocoa at the old fire station on Portner Street, just off the Square, before the fireworks bring the night to a close.

For something a bit more laid back, Christmas in Plymouth pairs a holiday festival with the Mistletoe Market, a European-style Christmas market under the Plymouth Farmer's Market on Penniman Avenue, next to the Penn Theatre, where more than 60 artisans from across the Midwest sell handmade goods. The market runs over a weekend in mid-December, and the whole event is built around getting people from one end of town to the other: a free parking shuttle and a shopping trolley link the market with the Tinsel & Treasures craft show over at the PARC, with stops at the Park Place Gastro Pub and Basket Kreations along the way.

Families will find the most to do at the Tinsel Town Tunnel & Train, a heated kids' area on Forest Avenue that bundles a free LED light tunnel with a ride on the Tinsel Town Train through the Walk of Trees at Kellogg Park, plus cookie decorating, letters to Santa and free hot chocolate. There are also horse and carriage tours, with a private six-person carriage and a larger wagon option, and a run of meet-and-greets with characters from the Grinch to Buddy the Elf. The festive spirit extends to the community too, with a Giving Tree collecting gifts for the local Foster Closet of Michigan, and a gingerbread house competition that keeps the town looking seasonal well into the new year.

If you would rather sit and listen than shop, Celtic Christmas brings a live musical celebration to the Plymouth Arts Center, with the ensemble Celtic Folk blending traditional, contemporary and sacred Christmas music in a show that works for all ages. It is a quieter way to take in the season, and with the market and festival dates spread across early and mid-December, there is plenty of room to pick the weekend that suits you best. Whether you are after the big parade, a bit of browsing at the Mistletoe Market or a night of Celtic carols, the plan for a Plymouth Christmas is already well in hand.