DETROIT – Each year for the past 46 years, Noel Night has descended upon Midtown and blessed our holiday season with horse-drawn carriages, hot chocolate, roasted almonds and magic shows. This year, the magic continues.
Churches, local businesses and museums will keep their doors open well passed sundown to welcome visitors with special music performances, ice sculptures and a live nativity scene.
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The festivities begin at 1 p.m. tomorrow, with daytime hours back this year. Midtown Detroit Inc., which organizes Noel Night each year, announced new daytime hours last year, a measure put in place after four teenagers were shot during Noel Night in 2017.
Hours for the event are split 1-7 p.m. north of Warren Avenue and 5-10 p.m. south of Warren Avenue.
Another recent change different from previous years is that rather than having activities outside on Woodward Avenue, there will be three “hubs,” per a new Midtown Detroit Inc. policy change. These hubs are located:
- The southwest corner of Woodward and Warren which will feature Wayne State University and TechTown’s Winter Art Retail Market, 8 Degrees Plato Beer Tent and food trucks
- The northwest corner of Canfield and Cass (410 W. Canfield) which will host the annual Salvation Army Brass Band Sing-A-Long, arts & crafts and a bake sale
- The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center/DSO Sosnick Courtyard with the Ice Scraper Challenge, caroling, and more
Organizations participating 1-7 p.m.: Carhartt, The Carr Center Contemporary Gallery, C. H. Wright Museum of African American History, College for Creative Studies, Common Pub, Detroit Association of Women’s Clubs, Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Public Library, Hellenic Museum of Michigan, The Inn on Ferry Street, The International Institute of Metro Detroit, Michigan Science Center, The Park Shelton Lobby, Peacock Room, The Scarab Club, Wayne State University Art Department Gallery, Wayne State University Bookstore, Wayne State University Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University Reuther Library, Wayne State University Welcome Center, and the Wayne State University Warren Park Woodward and Warren Park: Holiday Marketplace.
Organizations participating 5-10 p.m.: Over 80 venues are following this time format, including Detroit Shipping Co., First Unitarian Universalist Church/EMEAC, The Garden Theater, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, Motor City Brewing Works Warehouse, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), and the Noel Night Bandstand.
Here are some highlights from tomorrow’s lineup:
- SWING DANCING: The Detroit Historical Museum will present a Holiday Sock Hop with WSU Swing Dancers featuring Kayla Chenault—includes lessons, part demonstration & dancing in the Streets of Old Detroit (3:30-4:30 p.m.)
- ROBOT REINDEER: Detroit-based Apetechnology presents 3 Roving Reindeer, three remote controlled robots as an homage to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer outside of the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center (5:00-10:00 p.m.)
- PERFORMANCE: The Detroit Actor’s Theatre Company, a Detroit-based community theatre, will perform excerpts from “A Christmas Carol” at Michigan Science Center – Toyota 4D Theater (1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 4:30, & 5:30 p.m.)
- MUSIC: Ural Thomas and the Pain. At nearly eighty years old, Ural Thomas is a hot soul shouter and velvety-smooth crooner from Portland, Oregon. He will be performing at Motor City Brewing Works Warehouse. (9 p.m.)
For a complete list of performances and exhibits to check out tomorrow click here.
Use the map below to help you navigate the excitement.