'Tis is the season to be jolly in the city

Detroit has many beautiful, exciting and unique things going on during this holiday season.

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony was a great lead to the many festivities in Detroit. 

Thousands crowded Campus Martius Park on Nov. 22 to see the 60-foot Norway Spruce tree light up with more than 19,000 lights. 

The bright Christmas lights used on the tree also serve as a reminder of the glowing Star of Bethlehem which hung high above the nativity scene of Baby Jesus.

Senior Brandon Berry along with many students from the Ville attended the tree lighting ceremony. 

“Being downtown at the tree lighting was straight; I mean people from everywhere packed the park, where the decorations and colors made things festive,” he said.

“I was impressed. There was no trouble that I noticed, and I had a lot of fun,” Berry said.

Downtown Detroit was grand and heavily adorned with wreaths, bulbs, lights, youth caroling, ice skaters’ performers, city dignitaries greeting the anxious crowd and the smell of hot coco was in the air. That’s what the evening entailed.

Detroit kicked off Christmas season the tree lighting, which was followed by the Thanksgiving Parade. 

Troves of spectators watched the Art Van American Parade march down Woodward Avenue, a tradition that dates back to 1924, and of course, all the kids there waited to see Santa arrive in Detroit.

Another holiday event in Detroit was Noel Night on Dec. 7. EEVPA Paraprofessional Tracey DeShields attended this year’s Noel Night in the city.

“Absolutely wonderful; many churches, organizations and businesses including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Historical Museum, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History all opened their doors for the large crowd to visit their establishments, and what a great time it was,” DeShields said. “Really, there is no place like Detroit at Christmas time.

“There is no business like show business in the City of Detroit.”