Mid Michigan Holiday Events and The Coolest Christmas Things to Do 2022 (Christmas Light Shows, Santa Trains, Christmas Tree Lighting, Holiday Parades, Christmas Tree Farms and More!)
Looking for a fun holiday event or something fun to do to celebrate Christmas in Mid Michigan? Read on for a list of some of the best ways to celebrate the season!
Pere Marquette (The Polar Express) in Owosso – This is the Christmas event of the season: a one-hour-and-fifteen-minute train ride on the North Pole Express, a world-famous Pere Marquette 1225. Board the train in Owosso and head to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, where passengers will disembark for a two-hour Christmas party, complete with hot cocoa and other treats.
Christmas at Crossroads Village – During the Holiday season (November 26 – December 30), the Village comes alive under thousands of points of glimmering holiday lights. Make memories to last all year from the comfort of your own vehicle and see displays of your favorite holiday scenes for just $10 per car.
Mid Michigan Christmas: Best Holiday Events and Christmas Things To Do
See Santa at Peacock Road Family Farm in Laingsburg – Looking for Santa’s headquarters downstate? You might find him here on Peacock Road Christmas Tree Farm, along with a Sugar Shack filled with sweet treats, a wreath shop, and more.
Krause Tree Farm in Applegate – A visit to this fun Christmas Tree farm just north of Lexington in Michigans’ thumb region is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. In addition to trees, you’ll find a gift shop with fresh boughs, roping, and wreaths as well as refreshments and seasonal snacks.
Port Austin Christmas Tree Lighting – Head to the tip of Michigan thumb for the Port Austin Annual Christmas Tree Lighting. If you get there at 6 p.m., you can enjoy the parade, too. There’s a lot to do around this fun town, be sure and check out our Ultimate Guide to Port Austin to lean more.
Visit Frankenmuth, Michigan’s Own Christmas Town – Charming Frankenmuth is the hotbed of Christmas in Michigan all year round, where you can shop in European-style holiday marketplace, stroll the shops and restaurants and take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage ride along snow-dusted streets. Be sure and stop in the Old Christmas station for a fabulous home-cooked dinner.
Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland – It’s the world’s largest Christmas store, with more than seven acres and 50,000 Christmas trims and gifts for you to shop. Every evening from dusk until midnight, Bronner’s grounds transform into a magical de-light as over 100,000-holiday lights illuminate the Frankenmuth sky. Open year-round.
Rooftop Landing Reindeer Farm in Clare – Visit Santa and his reindeer in Clare, where you can view, pet, and feed the reindeer. You’ll find a heated barn with Christmas alpaca and other animals, as well as a gift shop, fresh warm donuts, hot caramel cider and hot cocoa.
If you haven’t seen the Polar Express yet, why not experience it first hand with these four Christmas train rides in Michigan and make it part of your holiday tradition? So, get in your best holiday garb, strap on your Santa hats, and book your ticket now for the ride of your life.
Take a Polar Express Train Ride Pere Marquette (The Polar Express)
405 S Washington St, Owosso, MI 48867
It would only make sense that the very train that The Polar Express was based on is still going strong every Saturday and Sunday throughout the Christmas season, running between Owosso and the town of Ashley MI. It’s also more popular than ever, so if you’re thinking about going, get your tickets soon.
This is the Christmas event of the season: a one-hour-and-fifteen-minute train ride on the North Pole Express, a world-famous Pere Marquette 1225, a 1941 steam engine. Board the train at the welcome center at the Railroading Institute in Owosso and head to the Village of Ashley Country Christmas, where passengers will disembark for a two-hour Christmas party, complete with hot cocoa and other treats.
Once the train stops, passengers can see pretty Christmas trees and participate in the numerous activities the village has to offer. This includes live entertainment, having their picture taken in front of the 1225, and meeting Santa Claus himself.
Please note that this is by far the longest Christmas train, at four-and-a-half hours round trip thanks to the stop in the Village of Ashley.
This may not be the option for you if your children get easily restless on long trips, however, the ambiance is quite unlike any other holiday train.
Located in Owosso, MI, just a short ride from metro Detroit or west Michigan, t’s a truly memorable experience: the train is decked out in Christmas decorations, and when the train reaches the Village of Ashley, the fun truly starts.
Holiday Magic at Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad
6140 N Bray Rd, Flint, MI 48505
Open November 26th to November 28th and December on 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, 21-23, 26, and 28-30, this is one of the easier Holiday Trains to get on as there is more availability. Enjoy not only the locomotive ride but the Village as well as Crossroads is decorated each year in a plethora of Christmas Lights.
If you happen to be in the village on select dates, perhaps try out the Christmas Dinner Buffet to warm those bellies with ham or chicken before braving the cold blustery Winter. If you are going on the train, be sure to bring your mask as well as your good cheer.
Train rides aren’t the only fun holiday event going on at the Crossroads Village Holiday Magic event: they have a spectacular Christmas light show, too.