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Useful Lansing area tidbits for families
‘Tis the season when the air gets colder, we say “see ya” to all things fall, and we look forward to the magic and fun the holidays bring.
Holiday time means different things to different people, but rest assured there are Christmas activities for everyone.
No matter what’s on your holiday bucket list – whether it’s meeting Santa, witnessing a live nativity, seeing real reindeer, cutting down your own Christmas tree, attending a tree lighting ceremony, or driving around to see holiday light displays – the Capital City’s got you covered with many offerings of Christmas and holiday events and activities.
You’ll find performances, concerts, parades, and events you didn’t know existed, all reflecting the spirit of our community and ready to help us get into the holiday spirit.
Get the hand warmers and hot cocoa ready and keep reading to see the best Christmas and holiday events happening in Lansing this year.
Do you know where Santa will be this year in the Lansing area?! Now you will – with a list the size of Santa’s belly!
Find out where to take pictures with Santa, eat with Santa, go on a sleigh ride with Santa, and more with our Santa Finder!
Cutting your own real Christmas tree is way more than just the tree!
It means hot chocolate, horse-drawn carriage rides, Santa sightings, and trees galore at many farms around the Greater Lansing area.
Christmas parade, holiday parade, Santa parade – whatever you call it, you can find it in greater Lansing.
Use this list to find Christmas parades near you:
Sitting outside in the cold not your thing? Or maybe it’s a tradition to watch The Nutcracker at least once every holiday season.
Here’s where you can find holiday shows, Nutcracker performances and other Christmas productions:
There’s nothing quite like watching a giant tree get lit up for the first time. With Christmas tree lightings all over mid-Michigan, you can experience the magic again and again.
Christmas markets are Michigan’s best kept secret – and they start well before December.
Head up to Manistee for Old Christmas Weekend.
Visit Holland’s 28th Kerstmarkt for shopping, food and even dogsled demos.
And don’t forget Grand Rapids’ Christkindl Markt, running Nov 15 – Dec 23.
Bundle up and hit the road to find the best Christmas markets in Michigan.
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is known for their many gorgeous displays and gardens. Their annual Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibit is no exception.
Running just before Thanksgiving until early January, this exhibit showcases over 40 trees decorated in different themes of cultures around the world.
The Holiday Light Show returns for 2025. ENLIGHTEN is back again, running on select days from November 24, 2025 – January 3, 2026.
Meijer Gardens at Christmastime is worth the drive.
Looking for more Lansing Christmas events? Check out the full list below.
If you’re looking to venture out of the Greater Lansing area this holiday season, West Michigan has plenty of holiday cheer to go around including parades, activities, and events.
And don’t forget about the southwest part of the state. Our friends at KZOOKIDS have the intel on a reindeer ranch tour and other holiday events.
And who could forget Frankenmuth? Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is all things Christmas all year round plus the town loves to celebrate the season.
And for those looking for a holiday adventure straight out of a movie, we suggest a trip to Chicago in Christmas. Decorated storefronts, ice skating downtown, and enough holiday cheer to fill The Bean if that were possible!
Whatever you decide, Lansing, we hope your time with your family is full of the best holiday memories this year!
Cutting down your own Christmas tree is one of the best holiday traditions. Start making memories with your family at these 13 Lansing-Area Christmas Tree Farms plus extras like hot cocoa, Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides. bonfires, and more.
Find Tree Lighting Ceremonies, Drive-Through Light Shows, Holiday Parades, Decorated Houses and Neighborhoods, Immersive Walk-Through Experiences, and Light Displays happening all around the Lansing area this year.
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Editor. Elizabeth Rudd is a former elementary school teacher, now stay-at-home mom to three. Elizabeth spends her time taking kids to school activities, hunting for great deals, spending way too much time on Facebook and finally reading all the books she’s bought.
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