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A couple weeks ago, my parents drove up from Virginia to visit us for a few days. Thrilled that we’d get to celebrate my dad’s birthday together, I packed an itinerary full of way too many things to see and do, including must-try restaurants, Christmas tree shopping, and an evening at Holiday Nights in Greenfield Village. As someone who’s used to traveling during the holidays, I knew this was my chance to play host for a change and show some of my favorite out-of-towners just how magical Michigan can be at Christmastime.

And then the rain came.

Oh, Michigan, you little trickster.

It’s seasonally unsurprising to get a snowfall (or 12) in metro Detroit this time of year, especially when the air is so chilly. Teetering right on the edge of freezing, however, the weather hit that sweet spot where a steady stream of cold rain and sleet was all we’d see. On the Saturday we were scheduled to visit Holiday Nights (a largely outdoor event), we remained hopeful that the clouds would lift, but ah . . . such is life. Bundled in layers and armed with umbrellas, we arrived in Dearborn excited, yet slightly skeptical of what the night would hold.

Thankfully, the good people at Greenfield Village have done this whole Holiday Nights thing a time or two. While the weather did affect the dynamic a tiny bit, we found that for the most part, our Holiday Nights visit went just as smoothly as we'd experienced in previous years. The Model-T Fords and horse-drawn carriages were still up and running, the carolers and musicians still performed pop-up concerts, and the decor looked as lovely as ever.

Our methods of surviving the rain were kind of obvious, but were way more effective than I expected. Weather-proof coats and boots (we also saw lots of ponchos), made all the difference when layered over thermals and thick sweaters, and I was able to forego an umbrella since my outfit was water-repellant (I just wore my hood up the whole time). In lieu of a purse, I shared my camera backpack with Brad (this one has separate compartments that I use to stow the contents of my purse, plus it comes with a waterproof cover).


A few cons of attending Holiday Nights in the rain? I did notice that the outdoor ice skating rink was closed during our visit (personally, I didn’t mind since I’m a terrible skater and wasn’t in the mood to get knocked over by small children anyway) and the indoor attractions were a little crowded (but even that is typical most nights since visitors like to get out of the cold). On the flipside, I really enjoyed hanging out with my family in some areas of the village we don’t usually spend as much time exploring—we even found a dining hall I’d never been in before! Gathering around the table, listening to live music, and munching on kettle corn ended up being one of our favorite parts of the evening.


Some additional rainy evening favorites of mine were the Herschell-Spillman carousel (it’s over 100 years old and so beautiful!), holiday-decorated homes of early visionaries (the Wright family home is a must-see), watching village artisans at work (if you choose just one, make sure it’s the glass shop), and of course, shopping! From the gift shop outside the village entrance to the Main Street Emporium, there are tons of places to pick up gifts and mementos for yourself and everyone on your Christmas list.