Santa Claus Is Coming To Town: Blue Water Area Winter Holiday Parades

Two things we all must remember this time of the year. That is to not pout or cry. Why? Because Santa Claus is coming to town.

As we all know before he makes his rounds dropping off gifts to good little boy and girls on Christmas eve, he likes to check in to places before that to make sure everyone is behaving. Thanks to some connections we have at the North Pole, we're able to let you know when and where some of those stops will be in the Blue Water Area.

St. Nick's first stop will be in St. Clair on Friday, November 22th at 6pm. After riding his sleigh down S. Riverside Street in the parade, he'll be given the key to the city and then the tree at Palmer Park will be lit.

His next visit will be the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, November 26th when he stops in to help ring in the excitement of the season during Marine City’s Lighted Santa Parade!  

The night after Thanksgiving, November 29th, Santa kicks off the official start of the holiday season in the city of Port Huron with a parade too. Following the city's parade, he'll throw the switch that lights the McMorran Christmas Tree and leads the crowd in singing holiday carols. 

Saint Nick gives his reindeer a night off on Wednesday, December 4th and arrives on the back of a decorated in lights antique tractor for Algonac's Santa Parade and Tree Lighting.

After a week back up at the North Pole he returns to the Blue Water Area to check on all the good girls and boys in Marysville on Saturday, December 7th at 5pm their annual parade. 

The jolly man in the red suit has a bit of a tight schedule on that Saturday because he's also part of Harbor Beach's Annual Lighted Christmas Parade which starts at 5:30 on Trescott St.

On Saturday, December 14th, you may not see reindeer in Lexington but you will see a lot of four-legged creatures into the spirit of the season at the Lexington Old Fashioned Christmas Horse Parade. It starts at 2pm.

To find out about all the things happening around the Blue Water Area during the holiday season check out our events page.

Take A Night Time Climb of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron

Photo by Dale Merrill

The Christmas Candlelight Tours of the Lighthouse at the Fort Gratiot Light Station have become a holiday tradition in the Blue Water Area in just a few short years.

Though tours of the site are available in the warmer months during the daylight hours, these Christmas season night tours give visitors to the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse a unique, evening view from of the Blue Water Bridge, Lake Huron and the St. Clair River and everything else for as far as the eye can see

Your tour starts with the walkways leading up to Michigan's oldest lighthouse illuminated by many candles. The lighthouse itself is dressed up in twinkling finery with red lights wrapped around observation deck railings at the top and strings of white lights cascading down the sides of the tower. It's quite a sight.

As you climb the 94 cast iron steps of the 84 foot structure, a tour guide will give you bits of history and trivia about the lighthouse. They're well versed in their knowledge of the building and Great Lakes lore so don't hesitate to ask them any questions. Don't forget to bring your camera too because the view at the top is always something to behold and keep a memory of.

The Candlelight Tours of the Fort Gratiot Light Station will be held each Saturday evening from 5-8pm through December 16th. Find out more at the Port Huron Museum's website.

Holiday Fun For The Family

The hustle and bustle of the season is a upon us. Decorating, shopping and baking are just a few things on many peoples vast lists of things they have to get done in the next few weeks. Sometimes though, a person just needs to take a break from all that, take in a show with the family and immerse the mind in something being presented on a stage. Be it music or a play, the Blue Water Area has many options of the sort happening in December.

Back before television was in every home the family would gather around the radio and let the "theater of the mind" make the scene of the sounds crackling over the speakers. Of course a telling of the Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol" was standard then as it is now.

The Port Austin Community Playhouse will bring to life as a live 1940s radio broadcast on stage. Complete with vintage commercials and the magic of live sound effects and musical underscoring, a handful of actors will bring dozens of characters to the stage of the familiar and beloved story of Ebenezer Scrooge for two weekends, December 2nd through the 4th and the 9th through the 11th. For tickets and more info call the Port Austin Community Playhouse at 989-738-5217.

The Riverbank Theater in Marine City will also being doing a musical take on the curmudgeon Scrooge too.

Running three weekends over the month of December, this production based on the Dickens play features music by Alan Menken, who's musical scores include the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and lyrics by Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Lynn Ahrens. Tickets are available here.

If you are in Marine City on December 3rd, enjoy a Merry Time Christmas. There will be music in the streets, carolers caroling and brass horns serenading plus a whole lot more!

After taking more than a year to prepare for their first production in 1990, The Nutcracker Ballet Theatre Company has been presenting The Nutcracker Ballet in Port Huron every December since.

Consisting of dancers and performers from all over the Blue Water area and beyond, along professional student couple to dance the Grand pas de Deux, this local production of the story of Clara, her favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, an evil Mouse King, a magical kingdom populated by dolls and sugar plum fairy, this famous ballet has delighted families at Port Huron's McMorran Place for nearly three decades.

Showtimes for the Nutcracker this year are December 2nd through the 4th. Advanced tickets are available from Ticketmaster or the McMorran box office on the days of the performances.

While The Carpenters are known for over a dozen chart topping hits, they also won over their fans with their Christmas celebrations. 

Based on the music of The Carpenters’ two holiday albums and Christmas variety shows, singer and playwright Lisa Rock and her 6-piece backing band are keep The Carpenters’ holiday traditions alive for two shows at the Lexington Village Theater on Saturday, December 3rd. 

On Thursday, December 8th, enjoy Christmas tunes in Motor City Solid Gold style at Port Huron's McMorran Place.  

Featuring an all-star line-up of vocalists and musicians assembled from the ranks of the Capitols, the Miracles and former members of the Temptations and backed by a 12-piece orchestra of live strings and brass, A Motown Christmas Spectacular with The Motortown All-Stars celebrate the music and the magic of Motown in Holiday style.

To find out more about these happenings and many more things going on around the Blue Water Area for the month of December, check out our events page.