HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Holiday ideas from the West Michigan Tourist Association:
Getting into the holiday spirit is easy when you visit the Victorian-era downtown of St. Joseph during the month of December. Gift hunters will appreciate the unique selections, special prices, and festive shopping throughout December.
Visit Santa’s House 4 through 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon through 5 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 through 5 p.m. Sundays through Dec. 23 for holiday fun in downtown St. Joseph. Santa’s house will be located on the corner of State and Pleasant Streets
Enjoy a special performance of The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical 7 p.m. Dec. 18 at The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor.
The Twin City Players bring How the Grinch Stole Christmas to the stage Southwestern Michigan Dec. 19 through 21.
South Haven
Michigan Maritime Museum hosts “Christmas at the Keeper’s House” Dec. 14 in South Haven. The museum’s historic Light Keeper’s House will have a children’s book reading of the Christmas Tree Ship, hot cocoa, cookies, sledding, and a little nautical holiday shopping. The event is free; donations are appreciated.
Zeeland
The Critter Barn in Zeeland hosts its 20th annual Live Nativity, Tuesdays-Saturdays through Dec, 28. Visit the Critter Barn animals, including sheep, goats, and cows, and take photos of the scene in the historic barn.
Holland
The Holland Museum will be celebrating a Victorian Christmas at the Cappon House noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15. Tour the opulent home while learning how yuletide celebrations have changed in the last 100 years. Visitors can also create traditional decorations, sample holiday sweets, sing along to Christmas tunes on the piano, capture a loved one’s affection under the kissing ball, and more. This event is appropriate for the whole family, with activities aimed at both adults and children ages 5 and up. Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Admission is $8 per person for museum members, $10 per person for non-members, free for ages 5 and under.
The Sneaky Elves Workshop is set for noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 20, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Holland Area Arts Council. Children will be led through the creation and wrapping of a handmade gift so that they can take part in the giving this holiday season. Parents can drop their kids off and go shopping in Downtown Holland, or stay and participate in the fun.
Experience an authentic European-style open-air Christmas market with handcrafted items, delicious food and artisan demonstrations at Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland. Open Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14 and 15 at the Eighth Street Marketplace.
Presented by the Holland Civic Theatre, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” brings the classic holiday film to life in Holland Dec. 13 and 14.
The Downtown Holland Shopping Jam on starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14. Participating stores will open early for this special savings event. During the Shopping Jam, merchants will be offering discounts of 30 percent off from 8 to 9 a.m. and 25% off from 9 to 10 a.m. Discounted merchandise will vary by store, but will include at least one item.
The Holland Farmers Market is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. though Saturday, Dec. 21. Stop by to pick up everything you need to make your family’s favorite holiday dishes or to decorate your home for the holidays.
Muskegon
A holiday tradition returns to the Muskegon Carr-Fles Planetarium with “Mystery of the Christmas Star!” Tuesday, Dec. 10, and Thursday, Dec. 12. No reservations are needed for this free, 30-minute show in room 1072 at Muskegon Community College.
Experience the 19th century Hackley & Hume homes of Lakeshore Museum Center in Muskegon decorated beautifully for the holidays by Muskegon’s local community groups with period-appropriate artifacts, ornaments and more! Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $10 per person, $8 for seniors 65+ and $5 for Kids ages 2-12. Tour dates and times are 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 14, 21, and 27 and 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 28.
Grand Rapids
Gerald R Ford Presidential Museum presents Season’s Greetings from the White House, with Mary Evans Seeley, at 7 p.m. Dec. 12. Seeley is a collector, historian, lecturer, author and publisher of two books about Christmas at the White House. She has the most extensive collection of Presidential Christmas memorabilia in the country. Her book, Season’s Greetings from the White House is now in its eighth edition. It tells the stories of Christmas at the White House from Calvin Coolidge through Donald J. Trump. Join the museum as she documents nearly a century of presidential Christmases. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the event. The event is free with open seating, registrations are appreciated.
The annual Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibit brings the glow of over 300,000 colorful lights, strolling carolers, visits from Santa, rooftop reindeer, and 46 international trees and displays to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Ring in the season with a beloved winter exhibition. Honoring holiday cultures around the world, Meijer Gardens focuses on the authenticity of the symbols of beloved holiday traditions – it’s an idyllic spot to center your thoughts on the true meaning of the holidays. The Holiday Traditions exhibition will be on display through Jan. 5, 2020.
Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Dec. 20 and 21 to enjoy listening to live holiday classics at the Holiday Classics Organ Concert performed by Dave Wickerman on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ.
Grand Rapids Public Museum from Dec. 21, 2019 through Jan. 5, 2020, experience Snowflake Break! Fun for the entire family, visitors will make themed crafts, play games, and explore the museum! Snowflake Break is included with your ticket purchase. See historic Grand Rapids built from LEGO® bricks, complete with operating trams, showcasing Grand Rapids during the early 20th century. Take pictures with the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train, see 15 historic Santas from around the world, and find 12 elves hidden throughout the Museum. Visit the GRPM’s Planetarium to see Let it Snow, featuring festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, with a stunning finale by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Tickets cost $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. Let Is Snow showings run through Jan. 5, 2020. As an annual tradition, visitors will be able to view and take pictures with the Herpolsheimer’s train throughout the holiday season. Recognizable to any baby-boomer, the train chugged along the ceiling of the toy department at the Herpolsheimer’s Department Store.
- Grand Rapids Ballet presents The Nutcracker at DeVos Performance Hall, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14; at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15, and the following weekend, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20; 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 21; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22. West Michigan’s favorite holiday tradition returns to the grandeur of DeVos Performance Hall with sets by famed children’s book author and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express, Jumanji), Broadway-quality set design by Tony Award winner Eugene Lee (Wicked, Sweeney Todd, Saturday Night Live), choreography by Val Caniparoli, and the live music of your Grand Rapids Symphony.
- Grand Rapids Symphony presents Old National Bank Cirque de Noel at DeVos Performance Hall, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec, 18 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19. Since 2009, Cirque de la Symphonie has spent part of each Christmas season in Grand Rapids. Celebrating its 10th annual Cirque de Noel with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Cirque de la Symphonie’s company of acrobats, jugglers, contortionists and aerial artists makes merry with amazing feats of agility and strength, accompanied by beloved Christmas songs and classical favorites. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and in person at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices.
Find the perfect holiday wreath or tree for your home at Grand Rapids Downtown Market Christmas Tree Lot, hosted by Lenderink Tree Farms, 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through December 15, 2919.
