Detroit’s 22nd Annual Tree Lighting The holiday season is here and downtown Detroit will sparkle once again with its annual Christmas tree lighting, where a 62-foot Michigan-grown Norway spruce will light up in an evening of music,

Holiday pop-ups at metro area bars are underway with tons of holiday twinkling lights, decorations and plenty of holiday-themed cocktails.

The activations are the beginning of downtown Detroit’s Christmas festivities, which include the annual Tree Lighting ceremony Nov. 21 and the opening of the ice skating rink at Campus Martius on Nov. 22.

One of downtown Detroit’s greatest dive bars is the Post Bar. In its original, longtime Detroit location and owned by the Wheeler family, the Post Bar was a favorite fan hangout for pre- and post-Red Wing games and other downtown events, DJ music, and free pizza at midnight.

The Gilbert family is opening a cocktail lounge in downtown Detroit, and it’s inspired by the tavern once owned by Dan Gilbert’s father.

The holiday season in downtown Detroit unofficially started at 7:18 p.m. Friday, when thousands of sparkling LED lights came on the 62-foot Norway spruce in Campus Martius.