What's next after Thanksgiving, U-M/Ohio State football? Christmas in Ida
Nov. 29—IDA, Mich. — Now that you've fattened up on Thanksgiving dinner and are looking for ways to carry on with a normal life again after the latest University of Michigan/Ohio State University rivalry game on Saturday, here's something to consider for next weekend: the 39th Christmas in Ida Festival and Parade of Lights.
This little village of 5,000 people in southeastern Michigan rolls out the red carpet for Santa & the Gang on Friday with the first day of the festival, following by the village's annual crescendo, its spectacular, two-hour Parade of Lights, beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday. The festival ends at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Christmas in Ida has generated so much buzz among locals over the years that, according to its website, it has been voted Monroe County's favorite event for 2021. Its stated purpose is to help people experience "the warmth of Christmas in small town America."
"Nestled in the heart of Monroe County, the festival brings back childhood memories and creates new traditions that inspire your holiday cheer for decades," the event's website states.
For a complete schedule, go to www.christmasinida.com/eventschedule.php .
Founded in 1982 by the Ida Civic Club, the family-themed festival has drawn more than 52,000 visitors in recent years. That's 10 times Ida's population.
It features national entertainment, craft and vendor shows, children's activities, and what's billed as the Midwest's largest parade of lights. Downtown Ida will have a shopping mall of gifts for purchase, and there will be food trucks throughout the village. There also will be benefit dinners.
Organizers are planning a flyover from the Michigan Air National Guard's 127th Wing at 3 p.m., from Selfridge Air National Guard Base northeast of Detroit, as a tribute to Gold Star families, at 3 p.m. Saturday. That event will feature A-10 Warthog jets, according an the event's news release.
Gold Star families also will be recognized as parade grand marshals, the statement said.
Music begins Friday with the Commemorative Concert at 7 p.m. featuring the Siena Heights University Chamber Singers inside the historic St. Joseph Catholic Church on Van Aiken Street.
There also will be a holiday sled race and a show featuring Anita's Dance Center of Wisconsin that night, plus the opening of the Ida Christmas Mall and the Pooches in Lights Parade.
Saturday's entertainment begins at noon with performances by dance troupes, followed by an interactive show for children and parents, and the grand arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus. The famous couple will be escorted by the Ida Volunteer Fire Department on a tour through downtown Ida, ending at up at the Ida High School Craft Show, which features more than 230 vendors. There, Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves will greet children.
Horse-drawn carriage rides will be offered free of charge on Lewis Avenue as members of the Ida High School Choir carol on street corners and elsewhere.
Country music star Tracy Byrd will headline the La-Z-Boy Family Concert Series at 5 p.m. Saturday. The show is free of charge. It will be preceded by the Young Country Music Concert featuring Presley & Taylor at 4 p.m. Both shows will be in the Ida Township parking lot on Lewis.
Among many activities during the event will be a zoo featuring farm and exotic animals; ice sculpting and chainsaw art displays; Christmas stories; the Holiday Hounds on Parade featuring dogs dressed in their holiday finest; a free children's lunch with Santa Claus; a fireworks show, and an evening fun run in which runners will be illuminated.
The parade will be livestreamed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/user/MPACTStudio and air on local public-access channels Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
First Published November 28, 2021, 9:50am
