The 49th Annual Noel Night, one of the most magical nights in the city and a longstanding holiday tradition, returns to Detroit’s Cultural Center and the Midtown district on Saturday, December 2, 2023. Over 100 institutions, including the College for Creative Studies, Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, the Magic Stick, Michigan Science Center, MOCAD, and Wayne State University, and the local small business community will open their doors to the public free of charge during this district-wide holiday open house. Noel Night is free and open to the public, and produced by Midtown Detroit, Inc. Venues north of Warren Avenue in the Cultural Center will be open from 5:00-9:00 p.m., and venues south of Warren Avenue will be open from 5:00-10:00 p.m.
Noel Night Announces Festive Line-Up of Live Music, Special Holiday Performances, Outdoor Art Installations and Holiday Shopping Experiences
Noel Night announces music performances by national and local artists including The Soul Rebels, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shara Nova of My Brightest Diamond, Frontier Ruckus, Thornetta Davis and others
Detroit Institute of Arts to feature stunning outdoor art installations on grounds
Noel Night features over 90 venues with free activities, holiday shopping, caroling, visits with Santa, yuletide treats and more
DETROIT (23 November 2022) – Midtown Detroit, Inc. is excited to announce a festive line-up for the 48th Annual Noel Night including live music with national and local artists, special holiday performances, beautiful outdoor art installations, ice sculpting, Santa Claus sightings and more. Noel Night, one of the most magical nights in the city and a longstanding holiday tradition, returns on Saturday, December 3, from 5-9 p.m. in the Cultural Center and 5-10 p.m. in Midtown. With over 90 participating venues, this walkable holiday celebration also features free indoor and outdoor programming, holiday shopping, yuletide treats, caroling, family craft activities and artist demonstrations. Noel Night is free and open to the public and produced by Midtown Detroit, Inc.
“Noel Night is designed as a really special experience for everyone with beautiful outdoor art installations, holiday shopping at small businesses, live music and free activities for all ages,” said Sue Mosey, Executive Director of Midtown Detroit, Inc. “We are grateful to our partners and the over 90 participating venues for their excitement in bringing this tradition back this year.”
Performance Highlights and Interactive Installations include:
DETROIT (3 November 2022) – Midtown Detroit, Inc. is excited to announce the return of the 48th Annual Noel Night, one of the most magical nights in the city and a longstanding holiday tradition, on Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 5-9 p.m. in the Cultural Center and 5-10 p.m. in Midtown. With over 90 participating venues, this walkable holiday celebration features free indoor and outdoor programming, holiday shopping, stunning outdoor art installations, yuletide treats, caroling, family craft activities, artist demonstrations and performances by local and national artists. Noel Night is free and open to the public and produced by Midtown Detroit, Inc.
"We are thrilled for the return of Noel Night and grateful to our partners working with us to bring back this holiday tradition for our community,” said Sue Mosey, Executive Director of Midtown Detroit, Inc. “Noel Night will feature a large footprint of venues offering unique programming, holiday shopping in some really fantastic small businesses, family activities, live music and more all in beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces.”
Though Noel Night may end at 10:00 p.m., there is still plenty to do afterwards! Grab a late night snack or cocktail at one of the restaurants or bars listed below.
La Palma restaurant will also be offering 2 lovely classical music performances by CutTime Simfonica at 10:15 & 11:00 p.m. Read more about that HERE!
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VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE
Due to the sudden and unfortunate death of Sharon Jones this past Friday, November 18, Noel Night will be cancelling its scheduled performances that would have featured Miss Jones and the Dap Kings at the First Congregational Church (33 E. Forest) at 8:00 and 9:15 p.m. HERE is a lovely article that recalls Miss Jones last days.
Rufus Reid
Noel Night is now working with The Carr Center of Detroit who will present Grammy-nominated jazz bassist Rufus Reid performing with the Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra I at 9:00-10:00 p.m. at the First Congregational Church. Mr. Reid is the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union jazz artist in residence. The Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra I will also be performing excerpts from Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn’s arrangements of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.
Rufus Reid
For much of his life, Rufus has performed with multiple generations of our legends of jazz. Several years ago he became a bandleader and composer. This latest release, Quiet Pride – The Elizabeth Catlett Project is a five movement, hour-long suite for a 20-piece orchestra. This composition is different from anything Rufus has written before. Rufus continues to step out of his box, out of his comfort zone. This composition was the result of the generosity of The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Composition Commission. It was premiered as a four-movement work at The Univ of Connecticut at Storrs where the grant was awarded. A fifth movement was composed and the suite Quiet Pride was premiered at The Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge, LA. It has also been performed at Bucknell University, PA, at the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, NYC, at The Jazz Standard in NYC and at L’Astral, as part of The Jazz en Ralafe Festival, in Montreal.
Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra I
Jazz Orchestra I The nineteen-piece Jazz Orchestra I (The Be-Bop Spartans) is a young, swinging college band playing the repertoire of the great jazz masters as well as a wide range of soul, swing, blues, and gospel. The group’s instrumentation includes saxophone, trombone, trumpet, bass, drums, piano, guitar, and vocalists. Conductor: Rodney Whitaker - See more at: http://www.music.msu.edu/performance/student-ensembles/jazz-ensembles#sthash.camXT4vs.dpuf
We're excited to announce that Lyft is the new ridesharing partner of Noel Night!
Visit: https://www.lyft.com/invite/noelnight16 or apply the code NOELNIGHT16 for a $20 credit.
Don't waste a precious minute of this short 5-hour event--use Lyft and avoid the hassle of parking a car in Midtown Detroit.
Now celebrating 44 years, Noel Night will be held Saturday, December 3rd, 2016, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. True to its roots, Noel Night continues to be a Cultural Center-wide “Open House,” celebrating the city’s diverse holiday traditions amid the state’s premier arts and cultural institutions, historic churches, galleries, and ever-growing circle of small businesses and restaurants, providing the perfect backdrop for a festive evening packed full of performances to enjoy with family and friends—all free of charge. Horse-drawn carriage rides, carolers, music, dance, theatre, children’s make & take activities, unique shopping, holiday delectables, and visits with Santa are all part of the evening’s festivities. Noel Night continues to grow each year, now featuring 100 different venues and recently attracted 40,000 visitors in 2015. Over 200 performances are sure to bring the sounds of the season to life, including these headlining performances:
