The holidays are coming to downtown Detroit

The temperatures could be nearing 70 degrees, but still, it’s mid-November and it’s time to light the 60-foot Norway Spruce in Campus Martius. The tree arrived from up north a couple weeks ago, and the prep has been underway to transform the park into a winter wonderland. Here’s what you can expect downtown in the coming week:

The tree lighting ceremony runs from 5pm-midnight, Friday, November 18. The tree will be lit just before 8pm. The ice rink opens on Friday, too. After performances aplenty, the rink will be open to the public at 9pm. There will be music, hot chocolate, carriage rides, and oh so many people.

The Somerset Collection CityLoft will also open Friday for the holiday season at The Detroit Shoppe at 1520 Woodward Avenue. They’ll be open Wednesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. from November 18 through December 18. The shop will have over 40 retailers and a new delivery service available.

The new eatery Parc opens in Campus Martius on Monday. According to Brenna Houck at Eater Detroit, "Featuring 270-degree views of Campus Martius thanks to recently installed retractable NanaWalls, Parc will serve upscaled versions of "traditional Midwestern foods."

Of course Thursday is Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which starts at Kirby at 8:50 and moves all the way down Woodward into downtown. Right after, the (first place) Lions kick off against the Vikings at 12:30.

We’d love to see your pictures of winter in Detroit. Longing for Detroit of yore? Here are 17 pictures of Detroit’s holiday past.

‘Tis the season, y’all!