Township to celebrate Christmas with numerous events

SHELBY TWP.

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Local families had their eyes to the sky during a previous Christmas Aglow event, which included a drone display. COURTESY PHOTOS

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During Christmas Aglow, patrons can shop the Friends of the Shelby Township Library’s annual Books by the Bundle Sale. Themed book bundles are wrapped in ribbon, bowed and ready for affordable gift giving at only $8 each.

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By Mitch Hotts

mhotts@medianewsgroup.com

Shelby Township residents will welcome Santa and the magic of Christmas to Macomb County at the township’s annual Christmas Aglow event on Friday, Dec. 6.

And that’s just the beginning for the holiday season.

Township officials say the event, presented by the Shelby Township Downtown Development Authority, moves from a Thursday evening to Friday, allowing more families to attend without worrying about school the following day.

The festivities start at 6 p.m., so younger children can enjoy the magic without staying out too late.

“I applaud the Parks and Recreation, Community Relations and the library staff for changing to an earlier start on Friday, so more of our youngest residents can enjoy the show,” township Trustee Lucia Di Cicco, who also serves on the DDA, said Tuesday in a news release.

Starting at 6 p.m. Christmas Aglow will offer free live entertainment, a drone show, refreshments, freebies for the kids, horse-drawn wagons, a table where participants can make Christmas crafts, and an appearance by Santa to get the community in the holiday spirit.

New to the event is a live animal experience courtesy of the Friends of the Shelby Township Library. The highlight will be a pair of Christmas “unicorns” available for rides.

Christmas Aglow begins with Shelby TV’s holiday stage show with the Utica High School choir. This year’s North Pole ambassadors, selected from the Shelby Township Christmas Coloring Contest winners, will present Santa with the key to the township.

Shelby elected officials will join Santa for the lighting of the township’s 40-foot Christmas tree. As the tree illuminates, a drone show sponsored by the Shelby Township DDA will light up the night skies.

“Even more than Santa, the Christmas tree or the drone show, the families and kids that join us make our Aglow special,” Di Cicco said in the release.

After the tree lighting, Santa and Mrs. Claus will head inside the Shelby Township Library to meet children and pose for free photos. Joining the Jolly Old Elf will be a string quartet, balloon artists, and a strolling magician courtesy of the Friends of the Shelby Township Library.

While supplies last, kids receive a free coloring tote from the Shelby Township Library. They can also stop in the Children’s Area to send Santa a letter in the special mailbox to receive a reply from Santa in a program from the Kiwanis Club of Utica-Shelby Township and the library.

During the Aglow, patrons can shop the Friends of the Shelby Township Library’s popular annual Books by the Bundle Sale. Themed book bundles will be wrapped in ribbon, bowed and ready for affordable gift-giving at only $8 each.

Other holiday events taking place in Shelby Township include:

• Christmas on the Frontier from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center. Guests can enjoy historic games and activities, tour the Pioneer Cabin, listen to music by the “Too Happy Voyageurs,” and visit Father Christmas from 2-4 p.m. Admission is $5 for residents, $7 for nonresidents, and free for infants under the age of 2.

• Santa will appear at the sold-out “Breakfast with Santa” at 10 a.m. on Dec. 7 at the Shelby Township Activities Center. Catch Santa again at the “Dinner & Dancing with Santa” at 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at Cherry Creek Golf Club. The cost is $32 per resident and $37 per nonresident; no tickets are sold at the door. Call 586-731-0300 for reservations before tickets sell out; no refunds two weeks before the event. A $7 fee applies to all refunds.

• On Saturday, Dec. 14, the nature center’s Christmas Bird Count will be held 10 a.m.-noon to aid the Macomb County Audubon Society.

• The festivities conclude with a Winter Solstice Hike and Bonfire on Dec. 21 from 6:30-8:30 p.m., featuring winter crafts, hot chocolate, and guided hikes. Admission is $3 for residents and $5 for nonresidents, with ages 12 and up recommended. Pre-registration is encouraged.

And don’t let anyone say Christmas is only for kids. Seniors ages 50 and older can enjoy a packed holiday schedule throughout December at the Shelby Township Senior Center, 14975 21 Mile Road.

While they are sold out, the events include the Christmas Puzzle Day at 1 p.m. Dec. 2, Christmas Pancake Breakfast Bingo at 9 a.m. Dec. 9, the A December To Remember Christmas Party at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 11 at the Palazzo Grande and the “Mistletoe Magic” dinner dance at 5 p.m. Dec. 20 at the senior center.

The Senior Center Choir hosts its Christmas Sing-A-Long at 11 a.m. Dec. 18, free and open to the public. For more information on these events, email seniors@shelbytwp.org.

For more information on Shelby Township’s Christmas and holiday programs and events, visit shelbytwp.org/Christmas.

Christmas Aglow is presented by the Shelby Township Downtown Development Authority, with events sponsored by the Michigan United Credit Union and Genisys Credit Union.