If you and your family are looking for upcoming winter events and holiday shopping, you’re in the right place! November and December hold many opportunities in the Greater Lansing area for you and your family. Click the links below to explore future events and register if required!
Holiday Shopping
Online — Student-Made Michigan State: This holiday season, take a scroll through the students’ online market and support MSU student businesses by purchasing gifts from the Student Marketplace.
November 7— DeWitt Holiday Outdoor Market: Get in the holiday spirit early this year at the DeWitt Holiday Outdoor Market. Shop around with more than 35 local makers, food trucks, seasonal drinks, and all-age activities in downtown DeWitt.
November 22 — Art Fair: Winter Holiday Market: If you are looking for a unique handmade present for the holidays this year, look no further. Come over to Okemos, where Art Unlimited Artists will be having their own Holiday Market.
December 5 and 6 — MSU Annual Winter Arts and Crafts Show: The beloved Annual Arts and Crafts Show is back this holiday season in the MSU Union, where you can support small business owners and MSU students. All vendor booth proceeds go directly to the University Activities Board.
December 12 and 13 – Winter Makers Market at the Broad Art Museum: Shop a variety of handmade goods from regional makers while warming up with hot cocoa from our friends at Biggby. Be sure to pick up a free Snow Buddies sculpture kit to make at home!
Campus Events
Throughout November – Native American Heritage Month Museum Events: The Michigan State University Museum will celebrate Native American Heritage Month this November with three public programs featuring Indigenous poets, storytellers, and artists whose work connects cultural traditions with contemporary creative expression.
Throughout November and December — Spartans Supporting Spartans Campus-wide Food Drive: MSU is coming together to support our community through a campus-wide food drive. In partnership with the MSU Food Bank and Basic Needs program, units are joining forces to combat food insecurity and uphold our shared commitment to social responsibility. Anybody can donate!
November 7 — Family Day: CHOICE: First Saturday of the month means Family Day at the MSU Broad Art Museum! Make creative connections with the exhibitions on display through hands-on and interactive family fun throughout the museum.
November 27-December 20 — Season of Light Show: Visit the Abrams Planetarium for a viewing of the Season of Light show! Learn about how many customs we observe during the holiday season have an astronomical connection. This show is recurring weekly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until December 20.
December 2 – Living Ornaments: Holiday Kokedama Workshop: Join the MSU Department of Horticulture to bring your holiday decor to life with a modern twist on a traditional Japanese garden art.
December 12 — Holiday Glory Symphony Orchestra and Choirs: Come celebrate the holiday season with one of MSU’s most cherished musical traditions. Performed by the College of Music, MSU Symphony Orchestra joins the Choral Union, State Singers, and University Chorale for a festive concert highlighting the spirit of the holidays.
December 16-17 — World Ballet Company: The Nutcracker: Visit the Wharton Center and celebrate the holiday season with The Nutcracker. A holiday favorite and timeless ballet production that brings dreams into reality for audiences of all ages.
Learning Opportunities
November 12 — Mental Health First Aid: In this course, developed by people with lived experiences of mental health challenges and professionals, participants will learn early intervention techniques for mental health challenges. While also improving their mental health literacy to help understand, identify and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance challenges.
November 12 — Year-end giving strategies: Join the giving experts from Fidelity Charitable in this course to explore strategies that can help maximize your impact in the season of giving. Learn ways you can make your dollars go further while potentially maximizing your tax benefits and how you can navigate recent tax legislation changes before year-end.
November 16 — Establishing professional boundaries: Setting boundaries in the work environment can make a big impact on career success and productivity. This in-person session will provide participants with definitions, descriptions, and examples of professional boundaries and why they matter.
November 19 – Cariloop Coffee Talk: Finding your footing after a new diagnosis: A new diagnosis can turn life sideways for the whole family. The questions, fears, and planning can feel overwhelming, all at once. This talk brings clarity and steady support to those early days
December 8 — A guide to names and pronouns: Learn appropriate and respectful ways to use names and pronouns to promote gender inclusivity in the workplace. Participants will understand why safety and privacy around gender, names, and pronouns matter, as well as how to recover when mistakes happen.
December 10 – Cariloop Coffee Talk: Finding your way through grief: Grief can follow many kinds of loss, and there is no single right way to move through it. This Coffee Talk offers compassionate, practical guidance for navigating the emotions and everyday challenges that grief can bring.
December 15 — Start 2027 with an investing plan: Hear from the Fidelity Investments team about the basics of trading and investing. Learn strategies on how to select types of securities with tools on their website, the different types of analysis, and how to manage risk.
Greater Lansing Area Events
November 20 — Silver Bells in the City: Bring your family and friends to the Lansing tradition that is loved by generations of families. The entire city will come alive with thousands of lights for the Silver Bells in the City celebration. Taking place on the Friday before Thanksgiving in Lansing, this rain-or-shine event is free to attend.
November 21 — Downtown EL Tree Lighting: Come on down to Ann Street Plaza and watch as the Christmas tree illuminates Downtown East Lansing. Enjoy a festive evening of lights, music, and holiday cheer as the community gathers to celebrate the season.
November 21-December 22 — Wonderland of Lights at the Potter Park Zoo: This annual family-friendly event is back for the 34th year in a row. Experience the zoo in a whole new light as thousands of twinkling lights transform the pathways into a winter wonderland. Not only that, but a very special guest from the North Pole will be there on Fridays and Saturdays to meet and take photos.
December 13-31 — Festival of the Trees: This annual holiday display of community cheer is back at the historic Tuner-Dodge House. Come support local businesses and organizations as their festive trees will be on display throughout all three floors of the mansion Tuesday through Sunday.