Winter Events, Activities, Holiday Shopping and Courses

As the weather gets colder and holidays are fast approaching, check out the following opportunities on campus or in the Greater Lansing area. Many events require registration, so be sure to click the links to learn more.

Campus Events

December 3 Alton Brown Live: Beyond The Eats – The Holiday Variant: See the Food Network and Netflix star cook and experiment live at the Wharton Center.

December 7 Night of a Thousand Donuts (free): Enjoy coffee and donuts in the Main Library and Gast Business Library.

December 15 International Employee Resource Group: Potluck Lunch (free): Share your favorite food and recipe card with other international employees at Linton Hall. 

Family-Friendly Activities

Starts December 1 Lansing Holiday Light Show: Enjoy dozens of dazzling, larger-than-life holiday themed displays to delight the entire family.

Starts December 2 Season of Light: Visit the Abrams Planetarium to learn how familiar traditions have an astronomical connection.

Starts December 4George and Oatmeal Save Santa: Celebrate the winter season at the Abrams Planetarium with this fun show.

December 10 Cocoa and Collection (free): Bring the whole family to the MSU Broad Art Museum to warm up with hot cocoa and art-making activities inspired by wintery works of art.

December 17 Kids Cookie Decorating Class w/ Michigan Made Treats: Brink the kids to this cookie decorating class at the Allen Neighborhood Center.

Music 

December 10 MSU Federal Credit Union Showcase Series: Telling the Story: Christmas Oratorios by Bach & Saint-Saens: Listen to inspiring and uplifting holiday sounds from the MSU Choral Union, University Chorale and State Singers with the MSU Symphony Orchestra.

December 11 Holiday Pops: Seasons Greetings: Listen to American Idol finalist, LaKisha Jones, sing your favorite holiday tunes and traditional carols. 

December 17 MSU Federal Credit Union Showcase Series: A Jazzy Little Christmas: Enjoy a performance of festive favorites from MSU Professors of Jazz with special guests.

Holiday Shopping

Starts December 1 Michigan Made Holiday Art Exhibition: Showcasing established and emerging artists, enjoy holiday shopping and opportunities to support makers in the local economy.

December 3 Holiday Art/Craft/Farmers Market: Enjoy the annual South Lansing holiday market featuring holiday gifts from a variety of vendors. 

Learning Opportunities

Starts December 6 MSU Grief and Loss Support Group (free): Learn about available resources and connect with other grieving community members every Tuesday. 

Starts December 8 Deepening Your Essential Skills (free): Connect with others in the MSU community to ask questions and raise topics.

Starts December 12Understanding Shame and Building Shame Resilience (free): Gain skills to understand shame and build skills to bounce back from it every Monday.

December 13 Family Employee Resource Group: Safe Infant Sleep (free): Learn how to create a safe sleep environment for your infant(s) from the Infant Safe Sleep Program Coordinator, Colleen Nelson. 

December 21 Explorations in Eating (free): Learn from an MSU Health4U registered dietician for a conversation about nutrition.

December 29 Adult Caregivers Employee Resource Group: Caring for the Caregiver (free): Connect with other adult caregivers to discuss how to take care of yourself.

MSU Winter Events and Activities Round-Up

Staying warm this winter doesn’t have to mean sitting at home by the fire. Improve your health, be a lifelong learner and go see something new with these winter events and activities! 

Healthy Living

Outdoor Exploration

  • The winter months have much more flora and fauna to explore than you might think, and it is all worth writing about. The W.K. Kellogg Biological Station Bird Sanctuary has Zoom classes that teach you and your family about nature journaling and how to blend art and science! Register for one or all of the four classes in the series here.
  • The City of East Lansing’s longest walking trail is open for the winter! Bundle up and visit the Northern Tier Trail for almost five miles of trail and end your adventure in the Abbott Road Park with a snowball fight or an igloo building contest.

Learning

  • The February and March shows at the Abrams Planetarium have been announced and registration is now open. This month, check out Skywatchers of Africa and SkyTellers and next month you can catch Planet Nine: The Search is On and In my Backyard. 
  • MSU HR is always updating the online resources from Organization and Professional Development, so you can take a course on anything from Communication to Professional Development from the warmth of your own home. Check out the full list of course offerings here.

Performance and Art

  • The Broad Art Museum is open and always free to the public. Make a reservation online and visit to see the new exhibitions for 2022 including a feature by Beverly Fishman for Broad’s 10th Anniversary.
  • The Wharton Center is back and a great place to escape the cold with Broadway shows and incredible live performances including the long-anticipated run of Hamilton between March 29 and April 10, 2022. Buy tickets or view their upcoming shows here.

Along with staying warm this winter, stay safe by following all mask mandates on and around MSU’s campus and get your booster vaccine if you have not yet. Enjoy the winter wonderland, Spartans!