Milford's Holiday Season Starts When Kids Tear the Wrapping Paper Off Main Street
October 29, 2026
October 29, 2026
"It's really just a moment of memory that, honestly, the entire event lasts about seven minutes." That's how Ann Barnette, then executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, described The Big Reveal to Hometown Life in 2017. Downtown Milford's holiday season opens on Thursday, Nov. 19, and for the next several weeks the parade, the Christmas Open House and every evening walk down Main Street pass the windows that kids unwrap that night.
The Downtown Milford DDA lists The Big Reveal for Thursday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. It always falls on the Thursday before Thanksgiving. Main Street businesses wrap the outside of their display windows like Christmas presents. At 6:30 p.m. the countdown starts, and when it ends, children tear the paper down to show the holiday displays behind it.
The idea came from Chris Meredith, owner of Your Nesting Place. In 2017 she told Hometown Life she had taken a cue from big-city store windows: "I thought it would be cool, like New York or Chicago, to do spectacular Christmas windows and pull them off on the same night." The same story said merchants wrap their windows about a week ahead so they can finish their displays in private, and that some start planning months before. If you drive through downtown in mid-November and see brown or patterned paper over the glass, nothing has closed. The windows are being finished out of sight.
The event has grown since then. The Oakland County Blog reported in 2019 that nearly 40 businesses along Main Street, between Library Street and Commerce Road, gift-wrapped their windows that year. In that story, Kathy Magaluck, owner of Acorn Farm, described the night: "children line up and down the streets and when the countdown/announcement comes, they tear off the paper and that begins the start of the Christmas season in downtown Milford." Those business names come from earlier years. The 2026 lineup will be whoever has paper on the glass the week before.
The reveal is quick, but the displays aren't temporary. Gina Salaski, owner of Gina's Bridal Boutique, told the Oakland County Blog in 2019 that the windows go up for the Big Reveal and stay "from now until after the holidays." Her shop aims for "something that's obviously very sparkly." In 2017, Hometown Life reported that after the reveal, people shop, eat at downtown restaurants and walk the block to see the displays. Barnette told the paper she was glad people had been "hanging out afterwards and making it the start of their holiday season."
That changes how the rest of the calendar plays out. Both of downtown's big holiday Saturdays take place on the same blocks, in front of windows that have been on display since Nov. 19. If the 6:30 p.m. crowd on a Thursday night isn't for you, the windows will still be there on Saturday morning.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is the busiest day on the local holiday calendar, and part of it happens away from Main Street.
Downtown, the Christmas Parade steps off on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. It is sponsored by the Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce, and the DDA invites families to "meet Santa downtown." The Chamber's calendar lists it as the Annual Christmas Parade on Main Street Milford at the same hour, with Americus Coney Grill named as a sponsor. The DDA describes the parade as running from 10 a.m. to noon on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. In 2024, Oakland County Times reported that the parade started at Commerce and Main. For this year's route and any road closures, check the Chamber's listing.
The same morning, Kensington Metropark's Farm Center holds the first of its Snacks with Santa dates. The Huron-Clinton Metroparks program includes a horse-drawn hayride, a holiday sing-along with song sheets and jingle bells, and treats such as fresh fruit, cookies, juice, hot cocoa, and coffee for adults. It ends with a visit with Santa by the Christmas tree. It costs $12 per person, everyone in the group has to be registered, and it is aimed at ages 2 to 10, although all ages are welcome.
The two events overlap. The first Kensington session on Nov. 28 starts at 10:30 a.m., half an hour after the parade begins. The noon and 2 p.m. sessions are the ones that fit around the parade.
The deadline matters more than the timing. You don't need to sign up for anything downtown. Kensington requires preregistration by 4 p.m. three days before each session. For Nov. 28, that means 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving. Here are the sessions the Metroparks registration system listed for 2026, with each registration cutoff counted from the program's three-day rule:
| Kensington session date | Listed start times | Register by 4 p.m. on |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 28 | 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. | Wed., Nov. 25 |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. | Wed., Dec. 9 |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. | Wed., Dec. 16 |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | 10:30 a.m. | Thu., Dec. 17 |
In late October, some Dec. 12 time slots were already showing as full. Open sessions can change quickly, so check the registration page before you plan a day around one.
The Farm Center is also the part of Kensington that stays busy after the summer season. As of Oct. 25, the Metroparks closures page showed Martindale and Maple beaches, Splash 'n' Blast, boat rental and the Island Queen closed for the season. The Toboggan disc golf course closed Oct. 26, and the Black Locust South course stays open year-round. The Farm Center was listed as open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with weekend hayrides from noon to 4 p.m., weather permitting. The Oakland County Blog's holiday calendar also lists Chow Time at the Farm at the Kensington Farm Center on Dec. 4.
One week after the parade, Santa comes back to Main Street. The DDA lists the Christmas Open House for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The listing includes:
The Open House runs most of the day, so you can arrive in the morning, take a carriage ride after lunch or come for caroling around dusk. Whenever you go, you'll be walking past the windows that opened on Nov. 19. The DDA pitches the shopping side around holiday décor, locally made gifts, women's items and children's toys from the village's independent stores.
Two more dates nearby fill the gaps. The Highland DDA lists Small Business Saturday on Nov. 28, the same day as Milford's parade. Its Tree Lighting and Kris Kringle Market is on Monday, Dec. 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Veterans Park and Steeple Hall, with the tree lit at 7 p.m. The listing includes a kids' choir, photos with Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides, free popcorn and hot chocolate, a Festival of Trees and the Kris Kringle Market at the HVCA. Parking is at Highland Elementary.
Put all of that together and Santa has four stops on the local calendar by Dec. 7: Main Street on Nov. 28, the Kensington Farm Center starting the same day, Village Center Mall on Dec. 5 and Steeple Hall on Dec. 7. Only the Kensington visit needs a reservation, and its first deadline is the afternoon before Thanksgiving.
Whether you'll be at the countdown on Nov. 19 or getting the kids registered for a hayride with Santa, these dates show how downtown Milford sets up its season. I'm Sherry Cynowa, and I keep track of the local calendar as closely as the market. If you have questions about Milford or the communities around it, Let's Connect.
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Veteran Michigan Real Estate Agent since 1994, Sherry is “short in stature and tall on results,” bringing local expertise and a passion for helping you achieve your real estate goals.