Grosse Pointe Park held their annual tree lighting event in West Park, located along the border of the Park and Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 30. Kercheval was filled with food trucks, holiday market stands, activities for kids, musical performers, a bar fully equipt with drinks for adults and an enormous Christmas tree to top everything off.
Included in the festivities was live music. I really enjoyed the first group that played, the Hummingbirds Music Together. They were very festive and were able to put me in the Christmas spirit. I really enjoyed the transition music that they played in between performances, which included modern holiday music like “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey and “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande.
Across from the tent with musical performers, there was a convenient ATM and small shops. The shops in the tent were very high-spirited and had a lot of cute holiday trinkets, such as jewelry and ornaments. The tents were heated, which was very nice because of the frigid weather.
Going down Kercheval, there were multiple Detroit based food trucks, including Beignets 2 Go, Cocina GTO, Delectabowl, Detroit Panzerotti and Grillwich Tot Stop. I tried the tacos from Cocina GTO, and unfortunately did not like them very much. Their flavor was generic without bold seasoning, and the lettuce did not look fresh. The sides of beans and rice were also flavorless. Additionally, the service was very slow as it took around fifteen minutes for the tacos to be ready.
Around the cul-de-sac between Detroit and Grosse Pointe there was a grand, beautiful tree, lit for many people to watch. The event also had a fire pit and marshmallows to roast for the little kids, which was really fun and festive.
Besides the fire pit, there was a kids tent that included many activities, like cornhole, a petting zoo and snowflake crafts. All of the activities were sponsored by local businesses and franchises like Grosse Pointe Music Academy and Moosejaw. The atmosphere was cheerful and the activities were enjoyed by kids and adults alike. .
Overall, the West Park Winter Social was a very fun and festive event for people of all ages. There was something to do, eat or drink for everyone. My favorite part was the holiday market because it felt like Christmas to me with all the decorations for sale and the festive spirit. This event was successful overall and brought community together for the holiday season.