DETROIT, Mich. – Campus Martius Park will fill with holiday magic and merriment as DTE Energy Foundation presents its annual gift to the City of Detroit — a beautiful, 60-foot-tall Michigan-grown Norway Spruce decorated with over 19,000 twinkling energy-efficient, multi-colored LED lights and shiny ornaments. The 12th annual Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20. The legendary Four Tops, who helped establish the Motown sound in the 1960s, will headline the festivities, along with former World Champion and Olympic skating legend Todd Eldredge.
This year’s program is unique, as all the performers have Detroit roots, including musical entertainment from Detroit favorite Karen Newman, the nationally recognized chorale United Voices of Detroit, Michigan Opera Theatre’s Holiday Ensemble and Children’s Choir, Larry Lee & The Back In The Day Band, and a very special musical performance from Emily Sobeck, a Make-A-Wish Michigan Wish Kid.
Joining Eldredge, who trained and performed with the Detroit Skate Club, Detroit’s great skating legacy will also be celebrated with current and future national and world stars performing on the Campus Martius Rink, including the Dearborn Figure Skating Club’s nationally recognized synchronized skating team, the Crystallettes, and other skaters from the Detroit Skate Club, the Arctic Figure Skating Club and the Creative Edge Ice Theatre. 
“The DTE Energy Foundation’s presentation of the holiday tree to the city of Detroit – and to all the residents and visitors who come out to enjoy its beauty – is truly one of the most special gifts the DTE Energy Foundation provides each year,” said Faye Nelson, vice president, Public Affairs, DTE Energy and president of the DTE Energy Foundation. “The tree lighting has become a wonderful tradition in Detroit, and a way that we show our appreciation to the communities we serve, helping thousands of families create memories that will last a lifetime.”
Detroit’s largest and most recognized Christmas Tree sits on top of the beautiful Woodward Fountain and will be lit near the end of the show just before 8:00 p.m. The Rink Opening Party, with 95.5 FM, runs from 8:30 p.m. – midnight.
The spectacular Detroit Tree Lighting is an entire evening of activities and one of the great family traditions enjoyed by thousands of Detroiters. The Salvation Army will light its giant Red Kettle at 6:00 p.m. Other family activities for the evening include The Rink Opening Party, Showcase D’ Holidays with food, drink and music, The Salvation Army Family Fun Tent, photos with Santa, and horse-drawn carriage rides.
“As the Detroit Tree Lighting officially kicks off the holiday season in downtown Detroit, we’re delighted to have so many Detroit families share this tradition with us year after year, along with all of our partners, including DTE Energy Foundation and Quicken Loans,” said Robert Gregory, president, Detroit 300 Conservancy. “We’re also especially excited this year that all of the event’s performers bring Detroit ties to the celebration, making it that much more of a Detroit ‘family’ affair.”
The November 20 Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony, presented by DTE Energy Foundation, officially kicks off Detroit’s Holiday Season, which includes public skating at the Rink and Quicken Loans Season of Winter Magic.
The full program for Quicken Loans Season of Winter Magic will be announced the week of November 9.
Special thanks to our Official City of Detroit Tree Lighting presenting sponsor, DTE Energy Foundation and Season of Winter Magic presenting sponsor, Quicken Loans and all of our Season’s wonderful supporters that make this exceptional community programming possible, including: Compuware Corporation, WXYZ Channel 7, IKEA, McDonald’s, Verizon Wireless, WNIC, The Detroit Free Press, Ernst & Young, Honigman, Marketing Associates, Bedrock, Absopure Water, Faygo, Atwater Brewery, Detroit Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Fifth Third Bank, AutoLiv, iHeart Radio, The Detroit News, Channel 955, Opportunity Detroit, DEGC, ZipCar, michigan.com, GalaxE Solutions, Clark Hill, City Loft, Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, aloft, People’s Transit, Taste Love Cupcakes, good people popcorn, Greko Printing, Blumz Florist, MichPromos.com, Berline, The Michigan Christmas Tree Association, Allied Marketing and many others.
For more Winter Magic information, please visit www.campusmartiuspark.org, or follow on Twitter at @CampusMartius and on Facebook at Facebook.com/CampusMartiusPark.
About Campus Martius Park
This 12th Annual Detroit Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is produced by the Detroit 300 Conservancy, an affiliate of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, with the support of the City of Detroit Parks and Recreation Department.
Established in 2004, Campus Martius Park, Detroit’s Gathering Place and Downtown centerpiece, is a legacy gift to the city of Detroit from the Detroit 300 Conservancy, the nonprofit organization that designed, built, operates and programs the Park through businesses, foundations, and individual donations. The internationally recognized Campus Martius Park has helped catalyze Downtown Detroit’s transformation with over $1 Billion of new investment. The Park is the recipient of the first ever Urban Land Institute’s Amanda Burden Open Space Award, one of the APA’s Top Ten Great Public Spaces in America, the USA Today’s “Top Ten US Parks That Has Helped Revive Their Cities” and the Downtown Detroit Partnership’s Perception Survey Number One Voted Downtown Destination. For more information, contact the Detroit 300 Conservancy at 313-962-0101, visit www.campusmartiuspark.org, or follow on Twitter at @CampusMartius and on Facebook at Facebook.com/CampusMartiusPark.
About The DTE Energy Foundation
The DTE Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, continuing the legacy of community support and involvement of its electric and natural gas utilities, which serve 2.1 million electric customers in Southeast Michigan and 1.2 million natural gas customers in Michigan. As one of Michigan’s leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. http://www.dteenergy.com/foundation.