After the plug was pulled this year on a long-standing Detroit holiday tradition, businesses in Midtown have come up with a festive alternative.

Merry Midtown, a Dec. 6 family-friendly shopping and dining event, will include more than 20 Midtown businesses. The event will feature discounts, music and activities and run from 5-9 p.m. It will take the place of Noel Night, an annual event put on by Midtown Detroit, Inc., which was paused this year as its organizers take time to reimagine its future. 

The day after the news broke that Noel Night was canceled, City Bird co-owner Andy Linn and his sister, Emily, began talking to other neighborhood business owners about alternative community activities. The gift shop, located on Canfield Street, has been a staple in Midtown for 20 years and has a sister shop next door called Nest. 

Andy Linn said Noel Night is a major tradition for the neighborhood and is going to be missed. The Linns gauged interest from several dozen members of the Midtown business community to come up with a plan to fill the void.

”We wanted to do something in the spirit of that event and bring in the holiday season,” he said. 

Twenty-nine out of the 30 businesses responded, Andy Linn said. Some include the chocolate shop Bon Bon Bon, restaurants like Go! Sy Thai, Jolly Pumpkin and La Feria and shops such as Shinola, Old Soul Vintage and HiHi. 

“It won’t be quite as expansive as Noel Night, but it will have a lot of the same spirit,” he said. “Many of the neighbors are still settling on the final things they’re going to do, but we’re all trying to do a little extra this year to make sure that it’s a great event for everybody.” 

Melanie Markowicz, executive director of Midtown Detroit Inc., said the organization talked to several businesses and cultural institutions before plans for the Noel Night pause were announced. The nonprofit’s decision to cancel this year’s event is part of a larger organizational shift for Midtown Detroit Inc., which appointed Markowicz in February as its new leader after longtime director Sue Mosey retired in 2023.

“We wish we could have made this decision sooner, but we wanted to be actually sure that this was the right path,” she said.

But not everyone said they got notice before the announcement was made. 

Rachael Adadevoh-Woods, the owner of Art Loft Midtown Detroit, said while she and several other business owners were blindsided and disappointed by Noel Night’s cancellation, she’s looking forward to being a part of Merry Midtown. 

“As long as people are around, we will be here,” she said. “We want to make it fun. It’s a fun, family event we’re planning.” 

A night of holiday fun

During Merry Midtown, Adadevoh-Woods will be offering 50% off items in her gift shop, which includes art, home decor and fashion accessories. Shoppers can also expect to receive surprise treats, she said. 

And there’ll be plenty of holiday gifts for shoppers to choose from, Adadevoh-Woods said.

“We have fashion for ladies, fashion for men,” she said. “We have candles, picture frames, soaps, lotions. We have local art, jewelry, pottery. There’s a lot of great gift ideas, so we are definitely prepared.” 

Meanwhile, holiday DJs Kris and Kringle will be spinning Christmas music at City Bird, with Santa and Mrs. Claus will even make an appearance, Andy Linn said. The shop will also have a selection of holiday gifts and ornaments on display and a Detroit-themed carnival cutout. 

“One of our staff members painted us a carnival cutout that has anthropomorphic Detroit buildings that you can stick your head inside, so you can be the Renaissance Center or the Penobscot building and take a fun picture,” Andy Linn said. 

Flo Boutique owner Felicia Patrick said Noel Night is usually the biggest day of the year financially for the shop, with hundreds of people coming in and out of the door throughout the event. With the event’s cancellation, Flo and other businesses would’ve taken a big hit, so she wanted to make sure an alternative was planned. 

“It’s the biggest selling day for us and it’s a time to have fun with friends and family,” said Patrick, who has had her shop on W. Willis Street for more than 20 years. 

For Merry Midtown, Patrick is hosting a “soulful holiday” experience, where shoppers can see live “mannequins” in the front window, take pictures in a revolving photo booth and be entered to win a wireless speaker if they spend $50 or more, she said. 

Like Adadevoh-Woods, Patrick is disappointed that Midtown Detroit Inc. did not give her advance notice of Noel Night’s cancellation. She said the neighborhood could’ve possibly found a way to still put on the event. 

“We could have all gotten together and tried to make it work,” Patrick said. “I’m hoping and praying it comes back next year. People always expect to do something on that first Saturday in December. We’re gonna give them something and try to make it the best we can.” 

Supporting small businesses 

Midtown Detroit Inc., Markowicz said, is supportive of Merry Midtown and is figuring out ways to support the event on a marketing and financial level.

“We’re really excited that they’ve decided to do something on that day in addition to promoting Small Business Saturday after the Thanksgiving holiday,” she said. “We’re going to do everything that we can in lieu of Noel Night to help get out the good news about all the unique shops and gifts and experiences for the festive season.” 

The nonprofit also plans to print out updated maps of the Cass Corridor and organize its annual holiday bingo, an initiative beginning on Small Business Saturday, where people will get a bingo card stamp when they make a purchase at participating Midtown stores and restaurants. Players will win a gift card when they get five stamps in a row. 

Source Booksellers ownersJanet Webster Jones and her daughter, Alyson Jones Turner, are cautiously optimistic about Merry Midtown. 

The book store has participated in Noel Night since its brick and mortar location opened in 2002 and like many other businesses, receives a boost in sales during the annual festivities. 

“I don’t know if we’re going to have people coming in like we did (for Noel Night),” Webster Jones said. “That event was very big to all the small businesses,

especially new businesses. I’m looking forward to trying to make sure business stays alive every day.” 

For Merry Midtown, Source plans to have a DJ in the store, holiday books on display and a storybook character that will read a book for guests, Jones Turner said. 

“We’re nervous because this has never happened before,” she said. “But we hope that the community will come out and be festive. That’s our biggest hope.” 

Visit the Merry Midtown Facebook page for more details on the event and participants.