Downtown Detroit is celebrating the holidays differently this year.
The city’s Campus Martius celebrations will take on a calmer tone in coming weeks as sensory-friendly Santas kick off the season for the city’s 2023 Decked Out Detroit.
Spearheaded by real estate firm Bedrock and Rocket’s philanthropy arm, Rocket Community Fund, the free holiday event series runs on various dates from November through January.
Organizers reimagined more inclusive festivities to accommodate people whose disabilities or sensory needs don’t align with a traditional holiday rush, said Becky McVey, director of programming for the University of Michigan Adaptive and Inclusive Sports Experience.
Many people, including wheelchair users, autistic children and their families, are sidelined from community celebrations because of typical loud music and crowds, McVey said.
But this year, organizers are hoping to leave no one behind, she said.
Santa Clauses and elves will greet children and families in a 1001 Winter Wonders room, complete with snow, a gingerbread house and model penguins. The room will be open from Nov. 16 through Dec. 24 with various times listed on the event’s website.
