Candyland
Beacon Park
Detroit
Through Jan. 20, 2026
Those who want a final Christmas fix can find it at Beacon Park’s Candyland outdoor light exhibit, open until Jan. 20. The display features a series of holiday-themed light installations, which include gingerbread men, cupcakes, stars, Christmas bulb ornaments and more, opening with a giant candy cane arch. The mostly open space also contains a central lit-up Christmas tree that ties the displays together.
While lots of places keep their Christmas lights up throughout January, I was surprised to find that Candyland kept the Christmas music going as well. Recordings of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The First Noel,” “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and “What Christmas Means to Me” played through the loudspeakers. When my friend and I visited on a Tuesday evening, the space was practically deserted, with only two other people enjoying our otherwise private recorded serenade and Christmas display.
It takes only a few minutes to walk through to see everything and would be a nice add-on stop to an existing visit to downtown Detroit as opposed to a destination in and of itself. It’s also a nice visual to enjoy while dining at the park’s restaurant, Lumen.
Candyland is the latest in a rotating series of installations at Beacon Park. Developed by DTE Energy in 2017, the park is a 1.2 acre greenspace downtown that features year-round community events and interactive installations, often light-themed, plus a restaurant. The park is situated across from Detroit’s Grand Army of the Republic Building, a historic, castle-like structure that adds to the whimsical atmosphere.
Now at the end of its run, Candyland is past its prime, with a few of the installations dark or shut down. It does, however, still carry the warmth and joy of Christmas – with an added layer of liminality – that most Michiganders can appreciate in the depths of our cold, dreary winters.
