This blog post may contain affiliate links, which may reward me in the event of a sale. I use these funds to reinvest in my blog and to create more great content like this article to share with you! My visit to Bay City was sponsored by Go Great Lakes Bay, however all thoughts & opinions are my own. Disclaimer here.
The final stop that we made during our holiday winter getaway to the Great Lakes Bay was to Bay City. On this Christmas themed day trip to Bay City, we enjoyed several community driven activities including a horse drawn carriage ride, Sunday in the City shopping event, visiting the Santa House, and even a spontaneous, holiday surprise!
Of the three towns that we visited on this getaway, Bay City was the biggest surprise. Unlike Frankenmuth and Midland, Bay City’s holiday attractions don’t have as much attention behind them. But, you know us… we aren’t just about what is well known, we love finding the hidden gems in Michigan!
Bay City is only a 30 minute drive from Frankenmuth and Midland. Plus, of the three, its nearest to a Great Lake – which is always a win in my book! It makes an excellent stop when checking out holiday attractions in the Great Lakes Bay.
Inspiration Behind this Christmas Themed Day Trip to Bay City
During a recent summer trip we took to Bay City, we happened upon the Nate and Mary Ida Doan Santa House, which caught our attention.
This is something I never noticed before during past adventures in Bay City. So it instantly jumped up in my priority list as a place to explore.
While planning this trip to the Great Lakes Bay, I discovered downtown Bay City hosts a “Sundays in the City” weekly event between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Not only are there shopping deals, but also free horse drawn carriage rides, and classic holiday movies at the State Theatre. We had to go!
Summary
When: Sunday in December
Why: Last summer we discovered Bay City has its own Santa house, and so, wanted to plan a Christmas themed day trip to Bay City to discover more ideas of what visitors can enjoy here.
Time Traveled (one way): 1.5 hours from Lansing, almost 2 hours from Detroit, 2 hours from Grand Rapids, 2.25 hours from Traverse City, 2.5 hours from Kalamazoo, 2.5 hours from Toledo, almost 4.5 hours from Chicago
Time Spent at Destination: 1 day
Budget: $$
Christmas Themed Day Trip to Bay City Details
Prior to our day trip, we stayed in Midland the night before at the Fairfield Inn and Suites. Then left for Bay City after having some breakfast at the hotel the next day on Sunday. While in Midland, we had our own Christmas themed day trip that involved an evening at Midland’s very own Santa House. You can check out that itinerary here.
Harless + Hugh
We got to Bay City around 10 AM, which is a bit early as the shops don’t open until 11 AM or 12 PM for most. This was intentional so we could scope out the town and take in some of the seasonal decor while it still wasn’t busy. We also popped into Harless + Hugh Coffee to grab a latte.
This coffee shop has beautiful, natural calming vibes to it. They are two rooms to sit down and enjoy your coffee and a pastry from. One is the front room, which has big bay windows to sit in. There are display cases selling stationary, and other gifts and trinkets. In the back is a spacious room with more tables and chairs for groups of 2 to 4 people. During the month, there’s an outdoor patio to sit at.
I ordered an orange and cardamom latte, which was absolutely delicious. They have options if you want to dine in to enjoy your coffee or take it to go.
Harless + Hugh Coffee is open daily. On the weekend it is open at 8 AM through 6 PM. During the week, it’s open 8 AM through 6 PM.
Christmas Festivities & Attractions in downtown Bay City
After starting our Christmas themed day trip with a latte, we headed out to window shop and take in the holiday decor throughout downtown Bay City. During our walk, we moseyed over to Wenonah Park where Bay City’s Christmas tree is located. Wenonah Park stretches back over a century to 1908 and is a key public space with an amphitheater and large oval public sculpture at its center.
Besides the beautiful Christmas tree, which this year, is a 44 foot tall blue spruce, there are also lights and decorations in Wenonah Park. Festive greenery lines the streets and decorates the street lights in Bay City.
Holiday Shopping in Bay City
Once 11 AM hit, we hopped in the car and drove over to My Secret Garden to start our holiday shopping! My Secret Garden is located in a former Studebaker dealership and houses a variety of unique items for everyone of all ages. It is thoughtfully organized and laid out by category and style. Prices are reasonable with holiday promos running. Here I found several great deals and ended up purchasing some great finds for the family gift exchange.
Then we headed back into downtown Bay City. At 11:30 AM, we popped into Violets Blue, which was founded by a Mother-Daughter duo in 2002. This shop is filled with an assortment of home accessories and the cutest gifts. At this spot, I couldn’t resist purchasing some gifts for myself – namely, office decor to spruce up my cube at work as well as earrings. Violets Blue accepts Santa Bucks, which is the promo run during Sundays in the City and provides discounts on regularly priced merchandise.
The final shop that caught my eye is Half Mile Handmade. While Half Mile Handmade wasn’t participating with Santa Bucks, we still felt great shopping here. It feels like we walked into Etsy – but featuring Michigan and Midwestern made products. They also have an area of the shop with discounted merchandise so we scored some great deals here too!
Sundays in the City Events
Starting at noon until 3 PM just outside the State Theater, there are free horse carriage rides throughout Bay City. At 2 PM, the State Theatre airs classic Christmas movies that are free to watch! However, food or cash donations are welcome and benefit a local food kitchen. We didn’t stick around to watch the movie, but did enjoy the horse drawn carriage ride!
Madonna Mural
Before crossing the river to the other side of Bay City, when driving through town, we had to pull over and quick stop because we noticed a mural of Madonna!
In my past visits of Bay City, I’ve never noticed this mural before. I’ve always heard there wasn’t any callouts anywhere in town that Madonna is from Bay City. Looking into the mural further, I learned the mural was painted in 2020 by a muralist under the name of Muck Rock. Not only was Madonna born in Bay City, she spent a lot of time with her grandparents who lived here.
Brooklyn Boyz Pizza
Once lunchtime hit, we went to Brooklyn Boyz Pizza, which is located on the west side of the Saginaw River in Bay City. This pizzeria came at the suggestion of Go Great Lakes Bay. When planning this trip, I asked for a recommendation on where to enjoy lunch in a place that’s festive and family friendly. Wow! What a fantastic recommendation they made!
To start our lunch, I ordered a cocktail for myself – a winter margarita which used cranberry juice. It was so simple, yet delicious. And we all split an appetizer of garlic knots. I’m not kidding when I said these garlic knots just melted in our mouth. They were perfectly baked and seasoned and the dips they recommended to us were great! They came with the pesto, pizza sauce, and blush – a mix between marinara and Alfredo sauce.
I barely had any room for the pizza the way I scarfed down those garlic knots!
For the pizza, we ordered the Brooklyn Special, which came with pepperoni, ham and sausage, and the pizza was also deliciously made. Glad I didn’t order more than a medium sized pizza though after those garlic knots.
The service at Brooklyn Boyz Pizza was friendly and quick. The owner even popped down at our table and talked with my son. It’s always great to dine at restaurants where you’re treated like family!
Nate and Mary Ida Doan’s Santa House
Once we ate, we were back and ready for more Santa! And oh boy, if you’re seeking a hidden gem festive spot for the holidays, the Nate and Mary Ida Doan Santa House is IT!
While this Santa House has been around since the early 1990s, to me, it appears to be an overshadowed holiday attraction in the region. With Frankenmuth and the gingerbread looking Midland Santa House nearby, Bay City’s own Santa House can be overlooked. (I mean, I didn’t know about it until I was driving by and saw the sign!) But this Santa House is definitely worth a visit!
The house is named after Nate and Mary Ida, who are well known in the Bay City community as THE Santa and Mrs. Claus team for over 50 years! Both of them even have a place in the Santa Claus Hall of Fame (who knew there was one?!)
AND Mr. Doan attended the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School (which is now headquartered in Midland) back in 1953, before he took over as the school’s second dean! Together, they traveled the world teaching Santa classes. Sadly, Mr. Doan is no longer with us, but Mary Ida still visits. Visiting the Santa House in Bay City is very easy. It’s free to visit, but donations are welcomed!
During the month of December, the Nate and Mary Ida Doan Santa House is open daily until a few days before Christmas from 1-4 PM and 6-8:30 PM. Parking is free and available in the community center lot across the street. Photos with Santa are free if you carry your own camera or phone. Instant prints cost $5.
Trombley Centre House
The last stop in our Christmas themed day trip to Bay City was a spontaneous one. We noticed the historic Trombley Centre House was festively decorated and had people entering in and out of it. After spotting this house during our summer trip to Bay City, I thought this historic home would be neat to one day visit. And lo and behold, today was our lucky day!
During the holiday season, lining up with the Sundays in the City, the Trombley Centre House hosts a couple holiday open houses where visitors are free to pop in for a tour and participate in classic holiday crafts. That was a great bonus and surprise for us – and fun for the kids. Winston enjoyed making paper snowflakes and making ornaments.
The Trombley Centre House is significant as its the oldest frame standing house in Bay County. It was built in a Greek Revival style of architecture, which was popular when it was built in the mid 1800s. It’s current location is not its original location. Today, the house is next to the Kantzler Memorial Arboretum where it’s been since it was forded down the river! During our visit, volunteers on site told the story of how it was moved. Can you imagine seeing an old house being floated down the Saginaw River? And yes, there were pictures to check out from that date on display!
Restorations continue on the house. In a couple spots, it’s possible to see layers of the house including exposure down to its original frame! If you’re a history buff or enjoy classic architecture, this is one stop you should add to your day trip to Bay City. To tour the Trombley Centre House, contact the Bay City Historical Society Museum to set up a tour.
Complete Itinerary for a Christmas Themed Day Trip to Bay City
Here’s my family’s itinerary for how we spent the day in Bay City:
- Arrived in Bay City from Midland at 10am
- 10:00 am: Breakfast and coffee at Harless + Hugh
- 10:30 am: Walked to Wenonah Park to enjoy the Christmas decorations
- 11 am: Shopping at My Secret Garden
- 11:30 am: Shopping at Violets Blue
- 12:00 pm: Horse drawn carriage ride in Bay City
- 12:30 pm: Shopping at Half Mile Handmade
- 1:00 pm: Lunch at Brooklyn Boyz Pizza
- 2:00 pm: Nate and Mary Ida Doan’s Santa House
- 2:20 pm: Visit the Trombley Centre House
Map of Christmas Themed Day Trip to Bay City
Other Helpful Info to Note
What are some restaurant options in Bay City?
From past visits to Bay City, I’ve dined at MI Table and H2O’s Waterside Grill before. Both are excellent options. MI Table offers a seasonal menu with many of it’s ingredients coming locally from Michigan with what’s fresh and available. While H2O’s is right along the Saginaw River allowing for waterfront views all year long.
Where do you recommend parking in downtown Bay City?
If you’re visiting for Bay City’s Sundays in the City holiday event, there is plenty of parking along the street. There are also parking lots scattered throughout the city as well (free!). If you are crossing the river to visit the Santa House, there is a parking lot next to the community center to park at.
Is this day trip easily walkable or do I need to drive anywhere?
When in the downtown area of Bay City, everything is within walking distance. However, when crossing the bridge to get to lunch and checking out the Santa House, I recommend driving.
When does the Santa House start for the holidays?
The Nate and Mary Ida Doan Santa House opens the first Saturday after Thanksgiving and runs until December 22. During that window, the Santa House is open on weekdays from 6-8:30 pm and on weekends 1-4pm and 6-8:30pm.
Do any of these attractions require reservations?
No reservations are required for any of these attractions.
Where can we spend the night in Bay City?
My family and I spent the night a couple of times on other occasions in Bay City. I highly recommend both the DoubleTree by Hilton which is within walking distance to downtown Bay City. If you want to leave your car there, parking is free.
Otherwise, a little bit more uptown is the Courtyard by Marriott, which is also lovely and located next to the river. If you like to read more about experiences, staying at either of these two hotels, as well as what we did during our previous stays, check out my articles here and here.
And I should mention, this day trip was part of a larger Christmas themed getaway to the Great Lakes Bay where we stayed in both Frankenmuth and Midland in addition to Bay City. To discover more about how to enjoy a Christmas themed getaway to Frankenmuth, I’ve linked that article here. And to read more about our Christmasy day trip to Midland, find that here.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season and get the opportunity to get out and have an adventure somewhere new! Don’t forget to gift yourself this holiday season!
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
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