Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Winter Guide: Best Things to Do, Holiday Events, and Food Finds
It was our first time in Michigan, and Ann Arbor instantly felt like the perfect place to kick off the holiday season! This city thrives in winter — from the festive markets to cozy local shops buzzing with holiday vibes. It felt like being in a real life Hallmark Christmas movie!
Ann Arbor is known for being the home of the University of Michigan, but there is so much more than that to explore in the city! We even got to see a little of snow, which made everything feel extra magical. We spent the weekend exploring all the best things to do, see, and (of course) eat — with plenty of vegan options along the way. Keep reading for our top picks from our Ann Arbor winter getaway!
How to Get to Ann Arbor
It’s a quick 2 hour flight (even less) from NYC to Detroit, and then a 40 minute drive from there to Ann Arbor. We rented a car from the Detroit airport, but you can also Uber or ride-share easily to Ann Arbor as well. Parking in Ann Arbor can be difficult, so definitely consider your options before your trip.
CHECK OUT RENTAL CARS HERE ON EXPEDIA
Where to Stay in Ann Arbor
We stayed at The Vanguard Ann Arbor which is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. We loved the hotel — our room was stunning and thought it was in a great location for exploring the city, or if you’re looking to visit the University of Michigan. They also had valet parking which was great since I mentioned earlier that it can be hard to park in Ann Arbor.
You can find other Ann Arbor hotels here on Expedia!
Best Things to Do in Ann Arbor
UMMA
Dawn Treader Books
Downtown Ann Arbor
Nichols Arboretum
Downtown Ann Arbor (during Midnight Madness)
Check out the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) - a free art museum on the University of Michigan campus. It’s one of the largest University Museums in the USA, and even has pieces from Picasso and Rodin!
Go for a hike at Nichols Arboretum - located next to the Huron River on the UM campus, here you can find nearly 3 miles of trails to explore! When we went it was snowy, which just made it full of winter magic.
Explore Downtown Ann Arbor - tons of local shops, cafes, and restaurants here! We loved Rock Paper Scissors, Ferne, Found, Literati, Dawn Treader Books, & more. Downtown Ann Arbor can be found around Main St. and when we visited for the holidays we got to check out Midnight Madness — a holiday night market all around Main St. where the street is closed to cars and businesses stay open late for holiday shopping!
Visit the Argus Museum - a museum for camera lovers! This museum also has free entry and you will learn the history about the Argus brand of cameras.
Relax with beauty services at London Beauty - We both got amazing facials here! But they also do other beauty services like nails, massages, and more.
See if you can find all the fairy doors - Tiny doors found in front of some businesses, located all over downtown!
Day trip to Ypsilanti
Downtown Ypsilanti
Depot Town
Vertex Coffee
Depot Town
Ypsilanti is another college town about 20 minutes from Ann Arbor. It’s located on the Huron River and is another fun city to explore on your trip!
Explore Depot Town - a historic district located built near the Ypsilanti Train Depot in 1838. Here you’ll find local shops and restaurants to check out.
Grab a coffee at Cafe Liv or Vertex Coffee - both great local coffee shops! Cafe Liv had a holiday market happening when we visited, and Vertex Coffee is super LGBTQ+ friendly — offering a Pride topper to your drink all year long where proceeds benefit a local charity.
Check out Downtown Ypsilanti - for more local shops and restaurants!
Grab a drink and play some games at Corner Brewery - also called Ann Arbor Brewing Company, this is a great local brewery with food, games, and more!
Where to Eat in Ann Arbor (Vegan)
Detroit Filling Station
Plant Based Coneys
Union Rec
Aventura
Detroit Filling Station
Northstar Lounge
Poindexter Coffee
Miss Kim
Little Kim
Speido
Aventura
Union Rec
Cinnaholic
Uplift
Seva
Cafe Liv (Ypsi)
Vertex Coffee (Ypsi)
Plant Based Coneys (Ypsi)
Corner Brewery (Ypsi)
The LGBTQ+ Scene in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor is one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities we’ve visited in the USA. We saw so many inclusive and safe space signs, pride flags, and rainbows everywhere. Not only on the outside of storefronts either, most local gift shops had tons of LGBTQ+ inclusive merch to buy too. We go to visit some of the queer friendly businesses like Detroit Filling Station, Northstar Lounge, and Uplift, but there are also signs for so many other queer events happening all over the city. We felt extremely safe there as a couple and would recommend Ann Arbor to any of our LGBTQ+ friends to visit.
If you want to see everything we got up to in Ann Arbor, make sure you check out our YouTube travel vlog of our trip!
This blog post is sponsored by Destination Ann Arbor. As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.