What does a downtown do with a new public square in its first December? Swartz Creek is answering that on a deadline. On Saturday, December 5, the Christmas parade heads east on Miller Road to Morrish and stops at Holland Square for the tree lighting. Holland Square is new this year. It's a pergola built on city-owned property on Holland Drive that had been used for parking and outdoor events. The city has been racing to finish it before that parade.
That deadline shapes the next four weeks downtown. The first ticketed event under the new roof is on November 21. The parade route ends at the pergola on December 5. The Social District the city approved this fall lists the same square as one of its common areas. Holland Square sits at the center of downtown's holiday calendar, even while some of its finishing pieces are still waiting on delivery.
What Went Up on Holland Drive This Year
The Downtown Development Authority's approved concept put the pergola along the Miller Road side of the Holland Drive lot. Genesee County View described the design as a universally accessible pergola made of laminated engineered wood, with partial shelter, lighting, sound and seating.
The money came from several sources. The city's original funding plan listed a $75,000 grant from MSHDA, $50,000 from Dort Financial, matching funds from the MEDC's Public Spaces Community Places program, community donations and DDA funds. The crowdfunding campaign aimed to raise $60,000 to unlock a matching $60,000 from the MEDC. In the city manager's report in the October 26 council packet, the city said fundraising beat its budget and the project even received some donated gutter systems.
| Holland Square budget, as of the Oct. 26, 2026 council packet | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total project budget | $435,102 |
| Spent on structure and flatwork | $312,055 |
| Remaining for electrical, audio and lighting, signs, hardscape | $123,047 |
| Added 4-inch reinforced concrete surface, part of the spent total | $34,680 |
The concrete line came from a problem underground. Crews found issues with the existing footings under the masonry columns, which meant a large excavation for engineered footings and then a new surface across the dig. In the same packet, the city wrote that the project was still expected to land on time and on budget, while admitting "things are getting tight."
The Parade Is the Finish Line
The structure is done, and the city has closed out its MSHDA grant. The city manager wrote this in the October 26 packet:
"Personally, I think it looks great, and I applaud our architect and builder! We were under a pretty extraordinary timeline and had some unforeseen challenges."
What's left is everything that makes the square usable at night. The DDA approved buying and installing the lighting and sound in September, and the city ordered planters while it finalized the plaques and banner poles. In the city's words, that work "will complete the project, hopefully before the Christmas Parade." The manager's report dated November 4 in the November 9 council packet said lighting and sound crews had started work, and most of the signs, planters and plaques were ordered and waiting on delivery.
Lighting and sound are the pieces a 6 p.m. tree lighting in December depends on, so the city is finishing them on the parade's schedule.
November 21: The First Ticketed Morning Under the Roof
The square's first holiday event comes two weeks before the parade. The Holiday Coffee Tasting on Eventbrite runs Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holland Square, 5012 Holland Drive. The organizer is Make a Morning Of It, and Emma Conrady is listed as founder and host. Tickets show at $12.51. The listing promises samples of coffee, tea and bakery items from local coffee shops and bakeries.
The city lists the event in its November 9 packet as approved for those hours at Holland Square. A four-hour daytime tasting is a small first test for a new public space, and it happens in daylight, before the parade asks the lights and speakers to carry a crowd after dark.
December 5: How Parade Night Runs
The Swartz Creek Area Fire Fighters Association applied for the street and plaza permits. The city resolution sets the parade and the Holland Square tree lighting for Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. According to the city's description, the evening runs in this order:
- Street closures begin after 5 p.m.
- The parade steps off at 6 p.m. from the Middle School on Fairchild Street.
- The route follows Miller Road east to Morrish Road and stops at Holland Square for the tree lighting.
- Once the parade has passed, Fairchild reopens, along with Miller between Fairchild and Hayes.
- Miller between Hayes and Morrish stays closed with Holland Square until 8 p.m., and the city expects it will likely reopen sooner.
The city says the route was started a few years ago to bring people to the downtown businesses, and it calls the setup "workable but definitely more stressful to traffic." This year the evening is a parade and tree lighting only, like the last two years, and no group has stepped up to run a winter market.
The council's resolution also directs the mayor to deliver weather "not too hot or too cold, with just the right amount of seasonal snow."
Getting Downtown While Miller Is Cut at I-69
Both holiday events are on Miller Road, and part of Miller is closed elsewhere in town this month. ABC12 reported that Miller Road between the eastbound and westbound I-69 entrance ramps would close beginning November 4 for at least a month so crews can work under the overpass. The detour uses Bristol and Elms roads, and MDOT expects the road to reopen sometime in December. The closure is part of MDOT's $33.5 million project to repair 15 structures on I-69 between I-75 and Morrish Road. With a reopening date only described as "sometime in December," drivers coming downtown on December 5 should plan as if the detour is still in place.
There's also a new way to get downtown without parking. Genesee County View reported that MTA Flint's Genesee Connect on-demand service was scheduled to add a Swartz Creek zone on Wednesday, November 11.
- Booking: by app or by phone, with a 15-minute pickup target
- Fare: $2.50 for up to four miles, plus 40 cents for each additional mile
- Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
- Coverage: parts of the Miller-Linden corridor and Corunna Road to Graham Road, with connections to Flint-area bus routes and the Hill Road business district
Those Saturday hours cover the whole coffee tasting and the parade window, since the parade wraps up by 8 p.m. and service runs until 9.
After the Tree Lighting, the Square Keeps Its Role
The city is planning a bigger role for Holland Square after the holidays. The council approved a two-year trial of a Social District, and the state has signed off, so the city expects applications from local taverns soon. Graphics are still being finalized, and the district will be signed once license holders are brought on board. In August, Genesee County View reported that the proposed common areas included Holland Square, both parts of Shumaker Bicentennial Park, city property between the post office and the cemetery, and the area behind the businesses at Miller and Morrish. Drinks would be served in specially marked clear cups from the DDA, during proposed daily hours of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The same report named S&K Hometown Pub, Jan's Bar and Bella's Book Nook as possible participants.
The city is also adding wayfinding to tie the area together. The city and DDA have approved branding signs, the city has ordered public parking signs and the Holland Square poles, and more will be ordered once the city is happy with the quality of the first ones.
Swartz Creek's other big park project runs on a slower schedule. At Otterburn Park, the trail is substantially complete, but the city expects to lose the 2026 season. The restroom building has a delivery time of about six months, and the replacement pavilion has 8 to 10 weeks. HUD released the funding late, and lead times for prefabricated buildings grew from 60 days to about 200. The city is also planning to expand the pickleball courts at Elms Park and add a drinking fountain at Abrams Park.
| Date | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Since Nov. 4 | Miller Road closed between the I-69 ramps; detour via Bristol and Elms | Miller at I-69 |
| Nov. 11 | Genesee Connect Swartz Creek zone scheduled to start | Swartz Creek service zone |
| Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Holiday Coffee Tasting | Holland Square, 5012 Holland Drive |
| Dec. 5, after 5 p.m. | Parade route closures begin | Fairchild and Miller |
| Dec. 5, 6 to 8 p.m. | Christmas Parade and tree lighting | Middle School to Holland Square |
| December, date not set | Expected reopening of Miller at I-69 | Miller at I-69 |
Once Holland Square's last pieces are installed and the Social District opens, they will change how the blocks around Miller and Morrish feel, both for people who live a few streets away and for anyone considering a home nearby. If you'd like to talk about what these downtown changes mean for your own street in Swartz Creek, Mid MI HomeSellers is glad to go through it with you. Schedule a Consultation, and we'll start with the details that matter to you.
