It's time: 65-foot Christmas tree arrives in downtown Detroit for holiday season

It may be 65 degrees and sunny, but Christmastime is here.

A 65-foot-tall, Michigan-grown Christmas tree arrived Thursday and is now standing in the middle of Campus Martius, ready to ring in the holiday season.

"I'm thrilled that we're all going to celebrate together on Nov. 18, and we have quite the show in store," said David Cowan, chief public spaces officer for the Downtown Detroit Partnership. "So without further delay, I'm very proud to unveil this year's majestic 65-foot Norway Spruce from Lake City, Michigan ... which is best coined the Christmas tree capital of the world."

The tree is barren right now, but it will be vibrantly lit up with 20,000 LED lights.

The Christmas tree lighting is a popular event for metro Detroiters and usually draws a crowd of more than 75,000. From 5 p.m. to midnight on Nov. 18, attendees will be able to count down to the lighting, ride a horse-drawn carriage, shop at Cadillac Square and eat from a wide assortment of food trucks.

The Campus Martius ice rink will also open.

This year's performers will include Golden Globe winner Darren Criss, a University of Michigan alumni, and Mariah Bell, the 2022 U.S. national figure skating champion, on the ice.

Cowan said the tree lighting is one of his favorite events and he's "proud to preserve the cherished tradition that's free and open to all."

Contact Emma Stein: estein@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter @_emmastein.