Head to Frankenmuth for Christmas with the Cup

Hockey, concerts, fan fests, and the Hockey Hall of Fame are all staple events at the Memorial Cup.

The annual 10-day tournament is known for featuring the best teams in the Canadian Hockey League. However, it is not synonymous with Jolly Old St. Nick, candy canes and Christmas trees.

But that will change with this year’s Christmas at the Cup.

Christmas at the Cup is a one-of-a-kind event that the Saginaw Spirit knew they wanted to bring to the 2024 Memorial Cup experience from the time they submitted their bid in early 2023 to host the tournament in Saginaw.

“It was part of the bid committee’s vision to tie the Frankenmuth experience into the Memorial Cup,” said Jamie Furbush, president and CEO of the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The city of Frankenmuth – sort of a next-door neighbour to Saginaw and the location of the four teams that have played in the tournament – is a Christmas destination, internationally known for its Bavarian-style architecture and love of all things Christmas. A Christmas-themed event was a natural choice to add to the Saginaw Memorial Cup experience, event organizers said.

“Frankenmuth welcomes millions of Canadian visitors a year. People from Ontario are very familiar and loyal to visiting us here in this region, but they don’t always get to this kind of hockey with their Frankenmuth or Great Lakes Bay Region vacation,” Furbush said.

“Christmas at the Cup, it’s going to be like a mini-Christmas festival,” she continued. “There will be a big tent with entertainment, Christmas décor, Christmas activities, Santa and all kinds of things.”

Christmas at the Cup will embrace the magic of the Christmas season and all the joy that comes with it. It will be held June 1 at Frankenmuth’s Zehnder Park, next door to Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth.

Attendees of this year’s 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow will be able to experience photo opportunities in unique Christmas settings, ornament making, a countdown to Christmas, as well as holiday food and drinks.

“It will be a fun, festive, entertainment event,” Furbush said.

Admission to Christmas at the Cup will be free and everyone is welcome.

“It will be fun for everybody – fun for all ages,” Furbush said.