NOVEMBER 30 • 2023 | 53
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PLAY DATE
Treat the kids to something awesome: Cultivate curious 
minds with colorful, educational — and so much fun! — 
playtime. The brainchild of Lacey Foon, mom to 4-year-
old twins, Fascination Factory in Birmingam’s Rail 
District, newly opened in April, offers 4,500-square-feet 
of play-based learning (think anything from building a 
castle with blocks to pretending to run a grocery store) 
and STEAM-focused toys for tots from preschool to 
elementary ages. Battery-free, plug-free, instruction-
free and kid-powered, the Factory encourages open-
ended play and creativity — while allowing parents (or 
grandparents or caregivers) the chance to play with 
their kids without the mess in their own home, relax 
in the cafe, meet new friends and shop their retail 
department. Purchase a drop-in class or month-to-
month or annual membership. Fascinationfactory.com.

DELI IN
Turn staying in into an experience by treating 
yourself and guests to a taste of the Lower East 
Side: Katz’s Delicatessen (home of “I’ll have what 
she’s having” and “Send a salami to your boy in the 
Army”) has been a Jewish New York staple since 
1888, when it opened as the Iceland Brothers on 
Ludlow Street. Now on East Houston, the deli will 
deliver a full meal for four or more. Take a look at 
Katz’s Holiday Box (one pound hand-carved juicy 
pastrami, another of corned beef, deli rye, deli 
mustard, full sour and half sour pickles, sauerkraut, 
mini black & white cookies and more) or the 
Hanukkah Dinner Package (similar to the Holiday 
Box but includes matzah-ball soup, mini latkes and 
chocolate babka). Top off the evening with a home 
screening of When Harry Met Sally or Crossing 
Delancey. Katzsdelicatessen.com.

CULTURAL OUTING
There are so many museums, plays and other 
attractions in Metro Detroit to choose from. If the 
grandparents are looking for a special gift that keeps 
on giving, for example, ask them to purchase a family 
membership to the Detroit Institute of Arts (dia.org) 
or the Zekelman Holocaust Center (holocaustcenter.
org). Or buy season tickets to Broadway in Detroit (or 
tickets for a single show, with lunch or dinner in Detroit) 
— shows on the horizon include Frozen at the Detroit 
Opera House through Dec. 17; American Girl Live in 
Concert at the Fisher on Dec. 7; Wicked at the Detroit 
Opera House Jan. 24-Feb. 18, 2024; and comedian 
Alex Edelman: Just For Us (ages 13 and up) at the 
Fisher on Feb. 24, 2024. Broadwayindetroit.com.

PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER

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