Places to exploreMuseums, parks, neighborhoods and icons
Metro Detroit mapWhat Metro Detroit is, and what every town is about
The Henry FordRosa Parks’ bus, Greenfield Village and the Ford Rouge Factory
RenCen: live trackerThe Renaissance Center’s past, present and future, up to the minute
Gordie Howe BridgeThe new bridge to Canada: live waits, tolls, and yes, you can walk it
ToursBy boat, by bike or on foot, with a local guide
Escape roomsOne hour, one lock and your crew
Plan a meetingVenues, hotels and what’s on in town on your dates
Metro Detroit Oakland County City
A brick Main Street between two creeks, lit up with a million lights every December
01 / Why it matters
Rochester is one of Oakland County's oldest settlements: the Graham family built a log cabin in 1817 where Paint Creek meets the Clinton River. The creeks powered mills and factories, and the Western Knitting Mills was once one of the biggest glove makers in the world.
Today Main Street is one of the liveliest downtowns around. The Downtown Development Authority counts more than 400 shops, salons, restaurants and offices, 85 percent of them independent. Every December since 2006 the Big Bright Light Show wraps the storefronts in more than a million lights.
Rochester sits where two popular rail-trails meet, the Paint Creek Trail and the Clinton River Trail, so it's an easy ride in on a bike. Oakland University's campus is in the neighboring cities, but it has used a Rochester mailing address from the start, and in 1959 the village renamed one of its streets University Drive.
02 / Known for
The Big Bright Light Show: more than a million lights on the downtown storefronts since 2006
The Rochester Hometown Christmas Parade, held on the first Sunday of December since 1951
The Paint Creek Trail, Michigan's first non-motorized rail-trail, open since 1983
The Art & Apples Festival every September in Rochester Municipal Park; 2026 was its 60th year, with more than 250 juried artists
03 / What’s on
Oct 1, 2026, 1:00 PMOakland Baseball Field · Oakland baseball hosts Ontario Royals Travel Team on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Oakland Baseball Field in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 1, 2026, 7:00 PMOakland Soccer Field · Oakland women's soccer hosts Youngstown State University on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Oakland Soccer Field in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 2, 2026, 5:00 PMOakland Aquatic Center · Oakland swimming & diving hosts Youngstown State University on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 5 p.m. at Oakland Aquatic Center in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 2, 2026, 6:00 PMOU Credit Union O'rena · Oakland women's volleyball hosts Wright State on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 6 p.m. at OU Credit Union O'rena in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 3, 2026, 10:00 AMOakland Aquatic Center · Oakland swimming & diving hosts Youngstown State University on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Oakland Aquatic Center in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 3, 2026, 4:00 PMOU Credit Union O'rena · Oakland women's volleyball hosts Northern Kentucky on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 4 p.m. at OU Credit Union O'rena in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 4, 2026, 1:00 PMOakland Soccer Field · Oakland women's soccer hosts Robert Morris University on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 1 p.m. at Oakland Soccer Field in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 4, 2026, 1:00 PMFreeGoodison Cider Mill · On Sundays October 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1–4 p.m., balloon artist John Winslow twists free balloon creations at Goodison Cider Mill in Rochester, with free live music most Sunday afternoons. It all depends on weather and crowds, so call ahead.
Oct 6, 2026, 7:00 PMMeadow Brook Hall · Meadow Brook Hall’s Flashlight Tour runs on Tuesday, October 6, at 7:30 or 8 p.m. in Rochester (the 7 p.m. slot is sold out). A docent-led walk shows hidden details you’d miss in daylight.
Oct 7, 2026, 2:00 PMOakland Soccer Field · Oakland men's soccer hosts Green Bay on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Oakland Soccer Field in Rochester. Ticket info is on goldengrizzlies.com, Oakland’s official athletics site.
Oct 7, 2026, 6:00 PMMeadow Brook Hall · Meadow Brook Hall hosts a Dinner & A Movie night with Death Becomes Her (1992) on Wednesday, October 7, at 6 p.m. at Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester. Dinner-plus-screening format; tickets available via the venue.
Oct 7, 2026, 7:30 PMMeadow Brook Theatre · Meadow Brook Theatre stages The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at 207 Wilson Hall on the Oakland University campus in Rochester. With 20 performances in the run, it's easy to find a date that works for you.
04 / Places
Meadow Brook Theatre378 Meadow Brook Rd (Wilson Hall), Rochester, MI 48309
Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance (Varner Hall)371 Varner Dr, Rochester, MI 48309
Royal Park Hotel600 E University Dr, Rochester, MI 4830705 / What to do
Victorian brick blocks full of independent shops and restaurants, including the cobblestone Rollin Sprague Building from 1849 and the Opera House, opened in 1890.
Official site ↗An 8.9-mile green corridor on the old Penn Central rail line from Rochester to Lake Orion, with more than 100,000 visitors a year.
Official site ↗A 16-mile trail from Rochester through Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills and Pontiac to Sylvan Lake.
Official site ↗06 / History
The Graham family builds a log cabin near today's Third Street, the start of Rochester.
On April 12 the Village of Rochester is formed inside Avon Township.
The Western Knitting Mills goes up; at 100,000 dozen pairs of gloves a year it becomes one of the world's biggest glove makers.
The village breaks away from Avon Township and becomes a city.
The Paint Creek Trail opens as Michigan's first non-motorized rail-trail.
The Big Bright Light Show lights up Main Street for the first time.
07 / Born here
08 / People
Population and area are Census Bureau figures (Rochester city).
Change since 2020, per the Census Bureau estimate: −1.5 percent.
