There’s plenty to get you in the festive spirit in Wisconsin between now and the end of the year. Horse-drawn sleigh rides through the snow, Christmas-themed plays, and numerous ice skating rinks all add to the holiday magic. One city-wide festival in Milwaukee may just take the eggnog pound cake when it comes to festive cheer. The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival officially kicked off on November 20 and will continue until the city brings in the new year. Now in its 27th year, the festival adorns Milwaukee with over 500,000 sparkling and colorful Christmas lights.
As you wander around the city, you can see iconic Milwaukee locations reimagined with the Christmas spirit. Red Arrow Park, Pere Marquette Park, Zeidler Union Square, Wisconsin Avenue, and Community Spirit Park all feature unique light displays, including decorated trees, chandeliers, reindeer, and lighted sculptures depicting fairy tales. These lights are just one part of the festivities. You can also embark on The Ornament Trail, which runs predominantly along Wisconsin Avenue in downtown. It includes 20 oversized ornaments created by artists with deep connections to the city. Kids can also post their letters to Santa at a special mailbox in Cathedral Square Park. If they do so before December 14, they also receive a personalized response.
Christmas really is all around, especially on weekends. Kids can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus on the event’s final Saturday while enjoying free cookies and hot cocoa in the park. Various tree lighting ceremonies are also held on some Fridays, and the Jingle Bus Tours run every weekend in December. These transport you through Milwaukee past many of the Christmas displays while sharing stories about each one. It’s a Christmas festival to rival the best in America, including McAdenville, North Carolina’s holiday getaway known as “Christmas Town USA.”
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Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival’s must-see events
A mother watches her child post a letter to Santa surrounded by Christmas trees and lights – MilwaukeeDowntown / YouTube
Have you ever looked at Christmas lights around your neighborhood and noticed many houses standing in the night without any cheer? That’s rarely the case in Downtown Milwaukee during the festival, when many businesses get involved. The historic Pfister Hotel hosts multiple events, including a gingerbread house workshop and breakfast with Santa. The Pritzlaff Building holds a handicraft market on December 7, while Il Cervo, a rooftop dining spot, celebrates with holiday-themed nights. Even the city’s streetcar provider, The Hop MKE, joins in with live holiday-themed music.
This is also a good time to embrace the city’s theater culture, especially if you’re in the mood for uplifting holiday shows. Numerous venues around Milwaukee put on spectacles for the season. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is showing at Skylight Music Theatre, while “A Christmas Carol” at The Pabst Theater is an annual city tradition. You can also see dance performances, such as the iconic Nutcracker, as well as an African-American take on the Nativity with entertaining poetry, dancing, and singing. Kids may also enjoy the interactive “Champions of Magic” show at The Riverside Theater, which has a holiday spin.
To spend part of the holidays in Milwaukee, you can fly into Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, about a 15-minute drive from downtown. The airport has flights from many U.S. cities, including Detroit, Chicago, and Dallas. Numerous hotels offer accommodation downtown, right in the heart of the festival. Hotels are usually cheaper in December than in November, per Tripadvisor. Just pack warm clothes for the below-freezing temperatures. You could also stay nearby in New Berlin, a Milwaukee suburb with natural beauty and artsy energy. And if Milwaukee is too cold for you, try visiting Amelia Island in Florida, which becomes a sunny, Christmas wonderland in December.
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