Photo by Andrew Feller
Kids looking at holiday lights
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
It was 24 years ago that the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival kicked off its inaugural year-end season by illuminating several downtown parks with brilliant colors and a welcoming feel for families to come enjoy. Thinking about it, kids have been born and grown to adulthood during that time, making the annual festival an anticipated and expected tradition.
The pandemic had somewhat disrupted that tradition for the past two years, limiting the number of people able to gather in public spaces, as well as curtailing popular side attractions which were normally offered.
Starting Nov. 17 and running through the night of New Year’s Day, it all changes. The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival is back with all the magic and surreal beauty of its light displays, the Jingle Bus taking visitors to all three lit-up parks, hot cocoa with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, along with so much more. The Johnson Financial Group is sponsoring this year’s festival.
“There’s nothing that makes my heart happier than how much of a family tradition this festival has become,” said Beth Weirick, Milwaukee Downtown’s CEO. “It’s free, has a family focus and is now a multi-generational event. I love it. Don’t have tickets? Walk up or pack the kids in the car—come be with the community. We’re going live again which will pull us all together once more.”
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Opening Night
Photo by Alan Herzberg Jr.
Milwaukee holiday lights at Zeidler Square
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival at Zeidler Square
After a two-year hiatus, the festival’s Live Kickoff Extravaganza starts everything off on Nov. 17 at Pere Marquette Park. The variety of performances begins at 6:30 p.m., but a special pre-show entertainment schedule at 5:00 p.m. gets it going. WISN-TV (Ch. 12) will broadcast everything live, with music and artists until 7:35 p.m. non-stop.
The opening night features DJ Shawna (the mix master for our Milwaukee Bucks), cast members from Black Nativity, local singer Jenny Thiel, Donna Woodall (with her song about the festival), the Dance Academy of Mexico, Sarah Fierek, St. Michael’s Ukrainian Choir, Vertical Essence, Santa and Mrs. Claus stopping by, free hot cocoa, fireworks, and cookies.
The Jingle Bus will take guests past the decorations and amazing lights in all three parks. The rides will be free for this kick-off night celebration. This season, the parks and themes are: “Community Spirit Park” at Cathedral Square Park, “The Christmas Chalet” at Pere Marquette Park, and “Santa’s Celebration Square” at Zeidler Union Square.
The bus tours will operate Thursdays through Sundays, Nov. 18 through Dec. 30, from 6-9 p.m., leaving from The Avenue, with no tours on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
“Santa’s Celebration Square” will have the always popular Santa’s Mailbox, where kids can drop off their letters for the Old Elf. Senior Elves and Letter Carrier Elves work to help Santa, with nearly 1,400 letters answered last year, free.
Holiday Tradition
The festival is the product of year-round planning, Weirick said, such as refreshing the decorations for the Wisconsin Avenue treatments of rope lighting and chandeliers. New elements are still in transit from a Polish manufacturing company including a new sleigh, reindeer, additional lighted ornaments, and replacement support equipment.
Infrastructure work and installations started near the end of October, and WE Energies sponsors the Zeidler Union Square work. The decor from last year has been kept, with Santa’s sleigh going to the site, where families can sit inside and take pictures.
“I think about when I was younger, and the family, all six kids, would pile in the car to look at holiday lights,” she said. “It was a tradition, setting up those warm and touching memories that attach themselves to the community. If we can create quality moments for each other with the festival, how beautiful is that?”
More information on everything happening for the holidays can be found at the milwaukeeholidaylights.com website.
