Photo Via Visit Milwaukee - visitmilwaukee.org
Red Arrow Park
Tuesday, December 31
New Year's Eve Celebration Options
Lakefront Brewery offers what may be the only NYE party in the city, possibly the state, with a Swedish theme. Taking place at the brewery's beer hall from 3-7 p.m., the event includes a champagne toast and another drink—be it one of Lakefront's own beers, a cocktail or soda—in the price as well as a buffet featuring ethnically-appropriate fare such as herring, pates, rye bread, crackers, boiled eggs, vegetables, fries with dips, little smokies, cheese, crackers, sausages and other meats, as well as a display of Swedish dessert meringues, all courtesy of Lakefront Executive Chef Kristin Hueneke. Many Swedish farmers emigrated to the U.S. after crop difficulties in their homeland in the late 1800s (though the Badger State’s first settlement of Swedes established in 1841 at Pine Lake, near Hartland and Waukesha. But enough of the history lesson. More information may be had here.
A New Year's Eve party with a different European spin will be held from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. when Glendale’s Bavarian Bierhaus offers its Munich New Year’s festivities. A beer toast will substitute for the customary bubbly, accompanied by music by Alpine Blast from 4-7 p.m. and delectables from the usual '’Haus menu as well as Bavarian bean soup, a sauerbraten platter and specials on filet mignon and coconut shrimp. Reservations may be made here.
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The Laughing Tap offers a quartet of local funny folk for its New Year's Eve Comedy Extravaganza. The club offers two opportunities to load up on chuckles from Darrell Cochran, AJ Grill, Rachel Mac and Chastity Washington before 2025 rolls in. Both the 7:30 p.m. how (with doors opening at 6:30) and 10:15 p.m. performance (doors open at 9:30) include a champagne toast.
A free fireworks display will take place in Downtown Milwaukee’s Deer District, temporarily rechristened the Cheer District by sponsors We Energies; the pyrotechnic display will be launched at 8 p.m. from The Trade Hotel on Vel R. Phillips Ave. Organizers suggest that the public view the spectacle from the Deer District’s plaza.
There may be no effervescent alcoholic refreshments available—which is probably a good thing, considering—but there will be ice aplenty, as conditions permit, when Milwaukee County Parks makes available Slice of Ice., a Rockefeller Center-styled rink, for skating at Water Street’s Red Arrow Park from 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Bringing your own skates allows you to skate for free.
Wednesday, January 1
Cool Fool Kite and Ice Carving Festival
An online notice for this 38th annual happening at Milwaukee's Veteran Park promises that it will last from 11 a.m. “until we can no longer stand the cold, probably around 5 p.m.” Jake The Kite Guy will be on hand to fly some of his kite collection, some of which exceed 100 feet in length. A professional ice carving group by the name of The Quiet Snow and Ice Carvers will also be exacting their artistry on blocks of frozen water. Kites will be available for sale, as will hot food for attendees to stay nourished while watching all those kites and carving. Free hot chocolate and snacks will also be on hand until they're gone.
Bradford Beach Polar Bear Plunge
Merely watching people voluntarily wade into the iciness of Lake Michigan on New Year’s Day may not be so bracing an experience as actually getting dowsed in the drink. But it’s all become a Milwaukee tradition harkening back to at least the 1970s. The free, unsponsored fun, both for those who take the plunge and the observers who would rather remain dry and not have to change clothes, commences at 12 p.m. An unofficial website for the event, including pointers on how to best go about plunging, may be viewed at polarplungemilwaukee.com.
Saturday, January 4
T.L. Solien's “Vessels on Vessels / The Specious Landscape” Exhibition
Gallery Night MKE isn’t until later in January, but T.L. Solien, a painter linked with the New-Expressionism and Neo-Surrealist movements, whose use of vivid colors provides absurdist cultural critique, will debut a display of recent works at Downtown’s Tory Folliard Gallery. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
Port Washington Winter Farmer's Market
The latest edition of the event, which runs on the first and third Saturdays of the month from November through March, occurs from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. at Inventors Brewpub on East Washington Street. A schedule for the remainder of the season may be seen here.
Waukesha Farmer's Market
Waukesha's farmers market has no seasonal designation and also operates every first and third Saturday of any given month from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Its first January iteration occurs at Chef Pam’s Kitchen on West Main Street. The schedule through April 2025 may be seen here.
