Holiday Lights

We light up the darkness of winter with strings of small lights equal in brightness to a candle but much more steady. Spaces that are normally cold under the snow and ice become warm with colors and aura. We celebrate this by showcasing lights from the Milwaukee Holiday Lights program; light displays at Pere Marquette Park, Zeidler Union Square and Cathedral Square are decked out with LED-bright strings with different themes and community participation (under the guidance of Milwaukee Downtown).

A good length of Wisconsin Avenue is also done up with 17 Monravian stars at various intersections. Cathedral Square features a giant tree made up of programmed light strings. Pere Marquette has a Santa’s workshop feel, and the Zeidler display inexplicably has illuminated pirates. You have a few more days to see them — the energy bill is paid up through Jan. 3 apparently — and there is a Jingle Bus that takes off from Grand Avenue and can give you and yours a guided tour from 6-9 p.m. through Sunday.