Holiday Fun Guide

By Lindsey Huster

It’s hard to get into the “seasonal spirit” amidst mobbed malls, wintry wind chill and foul fruitcake. But besides these holiday high jinks, there’s enough merriness and cheer for all to enjoy in Milwaukee. ‘Tis the season to be jolly, not to jeer. Settle into the long winter’s weeks with a copy of VITAL Source’s guide to holiday events close at hand. Whatever your festive fancy – whether it be a sit-down with Santa, a skate in Red Arrow Park or a sing-along along with the Bearstein Orchestra at Grand Avenue Mall – VITAL is here to tell you how to properly deck the halls this holiday season

Milwaukee Coach & Carriage Holiday Rides
Milwaukee Coach & Carriage
414-272-6873 • milwaukeecarriage.com
Take a romantic tour in a horse-drawn carriage this season and bask in the outdoor winter festivities.

East Town Trees
Through January 2008
414-271-1416 • easttown.com
Check out local businesses’ decorating of 30 wooden trees sprinkled throughout East Town.

Holiday Season Pass
The Pabst Mansion, Charles Allis and Villa Terrace Museums
414-931-0808 • pabstmansion.com
Be thrifty this season and still take part in the merriness and cheer of Milwaukee. For only $10, see the Charles Allis Museum, The Pabst Mansion and the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum.

Billie the Brownie
Milwaukee County Historical Society
Nov. 11 – Jan. 6 • 414-273-8288
milwaukeecountyhistsoc.org
Experience a nostalgic Milwaukee Christmas with Billie the Brownie memorabilia and sounds of the famous radio show. Be sure to attend Dori Mae’s talk on Nov. 11!

Leonard Bearstein Orchestra
The Shops of Grand Avenue
Nov. 12 – Jan. 4, hourly
414-224-0655 • grandavenueshops.com
Leonard Bearstein and his 18-piece animal orchestra perform holiday hits every hour.

Greetings!
Next Act Theatre, Off-Broadway Theatre
Nov. 15 – Dec. 16
414-278-0765 • nextact.org
Enjoy Tom Dudzick’s “not so typical silent night,” the tale of Andy Gorski and his family’s holiday mishaps.

Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Jingle Bus
Downtown Milwaukee
Nov. 15 – Jan. 6
414-220-4700 • milwaukeeholidaylights.com
Jingle all the way downtown with 40-minute narrated tours highlighting Milwaukee’s finest holiday scenes.

A Grand Avenue Christmas
The Pabst Mansion
Nov.16 – Jan.13
414-931-0808 • pabstmansion.com
With local designers and businesses, The Pabst Mansion transforms over a dozen of its rooms into a Wisconsin winter wonderland.

White Christmas
Skylight Opera, Broadway Theatre Center
Nov. 23 – Dec. 31
414-291-7800 • skylightopera.com
Enjoy a spirited rendition of Irving Berlin’s 1954 film and score.

Twelve Days – A Milwaukee Christmas
First Stage, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
Nov. 23 – Dec.24
414-273-7206 • firststage.org
First Stage Children’s Theater presents a teacher’s struggle to keep the Christmas spirit alive for students during WWI.

A Cudahy Caroler Christmas
In Tandem Theatre, Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
Nov. 23 – Jan. 5
414-273-7206 • intandemtheatre.com
The Cudahy Carolers return in this hilarious, offbeat holiday musical comedy.

Mystery of the Christmas Star
Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater, Milwaukee Public Museum
Nov. 23 – Jan. 1
414-319-4629 • mpm.edu
Travel to the time of the birth of Christ and gather scientific data about the star the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus.

Santa vs. The Snowman
Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater, Milwaukee Public Museum
Nov. 23 – Jan. 3
414-319-4629 • mpm.edu
The hilarious tale of a snowman, Santa’s village and the importance of friendship.

Breakfast with Santa
The Pfister Hotel
Nov. 24 – Dec. 22, 10 am
414-390-3804 • thepfisterhotel.com
A special breakfast with Santa that includes a gift for each child.

Christmas Choirs at The Pfister
Dec. 10, 14, 17, 20, noon – 1 pm
414-273-8222 • thepfisterhotel.com
Youth choirs perform the sounds of the holiday season.

Michael McDonald’s Christmas Tour
Riverside Theater
Dec. 13, 8 pm
414-286-3663 • riversidetheater.org
The former Doobie Brother croons his “blue-eyed soul” to holiday classics.

Christmas Tales with Caroline Kennedy
Central Library
Dec. 13, 6 pm
414-286-3000 • mpl.org
Author Caroline Kennedy signs copies of her holiday classic, A Family Christmas.

Dickens Dinners
The Pabst Mansion
Dec. 14, 15
414-258-7885 • pabstmansion.com
Rub shoulders with Charles Dickens and hear his telling of A Christmas Carol while enjoying a traditional English feast.

Holiday Punch
Off The Wall Theatre
Dec. 14 – 31
414-327-3552 • offthewalltheatre.com
Milwaukee’s original comedy and music holiday revue returns for its 26th run, just in time to cover the events of the year and the hype and hypertension of the season.

Holiday Flute-In
Bayshore Town Center
Dec. 16, 2 pm
414-483-3223 • civicmusicmilwaukee.org
Flautists of all ages play in the 27th annual unrehearsed performance.

Winter Tales with John McGivern
Dec. 18 – Dec. 31
Next Act Theatre, Off-Broadway Theatre
414-278-0765 • nextact.org
John McGivern’s spin on the season, in his own collection of comedic family stories.

The Nylons Christmas Concert
Dec. 20, 7 pm
Cedarburg Cultural Center
262-375-3676
cedarburgculturalcenter.org
The worldwide recording stars bring their famous a cappella harmonies to Cedarburg for a very special holiday concert.

Old-Fashioned Christmas Lunchtime Talk
Milwaukee County Historical Society
Dec. 20, noon – 1 pm
414-273-8288
milwaukeecountyhistsoc.org
Rochelle Pennington talks about her children’s book, The Christmas Tree Ship, as well as the traditions of the season during the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s.

Christmas Champagne Brunch
The Pfister Hotel
Dec. 25, 11 am – 3 pm
414-390-3804 • thepfisterhotel.com
Enjoy seasonal brunch and complimentary champagne toast.

Winter Break
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
Dec. 26 – Dec. 28
414-390-KIDS (5437) • bbcmkids.org
Imagine a fun occupation this season as a “winter engineer” with pretend ice sculptures, igloos and sleds.

Jim Gaffigan
Riverside Theatre
Dec. 30, 7 pm; Dec. 31, 10:30 pm
414-286-3663 • riversidetheater.org
America’s Pale Comedian welcomes the New Year with a champagne toast, a countdown and a balloon drop at midnight on the 31st.

Harlem Globetrotters
Bradley Center
Dec. 31, 2 pm – 6:30 pm
414-276-4545 • ticketmaster.com
The legendary Harlem Globetrotters storm Milwaukee for a doubleheader in one of our city’s most time-honored family traditions.

Round the World Party at the Safe House
Dec. 31, 3 pm
Safe House
414.271.2007 • safe-house.com
Toast up at this Round the World Party, celebrating midnight in Moscow, Athens, Paris, Rome, Berlin, London and Dublin.

New Year’s Eve at Pier Wisconsin
Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin
Dec. 31, 7:30 pm – 12:30 am
414-765-810 • discoveryworld.org
Ring in the New Year with a dinner by Bartolotta’s and music by The Temperaments.

New Year’s Eve Breakfast with Curious George
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
Dec.31, 8 am
414-390-KIDS • bbcmkids.org
Celebrate New Year’s Eve with the kids bright and early, with a countdown at 10 am, a ball drop and enough “sham”pagne and cookies to go around!

Miller Free Rides
414-344-6711 • millerfreerides.com
Stay safe this December 31 and advantage of Miller Free Rides, which begin at 8 pm.