Holiday celebrations around Milwaukee

The holidays are in full swing and there are plenty of options for you to get out with your family and friends to celebrate. The Historic Third Ward kicked off their festivities Friday night with Christmas in the Ward. Santa and his reindeer Dasher and Dancer visited Catalano Square to help with an old fashioned Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Before the switch was turned on, the Milwaukee Police Band played holiday tunes for the large crowd as children (and some adults) had their photos taken with Santa and visited with his reindeer. Hot chocolate and cookies were available as well as horse-drawn carriage rides around the Third Ward. Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn and Mayor Tom Barrett attended the event and were a part of the annual tree lighting ceremony. The evening’s performances included Skylight Music Theatre, Trinity Irish Dancers and Bel Canto Chorus before Bartolotta’s provided a fireworks show over the Milwaukee River (it’s not a celebration in Milwaukee without fireworks!). Santa will be making an additional appearance at Catalano Square Dec. 7-8 from 5-7 p.m.

MillerCoors also began its celebrations this weekend and kicked off the annual Holiday Lites Show. This long standing tradition began in the 1950s and was reinstated as part of Miller Brewing Company’s 150th Anniversary in 2005. The night sky over Miller Valley will be illuminated now through Dec. 22 with more than 330,000 lights on display, synchronized with modern and traditional holiday music. Free mini brewery tours will begin at the Milwaukee Brewery Visitor Center every 20 minutes, Friday and Saturday evenings between 4:40 and 9 p.m. Complimentary samples will be given to those of age, and the tour ends with the Holiday Lites Show at Frederick Miller’s Plank-Road Brewery House. The last tour leaves at 9 p.m. and visitors are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped gift to support the annual Toys for Tots drive or a non-perishable food item to support Hunger Task Force.

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