Holiday Show Returns to the Domes

Christmas Tree. (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Christmas is here! If you find yourself with some free time in between travel, exchanging White Elephant gifts or watching the Packers play the Browns on Christmas Day, there’s plenty of holiday-themed happenings in Milwaukee this weekend. Dust off those ice skates and do some stretches because Red Arrow Park is officially opening its ice rink on Christmas Eve. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is celebrating 25 years of rock-and-roll holiday music, and its last call for some classic holiday performances.

Last Call: A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker

It’s last call for two Milwaukee holiday staples: Milwaukee Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker and Milwaukee Rep’s performance of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The Nutcracker will have its final performances on Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 and A Christmas Carol will have its last performances on Dec. 24.

Let the skating begin! Red Arrow Park will open up its ice skating rink for the 2021-22 season at 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve and will run until 8 p.m. From then on, the rink will operate from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. on December 26, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. from December 26-31, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on January 1 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on January 2. Red Arrow Park will then operate during its regular hours Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m to 11 p.m., so there’s plenty of time to bundle up and hit the ice.

December 23-January 2: Holiday Floral Show at The Domes

The Mitchell Park Domes is keeping up with its tradition of ringing in the holiday spirit with its vibrant display of colorful plants. Featuring single-stem white mums resembling snowballs and three different Christmas trees all decorated with a different theme, The Domes’ Holiday Floral Show is sure to have something for the whole family. Reservations are not required. For more information, click here.

December 24-January 3: BMO Holiday Display

Haven’t gotten your fill of Christmas lights yet? The BMO Harris Bank is putting on its annual holiday display “Gnome for the Holidays,” featuring 65 life-sized stuffed animals in the ground floor windows of the BMO Tower as well as the entire block of 770-790 N. Water St. The display will be lit into the evening and end at 10 p.m. each day.

Is your family looking to celebrate the holidays a little differently this year? Or maybe you just want the chance to wish Giannis a Merry Christmas in person? Perhaps an outing at the Fiserv Forum to watch the Bucks take on the Celtics is just the kind of excitement you’re looking for. The game will start at 11:30 a.m. and run until about 3:30 p.m. For ticket information, click here.

December 26: Kwanzaa in Milwaukee

The Wisconsin Black Historical Society will host the Milwaukee Kwanzaa celebration, a typically seven-day event that will run for one day only due to the pandemic. Milwaukee Kwanzaa has been held at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society since 1988 — a tradition that remained unchanged until the celebration had to go virtual in 2020. But the celebration is back to an in-person format, and will return to the event’s roots of discussing the importance of the seven principles, as well as fellowship and celebrating African American and pan-African culture, community and family. The event is free, but registration is required. Click here for more information.

December 26: Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Fiserv Forum

No one does Christmas music quite like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The holiday rock-and-roll group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and will perform twice the day after Christmas at the Fiserv Forum, with one show at 3 p.m. and a second at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, click here.