Black Friday Beer and Holiday Markets

Black Friday 2024. Image courtesy of Lakefront Brewery.

There are plenty of ways to pass time with friends and family who are in town this weekend. Get your holiday shopping done and feel good about doing it locally at either the Blackity Black Holiday Market or the Hover Craft handmade market, or snag a limited Lakefront Brewery Black Friday beer for the craft brew enthusiast in your family. Catch a production of the holiday classic A Christmas Carol at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, or celebrate the European holiday monster Krampus at the third annual Milwaukee Krampusnacht.

November 28-December 24: Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s ‘A Christmas Carol’

Embark on a journey across Christmas past, present and future with Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s production of A Christmas Carol. This holiday tradition follows grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge as he learns on Christmas Eve that it’s never too late to turn a new leaf. The production will run through Christmas Eve with varying ticket prices. For a complete schedule of showtimes and to purchase tickets, visit the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s website.

November 29-December 1: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’

Experience the beloved 1992 family film The Muppet Christmas Carol in a whole new way as the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performs the iconic score along to a screening of the movie. There will be three performances at the Bradley Symphony Center: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s website.

November 29: Lakefront Brewery Black Friday

Few breweries in Milwaukee celebrate Black Friday as hard as Lakefront Brewery. The brewery is celebrating its 14th year of Black Friday events and will offer limited quantities of several Black Friday exclusive beers. This year’s beers include an Imperial Stout aged in Wollersheim Bourbon Barrels, a Triple Black IPA, an Imperial Brown Ale Aged in Wollersheim Winery Port barrels and a stout that has aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels for five years. The CurdWagon will begin serving breakfast outside of the brewery at 4:30 a.m. and doors will open at 8 a.m. Brewery tours will kick off at 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Lakefront Brewery website.

November 30: Blackity Black Holiday Market

HYFIN’s Blackity Black Holiday Market will bring over 40 local Black-owned businesses to the Turner Hall Ballroom for a holiday market. Vendors will sell handcrafted goods, art, clothing, jewelry and more. The market will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free to attend. For more information, visit 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s website.

December 1: Hover Craft

Shop from over 120 local vendors at Hover Craft, a shopping extravaganza with an emphasis on handmade gifts. The market will set up shop at the Pritzlaff Building and guests can sample an assortment of local lunch options as well as order Bloody Marys and more at the bar. Admission to the event is $5 and children will be admitted for free. Hover Craft will run from noon to 6 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Hover Craft website.

December 1: Milwaukee Krampusnacht

Milwaukee will receive another visit from the Krampus this year, an Alpine folkloric monster who visits children that are naughty. Krampusnacht will celebrate the holidays with a twist in The Brewery District, featuring a parade, over 60 vendors, live music, circus acts and more. The event will run from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. and tickets are required for certain sections of the event. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Milwaukee Krampusnacht website.