A Potpourri of Holiday Events Will Fill The Weekend

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

The holidays are upon us! Starting this weekend, the city will be illuminated by holiday lights as the city hosts the 112th Annual City of Milwaukee Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Deer District. On top of that, the first-ever Deer District Holiday Market will run through the rest of November, and the Milwaukee County Zoo will once again have its drive-through holiday lights display up and running.

November 21: New Wave Fest 

Do you find yourself often revisiting classic records by New Order and Duran Duran? Well, you can party like it’s the 1980s at New Wave Fest, an evening of live music hosted by The Cooperage that features both New Wave covers and originals. The lineup includes The First Wave performing New Wave classics, Xposed 4Heads performing original tunes and Weird Science playing hits from the ‘80s. The show will begin at 8 p.m. and tickets to the event are $25.50. To purchase tickets, visit the show’s Eventbrite page.

November 21: City of Milwaukee Christmas Tree Lighting

The 112th Annual City of Milwaukee Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony invites families to gather at the Deer District – known as the Cheer District for the next few months – for the annual lighting of the tree. Guests can also hang out with Santa and his reindeers, meet the cast of Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s holiday classic A Christmas Carol, watch the Reagan High School Varsity Drumline perform and more. The event is free to attend and runs from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with the official program kicking off at 6 p.m.

November 21: MAM After Dark: Retro Rewind Silent Disco

The Milwaukee Art Museum will reopen after its usual business hours to host a silent disco as part of its MAM After Dark event series. Attendees will immerse themselves in their own private concerts by wearing headphones that stream DJ sets from DJ Rutger Krueger and DJ Paul. Guests can expect both contemporary and throwback hits, and participate in an assortment of other activities such as DIY Screen Printing courtesy of Unfinished Legacy, trivia, retro arcade gaming and more. MAM After Dark will run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and tickets are $35 in advance or $40 day of. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Milwaukee Art Museum’s website.

November 22-26, 28-30: Deer District Holiday Market

The first-ever Deer District Holiday Market will bring over a dozen local vendors to the district, where guests can shop for holiday gifts, participate in photo opportunities and enjoy food and beverage specials from restaurants and bars in the area. Each day of the market will also feature different entertainment lineups, such as The Marcus Performing Arts Center’s rendition of The Grinch on Nov. 24 and multiple visits from Santa Claus. For a complete list of participating vendors, food and beverage specials and entertainment time slots, visit the Deer District’s website.

November 22-January 4: Mitchell Park Domes Holiday Show Opening

The Mitchell Parks Domes is celebrating the holidays with a take on the classic holiday carol “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Each day from the carol is represented in the domes’ creative floral arrangements, and guests can take photos in front of the Holiday Tree. The show will run through January 4, with the domes staying up late on certain days and scheduled events like Storyteller Santa and live music happening throughout. For more information, visit the Mitchell Park Domes’ website.

November 23: Wild Lights Drive Thru 

Embark on a one-mile drive filled with holiday lights as part of the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Wild Lights Drive Thru experience. Experience zoo favorites like penguins and lions as impressive light displays and enjoy purchasable food and beverages – all from the comfort of your warm car. Tickets to the Wild Lights Drive Thru are $40 and must be purchased online via the Milwaukee County Zoo’s website. The event will run from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.