Walker’s Point Makers Market & Bar Hop

MobCraft Beer. Photo provided.

We’ve reached the point of the year where it gets dark at 4:30 p.m., but at least that means that the city’s beautiful holiday light displays are beginning to glow. The annual Milwaukee Downtown Holiday Lights Festival will kickoff this weekend with its first ever televised event. The Boerner Botanical Gardens will allow you to stay within the warmth of your car as you drive through its lights display, and the Walker’s Point Makers Market & Bar Hop will present some great gift-purchasing opportunities — all while having a craft beer in hand.

November 18: Milwaukee Downtown Holiday Lights Festival

The Milwaukee Downtown Holiday Lights Festival is celebrating its 23rd year of illuminating the downtown area with holiday cheer. Brighten up your evening with over 500,000 lights set up throughout the city’s downtown parks and streets. To kickoff the event, Pabst Theater is partnering with WISN 12 to televise a variety show that will air at 6:30 p.m. The Holiday Lights Festival will remain active until Jan. 1, 2022.

Boerner Botanical Gardens is shifting into holiday mode with its Winter Wonders Drive-Thru Light Show. Experience 1.4 miles of snowmen, Santas and beautifully decorated trees all from the warmth of your car. The show is open daily including on holidays and runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cars will enter at the Whitnall Park Golf Course.

November 19: The Cooperage Local Lives Series

The Cooperage is debuting its new Local Live Series, where a handful of Milwaukee acts will take the stage. This first rendition will feature soul-funk group Soul Speed, post-punk group Genau, garage-surf band Cozy Danger and pop-rock quintet Tigera. Tickets are $5 and the show will kickoff at 7 p.m.

November 20: Music for Life Blood Drive

Versiti, a national leader in blood health innovation, is teaming up with Milwaukee artists for a Music for Life Blood Drive. Hosted at No Studios, the public event will feature performances by B~Free, Webster X and DJ Bizzon and aims to bring help spread the word about the importance of blood drives, particularly in Milwaukee’s Black and Brown communities. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Shop with a beer in your hand at the Walker’s Point Makers Market & Bar Hop — a bar-crawl-style shopping event that will see participants checking out the wares from 55 different makers. Goods for sale include jewelry, knitted products, home decor, paintings and more. Indeed Brewing Company, Broken Bat Brewing, MobCraft Beer and Great Lakes Distillery will be serving drinks. The event will take place throughout the Walker’s Point neighborhood and is free to attend.

November 21: The Elf on The Shelf: A Christmas Musical

Get a glimpse on the everyday lives of Santa’s Scout Elves in this holiday musical. Get in the holiday spirit with this family-friendly musical featuring an original score and winter wonderland set pieces. The show will run only once at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 1 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here.