Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kickoff Extravaganza Launches Downtown’s Holiday Season Nov. 19 at Pere Marquette Park

MILWAUKEE (November 4, 2026) – Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 will brighten Downtown with the 28th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival presented by Johnson Financial Group. The six-week celebration begins with the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kickoff Extravaganza on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Pere Marquette Park, 900 N. Plankinton Ave. Featuring live music, dance performances, holiday treats, and fireworks, the event launches the city’s holiday season, which runs through Jan. 1, 2027.

The main show starts at 6:30 p.m., with a holiday dance party led by Kid Boogie Down kicking things off at 5:30 p.m. After this dance warm-up, guests will enjoy performances by carolers from Milwaukee Repertory Theater‘s “A Christmas Carol,” Young Dance Academy, King’s Chord from Rufus King High School, RESPECT! A Tribute to the Queen of Soul, Dance Academy of Mexico, and Jenny Thiel. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also make an appearance. Fireworks will close out the celebration shortly before 7 p.m. Guests will receive free cocoa and cookies and can enjoy free Jingle Bus rides, operated by KB Excursions, after the fireworks. Kickoff-night rides require a voucher, available to reserve at www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com the week of Nov. 9.

Following the Nov. 19 kickoff, residents and visitors can enjoy light displays coordinated by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 through Jan. 1. Four Downtown parks will become winter wonderlands: “Community Spirit Park” presented by ATC at Cathedral Square Park; “Santa’s Celebration Square powered by We Energies” at Zeidler Union Square; “¡Felices Fiestas!” at Pere Marquette Park; and “Slice of Ice Lights” at Red Arrow Park. Decorations will also line three Downtown thoroughfares, including Wisconsin Avenue. Along an 18-block stretch of the avenue, silver and gold chandeliers will hang above each intersection, complemented by larger-than-life ornaments hand-painted by local artists for the festival’s fourth annual Ornament Trail.

Visitors can explore Downtown Milwaukee’s holiday sights aboard the Jingle Bus, a convenient, 40-minute tour narrated by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 Public Service Ambassadors. Tours will leave from the festival’s new Warming House at the Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. The Jingle Bus will operate from 5 p.m. to 8:20 p.m., Fridays through Sundays, Dec. 12 – 27. Tickets are $8 per person, excluding tax and fees, and advance purchases are encouraged. Spanish tours will be available on select nights. Discounted parking at several nearby lots will be available for Jingle Bus riders, courtesy of Interstate Parking.

For more information on the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kickoff Extravaganza and to purchase Jingle Bus tickets, visit www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com.

The 2026 Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival is sponsored by Johnson Financial Group, We Energies Foundation, ATC, Educators Credit Union, Taste of Home, MGIC, Ideal Property Management, Benson’s Restaurant Group, Visit Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Historical Society, KB Excursions, Interstate Parking, Serving Older Adults, National Association of Letter Carriers – Pioneer Branch 2, WISN 12, B97.3 FM, City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County Parks, and Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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