Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival to brighten downtown visits

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (August 30, 2016) – Milwaukee’s downtown will beam brightly Nov. 17 – Jan. 1 as more than 500,000 lights and dozens of animated displays are set aglow for the 18th Annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival.

The annual display of lights is coordinated by Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21 and includes installations in three parks – Cathedral Square Park, Pere Marquette Park and Zeidler Union Square – as well as street decorations along three downtown thoroughfares, including an 18-block stretch of lights along Wisconsin Avenue.

Downtown Milwaukee’s holiday lights will officially turn on with a switch-flipping ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. in Pere Marquette Park, 900 N. Plankinton Ave. The much-anticipated show deemed the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kick-Off Extravaganza will feature live music, dance acts, thrilling feats and a visit from Santa Claus. A fireworks ceremony will then top off the night. Free cookies, hot cocoa and Jingle Bus rides will be made available to the thousands of guests in attendance.

Throughout the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, families can view all the decorated sights aboard the Jingle Bus. The 40-minute narrated tour is a no-fuss way to see the magic of downtown. Tours depart from The Shops of Grand Avenue, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., from 6 p.m. to 8:20 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays, until Dec. 30. Rides are just $1 per person and discounted parking is available in The Shops of Grand Avenue’s attached structure. Please note the Jingle Bus will operate free from Pere Marquette Park on kick-off night, Nov. 17. Also, the service will not operate on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.

For more information on the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, call 414-220-4700 or visit www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com.

About Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21
Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21, is an organization established in 1998 to support the interests of the downtown Milwaukee business community. Created through private sector leadership, Milwaukee Downtown is a management district organization that oversees 150 square blocks representing approximately 400+ property owners in the center of downtown Milwaukee. The organization funds specific initiatives aimed at creating a clean, safe and friendly downtown, including the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival.

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.