Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival to illuminate downtown Milwaukee
Six-week festival to bundle lighting displays and holiday happenings, Nov. 19 – Dec. 27
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Milwaukee’s downtown will beam brightly Nov. 19 – Dec. 27 as more than 500,000 lights and dozens of animated displays set the mood for the 17th 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 formally turn on with a switch-flipping ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 19 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. 27. 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. 19. Also, the service will not operate on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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So many people enjoy driving by and seeing these holiday lights, or walking in the park among them, that I’m so glad the tradition continues!