Ornament Trail returns to Downtown as part of Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival

MILWAUKEE (Nov. 24, 2025) – For the third year in a row, Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 is hosting an Ornament Trail. The installation returns Thursday, Nov. 20 with five new ornaments, bringing the collection’s total to 20 ornaments. Each four-foot round bauble in the delightful collection is hand-painted by a different artist with local or regional ties to the city. While the trail largely extends along Wisconsin Avenue, several ornaments will appear in nearby corridors including Water Street, Broadway in the Historic Third Ward, and on the Marquette University campus and in Davidson Park in the Near West Side neighborhood. The Ornament Trail will be on display through Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.

“Wisconsin Avenue is a vibrant corridor on any given day, but during the holiday season it is beaming with cheer,” said Erica Green, Chief Operating Officer of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21. “This year’s Ornament Trail is enlivening sidewalks amid the Avenue’s cascading chandeliers and elegant harp lamp décor. The Trail’s growing popularity has given way to new ornaments and an expanded footprint. It’s been exciting to see the enthusiasm for enhancing our public spaces.”

The first 15 ornaments made their debut in 2023 as part of the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival’s 25th anniversary. Five new ornaments were added to the collection this year. Artists were selected by the Downtown Placemaking Task Force from a pool of submissions. Each ornament is sponsored by a Downtown property, local business and/or organization. An Ornament Trail activity guide featuring a map of the embellished pieces and coupons for businesses along the way is available for trail explorers. The guide can be picked up at Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, 301 W. Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 106, or downloaded at www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com.

The name of each ornament, its sponsor(s), location and artist are as follows:

• “Blossom” by Daniel Fleming, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual and Milwaukee Brewers, located at 720 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Current Pastimes” by Dave Watkins, sponsored by U.S. Bank, located at 777 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Dwennimmen (Ram’s Horns)” by Brad Anthony Bernard & Grace Gasser, sponsored by 600 EAST Café & Business Center, located at 600 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• Untitled by The Couto Brothers, sponsored by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, located at 706 N. Jefferson St.

• “Lotería Holiday” by Nicole Acosta, sponsored by The Pfister Hotel, located at 424 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Merry & Bright in Flight” by John Kowalczyk, sponsored by PNC, located at 411 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Winter’s Rabbit” by Drew York, sponsored by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, located at 333 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Flourish & Frolic” by Emma Daisy Gertel, sponsored by Two-Fifty and HNTB, located at 250 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “The Four Graces” by Nova Czarnecki, sponsored by Railway Exchange and The Colby Abbot, located at 229 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Merry in Pink” by Monique Machut, sponsored by Chase Tower MKE, located at 111 E. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Paz, Amor y Amistad (Peace, Love and Friendship)” by Mauricio Ramirez, sponsored by 310W, located at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave.

• “The Wonder Years” by Adjua Nsoroma, sponsored by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, located at 301 W. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Wrapping Paper” by Byada Meredith, sponsored by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, located at 331 W. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Painting the Town” by Dave Watkins, sponsored by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, located at 633 W. Wisconsin Ave.

• “The Joys of Winter” by Rozalia Singh, sponsored by Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, located at 1000 N. Water St.

• “Life Has Always Gathered Here” by Jeff Zimpel, sponsored by Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, located at 139 E. Kilbourn Ave.

• “Winter Reflections” by Josephine Rice, sponsored by Historic Third Ward Association, located at 158 N. Broadway

• “Snow Season” by CERA, sponsored by Historic Third Ward Association, located at 322 N. Broadway

• “The Frost Bound Familiar” by Thyla Arden, sponsored by Near West Side Partners, located at 1198 W. Wisconsin Ave.

• “Holiday Harley” by CK Reed, sponsored by Harley-Davidson Foundation, located at 3725 W. Juneau Ave.

The Court of Honor, along Wisconsin Avenue between 9th and 10th streets, will also be decorated for the season, creating a bookend for the Ornament Trail. More information on the Ornament Trail and the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, presented by Johnson Financial Group, can be found at www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com.

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.