Milwaukee, WI
Looking for holiday family fun that isn’t expensive? Here are free or cheap things to do
Fireworks time lapse from the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
Check out the fireworks in time lapse video from the 25th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival in downtown Milwaukee on Thursday night.
At many places, you have to pay to get pictures with Santa. And extravagant drive-through holiday lights displays can set you back more than you would think. While families want to enjoy festive experiences with their kids in December, they can be out of some people’s financial reach, especially at a time of year when buying more toys, more food and more treats also seem like necessities.
Here are some festive family-friendly things to do around Milwaukee this season that are either free or relatively inexpensive.
See holiday lights at Candy Cane Lane, downtown or in your own neighborhood
There are plenty of places you have to pay to see the lights, but there are even more that you can see for free. Add in thermoses of hot chocolate and a few homemade cookies — and those cool cardboard glasses that let you see holographic images of candy canes, stars and Santa faces — and you have a ready-made holiday tradition.
Candy Cane Lane: Every year, several homeowners in West Allis decorate their houses, yards and trees with holiday displays, from the understated to the elegant to the all-out extravagant. There’s no admission fee to enjoy the lights, although there is a collection point on 95th Street between Manitoba and Oklahoma Avenues for the MACC Fund, which sponsors the event.
Where: the residential neighborhood between 92nd and 96th Streets and Montana and Oklahoma Avenues in West Allis
When: Nov. 24-Dec. 25; 6-9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 6-10 p.m. Fridays, 5-10 p.m. Saturdays and 5-9 p.m. Sundays
Downtown Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival: This year’s downtown festivities include holiday lights and giant ornament sculptures along Wisconsin Avenue, the city’s holiday tree outside Fiserv Forum, dozens of trees decorated by local schoolchildren in Cathedral Square Park, animated, illuminated North Pole characters in Pere Marquette Park and setups for holiday photo opps at Zeidler Union Square.
While you’re making your tour of the downtown parks, drop off your child’s letter to Santa in Santa’s Mailbox at Cathedral Square Park between Nov. 7 and Dec. 17, and your child will receive a reply in the mail from Santa himself.
If you’d rather have someone else be in charge of the driving, Jingle Bus tours of the downtown lights displays are available for $5 per person Nov. 17-Dec. 30 (except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve).
Where: Multiple places in downtown Milwaukee, including along Wisconsin Avenue, Cathedral Square Park, Zeidler Union Square and Pere Marquette Park
When: Nov. 16-Jan. 1
Other neighborhoods: Of course, you can always decide to take a family drive through Milwaukee-area neighborhoods on any night in December, and you’re bound to come across some pretty cool lights displays. This year, the Journal Sentinel is making it easier for you with a holiday lights map.
Stroll in a festive town like Cedarburg or Lake Geneva
Sometimes feeling festive at the holidays is all about the vibes, and your family can immerse themselves in that wintry aesthetic by strolling and window-shopping in a retail area that’s decked out for the holidays.
Downtown Cedarburg: The stores in downtown Cedarburg are decorated, and there are multiple free family activities going on over the holiday season, including free trolley rides and luminaries lining Washington Avenue on Friday evenings from Nov. 17 through Dec. 23.
Santa’s Workshop: As you’re strolling along Cedarburg’s Washington Avenue, you’ll come across a small building decorated to look like a gingerbread house. That’s Santa’s workshop, which is perfect for family photos and gazing through the windows when Santa’s not there. And when Santa is there, kids can visit him for free. If you hope to score a Santa visit for your kids, it’s recommended you get there 15 minutes before the workshop opens as Santa’s helpers will be taking reservations for time slots, and those slots can fill up fast. Santa will be in his workshop on Fridays from 5-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (with the exception of Dec. 8) from Nov. 24 through Dec. 23, as well as Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 4-7 p.m.
Lake Geneva: Just like in Cedarburg, you can stroll the streets of downtown Lake Geneva, seeing the beautifully decorated stores. And you can also do some festive family activities for free.
Santa will visit downtown Lake Geneva locations on Thursdays in December from 5-7 p.m. where kids can visit with him for free, and you can take photos. Here’s where he’ll be visiting.
The Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, at 7036 Grand Geneva Way, will have a Gingerbread House Walk on their upper level, where visitors can marvel at the creations people have created as part of the resort’s gingerbread house competition. The walk will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from Nov. 19 through Dec. 31. The houses are free to view, although donations will be accepted for the United Way of Walworth County.
See a holiday movie
Movies are notoriously not cheap, especially if you’re taking a whole family, but if you want a family movie outing, this is the time of year to do it, with cheaper tickets for classic holiday movies.
At the Rivoli in downtown Cedarburg, you can see holiday classics — from “Elf” to “White Christmas” to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” — for $4 per ticket. And you have the added bonus of soaking in the holiday vibes of downtown Cedarburg.
Where: W62 N567 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
When: various showings from Dec. 1-Dec. 23
Marcus Theatres will also show holiday classics this season, with tickets starting at $6 — although some tickets are more expensive so it may take some searching to find the most affordable option. Holiday movies include “A Christmas Story,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and both the 2000 and 2018 adaptations of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Marcus also has a Season’s Screenings passport, which allows a person to see four of the holiday titles for a total of $20.
Where: Multiple Marcus Theatres throughout Wisconsin
When: various showings from Nov. 26-Dec. 21
Free days at the Milwaukee County Zoo, Milwaukee museums
Lots of Milwaukee family destinations have holiday attractions — like a forest of holiday trees at the zoo, historically appropriate decorations at the Milwaukee Public Museum’s Streets of Old Milwaukee and a holiday snow globe display at the Domes.
Here’s when your family can get free admission to see the festive sights (with the caveat that you will still have to pay for parking, concessions and and any activities, rides or events that aren’t included in general admission).
The Milwaukee County Zoo has free daytime admission on Dec. 2 for Family Free Day and Dec. 26-30 for Frosty Free Week. If you go, check out the zoo’s Fantastic Forest in the entrance, where there will be a display of 70 holiday trees decorated by local youth groups.
The Milwaukee Public Museum has free admission on Dec. 7 for Kohl’s Thank you Thursday. If you go, check out the popular Streets of Old Milwaukee and European Village exhibits, which will be decorated for the holidays.
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum has free admission on Dec. 21 for its Community Access Day. If you go, check out Tot Time at 10:30 a.m. and Story Time at 1 p.m.
Holiday crafts and activities at your public library
Of course, holiday crafts are always great at-home activities at this time of year, but if you want to make an outing of it (as well as have someone else be in charge of setup and cleanup), your local library is likely to have holiday story times and craft times. Here are some examples at Milwaukee Public Library locations.
- Kids 12 and younger can build their own gingerbread houses after listening to a story and singing a song at Capitol Library, 3969 N. 74th St., on Dec. 11 between 5 and 6 p.m.
- Kids and teens 10 and older can make holiday cards which will be donated to Children’s Hospital and nursing homes at Villard Square Library, 5190 N. 35th St., on Dec. 12 between 4 and 5:30 p.m.
- Kids can learn about Winter Solstice and make candles at Central Library, 814 W. Wisconsin Ave., on Dec. 16 between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m.
- The whole family can decorate cookies at Mitchell Street Library, 906 W. Historic Mitchell St., on Dec. 21 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Bucks G League team ‘no longer wants to work with’ Oshkosh Arena owners, may look to get out of lease.
Wisconsin Herd’s lease agreement runs until 2026 but a source revealed the team has opt-out provisions that could release them
OSHKOSH — The Wisconsin Herd may be looking for a new home.
Oshkosh could be in danger of losing the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League team, as an inside source revealed the Herd “no longer wants to work” with Oshkosh Arena owner Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. after claiming it’s in violation of its current lease.
It’s not exactly certain how Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. is suspected to be in breach of the lease agreement, which runs to 2026, but the source explained the Herd has opt-out provisions that could release the team from that lease.
Efforts to contact officials from the Herd and its managing company, Future Bucks LLC, proved unsuccessful while Fox Valley Pro Basketball Managing Partner Greg Pierce declined comment.
News of the NBA G League team’s possible departure comes two months after Oshkosh Arena was listed for sale following a tumultuous seven-year stretch that has seen the owners file for bankruptcy while facing litigation.
Reports indicate the Herd is willing to stay in Oshkosh to work with new arena ownership, but that would depend on the timing of the sale.
Herd’s impact in Oshkosh: Wisconsin Herd, Oshkosh tout benefits of their relationship: ‘It puts Oshkosh on the map’
The Herd will have to finalize its home court arrangements before the G League schedule releases in early September.
The Herd likely has until August to nail down home court arrangements for the 2024-25 season, considering the NBA releases its G League schedule in early September.
But the sale of Oshkosh Arena may take longer than expected, as any deal would be contingent on Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. settling its current tax arrears with the City of Oshkosh.
According to the city’s finance department, the Oshkosh Arena owners currently owe more than $619,000 in combined personal property and real estate taxes.
It’s just the latest in a long series of financial struggles for Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. since it first built the arena to attract the Herd to Oshkosh in 2017.
The general contractor for what was then the Menominee Nation Arena sued the arena owners for an outstanding debt of $21.5 million in 2019 before Fox Valley Pro Basketball filed for bankruptcy, reporting more than 100 creditors.
Fox Valley Pro Basketball Inc. eventually reached settlements with the creditors, including the city of Oshkosh and the Herd, in 2020 before employees were locked out of the arena three years later as a result of fire code violations.
FVPB Managing Partner Greg Pierce says the plan was always to own Oshkosh Arena for seven to 10 years.
But Pierce told the Northwestern the arena’s listing has nothing to do with its financial challenges, as the initial plan was always to own the building for a seven- to 10-year period.
“We hired a consultant to market it and test the waters to see what we can get for it, and so far we have several groups looking at the building,” Pierce said in an interview with the Northwestern.
“If there’s nothing reasonable in terms of offers, then we continue on with the arena.”
The arena is listed on LoopNet as an 80,000-square-foot sports and entertainment building at 1212 S. Main St. without a price attached.
Young American Capital, SFR Realty and Main Line Executive Realty have been retained to manage the sale.
The listing also says the Oak View Group will manage the facility for the next 10 years while revenue is projected at $8 million next year as a result of sponsorship and booked events.
But that figure stands to take a significant blow if the Herd is no longer a tenant of the arena.
Oshkosh Chamber CEO Rob Kleman estimates each Herd home game generates $100,000 of economic impact in Oshkosh.
The City of Oshkosh would likely feel the pinch as well, as Oshkosh Chamber President/CEO Rob Kleman estimates each Herd home game generates about $100,000 of economic impact in the area.
The arena seats more than 4,000 people and the Herd averaged 87% capacity crowds in 24 home games during the 2022-23 season while selling out 11 of those contests.
According to team President Steve Brandes, the Herd also donated $277,000 to charitable causes that season.
And these are figures not lost on Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff.
“We can’t take them for granted, so I’m working to make sure that they never leave,” Rohloff said when asked about the Herd’s impact on Oshkosh.
“I think they’re important to the community and I think they’re important to the success of the arena because the example I use is that of a mall — you need good anchors in the mall, and the Herd represents a credible anchor for the arena and that’s what perspective buyers will be looking at.”
Oshkosh beat out bids from La Crosse, Racine, Sheboygan and Grand Chute to become the home city for the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League team back in 2017.
And the Herd appeared entrenched in Oshkosh for the foreseeable future after signing a multi-year extension of their lease in 2022 that would see the team remain in Oshkosh Arena through to 2026 with a further option to extend until 2028.
Lease extension: Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA G League team, extends lease with Oshkosh Arena
Milwaukee may not be obligated to keep its G League team in Wisconsin, either, as the Denver Nuggets (Grand Rapids Gold), Minnesota Timberwolves (Iowa Wolves) and Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce) all have their affiliates in outside states.
The Phoenix Suns don’t have a G League team.
Have a story tip or public interest concern? Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com.
When paired with an M12 CP2.0 Battery, the M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer provides over 700 nail fires on a single battery charge and zero ramp-up time.
Milwaukee Tool
Milwaukee Tool has released the M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer for builders and construction professionals. The M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Brad Nailer provides users with the ability to power sink nails into hardwoods.
“The M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer was designed for the Finish Carpenter and Remodeler to provide greater accessibility to hard-to-reach areas with the compact and lightweight design,” said Sean Kelley, director of product marketing. “Weighing only 4.6lbs. when paired with our M12 REDLITHIUM 2.0 battery, the M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Brad Nailer provides an ergonomic design and the lightest weight of any cordless brad nailer allowing more productivity on the jobsite.”
Designed for finish carpentry applications, the M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Brad Nailer leverages a nitrogen air spring mechanism that allows users to sink 5/8- to 1-½-in. brad nails to the proper depth in both hard and soft materials while leaving clean, consistent nail holes. When paired with an M12 CP2.0 Battery, the M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer provides over 700 nail fires on a single battery charge and zero ramp-up time. For additional runtime, the M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer is fully compatible with all Milwaukee M12 REDLITHIUM Batteries.
Milwaukee Tool
M12 FUEL 18 Gauge Compact Brad Nailer (2541-20)
- Weight (tool-only): 4.2 lbs
- Length (tool-only): 9.8 in.
- Height (tool-only): 9.4 in.
- Width (tool-only): 3.1 in.
- Drive System: Nitrogen Air Spring
- Minimum Fastener Length: 0.625 in.
- Maximum Fastener Length: 1.5 in.
- Magazine Capacity: 110
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man is charged with multiple felonies after a police chase and multi-vehicle crash on Saturday, May 11.
Prosecutors accuse 34-year-old Pierre Webb of leading Glendale officers on a pursuit into Milwaukee before crashing and running off.
According to a criminal complaint, a license plate was reported stolen in Milwaukee on May 10. Glendale officers were alerted to a white Kia bearing that license plate in the area of Port Washington and Hampton around 4:30 p.m. the next day. Prosecutors said the Kia, itself, was not stolen.
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An officer soon found the Kia in a Bayshore Mall parking garage, per the complaint. The officer alerted other squads and started to follow the Kia onto Silver Spring Drive when the Kia “immediately” accelerated and ran a red light – sparking a pursuit.
The chase stretched west down Silver Spring before turning onto Green Bay Avenue, police said. The Kia swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid stop sticks that were set near the intersection of Green Bay and Hampton Avenue, police said, before crashing into two other vehicles: a Nissan and a Ford.
Crash at Green Bay and Hampton
A woman and her baby were in the Ford, the complaint states; the woman hurt her knee. The driver of the Nissan had a neck injury.
The complaint states the pursuit stretched 2.16 miles with a top speed estimated at 97 mph. Prosecutors said the fleeing Kia also nearly hit a pedestrian during the chase; that pedestrian told police the Kia came within feet of him.
The driver, later identified as Webb, ran off from the crash scene but was arrested nearby, the complaint states. During a foot chase, an officer fell head-first into a squad and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
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In all, Webb is charged with:
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety (four counts)
- Fleeing/eluding an officer
- Resisting an officer (causing soft tissue injury)
Court records show Webb appeared in court on May 14. His cash bond was set at $15,000.
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