Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival returns Thursday with music, fireworks
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
MILWAUKEE – Downtown Milwaukee will glow again this holiday season with the 27th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, kicking off on Thursday, Nov. 20.
What we know:
The six-week event, presented by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 and Johnson Financial Group, begins at 6:30 p.m. at Pere Marquette Park with live performances, treats and a firework show. The festival runs through Jan. 1, 2026.
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The main program includes DJ Mr. NY, characters from Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s “A Christmas Carol,” Anita’s Dance Center, The Squeezettes, select cast members from Cirque du Soleil’s “‘Twas the Night Before…,” Marquette University’s Gold ’n Blues, Christopher Gilbert, Willow Newell – Miss Wisconsin and Jenny Thiel.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
Santa and Mrs. Claus are also scheduled to appear.
Fireworks are planned for shortly before 7 p.m., followed by free cocoa, cookies and complimentary Jingle Bus rides operated by KB Excursions.
After the kickoff, residents and visitors can view light displays coordinated by Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 through Jan. 1. Four downtown parks will feature themed installations: “Community Spirit Park” 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.
Dig deeper:
Street decorations will line several downtown corridors, including an 18-block stretch of silver and gold chandeliers over Wisconsin Avenue.
The Jingle Bus, a 40-minute narrated tour of downtown holiday sights, will operate Fridays through Sundays from Dec. 5 to 28. Tours depart from the festival’s new Warming House at Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water St. Tickets are $8 per person, with advance purchases encouraged.
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The Ornament Trail will also return this year, with 20 ornaments hand-painted by locally or nationally renowned artists with Milwaukee ties. The Ornament Trail will run from Thursday through Jan. 18.
More information about the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival and Jingle Bus tickets is available on the festival website.
The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News, with information from Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21.