When the Christmas season arrives, so do the dazzling light displays. Milwaukee’s holiday celebrations are lighting up the city with drive-through spectacles, festive walking trails and family-friendly events across the city. Whether you’re a fan of the traditional displays on Candy Cane Lane and Santa Street or the large immersive experiences like Caledonia’s Christmas Carnival of Lights, there are countless ways to experience Milwaukee’s festive glow.
Here’s a round up of 12 light experiences that are sure to dazzle visitors of all ages.
Milwaukee Downtown Holiday Lights Festival
NOV 20-JAN 1 | DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE
Now in its 27th year, the Annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival will once again light up Milwaukee’s streets with more than half a million lights, dazzling interactive displays and festive events for all ages. The displays will transform Cathedral Square Park, Zeidler Union Square, Red Arrow Park and more into festive wonderlands. Visitors can enjoy photo ops with Santa and his elves, ice skating and dance performances.
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Wild Lights at Milwaukee County Zoo
OPEN DEC 3 TO 31 FROM 5:30 P.M. TO 9:00 P.M, CLOSED DEC 3-9, 15-16, AND 24-25 | MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO
Experience the magic of the zoo after dark as their forests and pathways light up with thousands of sparkling lights and animal themed displays. This year, their displays are even bigger and brighter than previous years. Walk through the zoo or enjoy the Wild Lights from the comfort of your car at their drive thru. See the 28-foot Tree of Wildlife, a fully animated musical tree outside the US Bank Gathering Place, and the light wall on Landmark Landing where you can create your own colorful design with acrylic markers. Photo courtesy Candy Cane Lane
Candy Cane Lane
6-9 P.M. MON-THURS, 6-10 P.M. FRI, 5-10 P.M. SAT, 5-9 P.M. SUN | WEST ALLIS
Every season, 92nd to 96th Street in West Allis transforms into a dazzling display of lights, colorful decorations, and festive scenes created by local homeowners. Visitors can either walk or drive through the route while also supporting a great cause, as all donations benefit the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund.
Join us for an afternoon of inspiration and fellowship as we honor six incredible women leading Milwaukee forward in the spirit of our longtime publisher, Betty Quadracci.
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Making Spirits Bright
OPEN NOV 28 TO DEC 31, 5-9 P.M. | 3030 CALUMET DRIVE, SHEBOYGAN
Take a magical drive through this one mile route in Evergreen Park, where light displays will be synchronized with holiday music broadcasted through your vehicle’s radio. Children are able to write and drop off letters to Santa in the mailbox at the North Pole Post Office. Before you leave, stop by the igloo, where volunteers will be collecting donations to help the light show thrive in the years to come.
Ingleside Hotel’s Country Christmas
DATES VARY BASED ON WALKING NIGHTS, DRIVING NIGHTS, AND BIKING/WAGON RIDE NIGHTS | 2810 GOLF ROAD, PEWAUKEE
Every year, the Ingleside Hotel is transformed into a winter wonderland with over a million holiday lights. Admission includes a trip through the Country Christmas Trail, Village Park, Jingle Bell Junction, and entrance to the Christmas Village and The Streets of Bethlehem. You’ll also encounter enchanting scenes of Santa’s house, the Country Christmas Post Office where kids can write a letter to Santa, and the Bearville Furry Friend Factor to create your own stuffed animal. At the end of the trail, The Streets of Bethlehem features a collection of life-sized Fontanini nativity figurines, a replica of the Pope’s personal collection.
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Winter Glow Experience
NOV 20-JAN 4 FROM 5-10 P.M.| 7625 N RANGE LINE RD, MILWAUKEE
This dazzling one-mile drive-through in Brown Deer Park features hundreds of larger-than-life holiday displays, five thousand sparkling lights, and a festive soundtrack included with your ticket. The experience lasts about 25 minutes, and visitors are encouraged to bring snacks, hot drinks and their loved ones to make it even more memorable.
Enchantment in the Park
NOV 28-DEC 24 FROM 5 TO 9 P.M. | 800 N. MAIN ST, WEST BEND
This holiday adventure in Regner Park features more than one million LED lights, music, and performing arts events. It will be staffed by nearly 800 volunteers, making it one of the largest light shows in Wisconsin. In the spirit of giving and celebration, donations are encouraged to help support volunteer organizations and food pantries across Washington County.
Miller Valley Drive-Thru Holiday Lites
DEC 5-26 FROM 5 TO 9 P.M. | 3897 W. STATE STREET, MILWAUKEE
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Molson Coors is once again lighting up the holiday season with its beloved Holiday Lites drive-thru display in Milwaukee’s historic Miller Valley. Visitors can enjoy over 1 million energy-efficient LED lights illuminating the brewery grounds alongside a festive holiday soundtrack. Stop by the Miller Brewery gift shop to browse a curated selection of unique gifts.
Villa Terrace Holiday Lights
DEC 5 AND DEC 12 FROM 4 TO 8 P.M. | 2220 N. TERRACE AVE., MILWAUKEE
Wander through Villa Terrace’s decorated gardens, transformed with twinkling lights and festive touches. Sip a warm cup of their complimentary hot chocolate as you stroll at your own pace through the sights. The special evening is perfect for families, friends, couples, and anyone looking to slow down and savor some cozy seasonal cheer.
Christmas Carnival of Lights
NOV 22-JAN 31, TIMES VARY | 8425 HWY 38, CALEDONIA
The Christmas Carnival of Lights is the Midwest’s largest light show, with over 3 million dazzling lights, a mile of displays and immersive animated scenes. Make your visit even more memorable by having breakfast with Santa, riding on the Golf Cart Holiday Train, and complimentary holiday treats. Wander through the enchanting Candy Village featuring an ice rink, a snowless tubing slide and plenty of photo ops with Santa.
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Santa Street
LEXINGTON BOULEVARD, WHITEFISH BAY
A growing display of 12-foot inflatable Santas is transforming Lexington Boulevard in Whitefish Bay into a festive “Santa Street.” What started as a playful idea among neighbors is quickly turning into a block-wide tradition, with more brightly illuminated Santas popping up each day. More than a dozen Santas line the block, each with unique light displays.
Illuminate Ozaukee
DEC 4-6, 11-13, 18-22 FROM 5-8 P.M. | ZEUNERT PARK, CEDARBURG
Zeunert Park is transforming into a sparkling holiday wonderland, filled with glowing light displays, cheerful music, and surprise visits from Santa and other holiday characters. Every display is created and sponsored by a local organization, and visitors are able to vote for their favorites for this year’s Holiday Design Champion.
See surveillance footage of slapping incident at Riverside High School
Demitrios Visvardis, a former paraprofessional, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery for slapping Shrone Dunn, an 18-year-old with cerebal palsy.
Courtesy of Milwaukee Police Department
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A former Milwaukee Public Schools paraprofessional received a deferred plea agreement for slapping a special education student.
Personnel records show the paraprofessional, Demitrios Visvardis, was accused of slapping another vulnerable student a year earlier.
Milwaukee Public Schools did not report the first incident to the police, according to department records.
When family members of a special education student voiced displeasure with a deferred plea agreement for former MPS paraprofessional Demitrios Visvardis in February, they were told it was fair given his lack of prior offenses.
Visvardis was charged with battery four months earlier in connection with an incident involving Shrone Dunn, 18, of Riverside High School.
“This ain’t nothing but a slap on the wrist,” Tyrone Dunn, Shrone’s father, said during the plea hearing. “We’re looking for justice.”
Milwaukee County Judge David Borowski assured Dunn of District Attorney Erin Karshen’s ability to fully prosecute based on what was known.
But records obtained by the Journal Sentinel through an open records request raise questions about Visvardis’s history, and how much was known before the plea deal was reached.
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Visvardis has no prior criminal record, but documents in his personnel file at Milwaukee Public Schools reference a 2024 accusation that he struck a special education student.
In a December 2025 letter filed after a disciplinary hearing, MPS hearing officer Natalie Fluker said the November 2025 incident involving Shrone Dunn was “the second time in a year that [Visvardis has] been accused of slapping a vulnerable student.”
The letter references findings made by hearing officer Gary Johnson during disciplinary proceedings related to the 2024 incident.
Earlier incident also involved slapping
According to the December letter, another Riverside High School staff member expressed concern to Principal Jeff Lasky after witnessing Visvardis slap an intellectually disabled student on October 10, 2024. As with the incident involving Dunn, review of security footage confirmed the allegations.
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Visvardis physically kept the student on a vent near an exit on the first floor of the school building despite the student’s multiple attempts to get up, according to the letter. Describing the footage, Johnson wrote, “The student appears to scream and you turn and slap him on the face. You then exit the hallway.”
Visvardis apologized for the incident, stating it was the worst thing he’d ever done.
Milwaukee Public Schools failed to report prior incident
According to the MPS employee handbook, the district generally follows a progressive discipline model that depends on the behavior and frequency of occurrences.
Johnson found the first incident to be “especially egregious, considering the unnecessary and excessive force” used on Student A and recommended a departure from the progressive discipline model. The departure meant Visvardis would be issued a three-day unpaid suspension and required enrollment in a course in nonviolent crisis intervention.
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The school district did not directly respond to questions from the Journal Sentinel about whether the police were notified of the incident in 2024. It also declined to say whether Student A’s parents were informed or what steps were taken to protect the student following the incident.
“The safety of our students is our highest priority,” Stephen Davis, a media relations manager at Milwaukee Public Schools, told the Journal Sentinel in an emailed statement. “We cannot discuss the details of any personnel matter, and the current administration would not be able to speak about how a prior case was addressed in 2024.”
But according to Milwaukee Police Department records, no report associated with Visvardis exists since January 2021 beyond the report on his arrest on November 13, 2025. That’s the day after Riverside cameras captured footage of Visvardis slapping Dunn “with an open hand to the left side of face,” according to police records.
Review hearing scheduled for this week
Visvardis is due back in court on Thursday, June 4.
According to the deferred prosecution agreement obtained by the Journal Sentinel, he will be eligible to seek employment in a “school, group home or any other place of employment where he would interact with other vulnerable people” this month, given successful completion of an anger management treatment program.
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Meanwhile, the Dunn Family has filed a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Board of School Directors, and Visvardis.
April Quevedo covers Metcalfe Park for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: aquevedo@usatodayco.com.
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Journal Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and EnMotive, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co.
MILWAUKEE — This Fourth of July marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which created the United States of America.
In honor of that milestone, the Milwaukee County Historical Society is launching a new exhibit, “We the People: Milwaukee Stories of Immigration, Citizenship, and Community,” on June 12.
What You Need To Know
The exhibit showcases the real people who came from all over the world for a better life. The people, who over time, helped shape our country into what it is today
The experience comes with audio recordings from people who immigrated to Milwaukee, and their children
A big part of Milwaukee’s history is the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the Midwest in the mid-20th century. That is documented in We the People
Overall, the team at the Milwaukee Historical Society hopes the new exhibit reminds people of our similarities and shared home, as our nation turns 250
“This is the perfect opportunity to maybe tell a story that isn’t always told,” said Ben Barbera, executive director and president of the Milwaukee County Historical Society. “We can’t necessarily talk about the founding fathers. There weren’t many Revolutionary War battles here. But we can tell a story that is essential to the country.”
That story showcases the real people who came from all over the world for a better life — people who, over time, helped shape the country into what it is today.
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The story starts with those who were here first.
“The Indigenous populations of Wisconsin, because without them being pushed out and forced out, we wouldn’t have immigration come to this space,” said Olivia Hoff, community programs manager for the Milwaukee County Historical Society.
The exhibit features photos and artifacts dating back centuries.
“This is a sewing kit that was made from clothing that was worn by people who came here from England,” said Janean VanBeckum, curator of the exhibit. “They were Puritans being persecuted. They came in, settled on the East Coast, and then their family moved here.”
Families from Germany, Poland, Italy and Ireland followed. Decades later, there was a surge of immigrants from Latin America, Asia and parts of Africa.
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“When you start the exhibit, you get an identification card of an immigrant,” said VanBeckum. “It’s based on real immigrants, but not any particular person, and you can go around and choose your own adventure to kind of see what happens to your immigrant’s life as they move through the process of coming here and either becoming a citizen or not becoming a citizen.”
The experience includes audio recordings from people who immigrated to Milwaukee and their children.
“This is the humanistic story,” said Hoff. “It really generates empathy too because you are hearing it from the people themselves.”
The exhibit also highlights people who came to the Milwaukee area from within the United States. A major part of Milwaukee’s history is the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the Midwest in the mid-20th century. That history is documented in “We the People.”
Overall, the team at the Milwaukee County Historical Society hopes the new exhibit reminds people of their similarities and shared home as the nation turns 250.
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“People can realize that everyone has a similar scope of their life and that we all may be struggling to fight some of the same battles, and that by working together, creating a civic discourse, we can be less divided.”
Editor’s note: Post From Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
By Bernard Rahming, Forward Scholars
Forward Scholars is a Milwaukee-based nonprofit providing one-on-one reading tutoring to K–3rd grade students who are not yet reading on grade level. With the support of more than 300 volunteers and a community of generous donors and partners, we empower students to build the skills and confidence to succeed.
Sips for Scholars is our summer fundraiser and celebration of student growth. Join us for an evening of connection, inspiration, and community as we celebrate the impact of literacy and invest in brighter futures for our students.
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Date: June 30, 2026 Time: 5-7 p.m. Location: Broken Bat Brewing (135 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53204 ) Tickets: $50 Per Person (Advance tickets close June 23)
Get your tickets!
Everyone is welcome. We’d love for you to join us!
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