Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival to dazzle downtown

Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival 2023

Downtown Milwaukee will soon transform into a light spectacle for the holiday season.

MILWAUKEE - Downtown Milwaukee will soon transform into a light spectacle for the holiday season.

The 25th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival will run from Nov. 16 to Jan. 1.

The six-week celebration kicks off with a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Pere Marquette Park. It will feature live music, dance acts, holiday treats, fireworks and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. Free cocoa and cookies will be offered and guests can take part in free Jingle Bus rides, powered by Coach USA.

The event will feature the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee a cappella group Public Hearing, DJ LoLo, Donna Woodall, Jenny Thiel, Kinsella Irish Dance, Christopher’s Project and Nate Ramos & Friends.

After the Nov. 16 kickoff, residents and visitors can continue to view the light displays, coordinated by Milwaukee Downtown BID #21.

The display of lights will transform three downtown parks into winter wonderland scenes: "Community Spirit Park" at Cathedral Square Park, "¡Felices Fiestas!" at Pere Marquette Park and "Santa’s Celebration Square powered by We Energies" at Zeidler Union Square.

Street decorations will also be present at three downtown thoroughfares, including Wisconsin Avenue, which will feature an 18-block stretch of silver and gold chandeliers suspended above each intersection.

Ornament Trail, Milwaukee

Wisconsin Avenue will also host an Ornament Trail, which is new this year. The new installation features 15 larger-than-life ornaments, each designed and painted by a different artist:

Untitled by The Couto Brothers will be installed outside of Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons, at 720 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Current Pastimes by Dave Watkins will be installed outside the U.S. Bank Center, at 777 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Winter’s Rabbit by Drew York will be installed outside 600 EAST Café, at 600 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Winter Reflections by Josephine Rice, The Milwaukee Club, near Wisconsin Avenue and Jefferson Street.
Lotería Holiday by Nicole Acosta (Pfister Artist-in-Residence) will be installed outside The Pfister Hotel, at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Jefferson Street.
Merry & Bright in Flight by John Kowalczyk will be installed outside PNC, at 411 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Flourish & Frolic by Emma Daisy Gertel will be located outside Two-Fifty, at 250 E. Wisconsin Ave.
The Four Graces by Nova Czarnecki will be installed outside of Railway Exchange Building at 229 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Merry in Pink by Monique Machut will be installed outside of Chase Tower, at 111 E. Wisconsin Ave.
Dwennimmen (Ram’s Horns) by Brad Anthony Bernard and Grace Gasser will be installed outside MIAD Gallery at The Avenue at 301 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Paz, Amor Y Amistad (Peace, Love and Friendship) by Mauricio Ramirez will be installed outside The Capital Grille at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Snow Season by CERA will be installed outside of Kohl’s, at 331 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Painting the Town by Dave Watkins will be installed outside The Clark Building, at 633 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The Joys of Winter by Rozalia Singh will be installed at 1000 N. Water St.
Life Has Always Gathered Here by Jeff Zimpel (Former Saint Kate Artist-in-Residence), will be installed on the sidewalk outside the Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, at the corner of Water Street and Kilbourn Avenue.

Ornament Trail, Milwaukee

The ornaments were painted by local and national artists who all have ties to the city.

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"Each of the artists have done such a beautiful job of how they celebrate the holidays, it's a beautiful diverse representation of our community," Milwaukee Downtown Bid #21 Director of Public Space Initiatives Gabriel Yeager said. "Whether it's celebrating Christmas in a traditional sense or leading into the winter for those who don't celebrate, there's reasons to come downtown to celebrate."

Ornament Trail, Milwaukee

For more information on the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, visit the event's website.