The World’s Tallest Glass Tree Festival returns to Wisconsin in 2025. Here’s what you should know about it

The World’s Tallest Glass Tree Festival returns to Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay this December, inviting tens of thousands of visitors from Wisconsin and Illinois and beyond to partake in the creation of a 36-foot glass Christmas tree made from molten, recycled glass.

This year, the festival expands upon its environmental mission through a new partnership with Don’t Trash Glass, a national program from the Glass Packaging Institute, a trade association that advocates for the use and recycling of glass, according to a news release. Last year, the team used just over 3,000 pounds of recycled glass to build the tree.

Here’s what to know about this year’s event.

What activities will the festival feature?

The festival will feature live music nightly from 4-7 p.m. There will be a heated winter market tent where attendees can peruse the work of regional artisans and visit gift shops as well as a bar serving beer and wine. There will also be local food trucks coffee and hot chocolate huts.

The outdoor festival will have fire pits and lounge seating where visitors can gather and warm up between visiting glass art demonstrations, workshops and interactive experiences. For kids, there will be a warming tent with activities each day.

Each evening, glass artist Jason Mack and his team will invite visitors to take part in drizzling molten glass onto a spinning steel frame to create the giant Christmas tree. This year’s tree will glow ruby red.

When will it take place?

The festival will take place Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14 at Yerkes Observatory, 373 W. Geneva St. in Williams Bay, and will conclude on Sunday, Dec. 14 with a star-topping celebration.

Here are the festival dates and hours:

• Friday, Dec. 5: 4-7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 6: 12 to 7 p.m.
• Sunday Dec. 7: 12 to 7 p.m.
• Friday Dec. 12: 4-7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 13: 12 to 7 p.m.
• Sunday, Dec. 14: 12 to 7 p.m., with the star topping ceremony starting at 4 p.m.

How to buy tickets for the World’s Tallest Glass Tree Festival

All tickes will include entry to the festival grounds and the Yerkes Observatory’s open house experience. Kids ages 12 and under get in for free, although organizers ask that you reserve all children’s tickets online so they can plan accordingly.

Ticket prices for ages 13 and up can be found below:

• $20 for general admission (day pass)
• $30 for a multi-day pass good for all six festival days (non-transferable)
• $150 for a VIP four-pack, which includes on-site parking at Yerkes, four admission tickets, four galss-adding experience passes and a $5 coupon for the Mack Glass retail shop in the tent

Where is the festival parking located?

Festival parking is located at Williams Bay High School in the Geneva Street lot. A heated trolley will shuttle guests to and from the Observatory every few minutes. On-site parking is only available for VIP ticket holders.

Anna Kleiber can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: The World’s Tallest Glass Tree Festival returns to Wisconsin in 2025. Here’s what you should know about it

Reporting by Anna Kleiber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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