December gives us a chance to decompress after a long year. It’s not just about Christmas, but whatever way you observe the holiday season.
Here are some of the events and activities we’re most looking forward to this holiday season.
The Best Holiday Lights in Wisconsin
Holiday Fantasy in Lights
1156 Olin Court, Madison
From dusk until dawn, the entirety of Madison’s Olin Park is lit up with thousands of lights and multiple displays for Holiday Fantasy in Lights. While the event does feature an extraordinary amount of lights, it prides itself on being a green event. Starting in 2009, organizers reduced the energy usage at the event by 82% by switching out the bulbs in the displays to LEDs.
Light in the Cave
2975 Cave of the Mounds Road, Blue Mounds
Caves are known for their intense darkness, but that changes during the holiday season at Cave of the Mounds in Blue Mounds, as the cave is illuminated with thousands of lights to help celebrate the holidays. Attendees don’t even have to bundle up to head out to the cave. While caves are typically thought of as chillier places, Cave of the Mounds stays a consistent 50 degrees Fahrenheit all year long.
Wild Lights at Milwaukee County Zoo
100001 W. Bluemound Road, Milwaukee
The animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo might not know that it’s the holiday season, but everyone else who attends Wild Lights will. The zoo’s holiday light event runs most nights through December 31 and features thousands of sparkling lights on display. Guests can walk or drive through the extensive display. Tickets for Wild Lights can be purchased on the zoo’s website.
Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival
520 E. Wells St., Milwaukee
Big cities are already bright places, but the state’s largest city, Milwaukee, is made even brighter each year by the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival. The event, which runs for more than six weeks, has been held annually for the past 25+ years in the city’s Pere Marquette Park, Cathedral Square, and Zeidler Union Square.
Candy Cane Lane in West Allis
Oklahoma Ave., West Allis
In West Allis, a suburb of Milwaukee, Christmas spirit spreads throughout the entire community. Each year, a group of neighbors decorates their respective homes extravagantly with lights and other Christmas decor, calling the decorated neighborhood Candy Cane Lane in an effort to raise funds for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund. In the four decades since Candy Cane Lane’s launch, more than 300 homes have joined in the fun. While it’s free to view the houses, donations to the MACC Fund are welcome.
Christmas Carnival of Lights
8425 WI-38, Caledonia
Head 20 minutes south of Milwaukee for one of the state’s most dazzling holiday displays: The Wisconsin Christmas Carnival of Lights at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Camp Resort. The annual show features two million lights along a 1.6-mile winding path and takes more than one month to set up. A single family, the Benders, have been in charge since the drive-thru display opened in 2009.
READ MORE: This Caledonia family turned their holiday light show into a children’s book
Rotary Lights
Riverside Park, 100 State St., La Crosse
For 29 years, the Rotary Lights display has lit up La Crosse’s Riverside Park, with more than 3 million lights on display. While the main thrill of the Rotary Lights are the lights themselves, the display also has Santa in attendance every night through Dec. 23.
READ MORE: Wisconsin’s best tree farms & holiday light shows
The Best Christmas Events in Wisconsin
SnowGlobe Holiday Festival
7035 S Ballpark Dr, Franklin
The SnowGlove Holiday Festival in Franklin is running now through December 30. Tickets are available for purchase here. Enjoy a breadth of holiday festivities, including ice skating, a Christmas village, a light maze, and more. There’s also a Build-A-Bear Workshop where you and your family can make your own teddy bear while enjoying hot chocolate.
WPS Garden of Lights
2600 Larsen Rd, Green Bay
The Green Bay Botanical Garden is hosting its WPS Garden of Lights on select dates between now and the end of December. For a full list of dates, including hours of operation and a link to purchase tickets, click here. There are over 40 nature-themed light displays, hot beverages, fresh baked goods, and more.
Christmas in the Dells Dinner Show
564 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy S, Suite #1, Wisconsin Dells
Billed as the most spectacular Christmas show in the Mid-West, the Christmas in the Dells Dinner Shower is a family-friendly performance accompanied by a four-course meal. Tickets are available for purchase on the event website, and additional information, including show dates and times, can be found there as well.
The Best Hanukkah Events in Wisconsin
Various Events – Temple Beth El
2702 Arbor Drive, Madison
Temple Beth El is hosting several Hanukkah events in December, including a Shabbat Hanukkah Dinner on December 27 from 6 to 8 p.m. For additional information, including a full list of events and an upcoming worship schedule, click here.
Hanukkah with the Admirals
400 W Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee
At 7 p.m. on December 30, the Milwaukee Admirals are celebrating Hanukkah on ice with JCC Wisconsin Delegation Maccabi athletes. A portion of the proceeds from the night’s ticket sales will go toward JCC Wisconsin’s Delegation travel to the 2025 Maccabi Games in Pittsburgh. Tickets can be purchased here.
The Best New Year’s Eve Events in Wisconsin
FM 106.9 The Lodge Cherry Drop™
Sister Bay Ice Rink, 2155 Autumn Ct – Sister Bay
FM 106.9 The Lodge Cherry Drop™ is held on December 31 and admission is free of charge. There will be ice skating, a bonfire, fireworks, a dining special, and a giant sparkling cherry that’s dropped at midnight. For more details, click here.
Wisconsin Dells New Year’s Eve Party
Chula Vista Resort, 2501 River Road, Wisconsin Dells
This New Year’s Eve Party has everything, including an indoor waterpark, dancing, a family jamboree, and more. The event is held from 5 p.m. on December 31 until 1 a.m. on January 1. Visit the Chula Visit Resort website here for more information.
New Year’s Eve at the Bar
139 E Kilbourn Ave, Milwaukee
Beginning at 3 p.m. on December 31, the Bar at Saint Kate Arts Hotel is a New Year’s Eve celebration centered around live music, a champagne toast, party favors, and more. For information and reservations, click here.
