12 Bakeries in 3.5 Hours: Wisconsin’s Holiday Cookie Trail

12 bakeries in 3.5 hours. Are you up for the challenge?

Lifestyle website Only in Your State mapped out the perfect road-trip for holiday cookie lovers: A winding path along eastern Wisconsin that leads you to some of the state’s best bakeries.

You can find an editable version of this map here. (NOTE: Google only allows for 10 addresses at once, so the map starts in Wauwatosa and ends in De Pere, but you’ll need to direct it to the specific bakeries once you start driving!)

Stop #1: La Tarte Bakery

6742 W Wells St.

Wauwatosa 

What to Order: Festively Frosted Cut-Out Cookies 

TIP: Call ahead, and the bakery will put together a custom gift box (a great hostess gift for a holiday party!)

Stop #2: Peter Sciortino Bakery

1101 E Brady St.

Milwaukee

What to Order: Italian Butter Cookies (sold by the pound, to-go)

Stop #3: Mila’s European Bakery

239 N. Main St.

Thiensville

What to Order: Cream Cheese Almond Cookies

TIP: Try the cream cheese bars, available in Apple Walnut, Chocolate Chip, or Strawberry, too!

IT’S OFFICIAL – Tuesday, a Dane County judge made a final ruling that Wisconsin’s 1849 law is not an abortion ban. An appeal is likely, but abortion services have already resumed across much of the state. What’s Next?

(U OF) WISCONSIN GIFT GUIDE – Take some of the guesswork and hassle out of holiday shopping with a little help from UW-Madison’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide. Some of the gifts brim with Badger spirit, some spring from artists’ gifted hands, and others stem from scientific research and discovery. All are uniquely Wisconsin. Click here to check it out!

NAVIGATING CHRISTMAS – From festive classics like “White Christmas” and “Miracle on 34th Street” to modern favorites like “Elf” and “The Santa Clause,” find out where more than 100 holiday TV specials and movies are streaming this holiday season using this guide (click here).

TREE TIME! – For many Wisconsin families, the holiday season doesn’t officially start until they find the right tree. From Milwaukee to Chippewa Falls–here’s a guide to the best Christmas tree farms across the state.

THANKS, OBAMA – And reminder that open enrollment for 2024 health insurance plans is now open. Sign up before Jan. 15 to ensure your family is covered in the new year! Like your current plan? That’s great, but you’ll still want to confirm your rate isn’t going up and your benefits aren’t changing (some plans are). Click here for more information.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s no better way to get in the holiday spirit than an evening spent enjoying glistening lights. You’ll find dazzling displays in every corner of Wisconsin, and with two-and-a-half weeks until Christmas, you still have plenty of time to visit! 

The best part: Many are FREE, although donations are encouraged to help those who are less fortunate this time of year. Whether you stop by one or all, here are seven festive light displays that definitely won’t disappoint:

Christmas Village, Chippewa Falls

Location: 125 Bridgewater Ave., Irvine Park

Hours: Open daily until 9:30 p.m. through Jan. 1

Cost: Free, Donations appreciated

Chippewa Falls puts a different spin on the typical holiday light display. Although it’s not as big as some of the others on this list, its theme sets it apart. Each year, the town creates Victorian-era scenes and replicas that showcase local history throughout Irvine Park. 

Holiday Fantasy in Lights, Madison

Location: 1156 Olin Ct., Olin Park

Hours: Daily, dusk until dawn through Jan. 1

Cost: Free, Donations appreciated  

The Holiday Fantasy in Lights at Olin Park has nearly 60 themed light displays along a drivable and/or walkable route for families to enjoy each year. One of the few truly “green” holiday light displays in Wisconsin, the show saves electricity by using only LED lights.