“More Santas!” screamed our preschoolers as dozens of bikers clad in Mr. and Mrs. Claus getups cruised past us on Water Street. Within a mere fifteen minutes, hundreds of Santas pedaled past us, some answering the kids’ calls of “Merry Christmas” and “ho, ho, ho” with smiles, waves and tosses of candy canes.
While we were specifically on the lookout for holiday fun in Milwaukee, the annual Santa Cycle Rampage was unexpected delight, one that proved that Christmas magic abounds in the city.
Here are a few ways to get into the spirit this season.
O CHRISTMAS TREE
While the mayor has already conducted the annual lighting ceremony, the city Christmas tree is still worth a look. The thirty-two-foot blue spruce is stationed outside City Hall.
And there’s still time to catch the tree-lighting festivities at the Pfister Hotel. Santa swings by to illuminate the eighteen-foot-tree tonight, but you can stop by anytime during the holiday season to grab a photo by the tree and a warm drink in the lobby lounge.
Or head to Catalano Square in the Historic Third Ward for Christmas in the Ward, featuring Mrs. Claus and live reindeer, live music, dancing, carriage rides, fireworks over the river and a Saturday-evening tree-lighting.
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
At Milwaukee Ballet’s Nutcracker Tea, youngsters are treated to performances, crafts, a dance lesson and brunch (December 3).
At the beautiful Pfister, families can have Afternoon Tea at Blu, the hotel’s top-floor lounge, complete with butlers, scones and panoramic views. (If your kids aren’t the sit-still-and-sip type, take a bathroom break up on the twenty-third floor. The views are nearly as breathtaking here as from Blu.) Or come for the hearty Breakfast with Santa on Saturday mornings (December 2 to 23).
Breakfast with Santa is an elegant affair at the Watts Tea Shop, with Santa and Mrs. Claus on hand (November 26 and December 3, 10, 17 and 24), and decidedly more rugged at the Harley-Davidson Museum, with a photo op with Santa atop a Hog (December 3 and 10).
Or enjoy Cocoa with the Clauses, a free outdoor event with cocoa and cookies, holiday characters and live music at Cathedral Square Park (December 9).
QUITE A SIGHT
Cathedral Park Square, Pere Marquette Park and other downtown spots dazzle at night during the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival (through January 1). Take a fun elf-led perusal of the displays on a Holiday Lights Tour.
A holiday tradition forty-five years in the making, the BMO Annual Holiday Display uses life-sized Steiff animals to transform the bank’s lobby into a fantastical scene. This year’s theme is A Holiday in King Arthur’s Court and features knights, kings, queens and even dragons (November 27-January 2).
In European Village Alive! at the Milwaukee Public Museum, carolers and costumed interpreters bring to life the cultures and customs of immigrant groups that lived in the United States from 1875 to 1925 (December 1 and 2).
The Pabst Mansion welcomes visitors to tour the splendid estate decked out for the holidays during A Grand Avenue Christmas (through January 8).
And at the Mitchell Park Domes, explore flowers, a twenty-five-foot tree, North Pole elves and a sleigh-load of special events at the Naughty or Nice Holiday Floral Show (through January 7).