1. Whitney Salgado’s ‘Consciousness in Craft’
CLOSES DEC. 12 | ARTS @ LARGE
As part of their residency at Arts @ Large, Whitney Salgado pairs digital illustration with physical forms like sketches, sculpture and Latin folk-art shadowboxes.
2. Kevin Henkes’ ‘Stripes’
CLOSES DEC. 20 | KIM STORAGE GALLERY
The adorable mice from picture books Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse and Chrysanthemum, this exhibition is not. Instead, award-winning children’s author Kevin Henkes playfully assembles paper and wooden boxes patterned with stripes into abstract collages.
3. S. Carey
DEC. 3 | VIVARIUM
Watercress, the latest EP from Bon Iver and Bizhiki member Sean Carey, sounds like an acoustic ode to tranquil reflections borne from Wisconsin’s cold autumn waters. The singer-songwriter will perform these new songs for the first time – along with some favorites from past albums – at a release show, where he’ll be joined by friends and collaborators.
Architects, interior designers, renovators and landscapers: Submit your best work for consideration!
4. Peter Thomas
DEC. 4 | MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
Cellist Peter Thomas brings his music to bars across Milwaukee. Here, he’ll fill the art museum’s lobby with classical tunes and pop covers. Admission is pay-what-you-wish and supports Wisconsin Public Radio.
5. World’s Tallest Glass Tree
DEC. 5-7, 12-14 | YERKES OBSERVATORY
Drizzle molten glass into a 36-foot-tall tree at this unique holiday festival in Williams Bay with an environmental focus. The glass is recycled and, when cooled, turns a ruby red that glows at night.
6. Newsies
DEC. 5-21 | WAUKESHA CIVIC THEATRE
Seize your chance to catch this hit musical about turn-of-the-century New York newsboys on strike. Waukesha Civic Theatre stages this choreo-heavy show with a large cast.
7. Santa Cycle Rampage
DEC. 6 | DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE
Thousands of Santas trade their sleighs for bikes for an inescapable 13-mile spin through the city. Suit up and register for the ride or stick to the sidewalks to root on the red horde.
8. Amorphic Beer’s Fourth Birthday Bash
DEC. 6 | AMORPHIC BEER
It’s four years of this science-obsessed Riverwest craft brewery! They’re celebrating with music by local rockers Buena Cara, grub from Nadi Plates and MKE Bento, and top-secret beer releases.
9. Milwaukee Krampusnacht
DEC. 7 | BREWERY DISTRICT
Everyone’s favorite goat-like nightmare beast, who punishes naughty kids before Christmas, has a festival of its own. Fans dress as the folkloric creature for a parade and a night of music, food and drink.
10. Carols & Classics
DEC. 11 | ST. PAUL’S EPISOCPAL CHURCH
Singers from the Florentine Opera make echoey use of an East Side church for a stage-lit concert of serene worldwide holiday carols. Joining them is the Milwaukee Children’s Choir.
11. Black Nativity
DEC. 11-14 | MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Langston Hughes’ gospel-rooted musical tells the traditional biblical story through a Black lens. This is Black Arts MKE’s 10th staging of the show, directed this year by UW-Milwaukee’s Sheri Williams Pannell.
12. All Is Calm
DEC. 11-22 | CALVARY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
One Christmas in World War I, warring sides laid down their arms for a temporary truce. This production depicts that historical event as a choral suite interspersed with real historical accounts.
13. Owl Prowl
DEC. 12 | WEHR NATURE CENTER
A walk in the woods at night may sound scary, but it’s your best chance to spot an owl. Going with a group helps – this guided hike will teach you all about different species of these nocturnal birds.
14. Menomonee Falls Christkindlmarket
DEC. 13 | DOWNTOWN MENOMONEE FALLS
Celebrate the holidays Deutsch-style when Menomonee Falls turns into a winter market stocked with local vendors, horse-drawn carriages, and German music and cuisine.
15. Mark Z. Danielewski
DEC. 13 | BOSWELL BOOK CO.
The author of the labyrinthine, footnote-filled novel House of Leaves comes to Milwaukee to talk through his new literary Western novel, Tom’s Crossing, about two friends rescuing horses from slaughter.
16. Milwaukee Wave
DEC. 19 | UW-MILWAUKEE PANTHER ARENA
There is more to winter sports in Milwaukee than hardwood and ice. Our indoor soccer team hits the home turf for a match against the Baltimore Blast. Expect quick action and lots of scoring.
17. Wild Lights Zoo Year’s Eve
DEC. 31 | MILWAUKEE COUNTY ZOO
It’s your last chance to catch the Zoo’s twinkling animal light sculptures, but it’s also a family-friendly way to usher in 2026 with a hot cocoa in hand. For this event, midnight is 9 p.m.
18. Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Gatsby MKE
DEC. 31 | THE TRADE HOTEL
Celebrate 2026 like it’s 1926. This Roaring ’20s-themed New Year’s Eve party brings glitz and glam, along with drinks, DJs, a jazz big band, casino games and more to the Deer District hotel. Feathers and tuxes encouraged.
