1. Check Out a Photography Exhibit at the Portrait Society Gallery
CAROLE NICKSIN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Milwaukee-based photographer Lois Bielefeld is part of a new show at Portrait Society Gallery, opening this Friday, January 9 and running through February 28th. This body of work focuses on the unmanicured landscapes of highway on/off ramps and captures an eerie sense of mystery. The show also features the nature-based sculptures of Marzena Ziejka.
2. Take a Stroll Around the Domes
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
‘Tis the season to… realize the holidays are over, the landscape is still gray and brown, and that Seasonal Affective Depression is hitting real hard now. Luckily, for the low, low price of $9 (for Milwaukee residents), you can go wander around the Milwaukee Domes, which feature not one, not two, but three different landscapes that will remind you that the color green still exists in the world. Non-Milwaukee residents pay $10 for entry, but if you want to save some money, you can head over to a Milwaukee library branch and pick up a couple of passes that’ll get you in for free.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Bowl a Few Games at Koz’s Mini Bowl
CHRIS DROSNER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR
We’ve officially entered cabin-fever season, and Milwaukee is blessed to have a plethora of great places to while away winter. I visited one such old standby over the holidays: Koz’s Mini Bowl. This is a fixture of Milwaukee culture, marrying duckpin bowling (using three-pound balls, miniature pins and live-kid pinsetters) with a quintessential Milwaukee dive bar (taxidermy!) since 1947. It’s a great way to spend an evening or weekend afternoon: The bowling is easy (lots of strikes and spares) and fun, and scoring yourself is not as hard as you might expect. Other perks of the duckpin setup: No gross shoes, no gross finger holes in the balls, no sore arm (if you’re a wimp like me). It’s a singular Milwaukee experience to cross off the list if you haven’t done it yet. Reservations recommended, 414-383-0560; 2078 S. Seventh St.
4. Visit Agency Cocktail Lounge
ANN CHRISTENSON, DINING EDITOR
Dry January is only an incidental reason to visit Agency Cocktail Lounge at the Dubbel Dutch Hotel (817 N. Marshall St.). It is truly the cocktail lounge for every drinker. For every cocktail on the Agency menu, there is an N/A version – and they promise the booze-less creation is given the same creative attention as its spiked counterpart. They offer rotating composed cocktails and a dealer’s choice option where the bar staff creates a unique beverage matched to your exact tastes, interests, etc. My January bucket list item is to try Agency’s 8-course tasting menu experience –five cocktails and two-to-three small bites. Cheers to a parched month!
5. Watch Train Dreams
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
For a few years now, I’ve made a point of watching every movie nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. What that means, in all honesty, is that I end up watching quite a few movies I do not like. Listen, I love film, but I’m also a critic at heart and irritation fuels my soul. But recently, I had the opposite experience with a November 2025 film that’s been getting some awards buzz (and hopefully a Best Picture and Best Actor nomination when they’re released at the end of the month).
Train Dreams, directed by Clint Bentley and starring Joel Edgerton, is based on a Denis Johnson novella, which immediately attracted my interest since Johnson has long been one of my favorite writers. It follows Robert Grainier, a logger in the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of the 20th century as he works the land, forms a family, and watches the country change around him. Suffice it to say, the movie’s beautiful – both visually and in the deceptively simple, quiet story it tells. My critical heart went quiet, and I have to say Train Dreams is, so far, my favorite film of 2025.
6. Go to Lilliput Records to Actually Buy Music
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR
My 2026 prediction: Physical media will skyrocket this year. OK, that’s not exactly a bold claim – vinyl sales have been on the up for nearly two decades now – but as more and more people seek refuge from the discombobulating digital landscape, records, CDs and DVDs offer a reprieve and a deeper connection with the media we love. Being long aboard that train, I ended the year with a visit to Lilliput Records. Its massive collection of new releases and fresh re-pressings is hard to beat – I could’ve spent hours combing it all. The used (and often cheaper) selection is smaller here, but for someone like me on a post-holidays budget, bargains can still be found. I snagged a longtime favorite album on sale and another used, both under $18. And there are always CDs, the true resurgence contender.
