Recently, I just can’t help but be distracted when I drive past the Christmas lights at Cathedral Square.
I’ve noticed I’m not the only one who can’t keep my eyes on the road. I’ve seen other drivers’ heads swivel as they admire the holiday lights while stopped at the intersection of Jefferson and Wells. Fortunately for everyone, our focus immediately goes back to the road once the streetlight turns green!
I pass Cathedral Square every night on my way home from work, but tonight I was prompted to grab my gloves and hat from the passenger seat of my car and spend a couple minutes walking around and taking in its dazzling lights.
The theme this year is Community Spirit Park because amid a 50-foot tree of ever-changing red, blue and green LED lights stands an array of Christmas trees decorated by over 40 local schools. Each school’s tree is themed with a different holiday wish and is decorated with handcrafted ornaments by the students. Some students wished for a merry Christmas or team spirit, while others sensibly dedicated a tree to the troops or the arts or humanity.
I stood back and squinted at each tree to make the lights bleed together and twinkle even brighter – that’s something I’ve done since I was a kid. It makes every light’s 'wow factor' significantly increase.
In addition, there is the 99.1 WMYX Santa’s Mailbox where Santa’s helpers have been collecting letters to Santa Claus since November 26 and will continue to do so until Friday, December 14. Each letter is guaranteed a personalized reply from Saint Nick himself, and since I’m still a kid at heart, I’m tempted to drop off my wish list before Friday!
The light exhibit was a little difficult to walk through due to the mounds of snow, but I must say, the park system has been keeping up on the inclement weather and quickly removed all of the snow from the sidewalks that Milwaukee has accumulated over the last 10 days.
Alas, the cold started to get to me as I could feel my ears turning red underneath the flaps of my winter hat, so I proceeded back to my car and headed home to thaw out and cook a comforting dinner.
If you haven’t passed by Cathedral Square yet, here’s an opportunity to check out the sights. It’s really amazing, especially now that there’s a blanket of snow adding to its holiday scene.
Cathedral Square isn’t the only festive park in the city though. Three downtown parks including Cathedral Square have been transformed into winter wonderlands. Each is decorated with hundreds of thousands of colorful, sparkling lights, dancing luminaries and animated exhibits. The buildings and shops surrounding the park are also decked out in elaborate storefront displays and twinkling rooflines that complement the park systems nicely.
These are just some of the things that make Milwaukee’s Holiday Lights Festival so grand!
There are two other downtown parks to check out. Here's what I found online:
Penguin Playground – Pere Marquette Park
(900 N. Plankington Ave. near 3rd and Kilbourn)
Witness animated penguins showing off their seasonal sports skills. You can see them skating, playing hockey, shooting hoops and surfing amid luminous ice castles and igloos.
Holiday Central at the North Pole – Zeidler Union Square
(301 W. Michigan St. between 3rd and 4th Streets)
This is where you’ll get a sneak peek into the North Pole’s headquarters where the elves are gearing up for Santa’s busiest day of the year by transporting gifts by plane, train, truck and even parachute!
If you need help navigating downtown due to the reconstruction of the M-Change, I’d recommend calling (414) 220-4700 ext. 29 to get a free 'Get Around Guide' or click here to map your route. For parking options and rates, check out this site.
___________________________________
The Milwaukee Holidays Lights Festival
Downtown Milwaukee
November 15, 2007 through January 6, 2008
I realized walking around Cathedral Square to look at Xmas lights is a great "couples" thing to do. I guess it's pretty romantic or something. At least that would explain why I was the only person flying solo amid an overdose of cute couples when I passed through last week.
It sucks being single during the holidays!
Posted by: Amanda | December 13, 2007 at 03:07 PM
Your pictures are great. Since I don't live close by, your pictures mean a lot.
Posted by: char | December 13, 2007 at 08:50 PM