Sights Alight

‘Tis the season, and downtown Milwaukee is getting into the spirit with light displays, tours and more.

Celebrate the warmth and light of the season in Milwaukee starting Nov. 15 when local officials flip the switches on the holiday displays that, until Jan. 6, will illuminate three downtown parks<Pere Marquette Park, Zeidler Union Square and Cathedral Square Park.

Dubbed the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival (www.milwaukeeholidaylights.com), the displays promise to be a most spectacular holiday lighting show. To see all the sights, jump on the Jingle Bus, a $1, 40-minute tour that will take you to lighting displays throughout the downtown parks, as well as past street-level and decorated storefronts. On the festival’s opening night, ride the Jingle Bus for free and receive complementary hot cocoa, coffee and cookies. The bus will operate Thursdays through Sundays, Nov. 15 to Dec. 30 from 6p.m. to 9 p.m.

To give your holiday celebrations a historical edge, check out Pabst Mansion’s A Grand Avenue Christmas (www.pabstmansion.com). From Nov. 16 to Jan. 13, see the mansion’s rooms elegantly decorated and transformed by area designers and florists. Other events include an opening gala, themed lectures about the 115-year-old mansion and children’s activities.

To wrap up the season, celebrate New Years at Red Arrow Park’s Slice of Ice (www.county.milwaukee.gov/RedArrow11930.htm). This 128-foot-by-95-foot rink (open through February) offers free skating (rentals also available) and a brilliant display of fireworks at midnight.