New holiday light display will be merrier, brighter and more interactive

Whether you make the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival an annual part of your yuletide traditions or plan to finally check it off your celebratory bucket list, the display debuting Thursday, Nov. 16, in Zeidler Union Square and running nightly through Jan. 1 is ready to provide you with a completely new and interactive visual experience.

Displays will be lit nightly starting Nov. 16 through early January.

Titled “Downtown’s Yule Lounge,” the display at 4^th and Michigan will shine brighter than ever with more than 37,000 LED lights. From wrapped trees lining the park and a larger-than-life living room setting to a giant picture frame and walk-through ornament, the entire 1.2-acre area will come alive at night and provide multiple photo ops for families and friends.

Located adjacent to the We Energies offices along Michigan and Everett streets, the Zeidler Union Square display is sponsored by the We Energies Foundation, which has been a proud sponsor of the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival since it began 19 years ago. The display, along with those in Cathedral Square Park and Pere Marquette Park and along downtown streets, will be part of the city’s lighting festivities on Nov. 16, beginning with the City Hall tree lighting at 5:29 p.m. followed by the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival Kick-Off Extravaganza at 6:30 p.m. in Pere Marquette Park. The event will include music and performances, fireworks and, of course, an appearance by Santa Claus.

Tunnels and benches allow visitors to interact with the displays.

Visit the Milwaukee Downtown website for full details.