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Last updated: November 11, 2024

Your ultimate guide to the holidays in Franklin is here! Explore all the best festive events and activities. From Franklin die-hards to casual visitors, our guide illuminates the city's seasonal splendor.

This holiday season, immerse yourself in the enchanting performance of The Nutcracker, a classic ballet that brings to life the magic of Christmas through stunning choreography and beautiful music. Another highlight is A Christmas Carol, featuring a captivating retelling of Dickens' timeless tale of redemption and festive spirit. And the Trans-Siberian Orchestra is something you definitely don't want to miss, as it combines holiday music with a thrilling arena rock experience. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!

Contact information and details below.

Franklin Holiday Light Displays

What to Expect:

Interactive holiday light maze with a story-driven mission.

Description:

Enchant Christmas is a world-class holiday event featuring a massive Christmas light maze, unique ice skating experiences, and a variety of festive attractions. The event is based on original holiday stories, where guests embark on a mission to save Christmas by finding hidden light sculptures. Visitors can also enjoy seasonal food and drink, meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and take in the dazzling lights from a Ferris Wheel.

Where: Franklin | More Info: Enchant Christmas

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What to Expect:

Dazzling light displays and interactive holiday decorations.

Description:

The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival features over 500,000 lights and dozens of animated displays in downtown Milwaukee, including an ornament trail and festive park transformations.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Holiday Lights Festival

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Spectacular drive-through holiday lights display with animated figures and a working model train.

Description:

Country Christmas is a drive-through holiday lights display featuring over a million lights on 40 wooded acres. The event includes a trip through the Country Christmas Trail, entrance to Christmas Village, and the Streets of Bethlehem. Visitors can enjoy animated figures, holiday scenes, and a working model train display.

Where: Pewaukee | More Info: Country Christmas

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Franklin Holiday Markets and Shopping

What to Expect:

Traditional European food and live entertainment.

Description:

The Wauwatosa Holiday Market is a European Christmas Market and Holiday Festival offering authentic traditional food, unique shopping experiences, and live entertainment. Enjoy hot pretzels, grilled sausages, ice cold beer, hot mulled wine, and hot chocolate amidst polka and holiday music.

Where: Wauwatosa | More Info: Wauwatosa Christmas Market

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What to Expect:

Fundraiser for local choir program with handmade crafts.

Description:

The Jingle Bell Craft Fair is a community event featuring local artisans and small businesses showcasing handmade crafts and unique holiday items. The event supports the Menomonee Falls Choir program and offers a variety of local vendors selling gifts and seasonal items.

Where: Menomonee Falls | More Info: Jingle Bell Craft Fair

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What to Expect:

Traditional German holiday market with international vendors and festive activities.

Description:

The Christkindlmarket is a German-style outdoor market offering a variety of international and local vendors, festive music, and traditional holiday foods like roasted nuts, fresh pretzels, and hot spiced wine. Visitors can explore vendor products, participate in special events, and enjoy a unique shopping experience.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Christkindlmarket

Event Organizer?

Franklin Holiday Shows and Entertainment

What to Expect:

Period costumes and special effects bring Charles Dickens' classic to life.

Description:

A Christmas Carol, directed by Mark Clements, is a timeless tale of love, hope, and redemption. Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Matt Daniels, is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, helping him discover it is never too late to change his miserly ways. The production features enchanting music, dance, costumes, scenery, and special effects.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: A Christmas Carol

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

World-class ballet performance with elaborate sets and costumes.

Description:

The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium is a holiday ballet production featuring over 200 dancers, students from Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy, and the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky's iconic score live. The show includes elaborate sets, lavish period costumes, and special effects, making it a timeless holiday classic.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: The Nutcracker

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Live reindeer and costumed characters add to the holiday cheer.

Description:

Christmas in the Ward is a festive holiday celebration featuring live music, a tree lighting ceremony, Santa visits, and a fireworks display over the Milwaukee River.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Christmas in the Ward

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Live holiday music on a downtown streetcar with free cookies.

Description:

The Holidays on The Hop event in Milwaukee features live holiday-themed music performances on the city's streetcar, accompanied by free holiday cookies provided by the Baird Center and Levy Restaurants. The event also includes festive decorations at the streetcar shelters, highlighting downtown Milwaukee's holiday spirit.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Holidays On The Hop

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Backstage tour of a historic haunted concert venue.

Description:

Explore Milwaukee's most notorious haunted place, The Rave/Eagles Club, during the Haunted Holidays Tour. Begin at the Craft Beer Lounge for a free holiday-inspired drink, then take the elevator to the Penthouse Lounge to start your self-guided tour. Experience the iconic Eagles Ballroom, take photos on the stage, and walk through various dressing rooms. The tour ends at the Haunted Pool, where you can see thousands of autographs from artists who have played at The Rave/Eagles Club over the past 30 years.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Haunted Holidays Tour

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Classic holiday films screened at a historic, art deco theater.

Description:

The Rivoli Holiday Film Festival in Cedarburg features a lineup of beloved holiday classics and new favorites, showcasing timeless movies at the beautifully restored Rivoli Theater.

Where: Cedarburg | More Info: Rivoli Holiday Film Festival

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Celebrates diverse cultures through music, food, and traditional performances.

Description:

The Holiday Folk Fair International is a premier multicultural festival celebrating the cultural heritage of southeastern Wisconsin. It features traditional music and dance, a variety of international dishes, interactive exhibits, and unique shopping experiences. Visitors can explore the ways music, food, dance, and art weave together a message of welcome.

Where: West Allis | More Info: Holiday Folk Fair International

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Interactive rock opera with pyrotechnics and lasers.

Description:

Trans-Siberian Orchestra presents a spectacular holiday rock opera, "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve," featuring a rock opera story about a runaway who breaks into an abandoned vaudeville theater on Christmas Eve, with a rocking, blazing, and laser-lit second set containing TSO's greatest hits and fan-favorites.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Grammy-winning holiday concert with multimedia effects.

Description:

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis is a beloved holiday tradition featuring Mannheim Steamroller classics in the distinctive Mannheim sound, with dazzling multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Mannheim Steamroller

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Rowdy siblings disrupt a traditional Christmas pageant.

Description:

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a heartwarming musical comedy where the "worst kids in the history of the world" crash the church's annual Christmas pageant, leading to hilarious and touching moments as they discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Event Organizer?

Franklin Other Holiday Activities

What to Expect:

Santa and Mrs. Claus ride a vintage fire truck through downtown Milwaukee.

Description:

Santa’s Christmas Cavalcade features Santa and Mrs. Claus riding atop a vintage fire truck through downtown Milwaukee, accompanied by local singer Sarah Fierek singing jazzy holiday tunes.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: Santa’s Christmas Cavalcade

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Night-time parade with live performers and vintage vehicles.

Description:

The West Allis Christmas Parade is an annual holiday tradition and the premier night-time Christmas parade in southeastern Wisconsin. It features marching bands, live performers, creative floats, and vintage vehicles. Attendees can meet elves and cartoon characters before waving to Santa Claus at the end of the parade.

Where: West Allis | More Info: West Allis Christmas Parade

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Historical-themed High Tea Dinner in a Victorian setting.

Description:

A Victorian Christmas at the Schuster Mansion features a delightful High Tea Dinner with great food, historical insights, and conservation activities. Guests can enjoy a unique and memorable experience amidst the mansion's grandeur and charm.

Where: Milwaukee | More Info: A Victorian Christmas

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Family-friendly holiday bike ride with educational support.

Description:

Santa Cycle Rampage is a holiday-themed bike ride where participants dress up in festive costumes to support youth and family cycling education programs in Milwaukee and Dane Counties. The event features a 12-mile slow roll ride and a family-friendly 3-mile ride called the Elf Cycle Frenzy.

Where: Wauwatosa | More Info: Santa Cycle Rampage

Event Organizer?

What to Expect:

Community-driven holiday celebration with enhanced safety measures.

Description:

The Waukesha Christmas Parade is a cherished annual tradition in Downtown Waukesha, featuring colorful floats, marching bands, and festive music. The event brings the community together with Santa Claus and cheerful parade participants distributing candy canes and treats.

Where: Waukesha | More Info: Waukesha Christmas Parade

Event Organizer?

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