Milwaukee Tree Lighting Ceremony Launches Holiday Season

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Abby Bamba, a 44-year-old mother of three young children, has attended more tree lighting ceremonies in Milwaukee than she can count. She saw her first ceremony at Red Arrow Park when she was just 8-years-old.

Bamba has now made attending this ceremony an annual tradition for her own family and still looks forward to this holiday event every year.

“To my surprise, my kids love coming to the tree lighting year-after-year,” says Bamba. “Despite the cold temperature this year, they love Christmas time and were counting down the days until they could come see Santa and all the Christmas lights.”

Milwaukee’s 101st Annual Tree Lighting ceremony took place on Thursday Nov. 20.  Hundreds of families, including Bamba’s, gathered around Red Arrow Park in front of the Starbucks while Christmas carolers sang, and children made snow angels on the brisk layer of snow covering the ice rink. Hot chocolate and refreshments were served at Starbucks as gatherers welcomed in the holiday season.

While temperatures were down to a chilly 14 degrees, the holiday spirit was high.  As the countdown began, the crowd cheered as the city staff lit up the 38-foot Colorado blue spruce tree as a kick-off to the Christmas fever.

The first Milwaukee tree lighting ceremony was in 1913 when a 40-foot Colorado blue spruce tree donated to the city and was lit for all to see. The Department of Public Works decorated this year’s 38-foot tree with over 5,000 lights, 90 oversized ornaments, and over 500 yards worth of handmade red ribbon bows.

The lighting of Milwaukee’s Christmas tree celebration is the second oldest celebration of its kind in the United States, ranked just behind the legendary annual tree lighting ceremony in New York City.

The festivities didn’t stop at Red Arrow Park; gatherers moved across town to Pere Marquette Park where children got the chance to meet Santa Claus and walk through the animated light displays. Various displays were lit up, and reindeer, elves, Santas, and snowmen danced across the park. The lights on the figures cast a cozy glow on the faces of children as they shyly smiled at the sight of Santa Claus on this special holiday night.

Bamba and her husband, Chance, along with their three children, continued their spirited night by also heading on over to the animated Christmas light display in Pere Marquette Park.

Not only do families attend these Milwaukee traditions, but also, so did MSOE students, Bailey Hess, freshman, and Rob Jameson, sophomore. The couple did not make it on time to see the lighting of the Red Arrow Park Christmas tree, but they did make sure to attend the festival at Pere Marquette Park.

“I have actually never been to this event,” says Hess.  “I am from Colorado, and we don’t really have anything like this there. I love Christmas, and it’s totally worth being out here in the cold weather to see all these lights and to be at this event.”

Like Hess, Jameson is not a Milwaukee native. He is from Naperville, Illinois and has also never attended the Milwaukee Tree Lighting Ceremony.

“I love kids,” says Jameson. “So when I am away from my own siblings while at school, it’s a lot of fun to watch the chaos of how excited the kids get when they see Santa and get in the holiday spirit.”