Hello volunteers!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Here are the latest updates from our partners. I hope you will share them with your friends and neighbors.
- Congratulations to the team at The Couture for receiving final HUD approval to guarantee the loan, meaning construction could start as early as January 2021!
- Congratulations to TEMPO Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Urban League for two hugely successful events. TEMPO Milwaukee hosted their 15th Annual Leadership Event with actress and activist Gabrielle Union, and over 1,500 attendees from across the country participated. The Milwaukee Urban League hosted its 35th Annual Black & White Ball virtually this year and it too was a rousing success!
- If you haven't already ordered your catered Thanksgiving meal, there's a list of places to do that here. Please consider supporting local restaurants and save yourself the cooking time.
- Wisconsin State Fair now has WonderFair Gifts for everyone this holiday season. From sweet treats like Cocoa Cream Puffs, minty Blue Ribbon brownies, and chocolate chip cookies, to incredible deals on tickets, bundles, FairWear and more, there is something for every fair lover, and all WonderFair gifts are on sale now at WiStateFair.com!
- The Wisconsin Center is known for hosting tens of thousands, but this year they're pivoting to make your personal gift-giving fun and easy. The Celebration Crate includes a pass for the Winter Wonders light show at Boerner Botanical Gardens, plus a crate full of goodies to snack on while enjoying the drive. Available in quantities from 1 to 10,000; perfect for teachers or employees! Info and ordering is available here.
- David Caruso, one of Milwaukee's premier event planners and tastemakers is introducing STYLEBYDC.COM on December 1. If you are looking for unique items or gifts for your friends, family, clients and co-workers, this is the place. Follow @stylebydc for updates leading up to next week's launch.
- Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival in downtown Milwaukee is now open. Enjoy 500,000 lights in this "Snowcially Distanced" celebration running through January 1.
- Don't forget St. Nick's Day is also right around the corner and Milwaukee Food & City Tours has great gift ideas here.
- The Milwaukee Rep will begin streaming a free version of A Christmas Carol on December 1. You can register here. Or, for just $20, you can see fan favorite actor Lee Ernst in a one-man version that has been shifted to a virtual event (starting Dec 10). Tickets for Jacob Marley's A Christmas Carol can be found here.
- Candy Cane Lane opens this Friday. This annual family favorite takes place in West Allis near 92nd and Oklahoma Avenues and is a fundraiser for the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer). This event raises thousands of dollars in the fight against cancer. Make sure to check it out. For more information, click here.
- Christmas in the Ward kicks off on December 1, but you can get involved today by following them on Instagram (@historicthirdward). Learn more about this month-long celebration of local businesses here.
- Cedarburg's Cinema Under the Stars will feature Home Alone on Sunday, November 29. You can learn more here. The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce has a complete listing of safe and fun-filled holiday events on its website here.
- Lowlands Group will host its annual Chili Coat Drive at Café Hollander - Downer this Saturday, Nov. 28. For each winter clothing donation participants will receive a free cup of chili and a Santa Rampage bier or hot cocoa. All donations benefit the Milwaukee Women's Center. More information can be found here.
- The final Women of Broadway concert at the Marcus Performing Arts Center will be Saturday, December 5 and feature Vanessa Williams. Streamed live from New York's Shubert Virtual Studios, each show will feature a mix of Broadway showtunes, pop songs, and personal stories from her life. You can purchase tickets here.
- Black Friday is this week and that means special releases of local beers from a variety of Milwaukee breweries! You can learn more about what's on tap for Friday and how to purchase these special brews here.
- Bayshore Mall has a Bountiful Black Friday Treasure Hunt on Friday, November 27. Full details on how to enjoy this virtual treasure hunt can be found here.
- The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center is offering a five-show holiday series, "Sights & Sounds of the Season." In addition, audiences and visitors to the Center will have an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful holiday light display on the grounds created in partnership with Majic Productions and KEI and sponsored by We Energies Foundation, as well as purchase holiday spirits and sweet treats for a little added indulgence.
- Don't forget about Country Christmas at the Ingleside Hotel, running Friday through January 2. Celebrating its 25th year as Wisconsin's largest and most spectacular drive-through holiday lights event, admission to Country Christmas, you can experience the Country Christmas Trail, Christmas Village, and the Streets of Bethlehem. Learn more here.
- Adventure Rock is hosting a Hospitality Heroes Blood Drive on December 1 in partnership with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. Sign up here because the need is urgent.
- The Bartolotta Restaurant Group announced that Lake Park Bistro will re-open on December 9. In reopening, The Bartolotta Restaurants owner, co-founder, and two-time James Beard Award winner Chef Paul Bartolotta is returning Lake Park Bistro to its roots - reimagining the restaurant as a Haute Bistro inspired by his experiences traveling in France.
- Guardian Fine Arts has a big announcement coming next week on Tuesday, December 1. Stay tuned!
I want to say a heartfelt thank you to Tourism Secretary-designee Sara Meaney, who will be leaving Travel Wisconsin to take a career opportunity outside of state government after serving in the position for nearly two years. Sara was a tremendous advocate for the tourism and hospitality industry in Wisconsin. Her leadership resulted in an increase in tourism funding for the state to make us more competitive with our Midwest neighbors. Her vibrant enthusiasm for our state will certainly be missed. I wish her continued success and I look forward to working with her successor in growing Milwaukee's tourism economy.
Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for each of you and your many contributions to Milwaukee's hospitality and tourism economy.
Peggy
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Peggy Williams-Smith |
Stay Safe and Enjoy!
