Happy Friday, Milwaukee. In today’s edition: Father Christmas at Pabst Mansion, Milwaukee Diaper Mission milestone, It’s a Wonderful Life radio play, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Cold nights, safe places: Milwaukee’s overnight winter warming sites are now open nightly from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., serving men, women, and families at various locations, with most operating through March 30, 2026 — see locations and contact info.

What the numbers reveal: New state report cards show MPS meeting few expectations, but charter schools posted standout results, including multiple Milwaukee College Prep campuses among top performers for achievement, growth, and overall scores — see which schools stand out.

Community fights diaper insecurity: Milwaukee Diaper Mission marked five years, growing from a garage to a 12,000-square-foot warehouse. It has distributed 3.6 million diapers and 1.5 million period products, aiding over 6,500 people monthly — read the full story.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Experience the award-winning Come From Away
• Shop holiday makers at Anodyne Coffee
• Meet Father Christmas at Pabst Mansion
• Support Our Space with tattoos and tunes
• Meet live reindeer and shop local
• See why December’s the best time to try new hearing aids
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%

🫶 We got your back

Supersized seasonal art showcase: Milwaukee’s Ornament Trail is back and bigger, featuring 20 hand-painted, four-foot ornaments spread beyond downtown into the Third Ward and Davidson Park. It’s free, family-friendly, and comes with a complimentary activity guide with a map and coupons. Catch the mega baubles through January 18, 2026, as part of the Holiday Lights Festival. Get all the details.

Wide-ranging product safety alert: More than a million bags of shredded cheese have been recalled by Great Lakes Cheese over possible metal fragments, affecting Wisconsin and 30 other states plus Puerto Rico. Brands include Target’s Good & Gather, Walmart’s Great Value, Aldi’s Happy Farms, and Sprouts. It is an FDA Class II recall and sell-by dates run January to March 2026. See affected brands and states.

Beer hall vibes, secured: Whether you’re craving a Riverwest Stein, gluten-free New Grist, or something seasonal, Lakefront Brewery keeps the taps interesting, and the plates very Wisconsin: fish fries, sausage flights, beer-infused everything. Easy weeknight hang or meet-up with friends; beer hall energy secured.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy that targets regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify your identity and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🎨 Contemporary Craft Exhibition & Sale @ Kenilworth Square East | Friday (12/5) at 6:00pm – Skip the big-box aisles and head to Kenilworth’s Fifth Floor Gallery for a student exhibition and sale from the Peck School. Jewelry, blacksmithing, ceramics, digital fabrication, sculpture, fibers, printmaking, photography, and more. Meet the makers, support the future, bring home something with actual personality.

🧙 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert @ The Riverside Theater | Friday (12/5) at 7:30pm – Whether you can still recite every spell or just remember the theme, this is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with a live orchestra playing John Williams’ score. Big screen, musicians, and goosebumps. Consider it a classy nostalgia trip, minus the sticky movie theater floors.

This weekend

🚂 Christmas at the Depot @ Cudahy Historical Society | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – The Historic 1892 Depot in Cudahy is going full Norman Rockwell, with Santa photos, Mrs. Claus’s cafe, and a bake shop worth breaking your diet. Bring a new unwrapped toy for Project Concern, bring your camera, and hop a horse-drawn carriage.

🎁 Santa’s Holiday Gift Market @ Brady Street | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – Brady Street goes full festive with a holiday market of local makers, artisan goods, and dangerously giftable treats. Shop from humans, snap a photo with Santa, and bring a hoodie for Cass Street School, while a peloton of Santas pedals by from Santa Cycle Rampage.

🎶 Milwaukee Mandolin Orchestra’s 125th Anniversary @ Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church | Saturday (12/6) at 7:00pm – Celebrate 125 years of plucked perfection with Milwaukee’s Mandolin Orchestra, holiday cheer included. Robin Pluer sings early 1900s gems and carols, plus a world premiere by local Josh Schmidt. Two church shows in Tosa and the East Side, with mandolins, mandolas, and mandocellos aplenty.

🏃 Santa Hustle Milwaukee @ Veterans Park | Sunday (12/7) at 8:00am – Holiday sweater weather calls for a jog along the lakefront, as an army of Santas takes over Veterans Park for 5k, 10k, Half, and Kids Dash. Log the miles, earn your cookies, and support Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, where cardio and civic pride pair nicely.

🎅 Father Christmas @ Pabst Mansion | Sunday (12/7) at 3:30pm – Trade the mall chaos for the Pabst Mansion, where Father Christmas in a red cloak, lantern in hand, roams while you wander on a self-guided tour. Expect glowing trees, lavish holiday rooms, letters to Santa, and treats, plus zero photo line drama.

⛪ Resounding Joy @ The Basilica of St. Josaphat | Sunday (12/7) at 4:00pm – Kick off the season the Milwaukee way at the Basilica with Bel Canto Chorus, gorgeous acoustics, and carols you actually know. Expect new twists, classic sing-alongs, and zero pressure to hit Mariah notes. Dress warm, bring your inside voice, and soak it in.

Next week

🎄 Christmas Celebration @ Pabst Mansion | Monday (12/8) at 10:00am – Christmas at the Pabst means Milwaukee’s prettiest excuse to wander a beer baron’s house and call it tradition. Go at your own pace, marvel at architecture, trees, and train displays, with décor that changes every year, and the kind of sparkle that feels earned.

🍪 Sugar & Spice Gingerbread Workshop @ The Pfister Hotel | Tuesday (12/9) at 5:30pm – At The Pfister’s gingerbread workshop, you get a pre-assembled house, heaps of candy, and zero need for an engineering degree. Sip cocoa, cider, or a spirited something, nibble treats, and let the Pastry Team steer the chaos. Box provided, potholes tolerated.

📻 It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play @ Stackner Cabaret | Tuesday (12/9) at 7:30pm – Think you know It’s a Wonderful Life? See it as a 1940s live radio broadcast, with five actors juggling dozens of roles, vintage sound effects, and favorite songs, all done live. Nostalgic, heartwarming, and funny, consider it holiday cheer you can actually hear.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/5 Hit The Lights and more @ Cactus Club – 7 pm
• 12/6 Chiodos and more @ The Rave – 7 pm
• 12/7 Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: Poet22 and more @ Cactus Club – 12 pm
• 12/8 Folk Favorites @ Sunset Playhouse – 7:30 pm
• 12/9 The Florentine Opera Caroling @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts – 7:30 pm
• 12/10 The Bug Club and more @ Cactus Club – 7 pm
• 12/11 A Christmas Carol – Dinner & Show @ Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel – 5 pm
• 12/12 Justin Witte @ Nashville North – 8 pm
• 12/13 BBQ & Blues @ Motor Bar – 5:30 pm
• 12/14 The Brookfield Civic Band Winter Concert @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts – 2 pm