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5 things to do in Milwaukee in December 2021

Winter in the center of Milwaukee. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Henryk Sadura
/
Stock Adobe
Winter in the center of Milwaukee.

Adam Carr is the deputy editor for community engagement at the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and he joins Lake Effect’s Joy Powers to talk about some of the many community events happening this month.

With the holidays in full swing many of us are getting together with family and friends to celebrate, but we don’t always know where to go. Luckily, Milwaukee has a full list of things to do to celebrate the season, and as usual Adam Carr shares some of his favorites.

Here are five things to do around Milwaukee this December:

1. Black Nativity by Langston Hughes

Black Nativity is the retelling of the traditional Nativity story from an African American perspective. This year, there are 14 new cast members including WUWM's own Denzel Taylor. It takes places December 9th -12th at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.

"Black Arts MKE has been putting on a new tradition in Milwaukee of Black Nativity, which is a theatre production written by Langston Hughes. Each group that puts it on kind of has its own spin on it. And this year's Black Nativity is going to be based in Milwaukee and as a setting [it] will reflect on the challenges of the last year," says Carr.

2. Milwaukee Hmong New Year

According to Carr, Milwaukee has one of the largest and most established Hmong communities in the county. This year, the Milwaukee Hmong New Year will be celebrated at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center on December 11th-12th .

"There's basically the whole remarkable range of the Hmong culture that's on display. From food, music, and all kinds of incredible outfits that people wear with special outfits that are oftentimes laced with coins. So there's all kinds of beautiful traditions that are celebrated," says Carr.

3. Black Diaspora Symphony Orchestra Presents: An Evening of Lullabies & Dirges

The Black Diaspora Symphony Orchestra is hosting its inaugural concert at St. Michael's Church on December 18th, from 7 pm to 8:30 pm. The concert is free, and the show will honor children who have passed in Milwaukee and Waukesha in 2021.

"At this time of year, obviously, it's a time of celebration, but it's also a time of reflection. I think it's a beautiful gesture as a first concert of the Black Diaspora Symphony Orchestra, that they're really honoring those who have passed through lullabies and dirges," says Carr.

4. Kujichagulia Holiday Market at Sherman Phoenix

The Kujichagulia Holiday Market is taking place Sunday, December 19th from noon to 5 pm. Vendors of the Kujichagulia producers cooperative sell things like body products and art at the Sherman Phoenix. Attendees can expect music, smoked barbecue, and more.

"This really is a collection of small business owners who sell all kinds of different things from food to body products to art, you name it. And all of the vendors who are on the shelves of the store are going to be at the Sherman Phoenix throughout the space," says Carr.

5. Winter Solstice Candlelight Walk at Riverside Park

As we have less and less daylight, Riverside Park is celebrating the Winter Solstice by hosting a candlelight walk on December 21st from 4 pm to 9 pm.

"Creating those intentional times for reflection, creating those intentional times to sort of embrace some of the darkness that ... permeates around us ... There's no better time to do that than the Winter Solstice and the Urban Ecology Center," says Carr. "Also, it is a candlelight walk. So, you will have a candle [and you ] won't just be walking through the dark. It's a great chance to experience one of the great parks of Milwaukee with your neighbors."

Joy is a WUWM host and producer for Lake Effect.
Kobe Brown was WUWM's fifth Eric Von fellow.
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