Happy new year, Milwaukee!
You may not be celebrating New Year’s Eve like you used to, but there are plenty of ways to ring in the new year with little kids.
If you’re hunting for fun, family-friendly ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve without keeping the kids up past bedtime, you’re in luck! Milwaukee has a lineup of fantastic “Noon Year’s Eve” events tailored just for families.
From dance parties to balloon drops, there’s something for every pint-sized party animal.
Let’s dive into some of the coolest New Year’s Eve celebrations designed especially for kids and families:
1. New Year’s Eve at Noon
Where: 929 E. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI
When: Sunday, Dec. 31, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Event closes at 2 p.m.)
Celebrate with:
- Face Painting: 9-11 a.m. with Diana’s Snazy Face Painting.
- Dance Party: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with DJ Shawna.
- Performance: 11:30-11:40 a.m. by Diversity Dance.
- DIY Noisemakers: Create your own in the Be A Maker space.
- Countdown & Ball Drop: 12 p.m. in the Museum’s Atrium.
- Animal Meet & Greet: 12:30-1:30 p.m. with Tatiana’s Tiny Zoo.
Explore More:
- Play in the “Velocity” exhibit.
- Try “Sock Skating” in the Play Lab.
Tickets: Available at www.bbcmkids.org.
Admission:
- $12/person.
- Free for children under 1.
- $2/person with SNAP EBT card (up to 4 people).
- $11 for seniors (55+).
Contact: 414-390-5437 | bbcmkids.org
Hours: Open Wed-Mon, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Closed Tuesdays, except Dec. 26).
2. Kid Boogie Down’s Noon Year’s Eve Dance Party
Bavarian Bierhaus in Glendale, WI
Ring in the “new year” with at noon with Kid Boogie Down. There will be a live music and video show by DJ Lukewarm complete with lights, lasers, bubbles, and more! Plus, cotton candy will be spun onsite, there will be a special guest from Fairytale Birthday Company, and more!
3. Zoo Year’s Eve at Wild Lights
Milwaukee County Zoo
December 31, 2023
More Info
Introducing Zoo Year’s Eve, a unique New Year’s Eve celebration at the Milwaukee County Zoo. This special occasion transforms the zoo into a luminous wonderland with a 1-mile path adorned with animal-themed light displays and hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights.
Ideal for a romantic evening or a family outing, Wild Lights offers a festive and visually stunning experience, promising to add a memorable touch to New Year’s Eve festivities.
4. Family New Year’s Eve Party
WhirlyBall in Brookfield, WI
WhirlyBall‘s New Year’s Eve plans for their Brookfield location (185 S Moorland Rd, Brookfield, WI 53005 ). This year the entire family can ring in 2024 with the return of their popular New Year’s Eve Bash.
5. New Year’s Eve Kids Dance Party
Le Village Brewer Hill in Milwaukee, WI
Join Le Village Brewers Hill for their New Year’s Eve Kid Rave!
Enjoy a DJ spinning tunes, shimmering glow lights, snacks, games, karaoke, sparkling cider, and a “midnight” countdown to add some extra fun to your New Years Eve.
6. Harlem Globetrotters
Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee
The Harlem Globetrotters will take the court with moments of extreme basketball innovation and unparalleled fan fun as they dribble, spin and dunk their way past their relentless rivals, the Washington Generals!
You’ll be amazed by new levels of mind-blowing trick shots, expert ball-handling skills and big laughs with new unrivaled opportunities for pre-game, post-game and in-game fan engagement.
7. Back To The Future: Film With Orchestra
December 31 @ 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee
More info
Recharge your flux capacitor … and get ready to celebrate this unforgettable movie classic as you’ve never seen and heard it before!
Back to the Future is the 1.21-gigawatt blockbuster that topped the 1985 box office chart, spawned two wildly successful sequels, and stamped an enduring imprint on pop culture.
Join Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), and a time-traveling DeLorean for the adventure of a lifetime as they travel to the past, present, and future – setting off a time-shattering chain reaction that disrupts the space-time continuum! Now, fans old and new will experience the thrill of Back to the Future like never before – on a big hi-def screen with a full symphony orchestra performing Alan Silvestri’s dazzling musical score live in sync with the movie.
Audiences will also be in for an exclusive treat: approximately twenty minutes of brand-new music added by award-winning composer Silvestri to the film’s score especially for these unique live orchestra presentations.
8. Rock & Roll Playhouse: Music of Grateful Dead
December 31, 2023 at 12:00 p.m.
Turner Hall
The Rock and Roll Playhouse, a family concert series hosted at historic music venues across the country, allows kids to “move, play and sing while listening to works from the classic-rock canon” (NY Times).
Performing songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, The Rock and Roll Playhouse band offers its core audience of families with children age ten and under games, movement, stories and an opportunity to rock out in an effort to educate children and explore their creativity.
Find more events on our Calendar >>
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Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
