Christmas at Kemper
2024-11-30 | Kemper Center Inc., 6501 3rd Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53143, United States
Christmas at Kemper, with its Opening Night Gala, Gallery of Trees, and Historic Durkee Mansion Holiday Display is a highly anticipated annual Holiday Event. This is Kemper Center’s largest fundraiser of the year, helping to fulfill the Center’s mission to preserve the historic nature of the site and buildings and provide programs promoting understanding of local history and the arts in a historic setting for cultural, recreational, and educational activities.
Unless otherwise noted, admission is free with donations appreciated.
Gallery of Trees:
Opening Night Christmas Gala on November 30. This is the opening night of the Christmas season at Kemper. The event is open from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. with tickets purchased for $30 each. Appetizers abound; see lots of decorated Christmas trees and wreaths; enjoy a first sneak peek at Durkee Mansion all decked out in Holiday attire. This is Kemper Center’s largest fundraiser of the year with generous donors and sponsors providing the trees, wreaths, and mantelpieces, and the decorators who so beautifully decorate everything.
View the Gallery of Trees, December 1-8
Hours vary. See the decorated trees, wreaths, and mantelpieces. There is no cost.
Durkee Mansion:
See the historic 1860s Durkee Mansion fully decorated for Christmas; there is no cost. The old and the new are blended into a magical holiday experience by the talented designers of the Durkee Yuletide Volunteers.
Tour Durkee Mansion, December 1-8
There will also be additional dates to see the decorated Durkee Mansion.

Photos with Santa at the Kenosha History Center
2024-11-30 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-12-07 11:00 - 15:00, 2024-12-14 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Kenosha History Center, 220 51st Place, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
Santa will visit the Kenosha History Center on three Saturdays: November 30, December 7 and December 14.
Santa Claus will be available for photos and to talk to the youngsters from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM on November 30 & December 14. The December 7 event will run from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Theses events are FREE to the public.
PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CAMERA (there will not be a photographer on site).
The Kenosha History Center Gift Shop will be open and Kenosha-centric items will be available to purchase for holiday gifts.
In addition, the Southport Lighthouse will be open for tours and climbs on each Saturday from 10 am until 4 pm. A lecture on the “Rouse Simmons Christmas Tree Ship” will be held at noon on each of these days.

LIVE MUSIC AT UNION PARK TAVERN
2024-11-30 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-05 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-06 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-07 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-12 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-13 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-14 20:00 - 22:00, 2024-12-19 20:00 - 22:00 and 1 more date | Union Park Tavern, 4520 8th Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
Semptember/October Line up: Saturday, September 7 – 6-9pm The Sean McKee Band (Blues) in the Biergarten
Thursday, September 12 – 8pm The Rhythm Dogs Blues Jam
Friday, September 13 – 6-9pm Sweet Sheiks (Music from the 10’s, 20’s, & 30’s)
Saturday, September 14 – 6-9pm The PeaceTree Allstars (Bluegrass Jam) in the Biergarten
Thursday, September 19 – 8pm The Rhythm Dogs Blues Jam
Friday, September 20 – 9pm ish Solo Artist Colby Millea (Singer Songwriter)
Oktoberfest, 2024
Saturday, October 21 Union Park Tavern and MGV harmonious 8th Annual Oktoberfest.
Sat. Celebration starts at 3pm. Authentic German Food and singing by MGV Harmonia’s ALL DAY.
3pm Tapping of the ceremonial keg
4pm hungry five brass band
4:30pm Rule the Drool! (New!)
5:15pm dachshund races
6pm Stein hoisting contest
7pm miss Oktoberfest contest
8pm Pieptone! In the Bar Room
Sunday, October 22
To close the Octoberfest celebration, we will be serving a traditional German breakfast, Bauernfrüstück, served from 9AM till gone. We crisp up bacon, then sauté onions in some of the grease. Add potatoes, cook until brown, and then mix in eggs. Served with toast. We will also be serving our German eggs Benedict. A homemade potato pancake topped with a split bratwurst, two eggs any way, and sausage gravy.
Thursday, September 26 – 8pm The Rhythm Dogs Blues Jam
Friday, September 27 – 9pm ish Solo Artist Mitch Downey (Singer Songwriter & and little cover here and there)
Saturday, September 28 – 6-9pm The Jill Plaisted Band (Americana) in the Biergarten

Meet & Greet with Carla Luna
2024-12-01 12:00 - 15:00 | Blue House Books, 5915 6th Avenue A, Kenosha, WI, 53142, United States
If your secret vice is to watch those Hallmark holiday romance movies this time of year, you cannot miss the newest book from local romance author Carla Luna!
In the first of the Dutchess Hotel Series, it has fake-dating, holiday romance, friends-to-lovers, a pinch of spice, and a swoon-worthy Santa.
Carla Luna will be at Blue House Books on Sunday, December 1st, from noon to 3 p.m. to chat with readers and sign books. Whether you are buying this book for yourself or a loved one, it is the perfect book to commence the Holiday season. We hope to see you there!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Have yourself a merry little fauxmance—with a dashing Santa who just might make it real.
Rosie Gonzalez isn’t having a wonderful Christmas time. Not when she’s at risk of losing her job as assistant manager of the Duchess—Victoria’s oldest boutique hotel. If she and her team can’t bring in more guests by the end of December, she’ll be let go. Adding to her stress is a calendar filled with family gatherings where her mom will inevitably nag her for still being single.
Drew Richardson isn’t faring much better. As if working alongside his ex at Northlife Fitness wasn’t bad enough, now she’s invited him to her December wedding. And since all his coworkers will be there, bailing isn’t an option. To get through it, he’ll need a plus-one for moral support.
So, when Rosie recruits him to play Santa for her hotel’s activities, he also proposes a fake-dating scheme to benefit them both. Just for the holidays—nothing more. But as things between them turn from nice to naughty, they’ll have to decide whether a real relationship could be the best Christmas gift of all.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carla Luna writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she still dreams of traveling to far-off places and channels that wanderlust into the settings of her stories. Her books have been called “escape reads,” ideal for perusing during a beachside vacation, a long flight, or a relaxing weekend at the lake.
When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, baking, and taking long walks while listening to pop culture podcasts. Carla is of Mexican-American descent, with roots in Los Angeles and Vancouver Island, but she currently resides in Cedarburg, Wisconsin with her family and her feisty Siberian cat.

Morning Tai Chi on the Mezzanine – Winter Session I
2024-12-02 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-12-09 09:00 - 10:00, 2024-12-16 09:00 - 10:00 | Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 1st Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
Enjoy the sunshine over the lake as you practice the gentle movements of Tai Chi from the warmth of the museum’s mezzanine. Tai Chi is a slow moving mind and body exercise, patterned after movements in nature. This class will cover some of the fundamental principles and exercises of Tai Chi, focusing on balance, breathing, and movement, while relaxing the body and mind. No experience necessary, wear comfortable clothing for low impact exercise.

Holiday Cheer Crawl
2024-12-04 00:00, 2024-12-05 10:52, 2024-12-06 10:52, 2024-12-07 10:52 | Downtown Kenosha, 5601 7th Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
The Holiday Cheer Passport is your pocket-sized key to unlock exclusive deals at pubs and restaurants throughout downtown Kenosha, and beyond. For example, a drink that is normally $10 is available to passport holders for only $5. The passport makes it fun and easy to explore Kenosha, support small business, and discover new places you may otherwise never have visited!

Captain Mikes's Ice Bar + Parka Party
2024-12-06 18:00 - 22:00 | Captain Mike’s, 5118 6th Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
Partnering with Great Lakes Brewing, Tullamore Dew and ELCA Outreach Center
BRING: NEW Hat, Scarf, Gloves, Jackets (men, women, children) and receive a FREE Pint of Christmas ALE
FOOD TRUCK will be serving HOT Delicious Raclette Sandwich
Dress in your warmest and most stylish parka.
This is an OUTSIDE EVENT with an Ice bar designed by Art Below Zero.
Live DJ, BEER Tent, Christmas Cookies –
Beers Available:+ Barrel-Aged Blackout Stout+ Barrel-Aged Christmas Ale+ Midwest Ipa+ Cran Orange Wheat + Edmund Fitzgerald Porter+ Christmas Ale

Breakfast with St. Nicholas
2024-12-07 09:00 - 12:00 | Downtown Kenosha Catholic Ministry Center, 714 49th Street, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
On Saturday, December 7, join the Downtown Kenosha Catholic (DTKC) parishes for our annual Breakfast with St. Nicholas. The event will take place in the Ministry Center Cafeteria, 714 49th Street.
Pancakes and sausage will be served from 9:00 a.m. until Noon. Family-friendly games, arts & crafts will be offered in the large meeting room, as well.
Tickets are $8 per person in advance or $9 at the door. Admission includes a complimentary photo with St. Nicholas.
To purchase advance tickets, visit the DTKC website: https://downtownkenoshacatholic.org/news/breakfast-with-st-nicholas-2024

Merry & Bright Holiday Market
2024-12-07 10:00 - 14:00, 2024-12-08 10:00 - 14:00 | Kemper Center Inc., 6501 3rd Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53143, United States
Merry and Bright Holiday Market is the perfect place to get your Christmas shopping done in one place!
The market offers a diverse selection of unique one-of-a-kind gifts and decorations to fill your home with festive cheer. Whether you’re looking for a special Christmas stocking stuffer for a loved one or a handmade crafted leather item, you’ll find it here.
In addition to the traditional browsing experience, the Merry and Bright Holiday Market offers a unique take on gift giving. Create your own gift basket full of goodies, giving the recipient an extra special surprise. Shop the market to choose from a selection of knitted hats, handmade soaps, candles, holiday decorations, and more. You can also find holiday treats like homemade cookies, cider, and candy.
The Merry and Bright Holiday Market is the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit and get all your Christmas shopping done in one place. Don’t miss out on this festive event!
This is presented by Kenosha Public Market at Kemper Center. It coincides with Christmas at Kemper. This special edition of the market will be held in the auditorium, as well as outdoors in a large, heated tent and smaller tents along the pathways. In and out – there’s shopping all about!
Note: Kenosha Public Market takes place at the same location on Saturdays, November through April. The regular hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Meet & Greet with Kim Suhr
2024-12-07 12:00 - 15:00 | Blue House Books, 5915 6th Avenue A, Kenosha, WI, 53142, United States
Carefully crafted, surprising, and humane, the stories in Kim Suhr’s “Close Call” unveil emotion in tight spaces, hearts in turmoil, and the searching soul of the Midwest. A series of stories that have been described as capturing “the searching soul of the Midwest”.
Kim will be at Blue House Books on Saturday, December 7th, from noon to 3 p.m. to chat with readers and sign copies of her latest short story collection.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A door-to-door salesman’s visit shows Carol a new side of her mother and threatens the security they both had taken for granted; a woman finds out what happens when we’re “too busy to die”; a woman in her fifties celebrates her newly augmented body parts; four friends try to breech a chasm in their friendship by planning a reunion; and a researcher examines his relationship to creativity in a world where it has been deemed a mental illness.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kim Suhr is the award-winning author of “Nothing to Lose” and “Close Call”, both published by Cornerstone Press at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Her work has appeared in many journals including at Midwest Review, Pink Panther Magazine, and Wisconsin People & Ideas, where “Everything Burns” was recognized in their annual fiction contest.
Kim is also Director of Red Oak Writing where she leads critique groups, teaches a prompt-writing class called “Time to Write”! and provides individual manuscript critiques and coaching. She has presented at various conferences including the Wisconsin Writers Association, Examined Life, and Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP). Kim holds an MFA from the Solstice program where she was the Dennis Lehane Fellow in Fiction.
When she is not writing, she enjoys hiking, gardening, and being a fangirl for her grown children in their various pursuits. She lives and writes in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Meet & Greet with Lori Brand
2024-12-14 12:00 - 15:00 | Blue House Books, 5915 6th Avenue A, Kenosha, WI, 53142, United States
“Bodies to Die For” is a brilliant psychological thriller that will have readers wondering whether the perfect body really is worth dying for. Debut author Lori Brand will be at Blue House Books on Saturday, December 14th from Noon to 3 p.m. to sign books and chat with readers about her novel “Bodies to Die For”, perfect for fans of “You Shouldn’t Have Come Here” and “None of This Is True”. Don’t forget, signed books make great gifts for the holidays! ABOUT THE BOOK Popular fitness influencer Gemma has transformed herself from a Before into an After, complete with washboard abs, thriving business, and a gorgeous husband. But social media can be deceiving. Offline, the cutthroat world of bikini bodybuilding may just eat her alive. That’s if she’s not first devoured by the secret nemesis that lurks beneath her polished surface, waiting to destroy her. Software engineer Ashley is fat and frustrated. Frustrated with failed diets. With a world that wants her to shrink. With biased doctors, online trolls, and even her own mother. Until Ashley falls in with a mysterious and radical sect of Fat Activists who are fighting back … by any means necessary. She’s never felt so alive, so full of purpose. She’ll do whatever it takes to ride this high, destroy Diet Culture, and win the approval of her charismatic leader. Gemma and Ashley are on a collision course headed for the Olympia, the bodybuilding competition where futures are made. And lost. When Gemma’s toughest rival turns up dead, and more fitness girls fall like dominoes, it’s beginning to look like the body image war has gone too far. With breakneck pace and keen insights, “Bodies to Die For” takes a hard look at social media, the $70 billion diet industry, and the war on women’s bodies—the wars we wage with each other, and with ourselves. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lori Brand is a lifting enthusiast, group fitness instructor, yoga teacher, and software quality engineer. In past lives, she’s been a gymnast, dancer, Playboy model, and bodybuilder. Her time in the body wars trenches led to her realization that getting strong, rather than shrinking, is the way out. In an effort to spread the word, she’s had articles published in “STRONG” Fitness Magazine, “T-Nation”, “Inside” Fitness Magazine, “D’FYNE” Fitness Magazine, and more. “Bodies to Die For” is her first novel.

Premium Cabernet Wine Tasting & Masterclass with Gino Mantuano
2024-12-14 14:30 - 16:00 | The Apis Hotel and Restaurant, 614 56th Street, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
Join us on Saturday, December 14th for a wine tasting & masterclass featuring a selection of premium Cabernet Sauvignon from some of our favorite producers!
Joining us at this matinée tasting will be Kenosha resident and wine expert Gino Mantuano. Gino and The Apis wine team will walk you through 6 expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon, with a focus on wine from some of California’s most venerable producers.
Anticipated selections to be announced soon.
This event features a facilitated tasting from 2:30p – 4:00p. Wines will be accompanied by small bites, courtesy of The Apis culinary team. Seating is available by advanced ticket purchase only, and all sampled wines will be available for pre-order on the day of the event. Tax & Gratuity calculated at checkout. Advanced tickets required.

Breakfast with Santa at The Boat House Dockside Pub & Eatery
2024-12-21 09:00 - 14:00 | Boathouse Pub & Eatery, 4917 7th Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
Join us for Breakfast with Santa!
A Benefit for Kenosha Human Development Services Specialized Foster Care Program
Enjoy a festive morning filled with fun and delicious food. Make your reservations now www.boathousekenosha.com

**All-You-Can-Eat Buffet:*** Made-to-Order Omelets* Carved Ham* Scrambled Eggs* Hash Browns* Sausage & Bacon* Buttermilk Pancakes* Homemade Donuts* Waffles* Fresh Fruit* Pastries & More
**Bottomless Mimosas** for only $12!
**Plus, every child will receive a FREE goodie bag valued at over $40!**
All proceeds from this event will benefit Kenosha Human Development Services Specialized Foster Care Program.
Don’t miss out on this magical holiday event!

Tea Party Cookie & Tea Exchange
2024-12-21 11:00 - 13:00 | Latibule, 4906 7th Avenue, Kenosha, WI, 53140, United States
This isn’t just a tea party! You will exchange cookies and your favorite tea. Each person will bring 48 of your favorite Christmas cookie and 14 of your favorite tea to exchange with other guests. Enjoy a special holiday themed tiered tray of sandwiches, treats and pastries while spreading holiday cheer. Select tea to sip from our exclusive variety of premium artisan tea. Cheers with a seasonal mimosa. Available tea times: 11-1 2-4 5-7. Pre registration is required. LatibuleWisconsin.com
