Author: Lee Matz

As host of the Emmy award winning “Around the Corner with John McGivern,” the PBS series dedicated to his visits and profiles of various communities throughout Wisconsin, John McGivern is known for his down-to-earth charm and sense of humor that is easily relatable. In recent years he has become Milwaukee’s unofficial Christmas ambassador, and he remains a perennial favorite entertainer. This year, he returned to the Northern Lights Theater with his new stage show, “More Holiday Tales with John McGivern.” The exclusive show ran from November 29 to December 8, and served up new heartwarming stories along with some...

The 20th annual Canadian Pacific Holiday Train made a stop at Milwaukee’s Intermodal Station on December 6, as it passed through Wisconsin to bring holiday cheer, Saint Nicholas, and live music to families across North America. For 2018, Milwaukee native and legendary musician Willy Porter headlined a portion of the rail tour. The 14-car train was decorated with thousands of lights and visited stations in 13 Wisconsin communities. Each stop was treated to a concert by Porter, the band The Trews, and singer Kelly Prescott. The train made a grand entrance at the Milwaukee station by transforming an ordinary...

Governor-elect Tony Evers made his first trip to Milwaukee City Hall since winning his election to meet with Mayor Tom Barrett and address the Common Council on December 4, while the Wisconsin Legislature’s extraordinary session in Madison took aim at altering the state’s democratic process. Sitting with Governor-elect Evers in his office, Mayor Barrett said that the meeting was the first time in years that a governor or governor-elect had taken the time to make a visit. He was also thankful that the Governor-elect saw Milwaukee was a part of Wisconsin, not a rival entity. “I think it is...

Milwaukee officially ushered in the 2018 holiday season with the city’s Christmas tree celebration and Holiday Lights Festival on November 15, events that took place on both sides of the Milwaukee River that once divided the early settlements of Juneautown and Kilbourntown in the 1840s. Staff from the Department of Public Works decorated the 105th annual Christmas tree, positioned across from City Hall by the Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building, with more than 5,000 lights and 150 ornaments. Milwaukee’s Christmas tree lighting is the second oldest celebration of its kind in the United States, behind New York City. This...