Everything is lit with jack-o'-lanterns right now - but soon it'll be aglow with holiday lights as Downtown will once again host thousands upon thousands of beaming bulbs for its 25th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, running Nov. 16 through the first of the new year. 

The holiday light extravaganza will spread more than 500,000 lights and decorations across the Downtown area, highlighted by transforming three Milwaukee parks into glowing seasonal spectacles. Cathedral Square Park will be transformed into "Community Spirit Park," Zeidler Union Square will become "Santa's Celebration Square" and Pere Marquette Park will be themed "Feliz Navidad." In addition to those three incandescent installations, the festival will also decorate three main Downtown streets with lights and holiday chandeliers as is tradition, as well as run family-friendly tours of all the festive fun via the Jingle Bus. 

This year's festival will also feature a brand new Downtown decoration element: the ornament trail. The new holiday art installation will include 15 oversized ornaments scattered down Wisconsin Avenue, each one decorated by a different artist. 

“The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival presented by Johnson Financial Group is a brilliant holiday tradition,” said Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, in a release. “We’re thrilled to celebrate 25 years of magical moments with Milwaukee-area families and look forward to kindling new memories with our anniversary-themed decorations, displays and happenings.”

The fa-la-la-la-la festivities will officially begin with a switch-flipping ceremony hosted at Pere Marquette Park on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6:30 p.m. The kickoff will begin an hour before with live music, performances, a special appearance from Santa and Mrs. Claus, fireworks, snacks and free Jingle Bus rides after the party. 

For more information, Jingle Bus times, tickets and more, head over to the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival's website. And for more festive fun, stay tuned to OnMilwaukee!