Seven Affordable Things To Do in Milwaukee on New Year’s Eve
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to finalize your plans for New Year’s Eve! Here are some options and advice we’ve compiled for affordable New Year’s Eve events in Milwaukee.
Dining Out - A number of restaurants have special menus and require reservations for New Year’s Eve. If you’re looking to dine out, we suggest you call the restaurant of your choice and inquire about their menu and reservation options. If you’re looking to use a coupon, be aware that the Entertainment Book coupon policy states the coupons aren’t valid on major holidays such as New Year’s Eve. However, if you have a coupon you’d like to use, we suggest contacting the restaurant to see if they will accept the coupon. Chances are some businesses will still accept the coupons on a holiday as they won’t want to turn away business.
New Year’s Eve Family Celebration at the Mitchell Park Domes - The popular annual New Year’s Eve celebration is loaded with entertainment including children’s entertainers, crafts, balloons, and live music. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for kids (children 5 and under are free). The event takes place from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. For more information and to make reservations, visit the Friends of the Domes website.
Winter Fest Family Fun New Year’s Eve Celebration - A new celebration this year, Winter Fest offers many different family friendly activities. Starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be live entertainment, games and activities from Radio Disney, and Winter Fest activities including free ice skating and skate rental. At 8:30 p.m. and midnight, there will be a New Year’s countdown and ball drop. Admission is $15 at the door or $12 in advance from Ticketmaster. Children under three are free.
Free Ice Skating - Due to the warmer weather so far this winter, skating will not be available at any Milwaukee County ponds. The skating rink at Red Arrow Park is open, and free ice skating is available until 1:00 a.m. on New Years Eve/Day. Skate rentals are available.
As an alternative, the Pettit National Ice Center has open skate from noon to 9:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for kids. In Waukesha County, Eble Ice Arena is open from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. A buy one, get one free admission coupon for Eble is available in the Entertainment Book.
Watch a movie at home - Watching movies is a popular choice with people who like to stay at home on New Year’s Eve. If you reserve a movie in advance on Redbox.com, you’ll pay only $1 (if you rent directly at a Redbox machine, the price is $1.20). Reserving in advance online is a good idea since the selection on New Year’s Eve may be limited.
Harlem Globetrotters at the Bradley Center - The Globetrotters are back for their annual New Year’s Eve appearance. Games are at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Bradley Center, and tickets start at $19 plus fees. Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster and the Bradley Center box office. We recommend visiting the box office to avoid Ticketmaster fees.
The Polar Express at the IMAX - See the popular holiday movie, The Polar Express, at the Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater located at Milwaukee Public Museum. Show times are 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $9 for adults ($8 for seniors/students/teens and $7 for children), and can be purchased online at the Milwaukee Public Museum website.
Do you know of any other fun and affordable options for New Year’s? If so, please leave a comment! Also, if you’re willing to spend a little more cash out on the town and are looking for a party, this list of from Between the Bars Milwaukee is a great resource.
Nine Affordable Things To Do in Milwaukee on New Year’s Eve
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to finalize your plans for New Year’s Eve! Here are some options and advice we’ve compiled for affordable New Year’s Eve events in Milwaukee.
Dining Out - A number of restaurants have special menus and require reservations for New Year’s Eve. If you’re looking to dine out, we suggest you call the restaurant of your choice and inquire about their menu and reservation options. If you’re looking to use a coupon, be aware that the Entertainment Book coupon policy states the coupons aren’t valid on major holidays such as New Year’s Eve. However, if you have a coupon you’d like to use, we suggest contacting the restaurant to see if they will accept the coupon. Chances are some businesses will still accept the coupons on a holiday as they won’t want to turn away business.
New Year’s Eve Family Celebration at the Mitchell Park Domes - The popular annual New Year’s Eve celebration is loaded with entertainment including a magic show, family friendly shows by Comedy Sportz, and live music. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for kids. The Celebration takes place from 6pm to 10pm. For more information and to make reservations, visit the Milwaukee Domes website.
Free Ice Skating - Skating at Red Arrow Park in downtown Milwaukee is free, as is skating at these Milwaukee County ponds, many of which have warming houses open til 8pm. However, with rain and warmer weather predicted for Friday, it remains to be seen if conditions will be sufficient for these ponds to be open. As an alternative, the Pettit has open skate from 12pm to 9pm on New Year’s Eve. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for kids, and skate rental is $3. For those of you in Waukesha County, Eble Ice Arena is open from 6pm to 9pm, and you can use the buy one, get one free admission from the Entertainment Book.
Watch a movie at home - Watching movies is a popular choice with people who like to stay at home on New Year’s Eve. One option is to select a movie before you leave your home by reserving a movie in advance with Redbox. In fact, if you haven’t reserved a movie in advance with Redbox before, they’ll give you a credit for a free one night rental (normally $1). Check out the details on the Redbox website.
Harlem Globetrotters at the Bradley Center - The Globetrotters are back for their annual New Year’s Eve appearance. Games are at 1pm and 6pm at the Bradley Center, and tickets start at $15 plus fees. Visit the Bradley Center website for full details on this event, including the special 4-point shooting spots located 12 feet beyond the NBA’s 3 point line. Will the 4-point spots provide an opportunity for the Washington Generals to break their losing streak?
Group Buying Deals - Have you purchased a few deals from group buying websites like Groupon, Living Social, or Deals by Golly? New Year’s Eve might be a good opportunity to use a deal you’ve been meaning to redeem. Make sure you read the fine print of your deal carefully. Although most deals we have seen don’t prohibit redemption on New Year’s Eve, there are a few out there that do have that restriction.
Potawatomi Bingo and Casino - Potawatomi has a lot of free entertainment throughout the evening including Al White, Eddie Butts Band, Jamit Duo, and the Box Man (a contortionist). Their restaurants are also featuring special New Year’s Eve menus.
The Polar Express at the IMAX - See the popular holiday movie The Polar Express at the Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater located at Milwaukee Public Museum. Showtimes are 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Tickets can be purchased online at the Milwaukee Public Museum website.
Milwaukee Wave - The Milwaukee Wave take on the Missouri Comets at the U.S. Cellular Arena at 2pm on December 31st. Get a Family Four Pack (4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, and 4 sodas) for $69. Visit the Milwaukee Wave website for ticket information.
Know of any other fun and affordable options for New Year’s? If so, please leave a comment. Also, if you’re willing to spend a little more cash out on the town and are looking for a party, these lists from Between the Bars Milwaukee and On Milwaukee are good resources.
