​The holidays embody the spirit of giving and Giving Tuesday is an excellent way to take part. Ozaukee has many worthy non-profits to support and who need your help. Make a donation in someone's name and, not only is it a great Christmas gift for someone who has everything, it really is a gift that keeps on giving!


Kids & Family
Kettle Moraine YMCA
Ozaukee 4H
Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Arts
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Cedarburg Art Museum
Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts
North Shore Academy of the Arts
Gathering on the Green
Nature, Food, Environment
Riveredge Nature Center
Mequon Nature Preserve
Treasures of Oz
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust
Wellspring
Animals
Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Ozaukee Humane Society
Tailwaggers 911
History
Ozaukee County Historical Society
Saukville Area Historical Society
Mequon-Thiensville Historical Society
Port Washington Historical Society
Community
Ozaukee Nonprofit Center 
Advocates of Ozaukee 
Mr. Bob's Under the Bridge
Adult Literacy Center 
Port Washington Main Street
Portal, Inc.
Balance, Inc.
Saukville Community Food Pantry
Family Promise of Ozaukee County 
Family Sharing of Ozaukee County
Just Listen, Inc.
United Way
Family Enrichment Center
Lasata

Getting the perfect, fresh-cut tree can be an amazing family holiday experience, and there are plenty of places in Oz that deliver. Here are the top picks for in or near Oz where you can cut your own or choose a pre-cut fresh tree!
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Uselding's Christmas Trees
Located on Western Rd. just outside of downtown Cedarburg, choose a pre-cut tree, wreaths and other trimming.

Cedarburg Creek Farm
Located at 649 Hwy 60 in Cedarburg, the Cedarburg Creek Farm has pre-cut trees, wreaths, decorated pots, petting zoo, hayrides and more.
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Sandhill Tree Farm
Located at 2323 E River Rd. in Grafton, Sandhill Tree Farm will be open for cut your own trees December 3rd & 4th and 11th and 12th from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Enjoy a bonfire, hot chocolate, candy canes, and photo opportunities.
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Gene Fransee & Son Nursery & Landscaping/ Home of Kletzien Garden Center
Located at 3670 Hwy. W in Port Washington has trees, wreaths, poinsettias, vintage Christmas collectibles and more.

First Congregational Church
Located on the corner of Jackson St. and Grand Ave., along the Sauk Creek, the First Congregational Church is now in their 36th year of selling pre-cut trees as a fundraiser for the church.

​Buechler Farms, LLC
Located at 587 S. Royal Ave in Belgium, Buechler's offers trees, wreaths, planters and a special Christmas Shop with ongoing activities for the kids.

Willoway Farm & Friends
For their third year, Willoway Farm and friends are selling pre-cut balsams at N5412 Cigrand Dr. in Waubeka, as well as some other local goodies.  Enjoy a campfire and hot chocolate, too.

Anderson’s Greenview Tree Farm
Located at W4266 County Rd. D in Random Lake, Anderson's has pre-cut trees as well as wreaths and a Christmas Gift Shop in the barn, or take a walk or hay ride out to the fields to cut your own.

​Trees For Less
Located at 11550 Wausaukee Rd. in Mequon has cut your own and pre-cut trees.  Open 8 a.m. to dusk on the weekends, enjoy hot chocolate, a visit with Santa, snacks, a hayride, and more!

Stumpf's Tree Farm
Located at 340 Horns Corners Road in Cedarburg, Stumpf's is open from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through December 18th.

Nothing beats the holidays in Oz! From beloved holiday theatre opportunities to tree lightings and parades, we've got the line up in Oz and beyond!

Holiday Events
Friday, November 18
Festive Friday Eve, An Enchanted Christmas, and the Kuhefuss House Holiday Marketplace & Gathering in Cedarburg
Saturday, November 19
Buechler Farms "Not Just A Tree" opens in Belgium
Sunday, November 20
​Handmade Ozaukee Christmas Market in Random Lake
Cinema Under the Stars Holiday Edition: THE SANTA CLAUSE
Grafton Tree Lighting
Friday, November 25
Festive Friday Eve, An Enchanted Christmas, and the Kuhefuss House Holiday Marketplace & Gathering in Cedarburg
Saturday, November 26
Breakfast with Santa in Cedarburg
42nd Annual Grafton Christmas Parade 
Shop Hop Event in Port Washington
Christmas Market at Saukville Feeds
Fredonia Tree Lighting
Sunday, November 27
Dinner with Mr. Clause at Twisted Willow in Port
Monday, November 28
Tree Lighting in Cedarburg
Tuesday, November 30
Giving Tuesday at the WMQFA/Free admission to 5th Annual Fiber Arts Biennial
Wednesday, December 1
Kapco's Kids2Kids Christmas Wonderland in Grafton, through December 5

Friday, December 2
Holiday Art Fair in Cedarburg through December 4th
Kickoff to the Holiday Film Festival at the Rivoli Theatre in Cedarburg, through Dec. 23rd
Festive Friday Eve, An Enchanted Christmas, and the Kuhefuss House Holiday Marketplace & Gathering in Cedarburg
Kick off to Illuminate Ozaukee Drive-Thru Holiday Light Display, through Dec. 23rd
Tree Lighting in Thiensville
Saturday, December 3
Christmas at the Legion in Saukville, through December 4
Christmas Cookie Walk at St. John's Lutheran in Port Washington
The Polar Express in Grafton
Christkindlmarkt in Port Washington
​Christmas on the Corner in Port Washington
Illuminate Ozaukee
Sunday, December 4
​European Christmas Parade, Festival and Chili CookOff in Belgium
​Yule Log Hunt at Riveredge in Saukville
Tree Lighting in Saukville
Wednesday, December 7
Here Comes Santa Claus to Oscar Grady Library
Friday, December 9
A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Cedarburg Children's Theater, through Dec. 11th
​A Kodachrome Christmas Starring John McGivern at the CPAC, through Dec. 11th
ANOTHER NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS at Memories Dinner Theater, through Dec. 18th
Festive Friday Eve, An Enchanted Christmas, and the Kuhefuss House Holiday Marketplace & Gathering in Cedarburg
Illuminate Ozaukee 
Saturday, December 10
Kapco's Kids2Kids Celebration of Giving, through December 11th
Santa's Dash Away 5K Fun Run/Walk in Cedarburg
Mequon Police Dept.'s 6th Annual Holiday Giftwrapping Fundraiser
Winter Market at the Annex in Mequon
Holiday Art Show & Sale at East Towne Square in Mequon
​2nd Annual Holiday Tasting at the Mequon Public Market
Illuminate Ozaukee
Sunday, December 11
Traditions on the Green: Winter Fun at the Mequon Public Market
Gingerbread House Day at the Mequon Public Market
Wednesday, December 15
Kapco's Kids2Kids Christmas Wonderland in Grafton, through December 23 
Evergreen Porch Gnome Class at Kletzein Garden Center in Port Washington
Thursday, December 16
Illuminate Ozaukee in Cedarburg, through December 18
Jonathan Clark's Kitchen: Shortbread Cookies for Christmas in Mequon
Friday, December 17
Festive Friday in Cedarburg
​An Enchanted Christmas at the Cedarburg Art Museum
An Olde English Christmas with Peter Noone at the CPAC
​Meet Santa in a Snow Globe in Port Washington
Saturday, December 18
Christmas Bird Count at Riveredge
Kid's Ornament Workshop at Buechler Farms in Belgium
Fresh Hand-Tied Wreath Class at Kletzein Garden Center in Port Washington
Meet Santa in a Snow Globe in Port Washington
Tuesday, December 21
Fresh Festive Centerpiece Class at Kletzein Garden Center in Port Washington
Thursday, December 23
Illuminate Ozaukee in Cedarburg
Sunday, December 26
​Final Kapco's Kids2Kids Christmas Wonderland in Grafton



Holiday Theatre
November 16-December 11 The Nativity Variations with The Rep
Nov. 18-Dec. 31 A Jolly Holiday: Celebrating Disney's Broadway Hits at Skylight
Nov. 25-Dec. 24 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer™: The Musical with First Stage
Nov. 25-Dec. 11 Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some) with Kettle Moraine Playhouse
November 26 The Hip Hop Nutcracker at the Marcus Center 
November 27 Hartford City Band Holiday Concert at the Schauer Center
November 29-December 24 A Christmas Carol with The Rep
November 30 "A Shining Star" Holiday Pajama Jamboree with Festival City Symphony
December 1-4 BEHS presents White Christmas, The Musical at the Wilson Center
December 1-18 Elf The Musical at Sunset Playhouse
December 2 B2WINS Sounds of the Season at the Schauer Center in Hartford
December 2-4 Christmas Carol with the Falls Patio Players
December 3-4 The Nutcracker Ballet at the Weil Center in Sheboygan
December 2-11 A Christmas Carol with West Bend Theatre Company
December 11 Canadian Brass Christmas at the Wilson Center
December 2-10 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with Sheboygan Theatre Company
December 3-5 A Christmas Carol with West Bend Theatre Company
December 6 Tenors MKE Holiday Concert at Sunset Playhouse
December 7-11 Festive Folk Cabaret at Sunset Playhouse
​December 8-11 MSO Holiday Pops Concert
December 9-11 A Christmas Carol with Cedarburg Children's Theater*
December 9-11 A Kodachrome Christmas Starring John McGivern at the CPAC*
December 9-12 Another Night Before Christmas at the Kettle Moraine Playhouse
​December 9-18 Another Night Before Christmas at Memories Dinner Theater*
December 15 MSO Holiday Concert at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center (CPAC)*
December 16 MSO Holiday Concert at the Wilson Center
December 16-18 MSO presents Handel's Messiah
December 17 OzaukeChorus presents Christmas Memories at the GHS Auditorium
December 17 Cherish the Ladies Celtic Christmas at the CPAC*
December 17 Marie Osmond - A Symphonic Christmas at the Weil Center
December 17 MSO Film with Orchestra: The Snowman
December 18 Christmas at Holy Hill with the Lakeshore Symphonic Band
​December 10-24 The Nutcracker with The Milwaukee Ballet

*In Ozaukee County

By Mary Boyle

The list of classical ballets is not very long, but at the very top of them are all three of the ballets featuring the music of the great Russian composer, Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Even to the uninitiated, the music of Swan Lake is familiar because it is constantly used in film, television, and commercials; in fact, it's likely to be a ring tone option on your mobile phone.  Interestingly, Swan Lake was Tchaikovsky's first ballet, unveiled in 1877 in Moscow and, at first, it wasn't very successful.  Today, it is the second most performed ballet in the world, after The Nutcracker, and you now have your chance to see SWAN LAKE performed by the Milwaukee Ballet November 3-6 at the Marcus Center in Milwaukee.

The story of Swan Lake, for those who are unfamiliar, is both a love story and the timeless tale of the battle for a crown, likely based on both German and Russian folk tales. The evil  Von Rothbart (Davit Hovhannisyan), who is a confidante to the Queen, plans to take the throne through the use of his sorcery.  Prince Siegfried (Randy Crespo/Parker Brasser-Vos), heir to the throne, has come of age and is being forced to wed by his mother, but wishes he could wed his childhood sweetheart, Princess Odette (Alana Griffith/Lizzie Tripp), who has suddenly gone missing.  Von Rothbart has put a curse on Odette and her maidens that turned them all into swans during the day, only taking their human form at night.  Siegfried is led to Odette in the night by Von Rothbart and learns her fate, pledging to always love her but, at the ball where his potential brides are presented, Siegfried is introduced to Odile (Marize Fumero/Marie Harrison-Collins), a copy of Odette created by Von Rothbart meant to fool Siegfried into pledging his love to the wrong woman, which will then seal the curse on Odette and her maidens and give Rothbart control of the throne.  This ballet has several possible endings, from tragic to happy, but far be it from me to fill you in on this one.

The music of Tchaikovsky, performed by the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra under the direction of Andrews Sill, who has been with the Milwaukee Ballet since 2003 and is also the Associate Music Director of the New York City Ballet, is truly half of the reason one should see this production.  While the music of Swan Lake is already unforgettable and easily recognizable, the orchestra, along with Associate Conductor Pasquale Laurino, makes the music come alive. 

This production marks the 5th time Michael Pink, who is celebrating his 20th Anniversary as Milwaukee Ballet's Artistic Director, has directed and choreographed Swan Lake for the Milwaukee Ballet, and his version is not only incredibly accessible to a wider audience (meaning, to people who do not necessarily think of themselves as fans of the ballet), but also an honest to goodness work of art. 

Classical ballets can sometimes be a bit tedious, but Pink's version of this classic is streamlined into two acts instead of 4 and is packed with enough emotion and drama to tell the story the way it is deserved to be told.  My absolute favorite element is the flock of swans: their costumes, which replace the traditional tutu with tattered white dresses, were introduced in Pink’s 2nd production and embody both the curse they are under and the graceful creatures they become during the day; however, it's their choreography that is truly breathtaking – I would never get tired of watching it.  I saw Alana Griffith as Odette and Randy Crespo as Siegfried and, I must say, their Pas de Deux was a triumph, while the entire production was pure magic.  Don’t miss your chance to see this one.

SWAN LAKE only runs through Sunday, November 6th, at the Marcus Center, located at 929 N. Water Street in Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.milwaukeeballet.org/ or by calling the Milwaukee Ballet Box Office at 414-902-2103 or the Marcus Performing Arts Center Box Office at 414.273.7206.
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The Milwaukee Ballet will return to the Marcus Center December 10-24 with their annual production of THE NUTCRACKER.  This year will be the final year to see the costumes and sets that have been used for the past 25 years before an all-new production of The Nutcracker will be unveiled in 2023!
 
About Milwaukee Ballet
Since 1970, Milwaukee Ballet has been making a name for themselves and the City of Milwaukee through the art of ballet and their mission to transform lives and connect communities through inspiring performance, community engagement, education, and training.  Milwaukee Ballet is an international company of dancers, a thriving School & Academy, and a force for change in the community through their outreach and engagement programs.