Dazzling guests with new displays and an abundance of activities each year, the Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival is southeastern Wisconsin's largest winter festival. With millions of lights (all energy-efficient LEDs) Downtown is aglow this festive season.

Other areas of the city are fully beaming too. Here's a quick "tour" of Milwaukee, a city of lights 2008.

Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival -- Downtown

Cathedral Square Park
Jazz in the Park is gone for the winter but now the park is decorated by over 50 schools throughout metro Milwaukee and renamed "Community Spirit Park." Filled with hundreds of holiday greetings, each school's tree is adorned with handmade ornaments representing a class theme or wish. In the center of it all stands a 50-ft. tree of ever changing red, blue and green LED lights.

Pere Marquette Park
It's gingerbread dreams here. Candy canes, gumdrops and a parade of dancing gingerbread men are a recipe for the most fanciful of holiday scenes.

Zeidler Union Square
Forget about these delightful characters melting away, this family of snowmen is here to stay!

Around town:

Bay View
Kinnickinnic Avenue's annual "It's a Wonderful Life in Bay View" happens Dec. 5 (12-6 p.m.) and 6 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) The street is lit up brightly with lights and wreathes in preparation for the annual event, which draws residents and shoppers into the local businesses for great deals, live music and treats. Win prizes, get your gifts wrapped and bid in the auction. Word on the street says Santa's planning an appearance.

Brady Street
Brady Street is always lit up, if you catch our drift. This season, though, it's as festive as ever with lights, wreaths, window displays and more. The "Brady St. Holly-Days" celebration is Dec. 11-13, featuring holida shoppng and Festivus fun in the bars. Check it out.

Candy Cane Lane
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, the 15-block neighborhood bounded by Oklahoma and Montana Avenues between 92nd and 96th Streets known as Candy Cane Lane has decorated its homes like no other. As always, admission is free, but donated for the MACC fund are accepted.

Downer Avenue
Ah, the simplicity of white lights. Downer Avenue shines again this year with the simple elegance of white lights in most of its trees.

East Side / North Avenue
Lighted wreaths adorn the area. Beans and Barley, Von Trier, Hooligans, Alterra Coffee, Kashou Carpets, the East Side Library, everyone is festive on the East Side.

Historic Third Ward
The 21st annual Christmas in the Ward is Dec. 5 and 6 and this means another massive Christmas tree for Catalano Square (tree lighting at Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m). The whole neighborhood is festive and full of lights. Saturday features live music, dancers, fireworks over the river (6 p.m.) and Santa (6-8 p.m.) Sunday brings breakfats with Santa (9 a.m.-noon), shopping, horse drawn carriage rides (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) and Santa (5-7 p.m.)

Lake Drive
There's nothing like a drive along Lake Drive during the Christmas and Holiday season. No light recession here, just huge house all with unique takes on this festive time of the year.

Miller Valley
MillerCoors welcomes Milwaukeeans to share in its festive lights -- all 250,000 of them are energy-efficient LEDs -- for three days each week this year. Each Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from Dec. 3 through 18, from 5 to 8 p.m., guests are invited to share in the splendor and those old enough can do some free beer sampling on the brewery tour.

Milwaukee Public Museum
Join the MPM on Thursday, Nov. 27 at 11:30 a.m. for a most unusual holiday tradition -- the lighting of the massive humpback whale skeleton that hangs over the Grand Staircase. Museum officials will flip the gigantic switch to light the whale and officially begin the holiday season. Free with admission.

Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes)
The Domes hosts its annual holiday show, opening Nov. 21 and running through Jan. 3. 2010. The exhibit features Swedish, Danish, Finnish and Norwegian holiday and traditional customs. See a Norwegian cottage, Dala horses, Danish Nissen (gnomes) and more.

Old World 3d Street
Candy cans hang from all the trees along this historic strip in Downtown. We can't confirm this, but the Usinger's elves are said to have hung each one of them.

Pabst Mansion
A Grand Avenue Christmas at the Pabst Mansion has something for everyone with stunning decorations, engaging Milwaukee history, and events and activities for all ages. It's open Nov. 20 through Jan. 10.

Wisconsin Avenue
Wisconsin Avenue shines bright again this year with double wreaths adorned in blue and white LED lights on the avenue's harp lamps, and six-ft. Moravian stars suspended above each intersection

Wisconsin Humane Society
Once it gets dark, you can't miss the humane society grounds, 4500 W. Wisconsin Ave., that are adorned with thousands of holiday lights framing the building and outlining dozens of trees.