More than 27,000 carloads expected to attend Winter Wonders in Milwaukee County

HALES CORNERS — The holiday season is nearly here, and Milwaukee County is adding something new to the mix with a 1.4-mile drive-through holiday lights show featuring more than 80 displays.

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The event is produced by Festival Pro LLC— the same group that produces China Lights — but this new drive-through holiday lights show is the first of its kind to include display techniques from around the world.

“This lady here, Shirley (Walczak), about a year ago picked me up in a car and drove me around this 1.5-mile course and said couldn’t we have a Christmas show,” said Ralph Garrity, an event organizer.

Walczak, the director of Boerner Botanical Gardens, asked, and with the sponsorship of Tri-City National Bank and a $35,000 Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) grant from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism — the answer was yes. The event is expected to draw more than 27,000 carloads during its 34-night run.

Winter Wonders opens Nov. 29 and runs until Jan. 1.