Wausau Holiday on Parade | Your Wausome Weekend Guide
Wausau area events for the week of Dec. 3-9, 2025
The Wausau Holiday Parade, a Christmas Festival at Willow Springs Gardens, Brianna Rae Unplugged at Malarkey’s and so much more in Your Wausome Weekend Guide.
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Wausau Holiday Parade
Friday, Dec. 5: If you’ve got a family or just love the holidays, this is a must-see for most Wausonians. The Wausau Holiday Parade is an annual event, and all the floats are lit up to make a fascinating display. (The float toward the end that shoots out flames is especially spectacular.) The parade starts at Marathon Park and makes its way down Stewart Avenue all the way past the 400 Block. Free. 6:30 pm. The parade route fills up fast, so make sure you grab your preferred spot early. Check out the event page for more.
Old Pine Road Band
Saturday, Dec. 6: The Old Pine Road Band has pretty typical bluegrass instrumentation, but they use that combined with lead singer David Walters’s vocals to create a sound that can be enjoyed both by fans of the genre and even plenty who aren’t normally bluegrass fans. They’re not only making their way to The Garage this Saturday, but to help with album sales (since apparently their distributor is increasing fees again), the owner is paying half the cost of any albums sold at the show. That’s a really cool thing, and a great reason to check this band out at The Garage! 7 pm. See the event page for more.
The Nutcracker
Sat.Sun., Dec. 6-7 (and special Wednesday performance): Something people don’t know about me - I am a classically trained musician. And Tchaikovsky was always a favorite of mine, especially The Nutcracker. It’s a wonderful piece of music and the Central Wisconsin School of Ballet always does an outstanding job on these performances — such that they’ve become an annual tradition for many. Plus with guest artists from American Ballet Theatre, it’ll be a performance to remember. 1:30 pm and 7 pm Saturday, 1 pm Sunday. $31-$51. See the event page for more details.
And, there is also a special short performance at the Children’s Imaginarium at 11 am Wednesday (today). See the event page for more.
Full Moon Hike
Thursday, Dec. 4: These hikes are always fun. And it looks like A) there is snow, so maybe it’s a snowshoe hike? and B) Monk Botanical Gardens now has permanent outdoor lights, so that should make navigation easy. Well, that plus the full moon, which these are planned around now. Come have a nice hike around the lovely gardens, enjoy some refreshments and warm your bones by the fire. 5-7 pm. $5, free for members. Check out the event page for more.
Christmas Festival
Sat.-Sun., Dec. 6-7: Willow Springs Gardens has been crushing it lately with the events - but this weekend is their big Christmas festival, and if you’ve been dreaming of a rustic Christmas experience, this one is for you! Think Sleigh Rides, photos with Santa, touring the Christmas Museum, live Christmas music — and that’s only part of the fun involved. If you’re looking for an old-fashioned Christmas scene, this is your jam. 10 am-7 pm Saturday, 10 am-1 pm Sunday. See the event page for full details.
Melissa Kay McCarthy Christmas Album Release Party
Saturday, Dec. 6: Melissa Kay McCarthy is based in La Crosse, but she has a big, folksy country sound that punches above her weight. And that sound comes through on her latest album release, Christmas 1989. Something that should appeal to many but especially GenXers for whom 1989 would be a childhood memory, McCarthy’s songwriting evokes a Midwest realism with lines about less-than-perfect relatives and situations. They’re relatable, while sung in a strong voice with just a touch of country twang. McCarthy will debut her album at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art. 7 pm. $20, Students $10. See the ticket page for more.
Oppenheimer and Obel: The Architects that Built Wausau
Saturday, Dec. 6: If you’re wondering where Wausau’s look came from, well a lot of it came from two notable architects. William Oppenhammer and Irving Obel had offices in Wausau and Green Bay and shaped much of the design of Wausau’s most notable buildings. In this presentation, called Oppenheimer and Obel: The Architects that Built Wausau’s Neighborhoods and Skyline, presenters from the Friends of Historic Wausau Landmarks will tell the story of these two architects who designed buildings such as the Grand Theater, the Elk’s Lodge, the Marathon Park Exhibition Building and many more. Held at the Marathon County Public Library Community Room. 1:30 pm. Free. See the event page for more.
Brianna Rae Unplugged
Saturday, Dec. 6: There’s just something about a nitty-gritty blues act that gets you in the mood to go out on a Saturday night, even when the temps drop as they have. And Brianna Rae and her band are just that - with a deep, raspy voice, the band brings the blues heat and here her band will bring an unplugged experience to Malarkey’s Pub. And the cool thing is you can grab a bite at Mumble Wrap while you watch the show. 9 pm. See the event page for more.
Upcoming
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Some of you might remember that very narrow window in the late 90s where everyone got into swing music. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s music was probably most emblematic of that era. It might have been a passing fad, but good music is good music and this stuff was a blast. I mean hey, they played the Super Bowl! This holiday-themed show promises to be energetic and fun. Tickets are selling out fast, so dust off your zoot suit and boogie to the ticket page if you’re hoping to see these guys. 7:30 pm. $13-$71. See the event page for more.
In Brief
Weird Wednesdays featuring Cole Holiday, 8 pm Wednesday, Dec. 3 at Intermission Bar
Live Music with Ian, 7 pm Thursday, Dec. 4 at Timekeeper Lounge and Distillery
Tom Jordan, 6 pm Friday, Dec. 5 at The Office
Treatskis with Santa, 3-8 pm Friday, Dec. 5 at the Ringle Town Hall
Winter Wonderland Cabaret, 6 pm Friday, Dec. 5 at the Wausau Conservatory of Music
Santa Paws, noon-5 pm Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Marathon County Humane Society
Jon Peck and the Bad Dogs, 9 pm Saturday, Dec. 6 at Intermission Bar
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