How to Spend Your Holidays at Potawatomi

Looks like the holiday season is arriving sooner than we expected this year, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a complete line-up of exciting things to do this holiday season. If leaving the house is going to be a problem when the temperature drops, this will probably spark some ideas for you to grab your winter coat and make your way down to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

If you’re looking for something exciting to do on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day or anywhere in between here’s your guide to spending the holidays here at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

All I Want for Christmas is to be Entertained

Okay, it’s officially the time to listen to holiday music unabashedly and sing your heart out on your way to work and at home, but there’s only so many times you can listen to “All I Want for Christmas is You” before your neighbors tell it to turn it down or realize that it just isn’t enough for your jolly ol’ soul. For that we’ve got the cure, with a refreshing line-up of holiday acts at the Northern Lights Theater that will leave you with the same warm, fuzzy feeling as lighting up your Christmas tree for the first time, or driving down THAT street (you know the one) with all the beautifully enchanting Christmas decorations.

For the person that loves live music, check out the Northern Lights Theater lineup for some of the shows they will love.

• Phil Vassar’s Christmas Show (November 29 and November 30): This country music hitmaker taps into the power of social media for song requests for his more than 135 shows a year and on stage he is a piano-pounding powerhouse with ten #1 singles and 26 Top 40 hits, but the incisive, soulful lyrics and catchy melodies are what capture the hearts of his fans everywhere.
• John McGivern (December 3 – 7): This Milwaukee native returns to the Northern Lights Theater to share Even More Holiday Tales with a five-show run filled with fresh and new hilarious, heartwarming and relatable stories about his childhood and the holiday memories that shaped him. These new tales are sure to bring up some your fondest memories and get you into the holiday mood.
• Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild & Swingin’ Holiday Party (December 6): Big Bad Voodoo is a swing revival band that blends the vibrant and energetic sounds of classic American jazz, swing and dixieland with contemporary culture. They brought swing to the forefront of the music scene while at their legendary residency at the Derby nightclub in Los Angeles, fueling a career that averages 150 show a year and a vast catalog of recorded music for their fans to enjoy. Their high-energy shows and lively music, filled with references to the legacy of American music. What better way to celebrate the holidays than with great music that makes you feel alive and jump out of your seat?
• Christmas with the Celts (December 9 – 13): Get on stepping with the Nashville Celts and their holiday show, complete with Christmas music, Irish dancing, a children’s choir and so much more! With a successful TV show that aired on 222 PBS channels from around the world, The Nashville Celts are bringing their infectiously happy music to the Northern Lights Theater stage to spread joy and Christmas cheer, Irish-style with their unique blend of song, dance and humor.
• Hillbilly Casino Holiday Hootenany (December 19 and 20)Hillbilly Casino is rockin’ around the Christmas tree with their Holiday Hootenanny (say hootenanny out loud, we know you want to). With their blend of honkytonk, psychobilly, and rock ‘n’ roll, this band are bringing their ‘A’ game to the Northern Lights Theater stage, bringing special guests Jittery Jack & Miss Amy, and Rosie & The Rivets for two unique shows and rocking’ retro-good time!
• Bodeans (December 27): Wisconsin’s musical sons are coming home for Christmas this holiday season for a high-energy show that will help bring in the new year on a high note. With a remarkable 30-year musical career, their compelling rock ‘n’ roll songs have proven that they are energetic, determined and talented as when they started in 1987, being nominated as Rolling Stone magazine’s Best New American Band. Their catchy single “Closer to Free” is only the tip of the iceberg of their musical catalog, producing more than 12 studio albums ever since and a permanent installation at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland as part of their Midwest Artists Exhibit to honor. Don’t miss their Northern Lights Theater show and sing your heart out to their adult alternative sound with songs like “Only Love” and “Closer to Free”!

Forget jingle bells. Listen to these terrific artists live and spread the holiday cheer with live music shows for memories that will last. Get your tickets to these and more amazing shows here!

Deck the Halls with All This Good Food

Think back to when you were smaller and we’re sure some of your fondest memories around the holidays will involve food. Whether it was the big holiday dinner everybody where everybody sat down to talk and spend time together, or staying up late to bake cookies for Santa Claus, without a doubt, food is one of the best parts of the holiday. We don’t think this should change at all, so our team of talented chefs and culinary professionals are whipping special holiday dishes worth celebrating all month long.

The Buffet will be serving an over-the-top New Year’s dinner from 5pm until 10pm featuring all-you-can-eat crab legs, grilled New York Strip steaks, seared salmon, baked pasta and your fair share of fabulous pastry shop desserts, created by our in-house pastry team!

If you’re in the mood for a savory and plentiful feast to fuel up for a night of dancing and partying, check out by RuYi, our very own award-winning Asian restaurant, from 4pm to close, before heading out to your New Year’s Eve celebrations. Enjoy a live Maine lobster tossed in your delightful choice of garlic butter or ginger basil butter, with rice & stir fry vegetables

If you’re craving something meatier, celebrate the New Year with a mouthwatering 20 oz. Porterhouse steak dinner with some cold and bubbly Champagne to top it all off at Fire Pit Sports Bar & Grill and once you’re done, swing over to one of our Topgolf® Swing Suite bays for more exciting fun and your favorite selection of beers and cocktails, including December’s Beer of the Month special, the Great Lakes Brewing Christmas Ale, or your selection of Captain Morgan Rum cocktails.

Looking for somewhere to sit down with your loved ones for a New Year’s Eve dinner made of the season’s freshest ingredients? Bella Italiana will be featuring a special menu from 4pm to 11pm, including a special appetizer of crispy, fried artichokes tossed in savory Parmesan cheese. Dip them in the deliciously exotic truffle mayo to get a tasty evening started the right way. For your entrée, order the exquisite and fresh pan-seared halibut, served with the fresh pasta prepared onsite. All that’s missing is you (and some wine doesn’t hurt either)! Make your reservation today and don’t miss these amazing specials.

If you’re in the mood for an elevated dining experience, stop by the newly remodeled Dream Dance Steakhouse this holiday season and experience Prime Rib and Surf ‘n’ Turf specials. Make your reservations for your special occasion from 5PM to 10:30PM and enjoy an abridged menu that includes Prime Rib and Surf ‘n’ Turn specials, as well of plenty of other delectable dishes food prepared by our dedicated Dream Dance Steakhouse team to pair with our wide variety of wines. With a selection of over 200 wine labels at our wine bar, you can rest assured that you will find the perfect bottle to celebrate any occasion or the one that will make the perfect stocking stuffer for all of the people who made it on to your Nice List this year. Is your mouthwatering yet? Reserve your table today!

Only here for some holiday drinks with the gang? Catch up and spend time with friends this holiday season with your favorite cocktails in hand! Don’t forget that we have Milwaukee’s biggest happy hour every day from 4PM – 8PM and we also have drink specials available at both Bar 360, Curve Bar and the rest of the casino floor!

Win Big with Some Holiday Slots

Aside from the floor-wide beverage service including $3 drink specials of your choice of beers, cocktails or wines by the glass, the best part of our casino floor is the rich variety of slots machines and table games that you can play. We frequently swap out our slot machines so you can always experience that exciting Christmas morning feeling of having new toys to play with! If you’re in the mood to play some games, win big, and get into the holiday spirt then we have three recommendations:

• Candy Party, a penny slot machine near Northern Lights Theater brimming with illustrations of peppermint candy canes and suckers that will brighten up your day
• Winter of the Dragons, a penny slot machine in our non-smoking section, which is just as snowy as it will likely be this winter
• New Year Festival, a $1 slot machine near Topgolf® Swing Suite that will hopefully have you ringing in the new year with some cold hard cash.

Get Started on a New You Before the New Year

What’s the holidays without a new “do”? Whether it’s a trim off the tips, or a major makeover to bring in the new year, or just a relaxing massage to release the tension of a busy year, our team members at Ember Spa will keep you looking and your best, bringing out your inner glow from within. Treat yourself to a little tender, loving care this holiday season with a full-body massage, a spa facial or a manicure/pedicure to stay looking like a star no matter where the holidays take you.

Book your next appointment by visiting www.emberspa.com.

If you’re not in the mood to be out and about because of the cold, (“wouldn’t be so bad out if it wasn’t for the wind,” right, Wisconsinites?) our Topgolf® Swing Suite has plenty of fun for you. Host your personal Christmas party for you and your closest friends by reserving your own Topgolf® Swing Suite bay. Order some drinks and yummy appetizers from the Fire Pit Sports Bar & Grill, add some competitive and interactive games, a couple of good laughs and you’ve got yourself a Christmas recipe for fun. No bad weather has to stop you from having a good time this holiday season.

Celebrate New Year’s at the Biggest NYE Party in Milwaukee

Alright we’ve just about rounded all the great activities we have going on here during the holiday but you didn’t think we would leave out MKE NYE, Milwaukee’s biggest and best New Year’s party, did you?

This end of the year (AND DECADE!) bash features live music from 4 different DJs, games, a champagne toast, and the ball drop and is the perfect opportunity to dress up to the 9s and ring in the year in style. Between waving goodbye to the New Year in our pajamas and having a blast, you know our pick will be MKENYEve (so should yours)! Tickets are on sale on Ticketmaster and each ticket gets you free valet parking, party favors, champagne toast at midnight and more!

So, you can either spend the holidays bundled up like a blanket burrito on the couch or you can get up and make the most of the holidays by making exciting memories all December long, unless you don’t like fun (which we know is not true)!