On the Milwaukee Food and City Tours’ Christmas Around Milwaukee Bakery Bus Tour, guests are encouraged to join in on the holiday fun by wearing Santa hats, reindeer headbands and ugly Christmas sweaters. Riders pose for photos ops and the driver does the heavy lifting, navigating the city streets to showcase the sights, smells, and sweet and savory flavors at seven or eight different bakeries.
Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Food and City Tours
The tour isn’t just about the food. There’s also a guide who explains Christmas celebrations and traditions from the countries represented at the bakery stops, which include Italy, Poland, Germany and Mexico. But, while you’re learning, enjoy an Italian, fig-filled buccellati cookie, a Mexican soft molasses gingerbread pig, aka a marranito, and other samples of goodies from around the world.
The three-hour experience is offered up to five times daily on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in December and does require a bit of walking ($55 for adults; milwaukeefoodtours.com). Take cash and a bag (or two) for purchases of your favorite treats on this sweet swing around the city. And, if you’re lucky, the guide might even toss in a bonus treat—in our case, red velvet cupcake push pops that elicited gasps from the crowd.