The candles ran the length of Three Bridges Park, from the
Domes to the Urban Ecology Center and for several hours a constant stream of
people braved frigid temperatures to enjoy the outdoors. I’m not sure which was
the more remarkable: the sheer numbers—it was clearly in the thousands—or the
fact that so many who came had never been to Three Bridges Park before. There
were people who traveled to Milwaukee from all over Wisconsin to participate in
this family-friendly event.
Billed as the first-ever Urban Candlelight Hike in Three
Bridges Park, the route and the crowds actually spilled over the Menomonee
River into Stormwater Park and past Palermo’s Pizza—which was open and doing
plenty of business.
In addition to pizza, participants could get free hot
chocolate and churros at the Menomonee Valley branch of the Urban Ecology
Center and toast marshmallows and make s’mores thanks to volunteers with the
Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail. One of the organizers reported that over
1,000 people were served s’mores before they ran out of their 1,300
marshmallows, 16 boxes of graham crackers and 16 boxes of chocolate bars.
After unseasonable temperatures that reached into the 70s
earlier in the week, the multitudes clearly were undeterred by the resurgence
of winter. Icy blasts drove wind chills well below freezing. However, the vast
majority of the people I saw were suitably bundled and enjoying the outing. The
diverse crowd of all ages included many children, some young enough to be
pushed in baby strollers.
An ice sculptor named Christopher Andrews was on hand in Stormwater Park at the site
of the former chimneys that once marked the Milwaukee Road rail yards. To
commemorate the history of the site he spent the afternoon sculpting a train
engine from a 200-lb. block of ice. Many who passed by on their way to the
bonfires admired the resulting sculpture. One onlooker was overheard saying, “As a kid my dad would drive us by here
and point to the field to say that this is where he used to work. The train in
the ice looks like it could drive right off the stand to continue work.”
Official event sponsors were Menomonee Valley Partners,Inc., the Urban Ecology Center and Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail.
NEWaukee also sponsored an after party at Third Space Brewing, one of the
Menomonee Valley’s newest businesses. I didn’t catch the after party, but if it
was anything like the main event, the place had to be hopping!
I don’t believe I’ve seen so many people in Three Bridges
Park all at once even in the summer.
Full disclosure: I am
on the board of directors of Friends of the Hank Aaron State Trail, former artist
in residence for Menomonee Valley Partners, and a great fan of the Urban
Ecology Center.
