Krampusnacht Is Back in Milwaukee This Weekend

Originally published on Milwaukee Magazine 11/29/22

Many of Milwaukee’s favorite holiday traditions are borrowed from our city’s German heritage. From our cannibal sandwiches, to filling our stockings on Dec. 6-- even the use of advent calendars can be credited to old Deutschland tradition. For the past few years, a new German tradition has joined the ranks in our city, thanks to one man with a vision for a different kind of holiday celebration. 

Krampusnacht, the annual celebration of Krampus, the half-goat, half-demon counterpart to St. Nick, is returning to the streets of Milwaukee on Sunday, Dec. 4, now in a new location at the Pabst Brewery’s Best Place. Krampusnacht celebrates the character, as well as local art, music, food, drinks and performances. Despite the scary facade, Krampusnacht is an all-ages event.

“The holidays are very commercialized and stressful,” explains Tea Krulos, event organizer. “One of things people love about this event is there isn’t that pressure of normal holiday celebrations. You don’t have to worry about gift going or awkward social situations. All you have to do is show up and have fun.” 

By: Troy Freund Photography

The event runs from 3-9 p.m. throughout several spots around the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery. There will be an outdoor stage with performances by Dead Man’s Carnival, The Squeezettes and Xposed 4heads, as well as a local belly dance company, Tamarind.

Festival-goers can pop back and forth between locations to participate in karaoke, tarot readings, a white elephant exchange, Yuletide Scarings and several other events. Krampusnacht also has an extensive vendor’s floor, with local and regional makers selling unique jewelry, candles, toys and other wares just in time to get a jump on holiday shopping. 

There will be breakout events, including Kids Krampus Hour, where kids can make their own Krampus masks. There is also a Krampus Card making workshop as well as a presentation about winter legends in folklore by paranormal researcher Chad Lewis. 

The main pull is the Krampus Parade, which starts at 7 p.m. The parade features over 100 characters, collaborators and participants. Juneau Avenue will be blocked off, and the parade route will extend between 9th and 11th streets. Krampus himself will be the star of the parade, riling up the crowd on his way to find the naughty children of the city.

According to National Geographic, “While St. Nick is on hand to put candy in the shoes of good kids and birch twigs in the shoes of the bad, Krampus' particular specialty is punishing naughty children. Legend has it that throughout the Christmas season, misbehaved kids are beaten with birch branches or can disappear, stuffed into Krampus' sack and hauled off to his lair.”

Though it may seem like an odd character to celebrate, Krulos was confident that he could pull something amazing together– “there are enough weird people in Milwaukee that would check it out,” he explains.

By Troy Freund Photography

The reception has been bigger than Krulous could have ever imagined. 

In 2017, Krulos was kicking around the idea of a Krampus celebration with a few friends. They noticed the growing celebrations in cities like New Orleans and Los Angeles. He quickly started a Facebook group to see if there was enough interest to attempt a celebration. 

“We were looking to have at least 200 people interested in the event,” explains Krulos. “Once the event was live, we sold 500 tickets in a few days. It was kind of surprising.”

Milwaukee Krampusnacht has been held at two separate locations over the years, but has grown to the point where the event needed to be hosted at a larger space. 

“I wanted an indoor/outdoor event for a while,” says Krulos. “The Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery allows us to take advantage of several spaces for different events.” This year, Krulos expects 2,000 or more participants to join in the untraditional festivities. The new location is advantageous-- the space can accommodate hundreds and hundreds more as the event keeps growing.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, “during the 12th century, the Catholic Church attempted to banish Krampus celebrations because of his resemblance to the devil. More eradication attempts followed in 1934 at the hands of Austria's conservative Christian Social Party. But none of it held, and Krampus emerged as a much-feared and beloved holiday force.” 

“Krampusnaucht has already become a holiday tradition for local families,” says Krulos. “Not everyone loves the Holly Jolly spirits-- the commercials, the expenses, the Christmas music-- Krampusnaucht is the antithesis of that.” 

The 5th Annual Milwaukee Krampusnacht 2022 is happening Sunday, December 4, 3-9pm at the Best Place and neighboring businesses of the Historic Brewery District. You can purchase tickets online at https://milwaukeekrampusnacht.com/tickets/