Where and when you can watch Christmas movies in Milwaukee theaters, from 'It's a Wonderful Life' to 'The Polar Express'

Another sign of things returning to normal-ish: Milwaukee movie theaters going all-in with classic Christmas movies.

Not as many as before the COVID-19 pandemic, of course. Two regular holiday movie participants, Neighborhood Theater Group's Rosebud and Times cinemas, have yet to reopen since the world shut down in March 2020. But their sister theater, the Avalon in Bay View, continues the tradition.

Here's where and when you can see Christmas movies, recent and classic, on the big screen in December in Milwaukee.

Christmas movies at the Rivoli Theater

The Rivoli Theater's 2021 Holiday Film Festival is pretty much like 2020's festival at the Cedarburg theater, albeit without the seating restrictions in place last winter. The community movie theater, W62-N567 Washington Ave., goes all-Christmas starting Dec. 3. Admission is $4. Info: rivoliofcedarburg.com.

Dec. 3: 7 p.m., "A Christmas Story"

Dec. 4: 3:30 p.m., "Elf"; 7 p.m., "It's a Wonderful Life"

Dec. 5: 3:30 p.m., "The Polar Express"; 7 p.m., "Susan Slept Here"

Dec. 6: 7 p.m., "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"

Dec. 7: 7 p.m., "Holiday Inn"

Dec. 8: 7 p.m., "The Bells of St. Mary's"

Dec. 9: 7 p.m., "You've Got Mail"

Dec. 10: 7 p.m., "White Christmas"

Dec. 11: 3:30 p.m., "The Polar Express"; 7 p.m., "Elf"

Dec. 12: 3:30 p.m., "The Star"; 7 p.m., "The Bishop's Wife"

Dec. 13: 7 p.m., "It's a Wonderful Life"

Dec. 14: 7 p.m., "It Happened on 5th Avenue"

Dec. 15: 7 p.m., "New in Town"

Dec. 16: 7 p.m., "The Holiday"

Dec. 17: 7 p.m., "Elf"

Dec. 18: 1 p.m., "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer"; 3:30 p.m., "The Bells of St. Mary's"; 7 p.m., "White Christmas"

Dec. 19: 1 p.m., "The Star"; 3:30 p.m., "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" (2018); 7 p.m., "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"

Dec. 20: 7 p.m., "White Christmas"

Dec. 21: 7 p.m., "A Christmas Story"

Dec. 22: 3:30 p.m., "Holiday Inn"; 7 p.m., "It's a Wonderful Life"

Dec. 23: 1 p.m., "The Polar Express"; 3:30 p.m., "Elf"; 7 p.m., "White Christmas"

Marcus Theatres' Christmas retro series

In December, Marcus Theatres is bringing an eight-pack of holiday chestnuts to select theaters, including the Hillside, Majestic, Menomonee Falls, North Shore, Ridge, Saukville, Showtime and South Shore cinemas, with multiple showtimes daily. Tickets are $5. Info: marcustheatres.com.

Dec. 3-9: “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” (2018), “Elf,” “White Christmas, “A Christmas Story”

Dec. 10-16: “The Polar Express,” “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

Avalon Theater

The historic, two-screen theater at 2473 S. Kinninckinnic Ave. dubs its eclectic holiday programming "12 Days of Christmas at the Avalon." Among the offerings is a "Pizza With Santa" event Dec. 4, in which moviegoers can dine in with St. Nick and watch one of two animated, family-friendly holiday movies: "Elliot the Littlest Reindeer" or "The Star." Tickets are $20, including a personal pizza, beverage and a visit with Santa. For the rest of the movies, tickets for evening screenings are $11, $9 for seniors 60 and older and kids 11 and younger; matinees (anything before 6 p.m.) are $9, $8.50 for seniors and kids. Info: avalonmke.com.

Dec. 3: 9 p.m., "The Polar Express"; 9:30 p.m., "Gremlins"

Dec. 4: "Pizza With Santa," with "The Star" at noon or "Elliot the Littlest Reindeer" at 12:45 p.m. (doors open at 11:30 a.m.)

Dec. 5: noon, "The Polar Express"; 12:30 p.m., "Gremlins"

Dec. 10: 9:30 p.m., "Tokyo Godfathers"

Dec. 11 and 12: noon, "Elf"

Dec. 17: 9:30 p.m., "Scrooged"

Dec. 18 and 19: noon, "White Christmas"

Dec. 23 and 24: 3:30 p.m., "It's a Wonderful Life"

Dec. 25: noon, "It's a Wonderful Life"

Contact Chris Foran at chris.foran@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @cforan12.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Where and when you can watch Christmas movies in Milwaukee theaters