By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Aug 31, 2023 at 3:16 PM

The Hoan Bridge is about to be even more lit (do people still stay "lit"?) than usual, as Light The Hoan announced a brand new weekly light show, "Friday Night Lights."

Presented by UW Credit Union, the 10-minute colored light shows will take place every Friday night at 8 p.m. through the end of the year, glowing the west side of the lakefront landmark with themed light animations. This Friday's first show, for instance, will feature a red-and-white light theme in honor of its lead sponsor, UW Credit Union. (And also perhaps coincidentally the kickoff of the Wisconsin Badgers football season the next day.) Other scheduled "Friday Night Lights" themes include a Hispanic Heritage Month tribute on Sept. 15. 

“Since the fall of 2020, when we first lit up the west side of the bridge, we’ve been humbled by the outpouring of support,” said Ian Abston, co-founder and a board director of Light the Hoan, in a release. “Today, the bridge illuminates what matters most to Milwaukee – holidays, special occasions, community events and local milestones. The support from UW Credit Union helps to create new connection points with residents and visitors.”

“As we grow in the Milwaukee area, it's exciting to have such a vibrant, visual representation of that local link,” said UW Credit Union Chief Marketing Office Anne Norman, in the release. “This light show is much more than an advertisement for Milwaukee. It’s a symbol of unity, a source of local pride and civic awareness. We’re thrilled to support Light the Hoan and bring the community together.”

"Friday Night Lights" comes shortly after the landmark's Hoanchella celebration, hosted two weeks ago on Aug. 17, as well as the start of Light The Hoan's fundraising campaign to similarly light the east side of the bridge. The organization aims to raise $2 million by next March. For more information on Light The Hoan's latest campaign, click here

For the full schedule of "Friday Night Lights" shows, visit Light The Hoan's website

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.