A Milwaukee Tradition: NYE with the Globetrotters

The Harlem Globetrotters have been in Milwaukee on New Year's Eve for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, my family would spend NYE watching the Globetrotters almost every year. I have such fond memories of watching the games with my parents, and I could not wait to be able to take Callum. This year, we decided it was time for Callum's first NYE with the Globetrotters.

Before the game, we went to the Old German Beer Hall for food and a few drinks. We decided to go there because they were doing a count down at 5:00 PM, which was midnight in Germany. We didn't want to keep Callum that late, so we thought this was a fun way for him to experience a NYE countdown without actually staying up until the ball dropped. (Plus, Matt and I were doubtful that we'd be up until midnight, since we're basically 85 years old.) Old German Beer Hall also ended up having live music and plenty of room to sit. It was just the place to sit and enjoy a beer, while Callum was totally entertained. It was perfect.

Old German Beer was just a block away from the Bradley Center, so we were able to walk right over when it was game time. From the moment we walked in to the arena, Callum was just in awe of everything. It was pretty amazing to watch him take it all in.

The moment we sat down, Callum was totally entranced. He clapped, he danced, he pointed, he laughed. He totally loved it. Matt and I really enjoyed the game, too. The players are not only ridiculously skilled basketball players, they are also such good entertainers. In exciting news, the Globetrotters have a female player on the team for the first time in their 90-year history. That was pretty cool to see. There was also a player who was 7'4" tall! It was seriously unbelievable. He could stand with his feet on the ground while still holding on to the basketball hoop.

Callum made it until about half time before he couldn't sit still anymore. But, hey, I'll totally take an hour and a half of Callum being able to sit still. That's super impressive for him. Not to mention, he didn't nap during the day and was definitely tired. So, Matt and I took turns walking around with him to keep him busy.

After a bit of running around, we were all able to sit down for the last few minutes of the game and watch the Globetrotters win. Not like we were surprised. Do they ever not win? ;) When the game was over, all of the players hung out on the court to sign autographs for a while, which I thought was really awesome. If our kid wasn't on the verge of a major meltdown, we would've stayed around for a few autographs. But, since it was pushing 9:30, we decided it would be best to hit the road. It took all of 30 seconds for Callum to be in the car before he was out like a light. 

All in all, it was the perfect New Year's Eve. We all had such a great time. The best part was definitely watching Callum enjoy himself so much. Kids really do make everything more magical. Harlem Globetrotters, we'll see you next year!