Battleship Wisconsin will feature ‘epic’ Taylor Swift playlist during Winterfest’s final night
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NORFOLK — 2023 has undoubtedly been a Taylor Swift kind of year, and on New Year’s Day, it’s going to be a Taylor Swift kind of day on Norfolk’s Battleship Wisconsin.
That’s when organizers of “Winterfest on the Wisconsin” will be ditching the Christmas tunes and blasting an “epic playlist” of the global megastar’s many hit songs.
“This will be the first time we’ve done anything like this” at Winterfest, said Rehn West, director of development and marketing for Nauticus, the downtown Norfolk maritime science center and museum that’s been hosting the annual holiday event since 2020.
But it’s not the first time Nauticus has offered a Taylor Swift-themed gathering. In July, it hosted a “Swiftie Summer Night” featuring a Taylor Swift cover band that quickly sold out, West said.
“We saw there’s a big demand for all things Taylor Swift here, just like there is everywhere else,” West said. “So we decided to do it again. We just thought it would be fun.”
“SwiftFest on the Wisconsin” will have all the usual Winterfest offerings, including over one million holiday lights, family-friendly live entertainment, a waterfront s’mores station, a cafe with seasonal treats and a Mistletoe Marina Bar with specialty cocktails.
The cocktails for SwiftFest were created with Swift song titles and lyrics in mind, including a “McGraw Mule,” made with Tito’s handmade vodka, cran-pomegranate juice, ginger beer, and lime juice; a white sangria called “My Time, My Wine;” and a hot chocolate spiked with Rumchata named “Back to December.”
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Tickets are the same as for Winterfest: $18.50 for adults, $14.50 for children; Nauticus members, $13.50 for adults, $9.50 for children. Groups of 15 or more get a $1 discount on the regular ticket price.
The event runs 5 to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Day. There were still tickets remaining as of Thursday, with the first time slot close to being filled, West said.
But visitors won’t have to buy tickets and board the ship to be able to hear the music. It’ll be loud enough for visitors strolling nearby to enjoy, West said.
Attendance at this year’s Winterfest has already broken its previous record, with over 65,000 tickets sold, she said. All proceeds go to the restoration of the historic battleship, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary in April.
Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
