From Enchant to SnowGlobe to FrostFest: What Happened to Ballpark Commons’ Previous Holiday Traditions?
Part 1 of a 3 Part Investigative Series
As FrostFest sells tickets before final city approval could be located, Franklin Common Council President Michelle Eichmann’s extensive record of motions and votes involving ROC Ventures adds another issue to watch when the new festival reaches the city’s licensing process.
By Dr. Richard Busalacchi
Franklin Community News
FRANKLIN, Wis. — Three years ago, Ballpark Commons welcomed a massive Christmas attraction to Franklin Field with predictions of hundreds of thousands of visitors and hopes that it would become a year-over-year holiday tradition.
It was called Enchant Christmas.
A year later, the holiday attraction returned with a different identity:
SnowGlobe Holiday Festival — Powered by Enchant.
SnowGlobe was still included among ROC Ventures’ planned Ballpark Commons events as late as April 2025.
Now another holiday festival is coming to Franklin Field.
This one is called FrostFest — Wisconsin’s Winter Festival.
And once again, families are being invited to begin a tradition.
A current FrostFest Facebook advertisement announces:
“A new Wisconsin winter tradition is coming to Ballpark Commons!”
But the latest reinvention raises questions about what happened to the traditions that came before it — and about what consumers are being promised this time.
Enchant Was Supposed to Become a Tradition
Enchant Christmas made its Wisconsin debut at Franklin Field in November 2023.
The nationally touring attraction featured a massive illuminated Christmas maze, ice skating, Santa Claus, entertainment, food and beverages and a holiday marketplace.
Expectations were enormous.
Early promotional materials projected nearly 300,000 visitors from throughout the Midwest.
By opening night, organizers were projecting approximately 250,000 visitors during the 29-night run and more than $30 million in economic impact for southeastern Wisconsin.
ROC Ventures CEO Michael Zimmerman publicly described a much longer-term ambition.
“Our biggest goal with this event is to make it a legacy goal — a tradition, if you will,” Zimmerman told WISN during Enchant’s November 2023 opening.
Zimmerman said the goal was to hold it “year over year.”
Yet a final publicly reported Franklin attendance figure has been difficult to locate.
That absence is particularly notable because Franklin officials apparently sought information about the event after it concluded.
A March 5, 2024 Franklin Common Council agenda packet stated that information concerning Enchant requested by the Council had not yet been received for its review.
The following month, an April 16 Common Council agenda included:
“ROC PRESENTATION — ENCHANT CHRISTMAS EVENT.”
Council minutes indicate no action was taken following that presentation.
What ROC reported to alderpersons could answer an important question that remains unresolved publicly:
How did Enchant’s actual performance compare with the extraordinary attendance and economic-impact projections made before the event?
A Year Later, Enchant Became SnowGlobe
When the holiday attraction returned in 2024, it had a new name.
Ballpark Commons marketed it as:
“SnowGlobe Holiday Festival (Powered by Enchant)”
Ballpark Commons’ own event page made the connection explicit.
Zimmerman was quoted saying:
“We are excited to bring Enchant back to Milwaukee.”
The page remains online and categorized under “Enchant.”
SnowGlobe therefore was not simply another unrelated Christmas event occupying Franklin Field.
Ballpark Commons itself presented it as the return of Enchant under a new festival identity.
Social House Entertainment also became involved with SnowGlobe.
Contemporary reporting identified Social House personnel discussing festival operations and refunds after SnowGlobe’s opening was delayed.
Social House Entertainment also filed a federal trademark application for SNOWGLOBE in June 2024 covering holiday festivals and related entertainment services.
But SnowGlobe would not become the long-term identity either.
SnowGlobe Was Still Planned in 2025
The disappearance of SnowGlobe is particularly interesting because city records indicate ROC Ventures still contemplated the event after its 2024 season.
An April 17, 2025 Franklin Plan Commission agenda packet contains a ROC Ventures document addressing sound levels for planned Ballpark Commons events.
Among them:
“SNOWGLOBE HOLIDAY.”
That means SnowGlobe remained in ROC Ventures’ plans as late as April 2025.
Publicly available materials reviewed for this story, however, have not established that a comparable SnowGlobe holiday festival ultimately occurred in 2025.
One remnant remains online.
Ballpark Commons’ old SnowGlobe event page continues to link visitors to SnowGlobe’s Milwaukee website.
As of Aug. 20, 2026, that page remains live with the message:
“SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!”
The page does not say when the message was posted, so it cannot establish which year “next year” meant.
But SnowGlobe is not what is returning to Franklin Field in 2026.
Now It’s FrostFest
The latest holiday identity is FrostFest — Wisconsin’s Winter Festival, scheduled to run from Nov. 19 through Dec. 27.
Its social-media advertising announces:
“A new Wisconsin winter tradition is coming to Ballpark Commons!”
The advertisement promotes holiday light displays, ice skating, a giant winter slide, festive food and drinks and other attractions.
FrostFest’s website similarly promotes holiday lights, live entertainment, holiday music, Santa and holiday characters, food and beverages, a marketplace and photo opportunities.
Additional attractions include ice skating, a giant snow slide, rides, games and professional photography.
Many are similar in type to experiences previously offered through Enchant and SnowGlobe.
But FrostFest is being introduced as something new.
That makes the history worth remembering.
In 2023, Enchant was supposed to become the tradition.
In 2024, that tradition became SnowGlobe.
In 2026, families are being invited to start another one.
Facebook Ads Promote “Early Bird Tickets Start at Just $12”
FrostFest’s social-media advertising is already generating questions from prospective customers about what the festival’s heavily promoted $12 ticket price actually buys.
A Facebook advertisement reviewed for this story tells prospective customers:
“Early Bird tickets start at just $12.”
It encourages customers to purchase by Aug. 31 for the “lowest ticket prices of the year,” complimentary parking and the best selection of dates and arrival windows.
What the Facebook advertisement does not say is that $12 is the promotional children’s admission price.
FrostFest’s detailed pricing lists early-purchase tickets at:
Adults, ages 13 and older — $22
Children, ages 3 through 12 — $12
Children age 2 and younger are free.
The festival lists regular adult admission at $24 and peak adult admission at $28.
The $12 Price Continues Into the Ticketing Process
The distinction is not immediately apparent when customers begin selecting tickets.
For the Nov. 19 opening date reviewed for this story, the ticketing system displayed:
5:30 p.m. Entry — $12.00+
6:30 p.m. Entry — $12.00+
7:30 p.m. Entry — $12.00+
After selecting an arrival window, however, the customer is presented with the actual categories:
Adult Ticket — $22
Child Ticket — $12
The $12 ticket therefore exists.
But among the ticket options reviewed for this story, there was no $12 adult admission.
The sequence presented to a customer is:
Facebook ad: “Early Bird tickets start at just $12.”
FrostFest website: “Lowest ticket prices of the year, starting at just $12.”
Arrival window: “$12.00+.”
Ticket category: Adult $22 / Child $12.
Customers Are Asking Where the Discounted Tickets Are
Comments appearing beneath FrostFest’s Facebook advertising show that some prospective customers have already struggled to understand the offer.
One commenter asked:
“Does anyone know how to order and receive the discounted price? No matter which date I choose - it comes up full price?”
Another wrote:
“Misleading ad. $12 is a children's price.”
Other consumers asked where FrostFest is located, whether tickets could be transferred if a selected date no longer worked and whether photographs or video of the attraction were available.
No FrostFest response was visible beneath those questions in the portion of the post reviewed for this story.
That does not establish that FrostFest never responded elsewhere or whether festival personnel were actively monitoring the post.
But the comments do establish something more limited:
Prospective customers are publicly questioning how to obtain the price featured in FrostFest’s advertising.
The consumer-transparency question is straightforward:
Would a prospective customer understand from “Early Bird tickets start at just $12” that $12 is the children’s price while adult admission starts at $22?
The distinction could be made explicit simply by advertising:
“Early Bird adult tickets start at $22; children’s tickets start at $12.”
Franklin Is Repeating the $12 Message
The promotional language is not limited to FrostFest’s own social-media advertising.
Engage Franklin (Part 3 of our 3 part series) also promotes FrostFest with the “starting at just $12” language without identifying the $12 amount in that prominent promotion as the children’s admission price.
That matters because FrostFest’s detailed pricing shows adult early-purchase admission beginning at $22.
It also means the pricing message is being amplified beyond FrostFest’s own advertising.
The Extras Can Increase the Price
The admission ticket does not include every FrostFest attraction.
FrostFest currently lists ice skating at $10, the Giant Snow Slide at $5, games and activities at $5, professional photography at $20, and a Premier Pass at $25 in addition to admission.
The Premier Pass includes skating and skate rental, unlimited use of the snow slide, participating rides and attractions and other benefits, but does not include admission.
An adult purchasing the $22 promotional admission and $25 Premier Pass would therefore spend $47 before food, beverages, photography or other purchases.
A family consisting of two adults and two children purchasing promotional admission and Premier Passes for everyone would spend $168 before those additional purchases.
Parking is normally listed at $20 per vehicle, although FrostFest says parking is complimentary during the early-purchase promotion.
“Frost Fest” Isn’t a New Name in Milwaukee
FrostFest is a new name for Ballpark Commons’ holiday attraction, but “Frost Fest” is not new to the Milwaukee area.
The Milwaukee Public Market held its first Frostfest in February 2026.
The War Memorial Center separately promoted its 4th Annual Frost Fest in 2026.
There is no evidence reviewed for this story suggesting either event is connected to the Ballpark Commons festival.
Ballpark Commons’ event distinguishes itself online through FrostFestWI.com and the tagline “Wisconsin’s Winter Festival.”
There is also an existing federal trademark registration involving the name.
Arkansas-based BensBrew LLC obtained a federal registration for FROST FEST in 2024 and claims use dating to 2015. Its registration concerns beer and certain charitable beer-festival entertainment services.
That does not establish that the Franklin FrostFest infringes the registration. Trademark rights depend on factors well beyond similar names.
It does establish that the term was already federally registered for certain festival-related services before the Franklin event launched.
Meanwhile, FrostFest’s consumer-facing website does not prominently identify the legal company producing the Franklin event.
Its footer states:
“Copyright © 2026 FrostFest | Wisconsin’s Winter Festival.”
A copyright footer does not identify the legal operator or establish trademark ownership.
The identity of that operator may become clearer through Franklin’s municipal approval process.
Tickets Are Being Sold — But Where Is the City Approval?
FrostFest is already advertising and selling tickets for its November opening.
But a review of publicly available Franklin Common Council and License Committee records through Aug. 20, 2026 did not identify final approval specifically for FrostFest.
That does not establish that FrostFest lacks required municipal authorization.
An application may have been submitted without yet appearing in a publicly posted meeting packet, and the event remains months away.
But Franklin’s handling of Enchant and SnowGlobe demonstrates that major holiday attractions at Franklin Field have gone through the city’s licensing process.
And that process introduces another significant figure into the FrostFest story:
Franklin Common Council President and District 2 Alderwoman Michelle Eichmann.
Common Council President Michelle Eichmann’s ROC Ventures Record Could Matter for FrostFest
On April 21, 2026, Eichmann nominated herself for Common Council president. Alderman Yousef Hasan also sought the position. Eichmann prevailed 4-2 in a secret-ballot vote.
Her role is significant because she simultaneously serves on several bodies with responsibilities potentially relevant to Ballpark Commons.
Eichmann is currently a member of the License Committee, Plan Commission, Economic Development Commission and Personnel Committee, among other assignments.
Her License Committee appointment for the current term was confirmed at the same April 21 meeting at which she became Council president.
The License Committee consists of three alderpersons and is charged with reviewing business-license applications and making recommendations to the Common Council. Eichmann currently serves alongside Alderwoman Danelle Kenney and Alderman Clarke Johnson.
That means Eichmann is not simply one of six alderpersons who may eventually vote on a FrostFest matter.
She is Common Council president and a member of the committee involved in the city's licensing review.
Her history with ROC Ventures and Ballpark Commons applications makes that dual role particularly relevant.
Eichmann’s Involvement Dates Back to Enchant
Eichmann’s involvement with the Ballpark Commons holiday attraction reaches back to its original Enchant incarnation.
During the 2023 licensing process, a motion was made to hold over the ROC Ventures-Enchant Christmas matter until a subsequent License Committee meeting.
The motion passed 2-1.
Eichmann was the lone vote against holding the matter over.
The record establishes her vote. It does not, by itself, establish her reason for opposing the delay.
Her involvement with ROC Ventures matters continued after Enchant.
More Than an Occasional Vote
City records reviewed for this story show Eichmann repeatedly participating in decisions involving ROC Ventures and Ballpark Commons.
And in a number of instances, her role went beyond simply casting a vote.
In May 2024, Eichmann seconded a motion involving the licensed business/entity name ROC Ventures LLC, doing business as Ballpark Commons/The Rock Sports Complex.
That same evening, she seconded motions to approve ROC Ventures’ proposed post-Milkmen fireworks and Summer Concert Series.
Both proposals failed 2-4.
On the fireworks proposal, Eichmann was one of only two alderpersons voting for approval.
She was likewise one of only two supporting the Summer Concert Series proposal.
That is relevant because it shows instances in which Eichmann supported ROC Ventures proposals even when a majority of her Council colleagues did not.
It does not establish why.
The Pattern Continued
Eichmann continued participating in ROC Ventures applications in 2025 and 2026.
In April 2025, she seconded the motion approving ROC Ventures’ post-Milkmen fireworks as an Extraordinary Entertainment & Special Event subject to conditions.
When an additional ROC Ventures fireworks date was subsequently brought before the Council because it had been inadvertently omitted from the original application, Eichmann moved to approve it.
The motion passed 5-1.
Her involvement continued into 2026.
In February, Eichmann moved to approve ROC Ventures’ fireworks and drone shows at Franklin Field.
The motion passed unanimously.
She also moved to approve ROC Ventures’ 17-date Umbrella Bar Summer Concert Series, including a 10:35 p.m. hard stop and 65-decibel condition.
And when ROC Ventures’ Country Rising and Tacos & Tequila festivals reached the Council, Eichmann made the initial motion to approve them.
That motion failed for lack of a second.
Eichmann then moved to table the applications.
The record therefore shows something more specific than simply describing Eichmann as generally supportive or opposed to ROC Ventures.
Franklin’s current Common Council president has repeatedly made, seconded and voted on motions affecting ROC Ventures and Ballpark Commons.
Nothing in that record by itself establishes an improper relationship between Eichmann, Zimmerman or ROC Ventures.
But it does make her role particularly relevant when another significant Ballpark Commons attraction reaches Franklin’s approval process.
Why Eichmann's ROC Ventures Record Matters for FrostFest
The important issue is not whether Eichmann should be presumed to support FrostFest.
There is no basis for making that assumption before the application is considered.
The importance lies in the municipal process.
As a License Committee member, Eichmann may participate when licensing matters are reviewed and recommendations are developed. This is common practice.
As an alderwoman, she can participate when those recommendations reach the full Common Council.
And as Common Council president, she now holds a leadership position on the legislative body ultimately considering many of those matters.
Her presidency is not merely ceremonial in every circumstance. City minutes from July 2 show Eichmann calling a special Common Council meeting to order as Council president when Mayor John Nelson was absent.
That combination makes the FrostFest proceedings worth watching closely.
Not because Eichmann’s past votes prove what she will do.
They don't.
But because a city official who has been involved with Ballpark Commons matters since Enchant arrived now occupies an even more prominent position as Franklin considers the development’s newest holiday attraction.
What Will the License Committee Ask?
If FrostFest comes before the License Committee, the public proceedings provide an opportunity to answer questions that remain unclear from the event's consumer-facing materials.
Who legally owns and operates FrostFest?
Which company is selling the tickets?
Who assumes financial responsibility for the event?
What is the maximum ticket capacity?
How many visitors are projected?
What are the operating hours?
What amplified entertainment is planned?
What sound limits will apply?
There is also a consumer question that now deserves attention:
Will committee members ask about FrostFest advertising tickets “starting at just $12” when the $12 promotional ticket reviewed for this story is the children's admission price and adult admission starts at $22?
Those questions should not depend on whether an alderperson historically supported or opposed ROC Ventures.
They are basic questions that officials can ask of any company seeking approval for a major multi-week entertainment event.
SnowGlobe Shows What the Approval Process Can Reveal
The 2024 SnowGlobe process demonstrates why FrostFest's eventual application matters.
SnowGlobe appeared before Franklin as an Extraordinary Entertainment & Special Event.
City records publicly identified the person in charge, Franklin Field as the location and 25 planned operating days.
The Common Council ultimately approved the event subject to conditions that included a 65 dBA sound limit.
Because SnowGlobe operated for weeks, Franklin also required a periodic review addressing possible noise violations, complications and documented sound exceedances.
Franklin's current Extraordinary Entertainment & Special Event process remains active. The License Committee is specifically charged with reviewing license applications and making recommendations to the Council.
No comparable publicly available FrostFest application or final approval was located in the records reviewed for this story through Aug. 20.
The Application Could Answer What the Advertising Doesn't
When the FrostFest application becomes public, it may answer questions that the event's website currently does not.
Who is the legal operator?
Who owns or controls the FrostFest brand?
Who is financially responsible?
How many tickets can be sold?
What attendance does the operator project?
What hours will it operate?
What amplified entertainment is planned?
What neighborhood protections will be required?
And what conditions will Franklin impose?
None of the repeated branding changes establishes wrongdoing.
Neither does Eichmann's record of voting for or advancing ROC Ventures matters establish an improper relationship.
But both are relevant parts of the public history.
2023 — Enchant Christmas: introduced with enormous attendance projections and a stated goal of becoming a year-over-year tradition. Eichmann opposed a License Committee motion to delay consideration of the ROC Ventures-Enchant matter.
2024 — SnowGlobe Holiday Festival, Powered by Enchant: Ballpark Commons presented the attraction as Enchant's return under a new identity.
2025 — SnowGlobe remained in ROC Ventures' plans: city records continued to identify “SNOWGLOBE HOLIDAY.”
2026 — FrostFest: another name, another marketing campaign and another invitation to begin a winter tradition. Meanwhile, Eichmann is now president of the Common Council while continuing to serve on the License Committee. Her election as Council president and committee appointment were confirmed in April.
This time, consumers are already buying tickets.
Some are publicly asking where they can find the advertised $12 price.
And as of Aug. 20, final FrostFest approval could not be identified in the publicly available License Committee and Common Council records reviewed for this story.
That gives Franklin officials — including Common Council President Michelle Eichmann and the other members of the License Committee — an opportunity to establish the answers before opening night.
Three years ago, Enchant was supposed to become the tradition.
Today, FrostFest is asking families to start another one.
Before Franklin embraces its newest winter tradition, its licensing process should make clear who is behind it, what consumers are actually buying, what conditions will govern it — and what happened to the traditions that came before.
The upcoming series will provide:
We also examine Common Council President Michelle Eichmann’s documented role in ROC Ventures matters.
PART 2 — THE $78,500 SOUND STUDY
Franklin taxpayers paid for answers about Ballpark Commons sound. Why hasn't the complete study been released?
PART 3 — FOLLOW THE HOTEL-TAX MONEY
We examine Engage Franklin, ROC Ventures/ROC Enterprises, Michael Zimmerman, Common Council relationships and approximately $1.5 million connected to Franklin Field naming rights. What does Engage Franklin provide taxpayers and the tourism industry in return for its share of Franklin's hotel-tax revenue?
This piece reflects the author’s personal opinion and experiences. All statements are presented as commentary protected under the First Amendment. Readers are encouraged to review public records, filings, and documented evidence referenced throughout this article.
Dr. Richard Busalacchi is the Publisher of Franklin Community News, where he focuses on government transparency, community accountability, and local public policy. He believes a community’s strength depends on open dialogue, honest leadership, and the courage to speak the truth—even when it makes powerful people uncomfortable.
🕯️ The solution isn’t another insider in a new office. It’s sunlight, scrutiny, and the courage to vote differently.
Because until voters demand honest, transparent government, the corruption won’t stop — it will only change titles.
Elections have consequences — and Franklin’s next one may decide whether transparency makes a comeback.
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Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
💬 If you value hard-hitting, fact-based investigative reporting about our hometown of Franklin — follow Franklin Community News on Facebook.
Together, we can keep local government honest, transparent, and accountable
— for the greater good.
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