5 Christmas Events in Las Vegas That You Can’t Miss

Las Vegas has plenty of fun events and attractions, and it’s even better during the holiday season. There are lots of exciting activities for kids and adults. Here are some of the 2021 Christmas events that you and your friends or family members definitely shouldn’t miss.

The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden

Image via Flickr by Ken Lund

Starting on November 20, the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino creates a vast Christmas display in the South Garden. You and your family members can see a giant snow globe, life-sized polar bear figures playing among thousands of carnations, and a 10-foot train made from over 1,200 red and white roses.

The Christmas tree is more than 40 feet tall, and it has more than 2,500 ornaments and over 7,000 LED lights. You’ll also see bells, lights, cute penguin figures with Santa hats, and a fantastic poinsettia display that includes several varieties and more than 28,000 flowers.

A 120-person horticulture staff maintains the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the rest of the Bellagio’s grounds. They work with designers, engineers, and electricians, and they use tens of thousands of trees, flowers, and plants to create a spectacular Christmas display. The Conservatory has a beautiful, domed glass ceiling supported by metal beams. The space covers 14,000 square feet. Admission is free, and it’s open 24 hours per day. The holiday display ends on January 1, and all the flowers will be recycled and used as mulch.

While you’re there, you can celebrate the holidays at MICHAEL MINA Bellagio, an outstanding gourmet seafood restaurant. You can also shop for Christmas decorations, fountains, gardening supplies, and other items at the Giardini Garden Store.

The Fountains of Bellagio

While you’re there, you can celebrate the holidays at MICHAEL MINA Bellagio, an outstanding gourmet seafood restaurant. You can also shop for Christmas decorations, fountains, gardening supplies, and other items at the Giardini Garden Store. Then, right outside, you can check out the Fountains of Bellagio. This attraction is around all year, but you can watch the show during the holidays while listening to holiday favorites like “Carol of the Bells” and “Santa Baby” while watching a unique water and light display.

The Ice Rink at the Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan Hotel’s Boulevard Pool turns into an enchanting rooftop ice skating rink every holiday season. In the evenings, a snow machine adds to the festive atmosphere. The rink is on the fourth floor of the Boulevard Tower, and it covers 4,200 square feet. Skate rentals are available, and on many days you can listen to holiday music or watch a Christmas movie on a massive, 65-foot digital screen while skating. On December 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., you can see Benny the Ice Skating Dog’s unique show. For every skate rental, $2 goes to the Nevada SPCA.

You can take a break from skating and enjoy the beautiful view while roasting s’mores over a cozy fire pit and sipping hot chocolate. Other available snacks include buffalo chicken or BLT sliders, beignets with Nutella dipping sauce, and beef short rib melts with kettle chips.

Adults can enjoy a holiday cocktail. The Scrooged has rum, Bailey’s liqueur, pumpkin puree, praline, coffee, and milk. Choose the Rebel Without a Claus for Crown Royal Apple, rye, ginger liqueur, Coco-Chai syrup, lemon, and apple cider. The Campfire Delight contains toasted marshmallows, chocolate, and rum. The ice skating rink is open from 4 to 11 p.m. on weekdays and from noon to 11 p.m. on weekends. It opens on November 16, and it closes at midnight on Christmas Day.

Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway

You can see the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s Glittering Lights exhibit from the comfort of your car. This breathtaking display is open from November 12, 2021, to January 9, 2022. The course is 2.5 miles long, and it has more than four million lights. Driving through this spectacular show takes about 40 minutes. There’s a drive-thru concession stand with cocoa, water, popcorn, and more. Local Boy Scout troops run it to learn customer service skills and raise money for other activities.

Depending on the date, the lights come on at 4:45  p.m. on some days and at 5 p.m. on others. Then, they go dark again at 9 or 10 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from each ticket helps support more than 50 local nonprofit organizations that help kids, including Goodwill of Southern Nevada. CNN Travel called Glittering Lights one of the “Best Places to See Christmas Lights in the US,” and USA Today included it in their “10 Best Annual Events in Las Vegas.”

“This Is Christmas”

The Venetian Resort hosts its “This Is Christmas” holiday show at the Palazzo Theater. It has performances from “American Idol” and Broadway and star Diana DeGarmo and British entertainer and singer Ben Stone. Other American Idol stars include Lou Gazzara, Jasmine Trias, Laura Suzanne Wright, and Ace Young, and you can also see the award-winning dance duo Sarah Le Clear and Alejandro Domingo. The director, Eric Jordan Young, is a Broadway star.

A live band backs every performer, and you can enjoy a variety of traditional Christmas favorites. Scrooge, Santa, and many other holiday characters appear as well. You can see performances on:

  • November 26 to 28 at 7 p.m.
  • December 2 to 5 at 7 p.m.
  • December 9 to 12 at 7 p.m.
  • December 16 to 18 at 7 p.m.
  • December 19 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
  • December 22 to 24 at 7 p.m.
  • December 25 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
  • December 26 at 3 p.m.

The doors open an hour before showtime, and kids three years old and up are welcome. The show lasts for about an hour and 25 minutes.

These fun events are ideal for celebrating the holiday season and spending some time with your friends or family. Which events do you plan to attend? Did we miss any of your favorites? Contact us and let us know about the Christmas attractions you look forward to most.