New York is renowned for its extravagant Christmas displays and festive events; however, one US city that rivals NYC during the holidays is Las Vegas.
While the strip will be hectic, Las Vegas offers tons of festive joy and New Year’s Eve parties. In addition, the city’s casinos and attractions put on fabulous holiday displays and experiences, making Christmas in Las Vegas a thrilling and memorable time.
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If you’re spending two days in Vegas or longer, you’ll be able to make the most of your time there. Now, let’s start planning your holidays in Las Vegas.
Walk Through winter Parq At Linq Promenade
Winter PARQ at LINQ Promenade brings immense festive cheer to the strip every year when they put up their 35 foot Christmas tree and turn on their 2,000 synchronized lights.
Then, various live entertainment and performances go on here throughout the holiday season. What’s more, there’s a scheduled snowfall each night, turning the strip white.
All events are free to attend, making a walk through the promenade an excellent way to start your Christmas in Las Vegas.
Staying in Las Vegas?
Make sure to book a stay in one of the best hotels in Las Vegas.
Best budget hotel: SAHARA Las Vegas
Best mid-range hotel: Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations – Center Strip
Best luxury hotel: The Palazzo at The Venetian
Go Ice Skating At The Cosmopolitan
Every December, the Cosmopolitan turns its pool into an outdoor ice skating rink, with 4,200 square feet of skateable ice and priceless views of the strip.
You can enjoy this unique holiday activity from November 16 to January 2. Plus, to warm yourself up after, you can roast s’mores by the giant fire pit or sip on festive cocktails at The Chalet.
We recommend visiting after dark as awesome light snow showers happen every 30 minutes from 7pm onwards between December 17 and January 2.
Admire The Holiday Display At Bellagio’s Conservatory
The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden is renowned for its seasonal display shows throughout the year. However, the holiday season display is the most extravagant one by far and well worth a visit.
Here in December, you’ll find a winter wonderland containing a snow-covered mountain range, a Swiss chalet, a Santa sleigh, and a 42-foot-tall fir tree adorned with lights and ornaments.
While here, be sure to check out the Bellagio Fountains holiday music shows, too. The fountain light shows get festive at this time of year, with performances set to classic holiday tunes.
Depending on the time, the music shows run every 15 to 30 minutes. Plus, with free admission to both the fountains and conservatory, it’s easily one of the best Christmas events in Las Vegas.
Visit Enchant Christmas At The Las Vegas Ballpark
Las Vegas Ballpark puts on one of the newest and biggest Christmas events in Las Vegas, Enchant Christmas. From November 26 to January 2, you’ll find an ice skating trail, a Christmas-themed light maze, and plenty of tasty food vendors.
Plus, there’s a cozy Christmas village with artisan vendors where you can snap up some unique Christmas gifts.
The whole place looks like Lapland and is undoubtedly one of the most Instagrammable Christmas activities in Las Vegas.
Sip On Cocktails At A Holiday-Themed Bar
In recent years, more and more holiday-themed pop-up bars in Las Vegas and throughout the USA have emerged, with over-the-top Christmas decor and a joyful festive feeling.
However, the bar that started this trend in Las Vegas is Miracle on Spring Mountain in Chinatown.
Miracle decorated the space with tonnes of traditional Christmas ornaments to create a sense of nostalgia.
What’s more, this Christmas-loving bar has themed cocktails using festive ingredients such as spiced cranberry sauce, nutmeg, and gingerbread to create some intriguing concoctions to tantalize your taste buds.
Experience Nevada’s Largest Holiday Drive-Through Light Show
Christmas in Las Vegas is not complete without seeing the Glittering Lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This enormous drive-through light show features 2.5 miles of twinkling lights and an impressive live nativity that will amaze kids and adults alike.
As you can imagine, the speedway can get pretty busy on the busiest nights of the season. However, you can skip the queues with a fast pass ticket, or better still, opt for the open-air Santa tram!
Stroll Through Winter Wonderland At Mystic Falls Park
Sam’s Town hotel is home to a wooded waterfall area known as Mystic Falls Park. The park becomes a winter wonderland at Christmas, with the main attraction being a festive laser light and music show.
The extravagant show features over 26,000 lights, animated teddy bears, and popular holiday songs.
The winter wonderland event runs from November 24 to January 1. You’ll catch a performance of the show every two hours from 2 pm to 10 pm.
Marvel At Aria’s Winter Wonderland Made Entirely Of Edible Treats
For a holiday display that stands apart from all the others, head to ARIA. The resort’s lobby display is a sugar palace, made entirely of sugar, chocolate, and sweets and thus, heaven for candy lovers.
The display was handcrafted by a team of pastry chefs using 150 pounds of fondant, 600 pounds of sugar, and 550 pounds of chocolate and took over 200 hours to create!
Amongst the display, you’ll find a 6-foot gingerbread man, a sugar snow globe filled with holiday confectionery, and Christmas trees made from 1000 French Macarons.
It will undoubtedly leave your mouth watering, so be sure to grab some Christmas candy from ARIA Patisserie before leaving.
Watch The Ultimate Christmas Musical At The Palazzo Theatre
For a true Christmas in Las Vegas experience, don’t miss the “This Is Christmas” variety show at The Palazzo Theatre in The Venetian.
This is Christmas” is a combination of Broadway musicals, Christmas carols with live bands, and modern holiday classics sung by stars of American Idol. This unique musical is oozing with feel-good vibes and guaranteed to fill even Scrooge with festive cheer!
Go On A Holiday Bar Crawl
Vegas bar crawls are always messy and memorable (or not), and in December, they get a touch of festivity. “Dashing Through the Bars” is a ticketed holiday-themed bar crawl where you “dash” through five of Vegas’s top bars, from Circa Resort & Casino, the D Las Vegas, and Golden Gate Hotel & Casino.
You’ll receive a holiday-themed cocktail specially crafted just for you in each venue, and the group trip has a truly festive and fun vibe. The five bars you’ll visit include Legacy Club, Vegas Vickie’s, MegaBar, One Bar, and BarCanada.
If it’s your first time in Vegas or you’re just looking for an excuse to party this December, you’ll absolutely love “Dashing Through the Bars.”
Check Out Tom Devlin’s Frightmare Before Christmas
If you prefer Halloween over Christmas, fear not because Nevada has you covered. At Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum in Boulder City, a short 30-minute drive from Vegas, you’ll discover a spooky kind of festive event.
The museum specializes in life-size figures with horror-style makeup effects. During December, the museum transforms into a self-guided walk-through experience of recreated scenes from the spooky Christmas movie, Nightmare Before Christmas.
It’s undoubtedly one of the more unique things to see in Las Vegas in December and ideal for those who want to escape the crowds of traditional Christmas offerings.
Party On The Strip On New Year’s Eve
If you’re not in a rush to leave town after Christmas, we strongly recommend staying in Las Vegas for New Year’s.
The strip comes alive from sundown on December 31, turning into an immense street party with choreographed fireworks displays from eight casino rooftops, including Caesars Palace, The Venetian, and The STRAT.
The roads are shut on the 31st, and up to 300,000 spectators attend each year. After the fireworks, hit the clubs in your best attire to close the year and toast to the new beginning. Just be sure to get to the strip early!
Celebrate In Style At A Rooftop Bar
If you want to avoid the NYE crowds, a less stressful and more exclusive way to spend your New Year’s Eve is in the sky at one of the city’s top rooftop bars.
This way, you’ll be far from the crowded streets and have incredible panoramic views of the fireworks.
SkyPod Observation Deck on the 108th floor of The STRAT is one of the most happening NYE spots with DJs and live music from 9pm to 4am. Alternatively, enjoy the view from Legacy Club at Circa Las Vegas.
Tickets aren’t cheap, but it includes a Champagne toast and open bar with specialty cocktails, top-label whiskey, and fine wine.
Final Thoughts On Spending Las Vegas In December
With an abundance of holiday displays and festive events, there are plenty of things to do in Las Vegas in December.
Moreover, as the Entertainment Capital of the World, spending the holiday season in Vegas is guaranteed to be a fabulous experience whether you’re visiting with family, friends, or your partner.
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