🦃 Nov. 15-Dec. 18: Falling into turkey time, Santa sightings, and seasonal striptease
WHETHER YOU PREFER trotting with the turkeys, jogging with jolly Saint Nick, or just strolling through festive lights, the chilly season in Las Vegas is packed with activities. Prefer indoor attractions? We've got plenty of theater, music, art, and attractions to keep you busy (and warm).
Trot like a turkey
November 28: Tuck in those tailfeathers and don your pilgrim hat for the annual Thanksgiving day Turkey Rock race with 10K, 5K, and 1-mile divisions for all ages at Floyd Lamb Park.
A comedy with sole
November 21-23: Get ready for high camp at its finest in The Devil Wears Payless, Jamie Morris' parody of the hit 2006 film Devil Wears Prada, with four shows at Majestic Repertory Theatre.
10 years of page-turners
November 21-December 6: The Writer's Block has a slew of special events coming up you won't want to miss starting with a conversation with Sigrid Nunez Nov. 21, author of The Friend and The Vulnerables. (Catch a screening of the film adaptation of The Friend, starring Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, before the reading.) Then there's a meet-and-greet with Christina Tosi Nov. 23, founder of Milk Bar and author of Bake Club.
Celebrate The Writer's Block 10th birthday at the Anniversary Expo Nov. 23, featuring five-minute readings by Charlie Joy, Colette LaBouff, Drew Cohen, Erin Singer, Heather Wells Peterson, Jarret Keene, Pallavi Sharma Dixit, and Veeda Bybee. And don't miss the Timea Sipos Dec. 6; the Hungarian-American author and translator reads from her new poetry collection, The Shapes Our Tongues Make.
Here's the tea, beast
November 15-23: Tickets are on sale now for Las Vegas Academy of the Arts' production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As a complement to the production, the performing arts magnet school is putting on a Princess Tea Party Nov. 23 in the school's black box theater. Patrons are encouraged to dress as their favorite royal or villain. Enjoy treats and more in a magical castle setting at the all-ages event.
A Handel on the holidays
November 23: Under the baton of Joshua Horsch, The Las Vegas Philharmonic joins the UNLV Community Chorus for an epic production of Handel's most famous oratorio, Messiah. The 1741 masterpiece is best known for its Hallelujah chorus, a perennial holiday favorite. Soloists include Bridgette Gan, Kristen Choi, John Riesen and André Chiang.
Go green on T-Day
November 26-December 1: There are gobs of tickets left for Thanksgiving Day if you want to spend it with Shrek, Princess Fiona, Donkey, Lord Farquaad, and the rest of the fairy tale crew in Reynolds Hall for Shrek: The Musical. Tickets for the rest of the touring show's Las Vegas run are more limited.
Keys to Broadway
November 23: Star of stage and screen Alice Ripley won a Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical for her role in Next to Normal. She'll be joining Grammy and Emmy Award-winning pianist John McDaniel for a one-night show featuring many of the songs Alice sang on Broadway from shows such as Side Show, The Who’s Tommy, Sunset Boulevard, American Psycho, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Prom.
Holidays with Miss Hannigan
November 29-December 22: Local theater legend April Sauline directs a cast packed with precocious starlets led by Julia McLain in the musical Annie at the Las Vegas Little Theatre. Skip Galla Katipunan and Mady Conway play Oliver Warbucks and Grace Farrell with Hallie Lyons as Miss Hannigan. But the breakout star of this semi-professional production is likely to be Goldie, the adorable therapy dog, in her first theatrical role as Sandy.
Planting a little Horror
November 15-23: Tickets remain for Signature Production's take on the classic dark comedy musical Little Shop of Horrors at the Summerlin Library Theatre. The cast features Ayler Evan, Eli Carlin, Matti Avery, Michael Brown, Nakaze Harris, Hope Whipple, Kyleigh Keith, Emma Phillips, Jeff Scudder, Stella Roy, Matthew Trudeau, Annie Hinskton, and Charlotte Nichols. Next up, Signature is in rehearsals for A Christmas Carol: The Musical, running December 5-22.
Fall for jazz
November 19: Jazz out at a swingin' night of fall-flavored standards performed by Naomi Mauro and Bruce Harper at Myron's at the Smith Center. Backed up by a 17-piece big band, they'll be presenting hits by Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, Ella Fitzgerald and more.
F1 as in free
November 23: Ticket prices too steep for watching Formula 1 in person? Henderson has you covered at an official Formula 1 Watch Party. Enjoy a DJ and limited free food, and watch the races on 42-foot screen on the Water Street Plaza. Check out the competitors in a cardboard car construction contest, and bring donations for a pet supply drive to be entered in a drawing to win tickets for the 2025 Las Vegas F1.
Something eclectic at Majestic
November 24: Performers of all talents and genres plan an intimate, cheeky take on holiday classics at Soireé Eclectic, featuring Vegas City Opera and more at Majestic Repertory Theater.
A Bear of a time
November 23-24: Enjoy two afternoons of Native American songs, teachings and tales of shamanism with Sean Walking Bear at the West Charleston and Summerlin libraries.
Think small (business)
November 30: Don't blow all your money on the frenzy of Black Friday – save some for Small Business Saturday. The day gives patrons an opportunity to support local shops and take advantage of deals and promotions. City of Henderson is sponsoring a Shop Small event on Water Street Plaza with more than 100 local vendors, games, activities and entertainment.
Lei on the holidays
December 1: The Mākaha Sons, inducted into the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame in 2013, continue to perform today with founding member Jerome Koko, who remains who handles the duties on 12-string guitar along with Kimo Artis on vocals and electric bass, and Hanalē Kaʻanapu on vocals and 6-string guitar. The trio's set of Smith Center performances are set to feature special guest Robi Kahakalau.
December 4: Celebrate the Holiday Season with Jake Shimabukuro’s Holidays in Hawai’i at The Smith Center. The ukulele virtuoso plans a festive evening featuring holiday classics such “O Holy Night” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” infused with the warmth of Hawaiian music traditions.
Horn-filled hijinks
December 6: Catch a jazzy mix of festive tunes featuring horns and saxaphone when the Huntertones present songs from their album A Joyful Noise at The Smith Center.
Chilling in Henderson
December 5-6: The city of Henderson kicks off holiday festivities with Winterfest, an annual tradition that starts with a tree lighting and drone show on December 5, followed by the city's Electric Light Parade on December 6. Rounding out the event are free performances by Rockapella and the Henderson Symphony Orchestra.
A storied gala
December 6: Celebrate the holidays with decorated trees, food, wine, and gift baskets to be auctioned at the Library Tree Lane Gala benefiting Henderson Libraries.
Naughty and nice
December 7: If you're looking for a holiday tradition that pulls out all the stops, this is it! The Las Vegas Philharmonic is putting on A Very Vegas Christmas, a production of full-orchestra classics and contemporary favorites backed up by the best of Las Vegas, including George Daugherty as conductor and host, and singers Cecilia Violetta Lopez, Naomi Mauro, Michelle Johnson, Ellie Smith, and Jonathan Karrant. Add to that a screening of the iconic ice skating scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mat Plendl putting a new hula hoop spin on The Nutcracker, and a cameo by Clint Holmes. (Catch Clint Holmes in a more intimate evening during his Holmes for the Holidays show December 7-8.)
This show is dreamy
December 7: Henderson is hosting a night of holiday classics with fun, modern twists featuring The Dreamboats, a Canadian quartet influenced by '50s and '60s rock culture. Get tickets quick.
Pop goes the opera
December 7-8: Vegas City Opera is producing a series of free library concerts packed with pop holiday hits made famous by stars like Josh Groban, Carrie Underwood, John Legend, Sarah Brightman, and more. The concerts feature NYC transplants Keith Milkie and Ginger Land-van Buuren.
Some big brass ... holidays
December 8: Enjoy traditional and modern arrangements of everything from popular hymns to seasonal classics in this free annual holiday concert featuring the Las Vegas Brass Band in the main theater at the Clark County Library.
Alice on ice
December 11: Legendary author/illustrator Jan Brett plans a presentation and book signing focused on her new book Alice in a Winter Wonderland at the Henderson Multigenerational Center. To join the signing line, preorder a book in advance from The Writer's Block or purchase one at the event. Brett, who has written and illustrated more than 30 books, is best known for her classic picture books The Mitten, The Hat, and Gingerbread Baby.
Ghosts of Christmas past
December 13-14: Visit decorated historical vintage homes, listen to carolers, sip cocoa and more as you step back in time at the Clark County Museum's 13th annual Heritage Holidays. The houses along Heritage Street are decorated all season long with period-accurate finery, but these two nights are the only opportunity to visit at night.
A fluffy flurry of dance
December 14-27: You rarely get to see flurries of flakes in Las Vegas, but when audiences pack The Smith Center's Reynolds Hall for the annual tradition of Nevada Ballet Theatre's performances of The Nutcracker, it snows on stage. This version, choreographed by James Canfield exclusively for NBT in 2012, features dramatic lighting, bold colors, flying dancers, soaring prop,s and multilevel sets in the company's most spectacular show of the season.
Sweets for Santa
December 18: Melody Sweets, the Green Fairy from Absinthe at Caesars, celebrates her birthday with an intimate and uninhibited holiday show featuring glamorous burlesque in Unwrapped For the Holidays in Myron's at The Smith Center. Expect a mix of naughty and nice festive favorites, including her song Santa Maybe?
