LAS VEGAS — During the Christmas season, desert life meets over-the-top creativity in Las Vegas, drawing visitors from across the country.
The city of Las Vegas celebrates Christmas in true Vegas style with spectacle, warmth, and community spirit. These Christmas traditions allow locals and visitors to explore the weird and wonderful side of Christmas in the desert. Here are three Christmas traditions that set Nevada apart from typical winter town celebrations.
Ethel M’s Holiday Cactus Garden
Las Vegas is home to many types of cacti, which are often reflected in landscaping. So it’s fitting that one of its most beloved holiday traditions takes place in a cactus garden.
Every year, the three-acre cactus garden at the Ethel M Chocolates factory. Instead of sipping hot drinks alongside snow-covered pine, guests are treated to twinkling cacti in the desert.
The garden is open nightly from Nov. 6 through Jan. 3. A $3 entry fee is required, with half of the proceeds benefiting Help of Southern Nevada and Three Square Food Bank.
Dive-In Santa in Aquarium Tanks
At the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, visitors can experience a rare Santa sighting. Every Christmas, the aquarium hosts the “Diving Santa” event, where a diver dressed as Santa appears underwater in the Shipwreck exhibit that is filled with sharks.
The Santa sighting usually happens days before Christmas
Ice Skating & Snow-Inspired Activities in the Desert
Las Vegas does Christmas like no other city. Every Christmas, the desert is turned into a winter wonderland where visitors can experience a “white” Christmas.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas turns its Boulevard Pool into a rooftop ice rink complete with “snow” showers. The LINQ Promenade also has a festive installation with artificial snow showers each year.
The 2025 dates for the recurring traditions have not yet been announced.
