Christmas... In Las Vegas?

by David Hofstede | Dec 6 2006

For decades, Christmas in Las Vegas was a silent night, if not a holy one. The casinos were empty, and the showrooms shut down from December 10 to New Year’s Eve. You could hit 5-irons from the valet parking area of the Aladdin into the fountains of Caesars Palace. You could play blackjack one-on-one with a dealer for hours, without some moron sitting next to you splitting fives.

Not anymore. Christmas might as well be Arbor Day now – just another excuse for the vacationing hordes to descend.

In December 2005 Las Vegas welcomed more than 3.5 million visitors, roughly the same number as visited during the summer months. “What’s changed is people have become aware that Las Vegas is not just an adult playground,” said Candi Cazau, Media Relations Manager at Coast Casinos. “There’s something for everyone. When I started coming here in 1982 you could shoot a cannon down Las Vegas Boulevard in the winter.  Now you can’t even drive down the Strip without traffic.”

The outlook for December 2006 is more of the same, though sometimes the statistics can be misleading, according to John Piet of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.  “The time between Thanksgiving up to just before Christmas is still our soft period. You don’t see a lot of things closing down like it used to, because there’s more demand, but there’s still room for growth,” Piet said. “Las Vegas has worked hard to try to reinforce this time of year by adding special events. The National Finals Rodeo is key- that’s a very positive event for Las Vegas at a very crucial time of the year.”

It took awhile for the resorts to get with the holiday program, though admittedly the idea of Christmas lights in Las Vegas sounds anticlimactic. A tree up in the lobby won’t suffice anymore, hence the increased focus on holiday-themed activities.

Coast Casinos, which includes the Gold Coast, Suncoast and Orleans Resorts, is awash in holiday spirit. “We have shows every Christmas.  When you appeal to families it’s always a huge favorable response,” Cazau said. “Plus we’re locally supported, so we attract not just tourists but the 2.1 million Las Vegas area residents.”

For the third year, the Gold Coast’s production of Forever Plaid gets a holiday makeover. In Plaid Tidings, the musical quartet the Plaids are given a second chance at stardom, just as in the original production, after the auto accident that prematurely ended their careers. This time, their mission is to produce a television Christmas special. The show, featuring classic holiday standards and all-ages appropriate humor, should delight anyone who was raised on the Christmas shows hosted by Perry Como and Bing Crosby. (Dec. 12-31; $39.95)

At the Suncoast, Christmas Hawaiian Style features Polynesian carols and gorgeous girls in grass skirts (Dec. 21-24, $33-$44). “It shows how Hawaiians celebrate the holiday,” said Cazau. “It’s quite different from everywhere else, which makes it a very unique show.”

At the Orleans, Donny Osmond’s Holiday Celebration (Dec. 14-17, $55-$93.50) is certain to draw an enthusiastic crowd of forty-ish females from around the world. “I am traveling from the UK to see Donny and am really looking forward to it!” gushed British Donny-lover Therese Warwick. “I have been a fan since I was 11 – and that’s a long, long time!”

“My girlfriend and I are hosting a fan social gathering at the Orleans.  We try to do this whenever Donny has a show somewhere, as fans come from all over the world and we like to get together to celebrate,” explains Donny fan Peggy Anglin.  “We always do a service project in conjunction with the social for a charity that Donny is close to. Last time we raised over $1,700 for three charities.”

Also back in Las Vegas by popular demand is Wayne Newton’s Holiday Show, which moves into Harrah’s after a 2005 run at the Flamingo. Mr. Las Vegas compensates for diminishing vocal prowess (40 years of Vegas throat can take its toll) with pure showmanship in an elaborate revue featuring ice skaters, live penguins and guest appearances from the Wayner’s wife Kathleen and daughter Erin. (Now through Dec. 14, $86-$113.50)

Joining the holiday fray for the first time are The Scintas, a multi-talented family act that has revived the legacy of old-school Vegas entertainment. Their Christmas-themed show at the Sahara features the same upbeat mix of music, comedy and impressions that have made them Las Vegas favorites. (Dec. 11-23, $60.90-$71.90)

In addition to holiday themed resort shows, other seasonal activities of note include light displays at Mystic Falls in Sam’s Town, and in the cactus garden of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. Both are free and worth a visit. And for those who still maintain that Las Vegas ain’t got culture, there’s the Nevada Ballet Theater performance of The Nutcracker, at UNLV’s Judy Bayley Theater (December 14-27, $30-$65). It’s a popular and beloved holiday tradition, and it’s a lot more festive than The Legcracker, which used to be performed on Vinnie the Snitch behind the Stardust, but usually without musical accompaniment.

Blackjack, Baccarat, Video Poker, Craps, Roulette, Pai Gow Poker, you name it, we've got it.  Play in the best online casino now!