Although the holidays look a little different in Las Vegas this year, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them in style. There are plenty of holiday offerings to put you in a yuletide mood.
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Over the years, The Cosmopolitan has made its ice rink a tradition, and it has returned this year for its ninth consecutive season. The 4,200-square-foot rink, made of real ice, offers skaters as authentic a winter experience as they’re likely to get in the middle of a desert. Of course, face coverings are required unless eating or drinking, but you’ll be doing plenty of both here: Skating works up an appetite. And all your favorites are on the menu—grilled cheese and tomato soup, s’mores kits for tableside roasting, warm churros, a variety of sliders and more. And the cocktail menu packs a wallop with the Maker’s Mark-spiked Egg Noggy Nog and the Sugar Plum Fairy, made with Belvedere vodka. Enjoy all this and movies like The Muppet Christmas Carol and The Polar Express on the 65-foot digital marquee until Dec. 29.
Speaking of The Polar Express, experience the real thing with the Polar Express on the Grand Canyon Railway, now in its 20th year. Through Jan. 3 families can charter their own private luxury railcar. This 90-minute event, which always sells out quickly, whisks riders from the railway’s historic depot in Williams, Ariz., and takes them to the “North Pole.” Along the way, enjoy hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies and, of course, a visit from Santa.
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Another memorable journey is Glittering Lights, which also celebrates 20 years of tradition at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s Nevada’s largest holiday drive-thru light show, featuring more than 5 million lights along a 2.5-mile course. It’s open to the public nightly until Jan. 10.
For a great free experience for the whole family, head to the lobby of Aria, which features a Winter Wonderland display including a custom-designed Sugar Palace, made out of nearly 4,000 pounds of sugar and standing 15 feet high. Overhead hang hand-carved, oversized ornaments, and it’s surrounded by a “forest” of custom-designed trees detailed with lights. Happy holidays!
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