17 Best Holiday Events for Kids in Las Vegas (2026)

The gate at Las Vegas Motor Speedway opens at 5 p.m. on November 6, and the first car of the season rolls into three miles of lights. Six million LEDs, 600 displays, a neon forest, and a tunnel strung for photos, all of it seen from the back seat.

Across town on West Oakey Boulevard, the Magical Forest stacks lights on decorated trees and runs a train around them, with a 50-foot slide dropping off the side. In Henderson, the cactus garden behind the Ethel M chocolate factory charges $3 a person and closes on Christmas Day.

Holiday events for kids in Las Vegas spread across two months, from November 6 to January 4. Half are outdoor spectacles that live or die on the weather, and the rest fill a winter break afternoon. Nine of the 17 below come with a GetOut Las Vegas membership.

Start with the Magical Forest. December 18 through 23 is expected to sell out, and tickets are sold by date.

Holiday Events for Kids in Las Vegas at a Glance

Seventeen events, in the order they appear below. The area is where you park, and the last column is how long to block out.

Light Shows and Light Mazes

Glittering Lights

The route starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7000 North Las Vegas Boulevard, and runs nightly from 5 p.m. between November 6 and January 3. A carload costs $39 in cash at the gate or $44 on a card, and the price holds however many seatbelts are clicked. The three-mile course passes 600 displays, with the Neon Forest and the Tunnel of Love lit for photos this year.

Fast Pass costs $64 and skips the queue on the busy nights. A season pass at $149 covers two vehicles for the whole run. The Santa Tram at $25 a person is the only way to leave the car behind, and it sells by date and departure. Bring a bag of clothes for Goodwill and the gate takes $10 off.

Magical Forest

Opportunity Village opens its west-side campus at 6300 West Oakey Boulevard for the season, with three decades of lit trees behind it. The run splits around the holiday: November 27 through 29, December 3 through 24, then December 26 through January 1, with the gates shut on Christmas Day. Sunday through Thursday runs 5:30 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday to 9:30, with the stretch from December 18 through 23 staying open until 9:30 every night.

The Forest Express train circles the lights, the Avalanche Slide drops 50 feet off a snow-covered mountain, and a mini golf course fills the middle of the park. Santa sits for photos through December 24. Midway games cost $5 each, and tickets run $25 on non-peak nights and $30 on peak nights, sold by date. December 5, December 12, and December 18 through 23 are expected to sell out.

Enchant

Baseball season ends early at Las Vegas Ballpark, and the outfield fills with a Christmas light maze from November 20 through December 27. The organizers call it the largest one in the world, rebuilt this year around a story called The Great Search. General admission starts at $27, with the price climbing by date, entry hour, and demand, so a Tuesday in early December costs less than the week after Christmas.

Inside, kids hunt story markers through the maze, then wander a village of food stalls and a stage with live music. Santa holds court somewhere in the middle of it. Ice skating and the snow slide sell separately as add-ons. Anyone who drives up from the south for the maze can plan a second December week with the GetOut Arizona membership, which covers Phoenix and Tucson attractions.

Ethel M Cactus Garden

The chocolate factory in Henderson lights its cactus garden from November 5 through January 3, and asks $3 a person at the entrance, split between Help of Southern Nevada and Three Square. A lane winds through the beds past lit saguaro and prickly pear.

Santa sits for photos every evening from 5 p.m. until an hour before closing, through December 23, with the line cut at 9 sharp. Cashman Photography charges $35 for one framed 8-by-6 print and $50 for two. Families who want to skip the queue buy the $40 Santa Express Pass, good for six people. Most nights run 5 to 10 p.m., with early closes at 8 p.m. on December 24, December 31, and January 1.

Trains, Parades, and Skating

Boulder City Santa Train

Twenty-five miles southeast, the Nevada State Railroad Museum sends a vintage car to Henderson and back on Saturdays and Sundays from November 28 through December 20. Five departures run each day, at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m., and the round trip takes 45 minutes.

Santa and his helpers walk the aisle with candy canes, stopping for photos while the car sings. Seats cost $12 a person, or $6 for museum members, and they sell out on the December weekends. Museum admission is separate: $5 for adults, free for kids. Families who make a habit of these rail trips can carry the idea home with the GetOut Utah membership, which reaches St. George two hours up the interstate.

Henderson WinterFest

Water Street Plaza lights its tree on Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., with the Swingles on stage, local choirs, food vendors, and a drone show. The Electric Light Parade rolls the following evening, Friday, December 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., along Water Street between Basic Road and Victory Road.

Both nights cost nothing, and so does parking in the Water Street and City Hall garages. The parade runs about 90 minutes, with marching bands and cheer squads between the floats.

Downtown Summerlin

Summerlin's holiday parade steps off at 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from November 20 through December 19, with snow machines along the route and a Polar Express float new this year. Black Friday is the exception. No parade on November 27.

The Rock Rink opens November 13 and stays through January 18, with rentals at $22 and appointments recommended because walk-up space is limited. A ride on the Jupiter Express costs $7. Santa's chalet in the Macy's Promenade runs November 13 through December 24 with photos from $39.99, and December 5 brings a sensory-friendly session from 10 a.m. to noon. Hanukkah with Jewish Nevada takes over the plaza on December 6, 4 to 6 p.m., with the menorah lit, kids' activities, and cocoa.

Fontainebleau Oasis Ice Rink

The third-floor pool deck at Fontainebleau becomes real ice from November 18 through January 4. Entry costs nothing and skating starts at $30 plus taxes and fees. Nevada locals pay $15 at the door on select late sessions, 8 to 11 p.m. on weeknights through December 18, then 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. from December 19.

Holiday movies play on the deck on Tuesday nights, with Elf, The Grinch, The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, and Christmas Vacation in the run. Skaters must be at least 3, and anyone under 18 needs an adult 21 or older in the group to sign the waiver. Californians who drive in for the rink can find the same setup closer to home with the GetOut California Southern membership.

Winter Break, Indoors, on the Membership

Winter break in Las Vegas stretches past New Year's, and the desert does not always cooperate. A cold front turns an evening lights walk from pleasant to punishing, and a wind gust can shut a drive-through route without warning.

Nine indoor stops below come with a GetOut Las Vegas membership, which covers each one once or twice a year depending on the venue. Here is what each offer includes and the days it works, because several are weekday-only or weekend-only. The full list of kid-approved Las Vegas attractions covers the year-round version of this lineup.

Madame Tussauds

Wax figures beat a casino floor for a kid who wants to see the inside of a Strip resort. The museum sits at 3377 South Las Vegas Boulevard inside the Venetian, and an hour and a half is enough to work through the rooms and pose with the figures. One general admission comes with the membership, any day. The guide to hidden Las Vegas attractions covers the rest of the off-Strip picks.

Spy Ninjas HQ

A YouTube channel became an indoor park at 7980 West Sahara Avenue, with more than 100 activities across ropes courses, trampolines, axe throwing lanes, and escape rooms. The membership covers one Action Pass package and one Adventure Pass package, and the park stays open Wednesday through Monday, which makes Tuesday the day it will not work. Ages 7 to 12 get the most from it.

Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix

Karts and rides on North Rainbow Boulevard at 1401, with an arcade between runs. Two visits come with the membership, which suits a family that splits the winter break into two outings. No blackout days.

Bouncy World

Inflatables, slides, and obstacle courses fill the warehouse at 4549 Blue Diamond Road, with open bounce that lets you leave for lunch and come back. The pass covers one visit, any day, and kids 2 to 8 tire themselves out in about two hours.

Angel Park Golf Club

Divine 9 is a nine-hole putting course at 100 South Rampart Boulevard, and the membership covers one round, any day.

Vegas Gymnastics Academy

Open gym on Saturdays and Sundays at 3650 West Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas, and admission is included with the pass. Kids tumble, climb, and burn off a morning while parents watch from the side.

Ninja Lair

Warped walls and climbing walls borrowed from the television show fill an obstacle gym at 4215 South Grand Canyon Drive, Suite 105. One open gym hour on a Saturday or Sunday comes with the pass. Kids 6 to 12 treat the warped wall as a personal mission, and the hour is enough for three or four attempts.

The Ranch Las Vegas

Horses4Heroes runs Family Farm Days at 4975 North Miller Lane on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with mini horses, farm animals, and pony rides included for ages 2 to 13. Teens 14 to 17 can join every activity except the rides. A visit is included with the membership.

Sam's Town Bowling

A game per month at 5111 Boulder Highway, any day. Sam's Town also runs a laser show in Mystic Falls Park, an indoor forest of animatronic animals, hourly from 4 to 10 p.m. from November 26 through New Year's Day, free with no ticket. Bowl first, then walk over for the show.

New Year's Eve for Kids in Las Vegas

Countdowns for kids in this town start before dinner and end before midnight.

Glittering Lights throws fireworks at 9 p.m. on December 31, free to watch from the Speedway, with the drive-through open as usual. Ethel M keeps its cactus garden open 5 to 8 p.m., a short stop that fits before bedtime. The Oasis rink at Fontainebleau skates from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., and the Mystic Falls laser show at Sam's Town runs its hourly cycle until 10 p.m.

The Strip fills early and stays full, so a plan anchored on a resort deck, a bowling lane, or a car seat beats walking the Boulevard at 11 p.m. with a stroller.

How to Plan the December Weeks

Book in this order. Magical Forest first, because dates sell out and December 18 through 23 is the tightest stretch. Then Enchant, which ends December 27 and gets expensive the closer you book to Christmas. Then the Santa Train, which finishes December 20, and the Summerlin parade, which finishes December 19.

The calendar has gaps worth knowing. Spy Ninjas HQ closes on Tuesdays. The Magical Forest and the cactus garden both close on December 25, and the Magical Forest also closes at 8:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Families who spend the holidays with relatives elsewhere can line up the same kind of week at home with the GetOut Texas DFW membership, which covers Dallas and Fort Worth attractions.

Weather decides the outdoor half. December nights in the desert drop into the high 30s after dark, so a drive-through beats a walking display when the wind picks up. Glittering Lights has shut for wind before, and a still, clear night is the safer bet for a carload ticket.

A two-day version of this plan, with the lights swapped for daytime stops, sits in the 48-hour Las Vegas family guide.

Compare the Choices

Frequently Asked Questions

Which holiday events in Las Vegas are free?

Henderson WinterFest charges nothing for either night, and parking in the Water Street and City Hall garages is free. The Bellagio Conservatory is free and open around the clock, with its holiday display taking over the beds once the harvest display closes November 7. The Ethel M cactus garden charges $3 a person, which is as close to free as the season gets.

What is open for kids on Christmas Day?

Two of the biggest close. The Magical Forest shuts on December 25, and so does the Ethel M cactus garden. Glittering Lights runs its regular schedule through the holidays, and its route stays open on Christmas night.

How much does a family of four spend at the Magical Forest?

Tickets run $25 on non-peak nights and $30 on peak nights, so four people land between $100 and $120 before carnival games, which cost $5 each.

Is Enchant worth it for a 3-year-old?

The light maze holds a toddler's attention for about an hour, and the price starts at $27 a person, which makes it an expensive hour for a family of four. Ice skating and the snow slide cost extra and have a minimum age, so a 3-year-old mostly walks the maze and meets Santa. The Magical Forest, with its train and its 50-foot slide, costs less for the same age group.

Which holiday events work on a Tuesday?

The Oasis rink, Madame Tussauds, Sam's Town Bowling, Bouncy World, Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix, and Angel Park all work any day, so Tuesday is covered. Spy Ninjas HQ stays closed on Tuesdays.

What can kids do on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas?

Fireworks go up at Glittering Lights at 9 p.m., and the drive-through stays open for the evening. The cactus garden closes at 8 p.m., the Oasis rink skates until 1 a.m., and the Mystic Falls laser show at Sam's Town runs until 10 p.m. An early countdown in a car, followed by a late dessert at home, works for most families with kids under 10.

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