Christmas Events and Santa for Kids in Las Vegas 2026

December is the one month in Las Vegas when the evenings actually get cold, and almost every holiday event happens outside after dark. So before you buy a single ticket, think about bedtime and jackets. A 7 p.m. light walk with a toddler in December means real coats, hats and a plan for the ride home.

Here's what's out for the 2026 season so far: drive-through lights, walk-through lights, where to find Santa, the Santa runs, ice rinks, the free stuff, and what's close to home in Henderson and Summerlin. Where a 2026 date isn't posted yet, I say so and tell you what happened last year so you know roughly when to look. Dates and prices come from each event's own page as of October 9, 2026.

Drive-through Christmas lights

Drive-throughs are my pick for little kids and for nights when you decide at 4:30 p.m. that you need to get out of the house. Heat on, snacks in the back seat, and you leave whenever someone melts down.

Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway runs Nov 6, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027, opening at 5 p.m. every night of the run. The fact sheet lists a carload at $39 cash on site or $44 by credit card. It lists a Fast Pass at $64 per vehicle and a season pass at $149 (it covers two vehicles and includes the Fast Pass). Tickets are on sale now. The route is about 3 miles. For an extra treat, the Santa Tram is listed at $25 a person (or $119 for a VIP family four-pack), so price that out before you promise it to a carful of kids. Glittering Lights fact sheet

World of Illumination sets up at 900 Galleria Dr. in Henderson, in the Cowabunga Bay lot. Its ticket page lists the Enchanted Safari show for Nov 12 to Jan 3, 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are sold online only, one per vehicle, and they weren't on sale yet when I looked, so check back before you plan around those dates. World of Illumination Las Vegas tickets

Walk-through Christmas lights

Ethel M Chocolates' Holiday Cactus Garden in Henderson runs Nov 5 through Jan 3, 5 to 10 p.m. most nights. It closes early (5 to 8 p.m.) on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and it's closed on Christmas Day. Entry is $3 a person, and kids under 2 and seniors 65 and up are free. Ethel M Holiday Cactus Garden

The Magical Forest at Opportunity Village (6300 W. Oakey) is open Nov 27 to 29, Dec 3 to 24, and Dec 26 to Jan 1. Hours are 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Kids 3 and under are free. Tickets are date-specific this year, so you pick your night when you buy, and the ticket page says sales open this fall. Inside you'll find Santa, the Forest Express train, a carousel and mini golf, which is why it works so well for preschoolers. Magical Forest

Enchant Christmas comes back to the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin from Nov 20 to Dec 27, 2026. It's a big walk-through light maze with an ice skating trail, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a snow slide. Tickets are on sale now, listed from $27, and the price changes with the date and entry time. Enchant Las Vegas

The Bellagio Conservatory lists its holiday display for Nov 14, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027, and it closes Nov 8 to 13 while the display goes in. Go on a weekday morning if you're bringing a stroller, because the Strip on a December night is packed. Bellagio Conservatory

Where to see Santa

Ethel M has Santa daily from 5 p.m. until an hour before closing, through Wednesday, Dec 23, with the line cut off at 9 p.m. Photo packages are listed at $35 for one 8x6 print and $50 for two, plus $20 for each extra print. There are no reservations, so the line is first come, first served. Since the garden lists $3 to get in, this is one of the cheaper Santa visits in town.

The Boulder City Santa Train at the Nevada State Railroad Museum runs Saturdays and Sundays, Nov 28 to Dec 20, with departures at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. It's $12 a person, $6 for museum members. Tickets go on sale Nov 1 and spaces are limited, so set a reminder. It's daytime, which makes it a good fit for kids who fall apart after dark. Santa Train

Downtown Summerlin hasn't posted its 2026 holiday dates yet, and they usually come out in early November. Last year the Santa Chalet in the Macy's Promenade ran Nov 14 to Dec 24, photo packages were listed from $39.99 on select days, and there was a sensory-friendly Santa visit on Dec 6. News 3 Las Vegas on last year's Downtown Summerlin events

Bass Pro Shops (8200 Dean Martin Dr.) hosts Santa's Wonderland with a free Santa photo for most of November and December. Its store page says reservations open on the website in early November, and last year every store required a reservation, so book ahead instead of walking in. The 2026 dates aren't posted yet; last year photos ran Nov 2 to Dec 24. Bass Pro Shops Las Vegas

Santa also shows up inside the Magical Forest, at Enchant, and on the Santa Tram at Glittering Lights, so if one of those is already on your list, you may not need a separate Santa trip.

Mall Santa photos: none of the valley's mall websites listed 2026 Santa dates in early October, so look again in November.

Santa runs

The Las Vegas Great Santa Run is Saturday, Dec 5, 2026 at Opportunity Village's Magical Forest (6300 W. Oakey Blvd.). Pick a 5K or a 1-mile walk. Race-day registration and packet pickup start at 12:30 p.m., the races start at 2:30 p.m., and the Magical Forest opens early, at 4 p.m., for runners who show their medal. Registration is $52.50 through Nov 22 and $57.50 after that, and it includes a five-piece Santa suit and a finisher medal. Kids 3 and under are free, and strollers are welcome. Las Vegas Great Santa Run

The Henderson Reindeer Dash is Saturday, Dec 12, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon at Cornerstone Park (1600 Wigwam Pkwy.) in Henderson, NV, with a 5K and a 1-mile walk for all ages. The 5K is $35 through Nov 12, then $40, and $45 on race day; the walk is $30 through Nov 12. Santa costumes and ugly sweaters are encouraged. City of Henderson 5K runs

The Nutcracker

Nevada Ballet Theatre performs George Balanchine's The Nutcracker at Reynolds Hall in The Smith Center from Dec 12 to Dec 27. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on Dec 12, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26 and 27. Evening shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Dec 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23. The Las Vegas Philharmonic plays live on Dec 12 and 13 only. The Dec 22 to 27 shows fall in CCSD winter break.

It runs about 110 minutes: a 49-minute first act, a 20-minute intermission and a 41-minute second act. Nevada Ballet Theatre recommends kids be at least 3 for The Nutcracker and asks that no infants come. Everyone needs their own ticket and seat, so no one sits on a lap, and ushers hand out free booster seats. A matinee is the easier pick with a young child. Ticket questions go to The Smith Center at 702-749-2000. Nevada Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker and theater tips for families

Ice skating

Oasis Ice Rink at Fontainebleau on the Strip runs Thursday, Nov 19, 2026 to Monday, Jan 4, 2027. Walking in is free. Skating is listed from $15 for Nevada locals on select dates and late nights (at the door, with a Nevada ID), and standard skating starts at $30, plus taxes and fees. Skaters need to be 3 or older, and anyone under 18 needs an adult 21 or older with them. Hours change through the season, so check the night you want. Oasis Ice Rink

The Rock Rink at Downtown Summerlin hasn't posted 2026 dates. Last year it opened Nov 14 and ran to Jan 19, with skate rentals listed from $18. Expect the announcement in early November. News 3 Las Vegas on last year's rink

Indoor rinks that run all year don't depend on the weather and cost less. City National Arena in Summerlin charges $10 a person for open skate, any age, plus $3 for skate rental, and the skate walkers for little ones are free, first come, first served. City National Arena open skate Las Vegas Ice Center on W. Flamingo runs two-hour public sessions with skate rental included, kids' skates start at size 8, and a walker is $5. Las Vegas Ice Center public skate

Free Christmas picks

• Henderson WinterFest, Thursday, Dec 3 and Friday, Dec 4 on Water Street. Free. The city hasn't posted 2026 times yet. Last year night one was the tree lighting and a drone show, and night two was the Electric Light Parade. City of Henderson WinterFest
• Downtown Summerlin Holiday Parade. Free. Last year it ran Fridays and Saturdays at 6 p.m. from Nov 21 to Dec 20. 2026 dates usually come out in early November.
• Free Santa photo at Bass Pro Shops (reservations open in early November).
• City of Las Vegas holiday events. The 2026 list isn't posted yet. The city's last posted list (December 2024) had a free Tamales and Mariachi Festival at the Historic Fifth Street School and a $5 Polar Express night at Cimarron Rose Community Center. City of Las Vegas holiday events
• Library storytimes and crafts. The free events calendar picks up free holiday events as the library district and the cities post them.

Almost free: Ethel M lists $3 a person, and the Santa Train lists $12.

For free things that work any week of the year, not just December, see free things to do with kids in Las Vegas.

Henderson and Summerlin options

Henderson: Ethel M's Holiday Cactus Garden, World of Illumination on Galleria Dr., and WinterFest on Water Street are all in Henderson, so you can do a light walk and a drive-through on the same side of town.

Summerlin: Enchant at the Las Vegas Ballpark, Downtown Summerlin (Santa, the Rock Rink and the parade, once 2026 dates post) and year-round skating at City National Arena are all within a few minutes of each other.

Christmas week and winter break

CCSD is out from Dec 21 through Jan 4, and classes start again on Tuesday, Jan 5. Ethel M is closed on Christmas Day and the Magical Forest skips Dec 25, so plan your outings around those. If you're working through break, the winter break camps guide lists the city, county and private camps with their dates and prices. For ideas that aren't tied to the holidays, try things to do with kids in Las Vegas.

Practical notes

Check the forecast and dress for cold after sunset at every walk-through. Leave the stroller in the car for the Bellagio on a Saturday night. If bedtime is 7:30, stick to the drive-throughs, the daytime Santa Train and an early Ethel M visit. And since most light shows open at 5 or 5:30, an early dinner beats a late one.

FAQ

What free Christmas lights can families see in Las Vegas? Henderson WinterFest (Dec 3 and 4) is free, and so was last year's Downtown Summerlin Holiday Parade. Ethel M's Holiday Cactus Garden isn't free anymore, but it lists $3 a person and free for kids under 2.

Where can kids get Santa pictures in Las Vegas? Ethel M's Cactus Garden has Santa nightly through Dec 23 (photos listed at $35 or $50), Bass Pro Shops does a free photo (book once reservations open in early November), and Santa is part of the Magical Forest, Enchant, the Glittering Lights Santa Tram and the Boulder City Santa Train. Downtown Summerlin's Santa Chalet opened Nov 14 last year and had a sensory-friendly visit on Dec 6.

When do Christmas lights start in Las Vegas in 2026? Ethel M opens Nov 5, Glittering Lights Nov 6, World of Illumination Nov 12, Enchant Nov 20 and the Magical Forest Nov 27. Most run into the first days of January.

What is the easiest light show with a toddler? A drive-through. Glittering Lights and World of Illumination both let you stay in the car with the heat on and leave whenever you need to. If you want to walk, Ethel M is close to home for Henderson families and free for kids under 2.

Where can kids ice skate in Las Vegas at Christmas? Oasis Ice Rink at Fontainebleau (Nov 19 to Jan 4, from $15 for Nevada locals on select dates), the Rock Rink at Downtown Summerlin once its 2026 dates post, Enchant's skating trail, and the indoor rinks that run all year: City National Arena (listed at $10 plus $3 skates) and Las Vegas Ice Center.

Which Christmas events should I book early? The Boulder City Santa Train, which goes on sale Nov 1 and has limited spaces, and any Magical Forest night you have your heart set on, since its tickets are sold by date this year. Great Santa Run registration goes up $5 on Nov 23.

When is the Santa run in Las Vegas? The Las Vegas Great Santa Run is Saturday, Dec 5, 2026 at the Magical Forest, with a 5K and a 1-mile walk at 2:30 p.m. Registration is listed at $52.50 through Nov 22, includes a Santa suit, and is free for kids 3 and under. The Henderson Reindeer Dash is Saturday, Dec 12 at Cornerstone Park in Henderson, NV.

Where are the drive-through Christmas lights in Las Vegas? Glittering Lights at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7000 N. Las Vegas Blvd.) runs Nov 6 to Jan 3 and lists $39 cash or $44 by card per car. World of Illumination is at Cowabunga Bay (900 Galleria Dr.) in Henderson, NV, Nov 12 to Jan 3; its tickets weren't on sale in early October.