The holidays are here!!? Do we cheer, or do we gasp and brace ourselves? With our economy being what it is, it seems that a lot of people are doing the latter. We are all looking to find a way to fill this season with as much joy as ever, but a lot of us need to do it with a lot less. No one has felt the effect of the bailout money---money that was supposed to be our salvation...more money than the entire cost of World War II...money that is too late for people that have already lost their homes to foreclosure. And now every big business in the country has its hands out. It is a crazy time...and yet, it is still the holiday season...and the lists of things to do are still growing longer and longer. It's time to shop, time to decorate, time to send cards, wrap presents, plan parties, clean for guests, go see friends, bake, fewer people plan to get away, more people plan to stay at home, and...can we afford any of it? I'd sure hate to be a retailer this year...it is a joyful time in the bleakest time---both seasonally and economically.

 

And of course there is New Year's Eve...I'll deal with that at the end of the column.

 

Every culture in recorded history has had some sort of mid-winter festival, and the purpose of this festival was to celebrate and uplift...rejoice the harvest of the fall and anticipate the re-birth of the spring, and in some way, commemorate the endurance and spirit of humanity. It is difficult to celebrate this festival though, when the harvest of the fall is bleak...but we must celebrate and be thankful for all that we do have.

 

I celebrate Christmas. It is the mid-winter festival that most of us celebrate, but sometimes have trouble acknowledging because of political correctness. It does seem silly...would you be offended if someone wished you a "Happy Hanukkah," or "Happy Kwanzaa?" I love Christmas. I love both its spirit and its meaning. And I will be wishing people, "Merry Christmas."

 

 

Winter in Las Vegas is always an interesting time. The heat of the summer has long been forgotten, and everyone has truly enjoyed the fine days of fall...and now that the first cold front has passed through town, all the locals are feeling as if they are freezing to death as the temperatures dip down into the fifties. (Winter is really not that tough to endure.) December is a unique time for the city. The first couple of weeks in the month stay fairly busy, the week just before Christmas, the town is empty and is the slowest time of the year, and the last week, after Christmas and before New Year's, the town gets neurotic. During that week prior to Christmas, a lot of the shows take a holiday break and close down. It is a nice break for the performers, and they all get a holiday vacation...and visitors need to be sure to check the show listings to see the status of their favorite production.

 

The holiday season is always a time where the focus is on the family, and the more that people embrace the family, the home, and the holidays; the fewer people come to Las Vegas. Just before Christmas, the city is fairly empty.  (But usually Vegas locals don't mind this because we have families, too.) However, this time can be a great time to visit Las Vegas. You can enjoy most of what the city has to offer and miss all of the crowds. The shows that do stay open often offer 2 for 1-ticket deals, and other offers which will continue to entice people to the Strip.

 

There are not many conventions during the month, and after the first couple of weeks, there are no more conventions booked for the rest of the year...at all. In a city of conventions, it is amazing to have an empty convention calendar for two weeks.

 

There are many Christmas attractions, celebrations, and entertainment; and most of these things are geared to the locals and not to the tourists. These quiet and quaint festivities are nothing that a "Vegas tourist" might anticipate. They are peaceful, sweet and oftentimes show the true heart of the city. People forget that the Strip is not the city. The Strip is a fantasyland where people work, but do not live. The city is truly everything else, but the Strip. The real city is actually a quiet and rather humble place to live.

 

 

One of my favorite winter attractions is Opportunity Village's, "The Magical Forest," running until December 30th. The Enchanted Carousel, the Forest Express Trains, live music, sweet treats, lavishly decorated trees, whimsical displays, millions of lights and visits with Santa Claus provide people of all ages with a winter wonderland each night during the holiday season. Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people with intellectual disabilities by providing them with vocational training, employment and social recreation services that make their lives more productive and interesting. Once thought by society to be unemployable and unimportant in the community, people with severe disabilities are engaged, active residents who contribute to our society. Through Opportunity Village's programs and services, hundreds of people with disabilities are learning vocational skills and being placed in jobs throughout the community.

 

Another good holiday attraction is "The Gift of Lights" at Sunset Park. It is a holiday drive-thru spectacular featuring millions of twinkling and animated displays, and part of the proceeds go to charities. And you can also receive a discount on the admission if you bring a bag of stuff for Goodwill.

 

The first part of December is still busy in the city.  The biggest event for this time is the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) that runs December 4th to 13th at the Thomas & Mack Center. This is one of the largest rodeo competitions in the world. It is filled with excitement, and in order to give all of the rodeo enthusiast's options for entertainment, the city does its best to book all of the top Country and Western singers and entertainers

 

The Las Vegas Marathon is going to be run on December 7th. The race will start at Mandalay Bay and proceed north to the downtown area. The success of this event in recent years (and a new sponsor)) will make this year even bigger and better. There will be thousands of runners that will line the streets. It's a great event to watch, but check for road closures if you want to drive anywhere in the city.

 

Would you like to hear some gossip? Of course you would...now mind you, this is complete gossip with virtually nothing to back it up, but it is going around town. The new Cirque show, "Believe," with Criss Angel has gotten so much bad press, and the reports that Angel is unhappy with the project, have prompted talk of closing the show, in spite of the ten-year contract... The gossip is that Cirque will close the show and then keep the theatre to showcase the touring productions that Cirque has going. Each tour show would have a six-month run; the theatre would then be dark for a short period before the next show would be installed. It actually makes a lot of sense...the gossip may have some merit, but only time will tell.

 

 

The first week is January is also fairly slow. Things don't really gear back to normal until the second week. The International Consumer Electronics Show brings with it a couple of hundred thousand people, and the Adult Entertainment Expo always piggybacks it.

 

Remember, too, Elvis' Birthday is on January 8th. He would have been 73! He's not gone; he's just left the building.

 

As far as the other Vegas entertainment goes...

 

The first weekend in December:

Zero G

Off-Strip Through - Dec 30

Fighter Pilot for a Day

Special Event Through - Dec 21

David Copperfield

MGM Grand Through - Dec 7

Bette Midler

Caesars Palace Through - Dec 10

Jody Nix

South Point Dec 1 - Dec 3 - Free

22nd Annual Downtown Hoedown

Fremont Street Experience Dec 3 - Free

Five Finger Death Punch w/ In This Moment & Another Black Day

Mandalay Bay Dec 3

World Extreme Cagefighting: Torres vs. Tapia

Hard Rock Dec 3

Benny Binion Bucking Horse & Bull Sale

South Point Dec 4 - Dec 5 - Free

Billy Childers

South Point Dec 4 - Dec 6 - Free

National Finals Rodeo

Thomas & Mack Center Dec 4 - Dec 13

Brooks & Dunn

Las Vegas Hilton Dec 5 - Dec 7

Clay Walker

Silverton Hotel Dec 5 - Dec 6

Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational

Las Vegas Convention Center Dec 5 - Dec 6

Hawaiian Christmas

Suncoast Hotel Dec 5 - Dec 7

International Gem & Jewelry Show

Cashman Center Dec 5 - Dec 7

Merle Haggard

Aliante Station Dec 5

Miranda Lambert

Golden Nugget Dec 5 - Dec 6

Ron White

Mirage Dec 5 - Dec 6

Sawyer Brown

Boulder Station Dec 5

Teena Marie, Morris Day & the Time and Cameo

Orleans Hotel Dec 5

Tesla

Hard Rock Dec 5

Tommy Shaw from Styx & Jack Blades from Night Ranger

Green Valley Ranch Dec 5

Travis Tritt

Tropicana Resort Dec 5 - Dec 6

Viva! - Tribute to Santana

Cannery Casino Dec 5 - Dec 6

De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao

MGM Grand Dec 6

John Edward

Flamingo Las Vegas Dec 6

L.A. Guns

Santa Fe Station Dec 6

Merle Haggard

Boulder Station Dec 6

National Finals Rodeo 50th Anniversary Event

Orleans Hotel Dec 6

Oasis w/ special guests Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

Palms Casino Dec 6

Three Dog Night and Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone

Buffalo Bill's Dec 6

Tommy Shaw from Styx & Jack Blades from Night Ranger

Aliante Station Dec 6

Wu-Tang Clan

Mandalay Bay Dec 6

Las Vegas Marathon & Half Marathon

Begins at Mandalay Bay Dec 7

Lee Greenwood - A Tennessee Christmas

Orleans Hotel Dec 7

Pat Green

Golden Nugget Dec 7 - Dec 8

Susie Dobbs

South Point Dec 7 - Dec 10 - Free

 

 

The second week has:

Rodney Carrington

MGM Grand Dec 8 - Dec 13

12th Annual Holiday Festival

Fremont Street Experience Dec 9 - Dec 20

Pauly Shore & Jamie Kennedy

Mandalay Bay Dec 9

Ronnie Milsap

Golden Nugget Dec 9 - Dec 10

Anthony Hamilton

Mandalay Bay Dec 10

John Rich featuring Cowboy Troy

Las Vegas Hilton Dec 10 - Dec 11

Bill Engvall

Treasure Island Dec 11 - Dec 12

Blaine Gray

South Point Dec 11 - Dec 13 - Free

Charlie Daniels Band

Golden Nugget Dec 11 - Dec 12

Gary Allan

Mandalay Bay Dec 11 - Dec 12

World Series of Team Roping

South Point Dec 11 - Dec 14 - Free

Blake Shelton

Silverton Hotel Dec 12 - Dec 13

Brian Culbertson - A Soulful Christmas

Boulder Station Dec 12

Etta James

Aliante Station Dec 12

Franz Ferdinand, The Ting Tings & Carolina Liar

Hard Rock Hotel Dec 12

Gretchen Wilson

Las Vegas Hilton Dec 12 - Dec 13

Jay Leno

Mirage Dec 12 - Dec 13

Jo Dee Messina

Orleans Hotel Dec 12 - Dec 14

Sully Erna

Green Valley Ranch Dec 12

World Stars of Magic

Suncoast Hotel Dec 12 - Dec 14

Black Nativity Musical

Cashman Center Dec 13 - Dec 14

Crossroads of the West Gun Show

Cashman Center Dec 13 - Dec 14

Escape the Fate w/ the Seventh Plague, More . . .

Mandalay Bay Dec 13

Larry the Cable Guy

Orleans Hotel Dec 13

Las Vegas Philharmonic: Pops II - A Christmas Celebration

University of Nevada Las Vegas Dec 13

Leon Russell & Zac Brown

Four Queens Dec 13

Lucha Libre Wrestling featuring Rey Mysterio

Buffalo Bill's Resort Dec 13

Nine Inch Nails

Planet Hollywood Dec 13

Sully Erna

Aliante Station Dec 13

The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale

Palms Casino Dec 13

Tucker Family Christmas Show w/ Joe Gurcio Orch. & the Imperials

Eastside Cannery Dec 13

David Copperfield

MGM Grand Dec 14 - Jan 12

 

 

Week number three has: (Notice the dramatic drop in the number of events?)

The Forgotten Carols Production

Cashman Center Dec 15

Suicidal Tendencies

Mandalay Bay Dec 16

Lamb of God w/ Job for a Cowboy & the Faceless

Mandalay Bay Dec 18

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy - Christmas Concert

Green Valley Ranch Dec 19

Clint Holmes & Friends - Holmes for the Holidays

Suncoast Hotel Dec 19- Dec 21

Papa Roach w/ Hoobastank and Hollywood Undead

Hard Rock Dec 19

Paul Anka

Orleans Hotel Dec 19 - Dec 21

Susan Anton

Suncoast Hotel Dec 19 - Dec 21

2008 Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl

Sam Boyd Stadium Dec 20

Annie Meadows Christmas Concert

Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas Dec 20

Appetite for Destruction & Back in Black

Mandalay Bay Dec 20

America's Party - Las Vegas New Year

Fremont Street Experience Dec 21 - Jan 1

Terry Fator

Las Vegas Hilton Dec 21 - Dec 22

 

 

In week four, things really slow down:

Las Vegas Classic Basketball Tournament

Orleans Hotel Dec 22 - Dec 23

Hotel California - A Salute to the Eagles

Suncoast Hotel Dec 26 - Dec 28

Maz Jobriani

Mandalay Bay Dec 26

Davy Jones

Silverton Hotel Dec 27

Imelda Papin

Orleans Hotel Dec 27

UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008

MGM Grand Dec 27

 

 

And the last week prior to New Year's has:

Dancing with the Stars

Orleans Hotel Dec 29

Girl Talk w/ Dan Deacon

Mandalay Bay Dec 29

Bette Midler

Caesars Palace Dec 30 - Jan 25

Ratt - Invasion of Your Holiday Tour

Mandalay Bay Dec 30

 

 

Then, of course, there is New Year's Eve...

The "Entertainment Capital of the World" puts on a bigger and brighter show than just about anyone else on the globe. Las Vegas is only second to New York City in being a favorite destination for New Year's Eve in the United States and our little "Glitter Gulch" continues bring in more and more people every year. Well over a quarter of a million tourists will pack the streets and the city on that night, and the city is always ready for them. The biggest problem for the tourist is trying to decide exactly what they want to do on this night, because just about every option is going to be open to them---big or little, loud or quiet. Choices for the evening can be overwhelming, but there are many ways in which you can quickly narrow down your options.

 

The first thing to understand is that every hotel, casino, bar and lounge is going to have a New Year's celebration, in addition to all of the fireworks shows that will be going on all over the city. So the questions that you'll have to ask yourself about your own celebrating will have to do with size, location, cost, and environment.

 

Do you want to be indoors or outdoors? A fairly simple way to start, but will certainly define the other parameters. If you choose to be indoors, then the next question that will immediately follow is...how much do you want to spend? Oddly enough, because of the number of celebrations out there, one really gets what they pay for when it comes to the parties. They are actually quite competitive. What amenities do you want or need? The more you spend, the more stuff will be made available to you. It will really all depend on your need for either extravagance or simplicity, and the size of your pocketbook.

 

If you choose to be outdoors you also have a lot of options, but the bigger questions for the outdoorsy folks will be, where? There are fireworks all over the city, and if you are outside, you will see fireworks. So, again, what do you want? If you want to be with a lot of people, in the heart of the action, then go down to the Strip. That's where you and a couple hundred thousand people can all get together to watch one of the best fireworks displays in the world. Not only that, it's free. Then again, some folks don't want to be jostled amongst the crowd and would prefer quieter surroundings. Then drive up to the foothills that enclose our valley and find a spot that looks over the city. From there, you will see fireworks displays from all over the city. It is both quiet and can be very romantic, too.

 

All of the best entertainment will be playing that night as well and will be having midnight shows. If you want to celebrate while watching your favorite band, performer, or show, then make your reservations early.

 

Akon

Mandalay Bay Dec 31

Blast from the Past New Year's Eve Bash

Santa Fe Station Dec 31

Kid Rock

Palms Casino Dec 31

Mandalay Bay New Year's Eve Party

Mandalay Bay Dec 31

New Year's Celebration w/ Tony Orlando

South Point Casino Hotel & Spa Dec 31

New Year's Eve at Noon - Le Voci: Vegas

South Point Casino Hotel & Spa Dec 31

New Year's Eve at Noon - Shades of Sinatra

Suncoast Hotel and Casino Dec 31

New Year's Eve w/ Steel Panther

Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa Dec 31

New Year's Eve with Chaze

Suncoast Hotel Dec 31

New Year's Eve with Yellow Brick Road

Boulder Station Dec 31

Purple Reign

Mandalay Bay Dec 31

Red Bull Jump - Robbie Maddison - New Year's Eve

Paris Las Vegas Dec 31

Sha Na Na

Cannery Casino Dec 31

That's Italian

Eastside Cannery Dec 31

U2 Tribute New Year's Dance Party w/ Joshua Tree

South Point Dec 31

 

New Year's Eve is a great time in Las Vegas, and you can make it whatever you want it to be. You have more choices and options than anywhere else in the world, and that's one of the reasons that Las Vegas is so great.

 

The first week in January has:

Aaron Lewis

Green Valley Ranch Jan 2

Comedian Mike Epps

Orleans Hotel Jan 2 - Jan 3

Legends of Motown Show

Cannery Casino Jan 2 - Jan 3

Neil Diamond

MGM Grand Jan 2

Oh What A Night

Suncoast Hotel Jan 2 - Jan 4

Stone Temple Pilots

Palms Jan 2

The Four Freshman

South Point 2 - Jan 4

Aaron Lewis

Aliante Station Jan 3

B.B. King

Buffalo Bill's Jan 3

Kathleen Madigan

Mandalay Bay Jan 3

L.A. Guns

Four Queens Jan 3

Smash Mouth

Silverton Hotel Jan 3

ZZ Top

Hard Rock Jan 3