NEVADA — It’s time to deck the halls as Boulder City, Laughlin and Mesquite celebrate the start of the holiday season with festive parades, dazzling holiday lights and family fun with Santa Claus.

Upcoming holiday events include:

BBOULDER CITY

• Community Tree Lighting (Friday, Dec. 6)
  Celebrate the start of the holiday season with the community tree lighting at Frank T Crowe Memorial Park, featuring sparkling lights, live entertainment, hot chocolate, and plenty of festive cheer.
• Santa Electric Night Parade (Saturday, Dec. 7)
  Experience spectacular floats, dazzling lights, marching bands, live performances and endless fun as the parade winds through the Historic District of downtown. The route runs from the corner of Nevada Way and Colorado Street to 5th Street and Avenue B.
• Doodlebug Bazaar (Saturday, Dec. 7)
  The Doodlebug Bazaar, held at the Boulder City Recreation Center, features a wide selection of holiday gifts and goodies and is a one-stop shop for seasonal treasures.
• Santa’s Picture Party (Saturday, Dec. 7)
  Sponsored by the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, the free event at the Bicentennial Park Gazebo invites children to meet Santa, take a festive photo and receive a complimentary coloring book and goodie bag.
• Boating Lake Mead’s Annual Parade of Lights (Saturday, Dec. 7)
  Celebrate the 46th Annual Parade of Lights at Boulder Beach, Lake Mead! Bundle up with hot chocolate, enjoy Christmas carolers on the patio, and cheer on the beautifully decorated boats. Bring the family and take part in this beloved annual tradition—vote for your favorite boats and help crown the Best in Show!
• Santa Trains (Friday & Saturday, Dec. 1, 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22)
  A family tradition since 2002, Santa returns for holiday fun on the daytime Santa Trains at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Guests can enjoy a festive 45-minute ride to Paradise Hills, complete with your favorite Christmas music, candy canes handed out by Santa’s helpers and opportunities to snap a photo with the jolly man himself. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Boulder City North Pole Express (Friday, Nov. 29 to Sunday, Dec. 22)
  Escape to a winter wonderland with friends and family during a magical evening train ride with Santa on the North Pole Express at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. The 40-minute train ride aboard the North Pole Express features storytelling and caroling, with hot cocoa and cookies, snow flurries, reindeer games and elf activities, and photos with St. Nick upon arrival at Santa’s Railyard. 
• “Rafting with Santa” Aboard Hoover Dam Rafting Adventures (Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 12-15 and Wednesday-Sunday, Dec. 18-22)
  Journey 12 miles down the scenic Colorado River aboard a raft piloted by jolly old St. Nick and his helpers this yuletide season. The holiday-themed activity includes a three-hour smooth-water river tour with Santa Claus, gifts for each passenger and complimentary cookies, hot chocolate and Christmas music at Willow Beach Marina. 

LAUGHLIN   

• The Platters Very Merry Christmas (Wednesday-Sunday, Dec. 4-8)
  Don’s Celebrity Theater at the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino presents The Platters Very Merry Christmas, an interactive musical journey through time, featuring the sounds of vocal groups through the decades. The Rock n’ Roll, Vocal, and GRAMMY Halls of Fame group, The Platters, lend their sharp, velvety smooth voices to Christmas classics in this can’t miss holiday performance series. 
• 13th Annual Christmas Tree Silent Auction (Now through Saturday, Dec. 14)
  Aquarius Casino Resort and Edgewater Casino Resort are bringing Christmas cheer to families in need this holiday season with their 13^th Annual Christmas Tree Auction benefitting the Feed A Family initiative. Guests and visitors can bid on nine uniquely-themed and decorated Christmas trees adorned with festive ornaments and shimmering lights in the silent auction. This year’s tree themes include Everything Elf, Santa, Coca Cola Arctic Christmas, Christmas Movies, Christmas Wonderland Woodland Creatures, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Snowman, A Country Christmas and Patriotic; all trees will be available to preview in the Aquarius lobby. 
• The Nutcracker Ballet (Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 12-15)
  The holiday season comes to life at Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino for the Anaheim Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, the classic heartwarming tale of Clara and her Nutcracker doll who changes her woeful winter into a feast in Candyland.
• Christmas with The Beatles Featuring Abbey Road (Saturday, Dec. 21)
  Tribute band Abbey Road brings festive mash-ups of Christmas classics and beloved-Beatles tunes to The Edge Pavilion at Edgewater Casino Resort this winter, delivering tight harmonies and flawless renditions in period-accurate costumes. 

MESQUITE

Cocoa and Camels with Santa (Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 20-21)
Make this season unforgettable with a wild holiday experience like no other. The unique event offers a festive photo with Santa and a camel, a safari tram ride, ornament making crafts and cozy campfires with hot chocolate and s’mores.

Christmas Boutique (Now through Friday, Dec. 27)
Find one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones at the VVAA Annual Christmas Boutique at the Mesquite Fine Arts Center, which will feature unique gifts, pottery, stationery, art and other handmade treasures created by local artists.

###

About Mesquite
Close to home and yet a world away! Mesquite is located 90 miles north of Las Vegas and offers visitors an excitingly laid-back experience. Choose from several fabulous championship golf courses; explore astonishing, nearby national and state parks; or lounge by a sparkling pool. If you’d rather play indoors, then unwind and be pampered at a luxurious day-spa, practice your skill at bowling, dance the night away, or try your luck at the tables and slot machines. For more information on the destination, visit www.visitmesquite.com.

About Laughlin
Located 90 miles south of Las Vegas, Laughlin is a unique resort destination with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that welcomes nearly 2 million visitors annually. This oasis along the Colorado River boasts many options for water sports and boating activities, including eight resorts with stunning accommodations that offer fine dining, spa experiences, golfing, and a close proximity to the recreational paradise known as Heritage Trails. Laughlin has also become a leading special event destination in the Southwest. For more information, visit www.visitlaughlin.com.  

About Boulder City
Boulder City is known as a green oasis in the desert. Located approximately 20 miles from the glitter and excitement of Las Vegas and just a few miles from the grandeur of Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, the destination offers a quiet, relaxed living environment. Boulder City takes pride in its quality recreational facilities such as Bootleg Canyon mountain bike trails, Boulder City Golf Course, and Boulder Creek Golf Club. For more information, visit www.visitbouldercity.com.