Lee Lanier built a 30-foot desert scene in his garage, one panel at a time, and never saw the whole thing until it went up on a wall. The Boulder City artist had done murals for years but had never made a mosaic. His design still won a City of Las Vegas competition for a tile piece at Centennial Hills Park. The Boulder City Review reported that he started with a request for qualifications, made the cut to three finalists, and pitched to a jury. The finished piece is 12 feet tall, made of 27 panels, and shows desert scenery that includes Valley of Fire and Red Rock. Each panel weighs as much as 130 pounds.
The unveiling is Thursday morning, Nov. 12. It's also the first date on a holiday calendar that, in Centennial Hills this year, keeps coming back to the same park on Buffalo Drive. The season opens there on Nov. 12 and ends there on the Saturday before Christmas. The large light shows that fill the rest of December sit outside the neighborhood in two different directions, so the dates closest to home are the ones worth putting on the fridge first.
Thursday Morning, at the Restroom Building
The city's event listing puts the "Bocaditos with Brune Special Mural Unveiling" at the restroom building in Centennial Hills Park, 6851 N. Buffalo Drive, from 9 to 11 a.m. Ward 6 Councilwoman Nancy Brune hosts. Visitors can meet the artist and hear guest speakers, and refreshments are provided.
Using that wall was a deliberate choice. Laura Machado, who manages the city's public and visual arts section, told the Boulder City Review that when the restroom facility came up as a possible site, the city saw "a perfect opportunity to add something meaningful for the people who visit the park." She added that the arts commission "has been excited to grow our collection of tile murals." The project's theme was celebrating the outdoors and the environment. That means the newest landmark in a northwest Las Vegas park is a picture of Valley of Fire and Red Rock, unveiled just as the holiday calendar begins.
If you miss the unveiling, the mosaic stays put. It's on a building you already pass on the way to the playground or the courts.
Five Weeks Later, the Same Park Hosts the Finale
The park's second holiday date is just up the road at the Centennial Hills Park Amphitheatre, 7101 N. Buffalo Drive. At 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, the Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas plays a holiday program of classics and orchestral arrangements of modern favorites. The City of Las Vegas listing says it's free and open to all ages, with an Eventbrite registration link on the page.
What to bring, per the city:
- Blankets and low-back chairs for the grass
- Money for hot drinks and food, which are sold on site
- No glass and no pets
With a 2 p.m. start, the concert is done well before the evening events on the same date.
Dec. 19 Is the Neighborhood's Doubleheader
Santa Fe Station, at 4949 N. Rancho Dr., books Mindi Abair's "I Can't Wait For Christmas" into its Chrome Showroom the same night. Station Casinos Live lists doors at 7 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m. Here's how the day stacks up:
| Time | Event | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 p.m. | Young Artists Orchestra Holiday Symphony Concert | Centennial Hills Park Amphitheatre, 7101 N. Buffalo Dr. | Free |
| 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. | Wine pre-show, 21 and older, show ticket also required | Santa Fe Station | $35 |
| 8 p.m. | Mindi Abair, "I Can't Wait For Christmas" | Chrome Showroom, Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Dr. | $47.50, $57.50 or $77.50 reserved, plus tax and fees |
A household could do the free afternoon concert and the evening show without leaving the northwest part of the valley.
Between the Two Park Dates, Skye Canyon's Thursday
The biggest gathering between the unveiling and the concert happens one community over. Skye Canyon's annual Pray for Snow is Thursday, Dec. 10, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. According to the Skye Canyon Events page, these activities are free:
- A holiday craft station
- A s'mores pit
- Letters to Santa
- Santa's Bounce House
The photo pass costs $10 for residents and $20 for resident guests. It covers hot chocolate, a printed photo with Santa, and digital photos with Snoopy and Santa's car. Polar Express train rides are $5 per ticket, and the evening also has a farmers market. The event page links to an RSVP.
Volunteers from Operation Warm Heart collect new, unused toys during the festival for their Adopt-A-Family drive. The group supports airmen and families stationed at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases, and money raised at Pray for Snow goes toward that work. If you go, bring a new, unused toy for the collection.
The Big Lights Mean Leaving the Neighborhood
The bigger productions are outside Centennial Hills, and the closest large one is northeast. Glittering Lights runs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 7000 N. Las Vegas Boulevard, from Nov. 6, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027. It's a three-mile drive-through course with more than 6 million lights. The route is I-15 North to Exit 54, Speedway Boulevard, then a right turn. The operator says to merge into the far-right lane for the Santa Tram entry.
Price is where this season looks different from last year. A carload is $44 online by card or $39 cash at the gate. The 2025 fact sheet listed $39 per vehicle, so last year's standard price is now the cash price. The operator also advertises code SHINEON26 for $5 off and a $10 discount if you bring a Goodwill donation. The gates open at 5 p.m. every night. The calendar shows 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Some nights change what you pay or how you get in:
- Mondays: Pet Night, with treats for the first 100 pets while supplies last
- Nov. 16: free entry for military, ID required
- Nov. 19: free entry for first responders, ID required
- Nov. 24: free entry for teachers, ID required
- Dec. 5: Bicycle Night. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Buy online by 3:30 p.m. and be inside the gates by 4:30 p.m., with no late entry. E-bikes, rollerblades and unicycles are allowed.
- Dec. 31: fireworks at 9 p.m.
New this year are the Tribute to America with an Avenue of Flags, one for each of the 50 states, plus expanded movie displays, an Under the Big Top display, additions to Fairy Willows and a reworked Tunnel of Love. Bicycle Night riders should expect uneven, hilly gravel and need to keep moving.
The other major option is in the opposite direction. Enchant is back at Las Vegas Ballpark from Nov. 20 through Dec. 27, with a light maze, ice skating, Santa and a village marketplace. Admission starts at $27 and changes with date, entry time and demand. News 3 Las Vegas reported that this sixth season brings a rebuilt maze with a new storyline, along with a snow slide and visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
So the two large light shows sit northeast and southwest of the neighborhood, while the Centennial Hills dates are a short drive or a walk away.
The Season in Order
- Nov. 12, 9 to 11 a.m.: Lee Lanier mosaic unveiling, Centennial Hills Park, 6851 N. Buffalo Dr. Free.
- Nov. 16, 19 and 24: free Glittering Lights appreciation nights for military, first responders and teachers.
- Nov. 20: Enchant opens at Las Vegas Ballpark.
- Dec. 5: Glittering Lights Bicycle Night. Be inside by 4:30 p.m.
- Dec. 10, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Pray for Snow at Skye Canyon, with the Operation Warm Heart toy drive.
- Dec. 19, 2 p.m.: Young Artists Orchestra at Centennial Hills Park Amphitheatre. Free.
- Dec. 19, 8 p.m.: Mindi Abair at Santa Fe Station's Chrome Showroom.
- Dec. 27: Enchant's last night.
- Dec. 31, 9 p.m.: fireworks at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
- Jan. 3: Glittering Lights' final night.
Dorthy has lived in this valley for more than 40 years and has spent more than 19 of them helping people buy and sell homes here. If the new mosaic or a Saturday on the amphitheater lawn has you wondering what your own place in Centennial Hills is worth, or where in the northwest you'd want to spend next December, Dorthy Sierra is happy to talk it through. Schedule Your Personalized Consultation.
