The 60-foot holiday tree is seen on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Carolers from the Las Vegas Academy sing on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Carolers from the Las Vegas Academy sing on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Carolers from the Las Vegas Academy sing on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The Ancheta family poses with Santa Claus on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The 60-foot holiday tree is seen on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Ice skaters skate at the ice rink on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The 60-foot holiday tree is seen on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The Coca-Cola Bear pretends to eat Santa Claus’ head on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki has her hand kissed by the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki holds hands with the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Chianna Rodriguez, from left, and Michelle Rudzki laugh at the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Alexa Rodriguez, from left, Chianna Rodriguez and Michelle Rudzki laugh at the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki points at the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki moves closer to touch foreheads with the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki moves closer to touch foreheads with the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki smiles after touching foreheads with the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Michelle Rudzki smiles after touching foreheads with the Coca-Cola bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Radio personality Chet Buchanan greets the crowd on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
MGM CEO Jim Murren greets the crowd on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Santa Claus, the Coca-Cola Bear, Chet Buchanan, and a group of military veterans press the button to light the tree on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Carolers from the Las Vegas Academy sing on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Carolers from the Las Vegas Academy sing on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Twins Alexa and Chianna Rodriguez skate on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Radio personality Chet Buchanan greets the crowd on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Scooter Christensen of the Harlem Globetrotters talks with radio personality Chet Buchanan on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Scooter Christensen of the Harlem Globetrotters laughs with radio personality Chet Buchanan on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Scooter Christensen of the Harlem Globetrotters laughs with radio personality Chet Buchanan on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Scooter Christensen of the Harlem Globetrotters performs a trick with the Coca-Cola Bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
Scooter Christensen of the Harlem Globetrotters performs a trick with the Coca-Cola Bear on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The crowd claps for the performance of Scooter Christensen on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at the tree lighting ceremony at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The 60-foot holiday tree is seen on Monday, Nov. 21, 2016, at The Park in Las Vegas. Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @rookie__rae
The idea to make The Park a destination for tourists and locals felt like a reality Monday night when radio personality Chet Buchanan asked the locals to raise their hands.
Half the crowd did.
Las Vegas native Scooter Christensen of the Harlem Globetrotters was joined onstage by the Coca-Cola bear and performed tricks for the crowd. Carolers from the Las Vegas Academy performed. Military veterans joined MGM CEO Jim Murren onstage to press a giant red button to turn on the tree lights — all 13,000 of them.
The Park will have an ice rink until Jan. 15, and carolers and Santa Claus weekly before Christmas.
Restaurants in The Park will have seasonal food and drinks, and tents set up by the ice rink in Toshiba Plaza will offer holiday food and drinks as well.
Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal
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