Celebrate the holidays with a variety of events and activities in Henderson

With December approaching, the holiday spirit has set up camp around Henderson.

The Village Lake Las Vegas is offering Storytelling with Santa on the Beach from 6 to 8 p.m. throughout December. Each session includes a different story such as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on Saturday , "The Twelve Day s of Christmas" Dec. 10, "The Tailor's Apprentice " Dec. 17 and "The Nutcracker " Dec. 24. The readings include hot cider, s'mores and cookies and milk by the fire pit.

Vocalist Annie Meadows is slated to perform at 7 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Casablanca Ballroom at Loews Lake Las Vegas, 101 Montelago Blvd. For eight years, Meadows has offered this free concert to the community.

Meadows said the first year she offered the show, it was as a thank you to the staff of the former Ritz-Carlton.

"It was to be a gift to the management and staff of the Ritz-Carlton for the kindness they had shown me and my family on several occasions," Meadows said.

But word got out, and the ballroom began to flood with interested guests. Meadows decided the show would be offered to the rest of the community.

"I offer it free, as I love people, especially my home community," said Meadows, who is an Anthem resident. "I desire to give people, families and children a spectacular concert event without the need to bring more debt into our society. It's all about giving back."

Before the concert, Meadows plans to read from one of her children's books from 4 to 4:45 p.m. in the lobby of Loews. She also said she plans to give away gifts during both events.

Lake Las Vegas' floating ice rink is slated to be open until Jan. 29. The rink is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holidays. The cost is $15 per adult and $12 per child. Season passes are available for $125. For groups of 20 people or more, it is $8 per person.

The District at Green Valley Ranch

The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2240 Village Walk Drive, was slated to have its tree lighting ceremony Nov. 27 . The 50-foot-tall tree, decorated with more than 14,400 LED lights, performs holiday tunes every 20 minutes between 5 and 9 p.m. daily during the holidays.

Santa is scheduled to be at the main plaza from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays through the holidays.

The District also is offering complimentary horse and carriage rides on Main Street between noon and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

City of Henderson

The city of Henderson kicks off its events with its annual WinterFest from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 9 and noon to 8 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Henderson Events Plaza , 200 S. Water St.

According to Nicole Johnson, a spokeswoman with the city of Henderson's Cultural Arts and Tourism Department , the evening was inspired by Charles Dickens' era.

"We wanted to have the feel of an old-fashioned Christmas," Johnson said.

The evening opens with a tree-lighting ceremony, followed by the Henderson Symphony Orchestra performing at 7 p.m.

A parade is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday. This marks the first time that the parade will be held at night. The city is accepting float entries until Wednesday . Visit cityofhenderson.com for more information.

"We extended the deadline to get more entries," Johnson said.

The city of Henderson also is offering children's activities for the holidays through the Parks and Recreation Department .

From noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center, 1575 Galleria Drive, children ages 6 to 12 can make take-home presents and design their own wrapping paper during Santa's Workshop. The cost is $15 per child. A candy cane hunt also has been scheduled from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 10 at the Heritage Park Aquatic Complex, 310 S. Racetrack Road.

The city is offering puppy pictures with Santa from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Black Mountain Recreation Center, 1575 Galleria Drive. The event is $2, plus the cost of picture packages. People can bring their own cameras to take photos.

Other Events

Henderson Libraries is scheduled to host its annual Library Tree Lane benefit from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday at the Paseo Verde Library, 280 S. Green Valley Parkway. The holiday-themed event is $25 with a silent auction to raise money for the district's teen collection for sixth- through 12th-graders. The library raised $24,000 at the 2010 benefit.

Santa arrived Nov. 5 at the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road, and is scheduled to visit throughout December. Pets can have their pictures taken with Santa from 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays.

Ethel M's Holiday Cactus Garden, 2 Cactus Garden Drive, is open until 10 p.m. daily until Jan. 1. Admission is free.

Contact Henderson/Anthem View reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@viewnews.com or 387-5201.