On 180 acres, at the location of the original springs that created 'The Meadows', the Spanish translation of Las Vegas, lies the Springs Preserve. The $250 million facility is an addition to the general growth of culture and history to be found in Las Vegas. There are interactive displays, classes, and events held throughout the center. It also offers educational opportunities for the future, as it features conservation and recycling, what Las Vegas has long been doing to maintain it's desert sustainability.

The Winter Festival takes place for the December holidays, with the buildings, their trails, and gardens decorated and lit with over 500,000 super bright lights... and they're LED of course, since they are much more energy efficient. The desert landscaping provides a unique frame for the display, just as you'll find at the Ethel M Cactus Gardens.

The display is open Friday - Sunday through December 21st. It is then open daily from Monday December 22 through the 30th, but closed on Christmas Day. All dates, the hours are from 5 PM - 9 PM. Admission is free for Annual Pass Members, for non-members it's $8 for adults 18 and over, $6 for ages 5 - 17, and children 4 and under are free. From December 26th - January 15, the center will be recycling Christmas Trees with more than 20 drop off points slated around the Las Vegas Valley. The trees will be spared from filling landfills and mulched for use in landscaping to aid water conservation.

For the event nights Santa will be on hand, and there is face painting and costumed characters that may be found strolling the grounds. The festival features entertainment provided by a variety of local performance groups, and includes Theater Las Vegas's original puppet show, Dickens Done Over. There are also train rides for $2, and lighted horse drawn carriage rides for $5, both for those age 2 and older. Hot chocolate and other snacks and beverages are available for purchase.

Before we go on to the pictures of the lights and decorations....with the lights of the Las Vegas Strip just a few miles away as a backdrop, there's something interesting that we caught in one of the shots. It lasted only moments and was gone by the next exposure, but it appears there was a shooting-star in the skies above Las Vegas that night. Here's a close-up, and if you look carefully in the photoshow, you might catch a glimpse of it on top of the shot across the Springs Amphitheater, with the peppermint sticks and Tin Soldiers.

Now on with the pictures of the 2008 Springs Preserve Winter Festival. To see the pictures full screen, instead of using PLAY, click the HD / Full Screen button on the bottom of the player below, and when finished click it again or use the ESC key to return.

The XML Flash player NOT embedded in the current posting? Click here to view these pictures , or for all my Las Vegas Photoshows that include some of the interesting neighborhoods and events found in and around the Las Vegas Valley, CLICK HERE.

There are also other holiday events for Las Vegas residents, like the Ethel M Cactus Garden lights, Four Seasons Hotel Gingerbread Houses, The Santa Train, Sam's Town Mystic Falls, and some others I've blogged about. These are just some of the things that makes the Las Vegas Valley a great place to call home.

If you are interested in relocating to Las Vegas or would like information on Las Vegas real estate, please email me, Roberta LaRocca, at roberta@search4lasvegashomes.com, or call me at 702-354-8988. I look forward to hearing from you!

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