dale dombrowski/viewVisitors can stroll down lighted pathways adorned with Christmas lights at Sam?s Town Mystic Falls Indoor Park, 5111 Boulder Highway.
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It was a chilly November evening in Las Vegas when small flakes of faux snow began to flitter slowly from the ceiling at the Mystic Falls Indoor Park at Sam's Town.
As a medley of holiday music reverberated through the building, adults and children alike paused to smile in wonderment as specially choreographed fountains propelled water hundreds of feet into the air, moving in time with the music. Scenes depicting beloved Christmas characters such as Frosty the Snowman and the Nutcracker were projected onto the side of a mountain, where multihued lasers glittered and danced through the spurting fountains.
It was all part of the new Sam's Town Mystic Falls Winter Wonderland Spectacular, a daily extravaganza designed to enchant and envelop guests with the sights and sounds of the season.
The fancifully decorated park itself is filled with animatronic wildlife; a grizzly bear perched atop the mountain moves his head from side to side, a mountain lion growls at passers-by, a busy beaver works to build his dam, and a small fawn twitches his tail as he bends down to eat grass.
"We want to create a unique experience for locals all year long," said Patrick Fitzgerald, director of marketing. "The animals are here year-round, as is the park. But the Christmas show is brand new. Sam's Town is a neighborhood casino. We cater to locals, and we wanted to be able to give them something they won't see anywhere else."
Las Vegas resident Joseph Braxton heard about the show from a neighbor.
"Our neighbors were apparently here when it opened around Thanksgiving, and they have raved about it ever since," Braxton said. "So we decided to bring the family down and were really impressed by it. The kids loved it and want to come back. My daughter wanted to wait the two hours for the next showing."
According to Fitzgerald, the spectacular has been more popular than Sam's Town executives expected.
"People were literally lined up to see it on opening day, and we always have quite a few people waiting on the bridge near the falls to make sure that they have a great spot," Fitzgerald said.
Lance Turner said he happened to be wandering through the park when the show began, and he stopped to watch when he noticed an animatronic wolf wearing a Santa hat pop out from behind the mountain.
"This is really cool," Turner said. "Nice surprise to be walking through here and find something like this. I'm going to have to bring my parents back with me when they visit at Christmas."
The casino plans to make the 10-minute long show an annual holiday event.
"We want to become a family tradition like 'The Nutcracker' or opening one present on Christmas Eve," Fitzgerald said. "Something people look forward to each year."
The spectacular will play daily at 6, 8 and 10 p.m. through New Year's Eve. Admission is free.
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