Home for the holidays

Anne Hosier

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1997 | 10:12 a.m.

It's going to be a Vegas Christmas, that's for sure.

Santa will be making his appearance at the Rio, not in a sleigh, but in a stylin' "Rio-mobile," pulled by a team of men dressed as reindeer.

"The Nutcracker" will be shown -- in vivid, surround-sound 3-D -- at the Imax theater in the Luxor hotel-casino.

A person dressed up as a mechanical angel will be reciting classic holiday stories to little kids at the MGM Grand's "Holiday Wonderland."

And a flock of reindeer who traveled here from Denver via the interstate -- if they flew to all their gigs they wouldn't have the energy to hit those rooftops when they really needed it -- will be voguing near the walk-through gingerbread house.

That's not to say our fair city has gone totally commercial, however.

Local charities have been overwhelmed by the generous outpouring of help and donations they've been getting this holiday seasons.

The list of volunteers wanting to serve Christmas dinner at the Salvation Army dining room has been full for at least three weeks; the one at Catholic Charities was booked even before that. "We had probably a thousand calls," says Lori O'Brien, community relations spokesperson for Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada. "We had to turn most of them away ... Some people actually book the year before." A food drive held by Catholic Charities and Century Theaters at the Orleans hotel-casino last week netted a whopping 57 50-gallon bags of donations -- in a single evening!

O'Brien, for one, is extremely grateful, but adds wistfully: "I just wish some of these people would remember us in June and July."

So think about helping out in January.

And in the meantime, check out some of the things you can do to enjoy Christmas, Las Vegas style:

Holiday Cheer

* MGM Grand Adventure's "Holiday Wonderland" experience features a giant, walk-through gingerbread house handmade by MGM Grand chefs, live reindeer, a 30-foot Christmas tree, photo opportunities, themed entertainment and special appearances by "Kelbi the Angel," a woman dressed like a mechanical angel who will recite classic holiday stories through Dec. 31. The "Holiday Wonderland" is open daily through Jan. 4, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission -- which includes entrance to all themed shows, the holiday show and the Magic Screen Theatre (see listing under shows & performances) -- is $3.50. A wristband allowing access to the theme park rides is available for $15.

* The nation's tallest live Christmas tree --which stands 110-feet-high and weighs 15,000 pounds -- will be on display at the front entrance of the Rio Suites hotel-casino. A gingerbread house measuring 4-feet by 5-feet, a 90-pound chocolate Santa, a 25-pound chocolate soldier and snowman and a 3-foot chocolate reindeer will adorn the hotel's front lobby. Enormous wreaths, ribbon-strewned garland and trimmed trees decorate the entire hotel. Santa, Elves, Frosty the Snowman and other yuletide characters will mingle with the public in the Rio's Masquerade Village from 2 to 10 p.m. today.

* The Cactus Garden at the Ethel M Chocolate factory, 2 Cactus Garden Drive in Henderson, features more than 350 cacti and native plants adorned with more than 30,000 lights. The gates will be open and the lights will be lit from 4:30 to 11 p.m. daily, so observers can drive in. There is no entrance fee.

* The Magical Forest, a Christmas display featuring three million lights, 200 15-foot candy canes, a gingerbread house, a castle with Santa, a train ride and homemade craft sale, will be open at Opportunity Village, 6300 W. Oakey, through Saturday. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. through Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children and free for infants. The train ride is $3 for adults, $2 for children. All proceeds go toward Opportunity Village's national, award-winning program for the mentally retarded. For more information, call 259-3741.

* A Family Day picnic will be held by the Jewish Community Center of Southern Nevada at Red Rock Canyon's Willow Springs picnic area (approximately 7 miles around the loop) on Thursday, starting at 11 a.m. Bring your own picnic, and join the group in hiking and other activities. If the temperature is expected to fall below 50 degrees, the group will meet instead at Sunset Station for the first showing of the Robin Williams movie "Flubber." Please call the Jewish Community Center's office at 794-0090 today to make a reservation.

* Santa will be at the Excalibur hotel-casino through Wednesday on the second level, near the wedding chapel. His hours are noon to 9 p.m., with breaks from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. Photos are $6.95.

* The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is one of the few shopping malls in the nation open on Christmas day, for those who really are last minute-shoppers. Hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Carolers

* The Young Entertainers Choir will perform today from 1:15 to 1:30 p.m. in the MGM Grand Adventures theme park; the Silver High Madrigals will sing today from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Joyful Noise will sing from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. St. Viator's Choir will appear at 1:15 p.m. on Friday, followed by the Young Entertainers Choir at 5:30 p.m. Puttin' on the Kidz will perform from 1:15 to 1:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Joyful Noise will appear at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Choir performances will continue daily through New Year's Eve. Admission to the "Holiday Wonderland," where the performances will be held, is $3.50.

* A "Toy Soldiers" percussion group will perform today and Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m. at the Mystic Falls Indoor Park at Sam's Town. Lamplight Carolers, an acappella quartet will be singing today and from 6 to 8 p.m. Tumbleweeds Barbershop Quartet will sing on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Admission to the 25,000- square-foot atrium is free.

* The Lamplight Carolers will sing in the Cactus Garden and at the chocolate shop at Ethel M Chocolates, 2 Cactus Drive in Henderson, Wednesday from 3 to 5 p.m. They will also appear at the Ethel M chocolate shop in the Showcase Mall today from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

* A singing duo accompanied by piano will perform on the Village main event stage in the Masquerade Village at the Rio Suite Hotel & Casino today and Thursday at 3 and 7 p.m. Admission to the Masquerade Village is free.

* The Holiday Singers will perform in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Shows, movies

* "The Nutcracker" ballet will be staged by the Nevada Dance Theatre and the Nevada Symphony Orchestra at the Judy Bayley Theatre at UNLV at 8 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Wednesday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday Tickets are $25, $36 and $47 and are available by calling 895-3801.

* Live performances of "Scrooged," "A Country Christmas," "Betty Boop's Holiday Show," "Holidays with Elvis," "Blues Brothers Rockin' Christmas," will be offered three times daily at the "Holiday Wonderland," inside the MGM Grand Adventures theme park. A special indoor show "Holiday Celebration" featuring a live band and 10 Grandmosphere performers, traditional and swing music and contemporary holiday cheer, will be held daily at 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. The shows will run through Jan. 4. Admission is included in the $3.50 entrance fee to the "Holiday Wonderland."

* A 3-D version of "The Nutcracker" will be shown in the Imax theater at the Luxor hotel-casino through Jan. 4, at 9 and 10:40 a.m., and 12:40, 2:30, 3:45, 5, 6:50, 8:40 and 10:30 p.m. daily. Tickets are $8.50.

For Kids

* A full-length holiday cartoon movie will be shown in the MGM Grand Adventure's Magic Screen Theatre, an indoor, heated theater inside the theme park, each day through Jan. 4 at 3:30 p.m. Admission is included in the $3.50 entrance fee to the "Holiday Wonderland."

* A holiday tea for girls ages 6 and up will be held at the Whitney Library on Saturday at 3 p.m. The party will celebrate the newest character "Josephina" in the American Girls book series -- which features the lives of girls in different eras of U.S. history. Girls are invited to dress up as their favorite character from the series. Cookies and other refreshments will be served, and a related craft-making session will be offered. Space is limited to 25 girls. Admission is free. Call the library at 454-4575 to register.

* Holiday movies will be shown at the West Las Vegas Library at 2 p.m. today Admission is free. Call 647-2722 for more information.

* Santa will be making appearances in the Masquerade Village at the Rio Suite Hotel & Casino on his "Rio-Mobile," a motorized vehicle "pulled" by people dressed up as reindeer at 4:45 and 8:45 p.m. through Thursday.

Kwanzaa

* African-American food court and entertainment, including drum ceremony and dance. Traditional African attire is encouraged but not required. West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., at 3 p.m. Friday. Free and open to the public. Canned food donations will be accepted. For more information, call 229-4800.

* Rites of Passage Graduation and Ebony Communiversity Graduation, African Market crafts, music, poetry and dance. West Las Vegas Library, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 6 p.m. Saturday. Free and open to the public.

* "Kujichagulia Self-Determination" celebration, includes African-American poetry, storytelling and food. Reed Whipple Cultural Center, 821 Las Vegas Blvd., 2 p.m. Saturday. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 229-6211.

Charitable Activities

* Salvation Army staff and volunteers will be handing out toys, clothes and food vouchers to needy families at Cashman Field, 850 N. Las Vegas Blvd., until 6 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday.

* Christmas Dinner will be served by Salvation Army staff and volunteers at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at 35 W. Owens Ave. (The volunteer list to serve is full.)

* Christmas Dinner will be served at Catholic Charity's St. Vincent's main dining room at 1501 N. Las Vegas Blvd. starting at 10 a.m.