Downtown Summerlin's holiday season opens Friday, Nov. 13. The Rock Rink, the Jupiter Express Holiday Train and the Santa Chalet all start that day. The first Holiday Parade comes a full week later, on Nov. 20. In 2026 the Santa photo package price goes up twice between November and Christmas Eve. Rink skate rental and the train fare are both higher than last year. Santa visits are by reservation, and the rink sells timed sessions that its operator strongly encourages booking ahead. For households along Alta Drive in Bellacere, the cheapest and easiest version of the season comes early.
The week before the parade
From Nov. 13 through Nov. 19, everything except the parade is running. The 40-foot holiday tree is lit, the Jupiter Express gives rides near the rink, and Sterling's Cocoa Trailer sits next to the ice for anyone warming up after a session. The Giving Machine opens a day earlier, on Nov. 12, and stays through Jan. 3, 2027.
This week also has the lowest Santa pricing of the season and the only professional family portrait sessions. Downtown Summerlin's holiday announcement lists the portraits for Nov. 13 through 25, during the first and last hour of chalet hours, with or without Santa in the frame. The window closes before Thanksgiving, so anyone hoping for a family card photo has a short span to book.
Santa's price climbs with the calendar
The Santa Chalet is in Macy's Promenade. Its event page says reservations are required, with "minimal walk-ups available pending capacity." Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The photo package price depends on the date of the visit:
| Visit dates | Photo package |
|---|---|
| Nov. 14–25 | $39.99 |
| Nov. 27–Dec. 10 | $42.99 |
| Dec. 11–24 | $49.99 |
The package is the same at every tier: two printed 5x7 photos and three downloadable digital photos. A family that books for the week before Christmas pays $10 more than one that comes in mid-November. Changing plans also costs money. The reservation page allows one free reschedule and charges $20 for each one after that.
Two sessions are worth planning around. Pet Nights are new on Thursdays this year and run Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m., through Dec. 17. A sensory-friendly morning for families with sensory needs is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon. Beginning Nov. 13, children can also drop letters to Santa at the chalet. Downtown Summerlin donates $1 per letter to Goodie Two Shoes Foundation, a local nonprofit that provides free shoes, socks and other essentials to children in need.
The rink costs more than last year, and it sells by the session
Skate rental at the Rock Rink is $22 this season, up from $18 in 2025. The Jupiter Express went from $5 to $7 per person, and that fare applies to adults and children alike. For a family of four, one skate session plus one train ride now comes to $116, compared with $92 for the same outing last year.
The rink is on The Lawn and runs Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 18, 2027. On the rink operator's ticket page, general admission is a 75-minute session with skate rental included. You pick a date from a calendar, and parking is free. The same page lists these hours:
- Monday through Thursday: 4 to 9 p.m.
- Friday: 4 to 10 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
On weekdays the ice doesn't open until late afternoon. Saturday is the only day with a morning session. Downtown Summerlin's own announcement says hours vary and walk-up availability depends on capacity, so check the booking calendar before you go.
The themed skate nights fill out the calendar. The official rink listing includes:
- Student Skate Nights on Nov. 18, Dec. 2, Jan. 6 and Jan. 13
- An NFR country-themed night on Nov. 21
- Frozen Skate Night on Dec. 10
- LV Sports Night on Dec. 16
- A Night with Cirque du Soleil on Dec. 18
- Glow Night on Jan. 7
- Swiftie Night on Jan. 14
FOX5 also reports Tuesday Heroes Nights with discounted skating for first responders, except Dec. 22 and Dec. 29. Las Vegas Ice Theater performs on the rink on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 6 p.m. and on the Sunday mornings of Dec. 6 and Dec. 20 at 10:45 a.m.
Parade weekends change the math
The Holiday Parade is free to attend. It runs on Park Centre Drive at 6 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from Nov. 20 through Dec. 19. Black Friday, Nov. 27, is the only Friday off. That means nine parades, ending one day earlier than last year's Nov. 21 to Dec. 20 run. The 2025 season also had an extra Monday show on Dec. 22, which isn't on the 2026 schedule. New this year are a float inspired by the Polar Express and more snow flurries along the route.
Parade nights overlap with several other events. The NFR skate night on Saturday, Nov. 21, and the Cirque du Soleil skate night on Friday, Dec. 18, both fall on parade evenings. Santa Chalet bookings in the parade weeks after Thanksgiving are at the $42.99 and $49.99 tiers. Families who want one big night can stack a parade, a 75-minute skate session and a Santa visit on the same Friday or Saturday, as long as every timed piece is booked ahead. Families who want the lights and the ice without the crowd have the week of Nov. 13 to 19, plus any weeknight after that.
Vegas4Locals notes that free self-parking is available throughout Downtown Summerlin and suggests arriving early to get a good viewing spot along the route.
Where the evening ends now
Finney's Crafthouse is a newer place to go after the rink. Eater Vegas reports it debuted Sept. 21 at 10955 Oval Park Drive. The Las Vegas Review-Journal describes about 5,400 square feet indoors, a 2,400-square-foot dog-friendly terrace, 245 seats and 30 rotating craft beers on tap. The menu runs from a bison burger and a Southwest chicken bowl to pizza and steak fajitas.
Finney's hours line up well with the holiday schedule. The restaurant's own page lists 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Happy hour runs weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m., dine-in only. A Friday or Saturday parade at 6 p.m. leaves time for dinner before Finney's closes at 10. A Thursday Pet Night at the Santa Chalet can end on the dog-friendly terrace.
Dates that moved, and a few that didn't
Not everything on the calendar this year follows last year's dates:
- Hanukkah. Downtown Summerlin and Jewish Nevada hold a one-night celebration on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. It includes the menorah lighting, entertainment, kids' activities, hot cocoa and light bites. Last year's celebration was on Dec. 21. A menorah will be on display in the Dining Arroyo from sundown Friday, Dec. 4, through nightfall Saturday, Dec. 12.
- Rink and train openings. Both open Nov. 13 this year. The rink closes Jan. 18, 2027, one day earlier than the 2025 to 2026 season did.
- The Giving Machine. It runs Nov. 12 through Jan. 3, 2027. This year's local beneficiaries are Catholic Charities, Foster Kinship, Future Smiles, Helping Hands of Vegas Valley and Three Square. Its international beneficiaries are Clubfoot Solutions, African Hope for Girls and Lifting Hands International.
Downtown Summerlin's Experience Pass offers special deals and giveaways throughout the season, so families booking several visits may want to download it first.
If out-of-town family is coming for the holidays and you'd like suggestions for where to take them beyond Downtown Summerlin, the team at Fine Home Specialist is glad to share what we know about this part of Summerlin. Book an appointment, and happy holidays from our neighborhood to yours.
