Tonight, Thursday, November 5, Ethel M Chocolates opens its 33rd Annual Holiday Cactus Garden Lights at 5 p.m. Every night of the run through January 3 already has hours posted, including the shorter holiday evenings and the one night it closes. Henderson's WinterFest has its dates, times and cost settled weeks ahead.
Six days later, on November 11, the closure on Sloan Canyon's Nawghaw Poa Road reaches the end date on the Bureau of Land Management page. Nothing past that date is posted. The season around Ascaya works this way. The plans that sit farther from the rock wall have firm dates. The open desert right next to it has a deadline.
The Date Next Door Is a Deadline
The BLM's Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area page has carried the same bold notice for almost two years:
"Nawghaw Poa Road and the parking area at the end of the road are temporarily closed from November 12, 2024, to November 11, 2026, during construction of the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area Visitor Contact Station."
That notice also says the Petroglyph Canyon Trail and the 101 Trail were rerouted and parking moved to Democracy Drive. A note on the page says the reroute maps are current as of January 23, 2025. No BLM notice extends the closure, and none announces a reopening for the road or the new Visitor Contact Station. So November 11 is the scheduled end of a closure, not a confirmed reopening.
Some details hold either way, and they're worth having before a weekend hike:
- Petroglyph Canyon runs on winter and spring hours from October 1 through May 19, open daily 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Per BLM, those hours include the Visitor Contact Station.
- On Thanksgiving Day, November 26, the canyon is open 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. On Christmas Day it's open 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.
- No more than 20 people may be in Petroglyph Canyon at one time. Groups may need a Special Recreation Permit, and BLM suggests groups join a ranger-led guided hike.
- Parking at the Visitor Contact Station is limited. BLM says it may close the lot during busy periods such as weekends and holidays.
The last point matters most once the road does reopen. A new trailhead with a small lot, during holiday weeks, is likely to fill. Democracy Drive is the access point BLM currently lists until it posts a change, and checking that page the morning of a hike is quicker than finding out at a gate.
Down the hill, the City of Henderson's Sloan Canyon Gateway project, which would add a one-mile natural trail loop, a half-mile glow trail and a community plaza, still shows a status of "Under Design," with no construction schedule. It belongs on the long-range list. It won't be part of this winter.
The One Canyon Date With a Start Time Is a Repair Morning
The only event on the Sloan Canyon calendar this month with a set start is a work crew. Friends of Sloan Canyon and the BLM are hosting a Trail Restoration on Cowboy Trail on Saturday, November 14, from 8 a.m. to noon.
According to the Friends of Sloan Canyon event page, heavy rain in early August damaged the trail. Volunteers will line the trail with rocks and rake out the tread. The crew is capped at 15 people, and the work involves at least four miles of hiking. Bring a water bottle, weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots. RSVP on the event page.
The repair work comes from a summer storm, and the end date of the road closure comes from a construction schedule. Both sit on the same piece of desert, and neither runs on a holiday calendar. For a set evening plan, residents have to drive across town.
Across Town, Every Night Has Posted Hours
Ethel M's garden is at 2 Cactus Garden Drive in Henderson's 89014 ZIP code. The company says the garden holds a million lights and needs no reservations. Here are the full-season hours:
| Dates | Garden hours |
|---|---|
| Nov. 5, opening night | 5–10 p.m. |
| Nov. 6 – Dec. 23 | 5–10 p.m. |
| Dec. 24, Christmas Eve | 5–8 p.m. |
| Dec. 25, Christmas Day | Closed |
| Dec. 26 – Dec. 30 | 5–10 p.m. |
| Dec. 31, New Year's Eve | 5–8 p.m. |
| Jan. 1, New Year's Day | 5–8 p.m. |
| Jan. 2 – Jan. 3 | 5–10 p.m. |
On Christmas Day, Petroglyph Canyon is open from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and the cactus garden is closed. That makes the canyon the only one of the two available that day.
Santa is at the garden daily through Wednesday, December 23, from 5 p.m. until one hour before closing. The line closes at 9 p.m. sharp. New this season is the Santa Express Pass. For $40, up to six guests get a reserved time with front-of-line access, any night from November 6 through December 23. Children under 2 and guests over 65 don't count toward the six. Cashman Photography's framed photos start at $35 for one 8x6 print.
Ethel M also runs special nights in its Pavilion:
- November 11, 5 p.m.: Veterans get complimentary entrance with valid ID and 15% off in-store purchases.
- November 20, 6 p.m.: Henderson Silver Knights and Vegas Golden Knights night, with complimentary entrance for guests in Knights gear and a visit from Lucky.
- December 1–3, 5 p.m.: First responders get complimentary entrance with valid ID and the same 15% off in-store purchases.
- December 29: Winter Wonderland, with snow starting at 5:30 p.m., a Frozen screening at 6 p.m. and an Elsa and Anna meet-and-greet. Tickets are $5 plus tax, reservations required.
Veterans night falls on November 11, the same day the canyon closure's posted window ends. One date on this calendar has a set start time, and the other has nothing posted for the day after.
December 4 Takes a Choice
Henderson's WinterFest starts Thursday, December 3. The tree lighting and drone show runs from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Water Street Plaza, with a performance by The Swingles, local chorus groups and food vendors. It's free. The Electric Light Parade follows on Friday, December 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It runs along Water Street between Basic Road and Victory Road, lasts about 90 minutes and is also free.
Ethel M's first Holiday Themed Trivia Night starts at 6 p.m. that same Friday. Tickets are $5 plus tax and require a reservation. The two events overlap, so one of them has to go. The trivia night has a second date on Saturday, December 12, at 6 p.m., and the parade happens once. That makes the 12th the easy trivia night to book.
Even WinterFest has one detail still open. The city says it will post the full 2026 parade route map and street closures closer to the event. The city has committed to the date. It hasn't yet said which streets close.
On Horizon Ridge, Lunch Has Hours. The Eastern Avenue Newcomer Doesn't Have a Date Yet.
Restaurants follow the same pattern. Lester's Deli, the Montreal smoked-meat shop, opened its first U.S. location in Henderson in August at 1590 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #170. It's open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
According to Las Vegas Weekly, the brisket is cured in Lester's signature spices and cooked for nine hours before it makes a three-day trip to Southern Nevada by refrigerated truck. It's then cooked another hour and sliced by hand. The yellow-mustard Montreal Classic on seeded rye costs $21. The Bernie Parent, Lester's take on a cheesesteak, is $23. Poutine is $13, or $18 with smoked meat. Co-owner Jean-Francois Blais, a Quebec-born Las Vegas musician with two decades on Cirque du Soleil productions, told Las Vegas Weekly, "For me, it was about bringing home to Vegas." The shop closes at 4 p.m., which makes it a fit for a midday trip. Pick up sandwiches after a morning on the trail, then head to the lights after 5.
On South Eastern Avenue, The Delmont doesn't have an opening date yet. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Henderson City Council approved transferring the restricted gaming and restaurant-with-bar licenses from Tuscany Grill to the new Italian American bistro. Tuscany Grill closed in July after more than 27 years. The Delmont will take over its space at 11105 S. Eastern Ave., Suite 100. The Review-Journal quoted the restaurant's October 10 Instagram post, which said "The Delmont is starting to feel like home." The Review-Journal didn't report a date for the doors to open. The Delmont's own site already lists artisan pizza and a house-made Italian chicken cutlet on its menu.
To plan a firm evening this season, start with the posted hours at the cactus garden and on Water Street. For Sloan Canyon, check the BLM page on or after November 12 to see whether the road has reopened. Until it changes, park at Democracy Drive.
If you'd like a current number for your Ascaya property while you plan around the holidays, Virtue Real Estate Group can help. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, and we'll follow up with the context behind the figure.
