Lighting Las Vegas
Enjoy quirky, down-home fun in a small New Mexico town
The annual Electric Light Parade in Las Vegas, New Mexico, is the most beguiling of the state’s many holiday pageants.
The floats are homemade, and their drivers sometimes turn down the wrong streets, but the flatbeds, pickup trucks, bicycles, and even a backhoe that are typically part of the procession are all festooned with sparkling lights. You might see an old Volkswagen Beetle followed by a Harley-Davidson whose rider’s helmet glitters with lights too.
The Electric Light Parade, held on the first Saturday of December, is only one reason to make the trek to Las Vegas at this time of year. Virtually the entire historic railroad town seems devoted to Christmas.