The Las Vegas Veteran

Glittering Lights hosted its annual military appreciation night on January 2, 2023. Glittering Lights sets up over 5 million Christmas lights along the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located about 20 minutes north of the Las Vegas Strip. The light show opens in early November and goes until the first week of January. Visitors can show up and drive through a predetermined route sparkling with lights.

During its season, Glittering Lights likes to show appreciation for local veterans, offering three days of free admission for veterans with ID proof. The three days are dispersed between Veterans Day and the first week of the new year. Event manager Gabe Douglas has worked with Glittering Lights for six years and looks forward to giving back to veterans. “This January, we didn’t have a huge turnout with veterans,” Douglas said, “but we hope we can change that next year by spreading the word.”

Military appreciation night this January brought in 115 veterans, while the Veterans Day appreciation night last November brought in 1,163. Visitors can buy tickets online or at the ticket stand and find a full event calendar on the company’s website. Additionally, Glittering Lights allows volunteers, like the Boy Scouts, to sell concessions to attendees like popcorn, hot chocolate, and candy to raise money for their organizations.

Veterans can find information like tickets, location, and commonly asked questions on the Glittering Lights website. The last day to visit Glittering Lights this season is January 8 but the company looks forward to reopening again in November. Veterans can also find more free events throughout the year through the VetTix website. This organization collects donated tickets to shows and sports events and gives them to any veteran who signs up for an account.