Experience It: Send them somewhere special

Las Vegas Movie Tours

Explore Las Vegas and its cinematic history with this exciting new experience, a “theater on wheels.” Rolling from the Strip to Downtown, you’ll see the real-life locales for films like Casino and Ocean’s Eleven. $75-$90, lvmovietours.com.

Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart at Area 15

Send your giftee on a fantastic journey through trippy, interactive artscapes. Go the extra mile: Buy them some denim or cotton clothes and closed toe shoes so they can ride the slides! $39-$55, meowwolf.com/visit/las-vegas.

Immersive Van Gogh at Crystals

Golden sunflowers, blue irises and the genius of a master painter are projected on every wall in this artistic dreamscape. A great gift for a fan of immersive entertainment. $60+, vangoghvegas.com.

Hot Air Balloon Ride from Vegas Balloon Rides

Show your love for Nevada by gifting 360-degree views of the Valley from a hot air balloon. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will let you win the holidays. $299 per person, 702-553-3039.

Distillery Tour at Lost Spirits

Visit a Havana nightclub, get lost in London streets, dive in a steampunk submarine—and sample house-made rums and brandies, while learning the science of how they’re made. $48-$58, Area15, lostspirits.net.

Chocolate tastings at Ethel M Chocolates

Taste premium chocolates and learn something about how chocolate is sourced and produced. If you’re of age, enjoy chocolates paired with wines from Trinchero Family Estates. $10-$20 ($30 with wine), ethelm.com.

Pottery Lessons at Animal House Pottery

From beginners to expert potters, this studio offers memberships and one-off classes for all to enjoy. Sign up the creatives in your life for workshops, memberships or one-on-one mentorship. Prices vary, 3355 Clayton St. #44, animalhousepottery.com.

Holiday show tickets

Let Las Vegas provide all the holiday cheer you need with tickets to these seasonally appropriate production shows and concerts: A Christmas Carolat the Smith Center (through November 28, thesmithcenter.com); This Is Christmas at Palazzo Theatre, (November 26-December 26, ticketmaster.com);Terry Fator: A Very Terry Christmas at Liberty Loft (November 26-January 1, newyorknewyork.mgmresorts.com); Barry Manilow: A Very Barry Christmas at Westgate International Theater (December. 2-4, ticketmaster.com); and Tournament of Kings: ’Twas the Knight at Excalibur (through December 27, mgmresorts.com/excalibur).

Treasured Tastes: The gift of food & drink

Røros Dairy butter

This potentially life-changing premium butter from Norway is available in the U.S. for the first time this season, and Valley Cheese and Wine in Henderson is one of a few dozen stores across the country that will have a limited supply of this creamy goodness. 1570 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #140, 702-341-8191, valleycheeseandwine.com.

Time & Oak English Barley Wine at Khoury’s Fine Wine and Spirits

Crafthaus Brewery, Nevada’s Frey Ranch Distillery and Khoury’s teamed up to create a super-special craft beer aged in a Frey Ranch single barrel. Splurge by gifting the beer alongside its sister whiskey, a Frey Ranch single barrel straight bourbon. $20 for the 22-ounce bomber, $85 for the 750-ml whiskey. 9915 S. Eastern Ave. #110, 702-435-9463, khourysfinewine.com.

Holiday Nog at Ellis Island

It’s a beloved local tradition. Snag one of the only 5,000 bottles made of this delicious eggnog with rum, bourbon whiskey and brandy. $35 for a bottle and $7 for a glass, 4178 Koval Lane, ellisislandcasino.com.

Butcher in a Box

Chef Sam Marvin’s Echo & Rig Butcher Shop & Steakhouse is legendary among locals for its top quality meats at affordable prices. Now, he’s packing up assortments of grass-fed beef—filet mignon, rib-eyes, dry-aged Tomahawks—in boxes shipped out as part of a monthly subscription ($225 per month) or individually ($175+). Butcherinabox.com.

Home Goods: Freshen up any household

Candles at Pea Candle Co.

Select a soy candle from Pea’s holiday collection, with scents that include peppermint mocha, warm sandalwood, Santa’s cookies and more. $8-$19, peacandleco.com.

Scent Machine at Aroma Retail

Add a touch of luxury to any home with this gizmo that diffuses your loved one’s favorite scent. $670, aromaretail.com.

Deluxe Soap and Skin Care at Artisan Bath & Body

From soap and sugar scrubs to body butters, find all-natural products to help pamper everyone on your list to this winter. Prices vary, artisanbathandbody.com.

Plants at Carrie Lynn’s Plant Shop

Help your friends and family brighten up their homes with living gifts from this popular Downtown Summerlin shop. Prices vary, 1980 Festival Plaza Drive #180, carrielynns.com.

Battle Born Woodshop

Pick from handcrafted cutting boards, coaster sets, cookbook holders, and more personalized with the recipient’s name or favorite quote. Prices vary, battlebornwoodshop.com.

Wear It: Gifts that look good on

1. Jewelry at Bare Jewelry

Necklaces, earrings, bracelets and anklets at an affordable price. One recent customer raved about the masie hoops ($30), calling them “light weight and high quality.” Prices vary, shopbare.co.

2. Puff Collection from Ross & Snow

This Las Vegas luxury footwear brand just launched this new fall and winter line, a stylish upgrade on its classic moon boot design plus an expansion into comfy scuffs and slides. Prices vary, ross-snow.com.

3. Jewelry at Desert Accents

Get unique stud earrings, necklaces, bracelets and more—we love the mountain outline hair clip ($33-$36)—inspired by earthy tones and themes at this Etsy shop. Prices vary, etsy.com/shop/desertaccents.

4. Battle Born Pins

There are no better stocking stuffers than these stylish enamel pins featuring Las Vegas icons, both old (the Moulin Rouge, the Huntridge Theater) and new (The Killers, Vegas Golden Knights). They have cool Vegas T-shirts and stickers, too. Prices vary, lasvegaspins.com.

Enthusiasms: For kids … and grown-up kids

Cool two-wheelers at Ralphies Bike Shop

You can ride every bicycle, but not every bicycle is a ride. This locally-owned shop specializes in stylish beach cruisers, fixies, lowriders, stretch cruisers and scooters. 1110 E. Bonneville Ave., ralphiesbikeshop.com.

Vintage video consoles and games at Retro City Games

It’s fun to play emulated versions of classic video games on modern consoles, but popping game cartridges into vintage Sega, Nintendo, Atari and Sony consoles? That’s baller. Find them at this Henderson shop. 6100 Mountain Vista St. #120, 702-623-7029.

Graphic novels at Alternate Reality Comics

Comic book-based movies and streaming TV shows are great, but they’re no match for the worlds built inside the books upon which they’re based. This venerable Vegas comics shop offers Black Panther and Loki in their original, best forms. 5300 S. Eastern Ave. #130, alternaterealitycomics.net.

Horror-themed gifts at Nightmare Toys

This Arts District repository of the tense and terrifying has everything horror movie fans could ever want, from autographed collectibles to rare videos to Pop! Vinyl figures. 1309 S. Commerce St., nightmaretoys.com.

Regal Unlimited pass at Regal Cinemas

Masked and vaxed, we’re beginning to find our way back into cinemas. Enable the cineastes on your list to catch up on a year of lost moviegoing with this pass, which affords the user unlimited moviegoing and discounted concessions. $18 monthly, regmovies.com/static/en/us/unlimited.

Board and card games at Meepleville Board Game Cafe

Nothing says “Let’s all get together and hang out” like a closet full of multiplayer board games like Ticket to Ride and Paranormal Detectives. Find these, and hundreds more, at Meepleville. 4704 W. Sahara Ave., meepleville.com.

Make-your-own-pasties at Burlesque Hall of Fame

If you know someone who’s interested in creating a burlesque performance or simply wants to make things interesting next Halloween, give them this DIY kit and stand well back. $10, 1027 S. Main St. #110, burlesquehall.com.

For the win: Sports fans will adore them

Vegas Golden Knights phone case

About the only thing VGK fans do more often than think about their favorite team is check their phone, so why not combine the two? This camo-colored OtterBox has it covered. $60, shop.nhl.com/vegas-golden-knights.

His and hers Raiders hoodies

As our “cold” weather comes on, what Las Vegan couldn’t use something warm and stylish to wear to Allegiant Stadium or anywhere else life takes them? Women’s Nike Heathered Gym Vintage Raglan Full-Zip Hoodie $70; Men’s Nike Sideline Team Performance Full-Zip Hoodie $90; nflshop.com/las-vegas-raiders.

Aces knit hat

The logo’s cool, the red feels right for the holidays and the team just wins. Get one before they’re gone. $26, wnbastore.nba.com.

Kind rewards: Can’t-miss cannabis products

Helix gummies at Deep Roots Harvest

Delicious, and crafted with sustainable ingredients including grass-fed gelatin, these treats boast a flavor-packed sweet coating around their soft center. (Buy two, get a third for a penny on Black Friday.) $20, deeprootsharvest.com/the-kitchen.

Kynd eighths at The Dispensary

From growth to harvest to curing, Kynd flower is expertly managed—fully flushed, free of PGR and pesticides and always hand-trimmed. $39+, thedispensarynv.com.

The Gift of Words: Las Vegas books

I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins

The Los Angeles Times has called Watkins the new voice of the American West. A great gift for your smart, desert-minded friends. $27, penguinrandomhouse.com.

Love in the Dunes: Las Vegas Writers on Passion & Heartache

The 12th edition of the Las Vegas Writes anthology features 13 talented local authors exploring matters of the heart—both romantic and illicit. $14, lasvegasadvisor.com/shop/products/love-in-the-dunes.

Gathering Broken Light by Heather Lang Cassera

The former Clark County Poet Laureate recently released this new poetry collection, tackling gun violence. Royalties benefit the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center. $20, unsolicitedpress.com/store/p334/gatheringbrokenlight.html.

Sagebrush to Sandstone: A Humanities Guide to Outdoor Nevada

Some guides tell you how to get somewhere; this one tells you how to be somewhere. In addition to serving as a nature guide, Sagebrush to Sandstone features art, poetry and creative prompts. Digital copies free, print edition $9, nevadahumanities.org/sagebrush-to-sandstone.

Off Boulder Highway by Jennifer Battisti

This one swirls together poetry, memoir and surrealistic prose about Battisti’s experience growing up in Las Vegas in the ’80s. $19, tolsunbooks.com.

David Copperfield’s History of Magic

Who better to tell the tales of the world’s best magicians than this Las Vegas legend? The illustrated guide reveals the secrets of Copperfield’s own Museum of Magic. $35, simonandschuster.com.

Chatting with David Copperfield about his magical new book

Is History of Magic something you’ve been developing for a long time? In a way. This [Las Vegas magic] museum has been almost 30 years of my life. It’s a secret museum, because of all the secrets involved, and people get to tour it by invitation only. So the book is a way of allowing other people to see this amazing place and some of the highlights, with beautiful pictures. But the book itself is only two or three years in the making, because I was searching for another way to share this place. It’s a very rich history, and I’m really proud of it.

What did you learn or re-learn while you were compiling the book that really resonated with you? I was more of a creator than a historian for decades, inventing new magic, making giant objects disappear, walking through walls, traveling around the world trying to break the mold of what magic was. My real effort in life was to move magic forward and I didn’t look back. Then, 20 years ago, I acquired a collection of things, just to kind of rescue it and keep it together, and I started learning about the stories of these magicians. And suddenly it was vibrant.

Stories are very important to me. So in the last 20 years I’ve been looking back as well as looking forward and it was very enjoyable to re-learn all this stuff, and through the book I found out some incredible things I didn’t know.

Humanity is always learning, a little bit all the time, and that’s true of magic. We have posters of Houdini escaping from things, milk cans and water torture cells, and posters right next to them of the people who stole from him and were doing the exact same thing, amazing theft. And that exists in my life. There’s a guy in Spain doing my show, basically, and I don’t have the time to stop him. He comes to my show and copies all the stuff. So it’s good to know that this existed before me, and luckily I’m able to move forward in a new way and find new ways of doing things and exploring new territory. It’s good to know I come from a long line of people being replicated. –Brock Radke

DIY: Create your own cool gifts

Corks ’n Crafts

Gingerbread houses, serving trays, resin-poured cheese boards—you name it, you craft it. Creations and libations go together at this DIY hot spot, with an extensive food and drink menu, and a variety of projects to hop into with a “craft-tender” guiding you through the process. 1875 Festival Plaza Drive #100, 702-684-7223, corksncrafts.com.

Paper Petals & Wine

Flowers die, but paper petals last forever. This unique gallery specializes in large-scale paper art flowers you can learn how to make in two and a half hours. It’s a gift any art enthusiast will love. 6659 Las Vegas Blvd. S. #B-110, 702-505-3402, petalsandwine.com.

Wood It Is

Target’s home accessory aisle rocks, but everyone else thinks so, too. Wood It Is teaches you how to make original, handmade house gifts that include bookcases, tables, lamps, cutting boards and other custom works. 2267 W. Gowan Road #106, 702-631-1870, wooditis.com.

Clay Arts Las Vegas

If you don’t mind getting dirty, this creative hot-spot will help you sculpt the perfect gift. It even offers date packages, so you can reinvent that classic pottery scene from Ghost. 1353 Arville St., 702-375-4147, clayartsvegas.com.

For Furry Friends: Gifts for pets—or pet-loving pals

Gourmet Treats at Mooch Munchies

Spoil that pooch with a pound of handmade cookies with their name imprinted on them, or a holiday box that includes a larger cookie plus smaller, holiday-themed treats. $25+, moochsmunchies.com.

Dog Box at Time2Pawty

This assortment includes a personalized bandana, toys and treats. Time2Pawty offers holiday, new puppy and build-your-own dog boxes. $40-$42, time2pawty.com.

Grooming at Las Vegas Spaw

Treat your furry friend to a special day. This spot (spawt?) offers grooming, massages and more for cats and dogs. Prices vary, 5693 S. Jones Blvd. #111, thespawlv.com.

Help Out! Gift your time and energy for a good cause

Three Square

Southern Nevada’s food bank serves millions of pounds of food each year. But that wouldn’t be possible without volunteers. Dedicate time to packing lunches, working in the warehouse and contributing to a great cause. 4190 N. Pecos Road, 702-644-3663, threesquare.org.

Las Vegas Rescue Mission

Give the gift of a hot meal, with a side of generosity, at this nonprofit that has served the Las Vegas Valley since 1970. 480 W. Bonanza Road, 702-382-1766, vegasrescue.org.

Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

Toys for Tots, run by U.S. Marines who distribute toys to underserved kids, always need volunteers to transport toys, sort them and support warehouse workers. 816-914-8597, las-vegas-nv.toysfortots.org.

Blind Center of Nevada

The center assists blind and visually impaired individuals in such areas as personal development, social interaction and independent living. Volunteers will help inspire that inner greatness. 1001 N. Bruce St., 702-642-6000, blindcenter.org.

Helping Hands of Vegas Valley

This local nonprofit serves our community’s seniors through food pantries, transportation, home maintenance and respite care programs. Get involved by driving them to appointments, hosting food drives and delivering their food. 3640 N. 5th St., 702-633-7264, dh.hhovv.org.

The Shade Tree

This organization offers a safe space for homeless and abused women and their pets to take shelter, and receive services. Volunteers help teach life skills, sort and organize donations, cater meals and other helpful duties. 1 W. Owens Ave., 702-385-0072, theshadetree.org.

Animal Foundation

This open-admission shelter takes in every animal, and in 2020, it saved more than 15,000. The foundation needs volunteers who can care for the pets, walk them, clean their kennels and bring compassion to the table. 655 N. Mojave Road, animalfoundation.com

Opportunity Village

This local mainstay helps those with intellectual abilities through employment services, arts and recreation and more. Volunteer at large-scale events such as the seasonal Magical Forest and the Great Santa Run. Various locations, opportunityvillage.org.

Shop local online at Whiskey Skies

Last year was a scary time for new businesses of all shapes and sizes, but for Las Vegas-based virtual boutique Whiskey Skies, the pandemic actually provided a boost.

“I think we opened the day Nevada shut down,” owner Joanne Vitale-Lenzie says. “We did our grand opening on March 18, and I think that was the day the White House was like, this is a national pandemic. I thought, oh wonderful.”

But the online destination for home décor, apparel and more had built-in flexibility that allowed the business to thrive though the shutdown. Vitale-Lenzie’s original vision was based on providing stylish-but-affordable items, and that’s what everybody wanted throughout 2020.

“The initial reaction was, oh my God, we just started a business, and is that going to get thrown away?” Vitale-Lenzie says. “But the opposite happened. More people were at home, and they were doing projects at their houses, because they were all working from home.”

Whiskey Skies built on a fast start by moving operations out of the couple’s home—Vitalie-Lenzie launched the boutique with her husband Steve Lenzie and named it after their favorite dog, Whiskey—and into a 7,000-square-foot warehouse in the southwest valley. The formula for success came down to a careful curation of the right products and a vibrant presence on social media, including live-selling sessions on Instagram.

“I’ve been live-selling for about four years, so prior to Whiskey Skies, I had a great [sense of] what you can do on social media,” Vitale-Lenzie says. “I feel like you can go into a store now and no one says hello; I’m trying to find someone to help me, where five years ago, I couldn’t get a Home Depot employee to leave me alone.

“With online sales, I truly get to know all our customers, I see them come on and I know what they’ve been doing. So we’ve been able to really create a community. Our shoppers know each other’s children’s names.”

The warehouse has three dedicated rooms serving as sets for live-selling and shooting other video content. And while Whiskey Skies ships most orders, locals can pick up their stuff in person. The typical hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. will be extended to 9 or 10 p.m. during the busy holiday season, and Vitale-Lenzie recommends that orders be placed by December 10 to avoid shipping delays.

In recent weeks, Whiskey Skies has launched a vast collection of holiday items, from one-of-a-kind gifts to humorous items for your own home, not to mention all the popular clothing brands and styles that helped the local company take off. Judy Blue Denim has been the boutique’s biggest seller in apparel, with all the various boyfriend, skinny or mom jeans styles available in every size imaginable.

The holiday décor collection stands at well over 600 items, but almost half of them are under $20. And feel-good gifts like Warmies, plush stuffed animals filled with lavender that can be tossed in the microwave to create warmth and soothing fragrances, are popular with kids and adults. “We can’t keep enough in stock,” Vitale-Lenzie says. –Brock Radke

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