Las Vegas Weekly

December 8, 2008 · 7 AM

Morning Call Photo Gallery: It’s opening day of Bellagio’s 10th wondrous winter wonderland

By Robin Leach

Bellagio's winter spectacle.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

All the beauty and magic of the holiday season at Christmas is captured in the new and 10th Bellagio winter spectacle. The finishing touches of the incredible display were completed over the weekend and will be open to the public beginning today.

Our contributing photographer Tom Donoghue got the advance look through his lens yesterday, and since each photo is worth a thousand words, enjoy 20,000 of them -- words, not photos, that is!

The display is majestically colorful and truly a wondrous winter wonderland rich in nostalgia and filled with picture-perfect botanical creations.

Here are the inside fun facts: Those six flying reindeer are each made from 110 pounds of whole pecans! The charming snowman family was created with 15,000 white carnations. At the center of it all is a 32-foot-tall Shasta fir with an intricate “tiara” of twinkling lights. More than 12,000 holiday lights, sparkling chrome accents and delicate jewels adorn the tree, which has a halo of giant ornaments that actually seems to float above it.

Visitors can stroll down a brick-lined path surrounded by pink and red poinsettias and pass through a 21-foot-tall holiday wreath guarded by four grand toy soldiers each standing 15 feet tall. The custom-sculpted rocking horse is 7 feet tall, and those oversized peppermint sticks are 13 feet tall with glowing ice bursts that add the final phenomenal touch to the overall magical scene.

Bellagio’s heroic horticulturalists spent more than 12 weeks getting the unforgettable display ready for locals and tourists alike. You’re welcome as of today to go see it for yourselves, and I can tell you it’s truly breathtaking. The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden will remain open with the holiday show until Jan. 3.

Happy Holidays, everyone -- and an early Merry Christmas!

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