Despite warm temperatures, workers in Henderson are already setting up a popular Christmas attraction—they are turning Ethel M Chocolates' botanical cactus garden into the Holiday Cactus Garden.
The garden's curator, Steve Bowdoin, along with three other landscape gardeners, has been working since the start of this month to turn the garden into a spectacular holiday destination. They have been working 8 to 10 hours per day, seven days a week, to get the project finished in time for its kick off.
Ethel Mars began making chocolates in 1910. Forrest Mars Sr. started Ethel M. Chocolates in 1981, in his mother's honor. The garden was created two years later, in 1983, and for the last 22 years, each Christmas the garden has been decorated and opened to the public. Between 5,000 and 15,000 visitors daily enjoy free admission, along with free samples of chocolate candies, and hot chocolate.
The biggest attraction, though, is the lights, which are brought out of the warehouse and tested in September. According to Bowdoin, if the lights were laid out end-to-end, they would stretch 12 miles.
The garden opens for the season on November 10, and the lights will remain up through January 1. Garden decorators might like to work with a postcard printing company to devise a card—perhaps with a photo of last year's lights—to mail to residents reminding them to visit the garden this year.
Location
1635 W. Warm Springs Rd
Henderson, NV 89014
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Phone
Hours
Mon: 9:00 - 5:00
Tue: 9:00 - 5:00
Wed: 9:00 - 5:00
Thu: 9:00 - 5:00
Fri: 9:00 - 5:00
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed