Click to tweet: (https://ctt.ac/us2p1) Join @OppVillageLV on Friday, Nov. 23 for its Tree Lighting Ceremony to kick off the 28th annual Magical Forest! #OpportunityVillage
Santa Claus is set to fly in from the North Pole courtesy of Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters for the kick off of the 2018 Magical Forest season and the debut of the Illumination Experience lightshow spectacular
LAS VEGAS – Santa Claus is coming to town! Opportunity Village, with the help of Jolly Old Saint Nick and friends, will kick off its largest fundraiser – the Magical Forest – for the 28th season following the organization’s Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 23.
Upon landing in a helicopter provided by Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, Santa Claus will be joined by Mrs. Claus, the Chippendales, Human Nature, Lorena Peril of FANTASY at the Luxor, Congresswoman Dina Titus, and others as Mayor Carolyn Goodman flips the switch at 6 p.m. to illuminate the 2.5-acre park located at 6300 W. Oakey Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89146.
This year, however, Mayor Goodman won’t just be lighting a tree. She will be lighting up the entire Magical Forest to debut the Illumination Experience lightshow spectacular, which includes a synchronized music show with dancing lights to your favorite holiday tunes that can be seen from any vantage point of the park. The Illumination Experience will run every 30 minutes from the time the Forest opens until close.
The Magical Forest, running nightly through Dec. 31 (with the exception of Christmas Day), is expected to attract over 100,000 guests.
“After a record-breaking HallOVeen season, we’re eager to bring back Southern Nevada’s favorite winter destination,” said Adam K. Joseph, Vice President of Philanthropy at Opportunity Village. “The Magical Forest is a vital fundraiser to our organization, and we’re anxious to kick it off for the 28th time.”
The Magical Forest offers a wide array of family-friendly holiday fun to enjoy, including nightly entertainment, delicious treats and food, The Blizzard mini-coaster, the Forest Express Passenger Train, Cheyenne’s Enchanted Carousel, the Avalanche Slide, the Ethel M Candy Cabin filled with holiday décor and gifts, and photo opportunities with Santa. There will also be three new rides – The Sizzler, Wacky Worm Coaster and Samba Balloons – and midway attractions added to the festivities.
The Magical Forest is open every night from Nov. 23 – Dec. 31, 2018 at 5:30 p.m., with the exception of Christmas Day (Dec. 25). General admission tickets for adults are $12, while children’s tickets are $10. Passports can be purchased for $22 and Children’s Passports are available for $19. Ticket information is available at www.MagicalForest.com.
About Opportunity Village
Mission: Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people within our community with significant intellectual disabilities, to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
Seven families who were determined to give their children with disabilities the best lives possible founded Opportunity Village in 1954. Now, more than six decades later, Opportunity Village is one of the most recognized and respected organizations of its type in the United States.
Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities, Opportunity Village serves nearly 2,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their lives more purposeful and interesting.
Opportunity Village citizens – individuals who were previously considered unemployable – work at Opportunity Village’s Employment Resource Centers and in jobs throughout the community, collectively earning wages amounting to more than $3.7 million in 2016. They are hardworking and diligent, proudly paying taxes and happily leading more fulfilling lives.
Primarily a self-funded organization, Opportunity Village generates the majority of its operational funding through its employment contracts and fundraising efforts such as the Magical Forest and Great Santa Run, saving Nevada taxpayers more than $37 million annually.
Press Contacts
Jenna Greene, R&R Partners
Jenna.greene@rrpartners.com
702.228.0222 / 702.318.4289
Kristin Hoxie, Opportunity Village
hoxiek@opportunityvillage.org
702.880.4043 / 702.572.2734
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