From mid-November through the first weekend of January, Mesquite's holiday calendar is fuller than its price tag. The city puts on a parade and a free Thanksgiving dinner. Mesquite Community Theatre and the Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra both have shows. And a rewards card from CasaBlanca and Virgin River, free with an ID, gets you into many of the resort shows, including CasaBlanca's whole New Year's Eve party. The resort nights you'll pay for are a handful of ticketed shows.
Start with the card, because most of the season depends on it
Mesa Valleys Progress reported on Nov. 2 that the free shows and rewards promotions at both resorts require the shared rewards card. You can get one free at the rewards desk of either resort by showing a valid ID. Most holiday plans in Mesquite are a lot easier with that card in your wallet.
For the rest of November, these free CasaBlanca Showroom performances are open to cardholders:
- Thursdays: the Terry Wayne Project
- Friday, Nov. 13: Lara Ash and Inferno
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Crash Midnight and The Full Betsy
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: a 1980s tribute by Glenn Gallarde
- Friday, Nov. 20: YOLO
- Wednesday, Nov. 25: a 1970s concert by High Octane
- Friday, Nov. 27: Stereo-A
The card also gets you free admission to Boots and Buckles Line Dancing at the Virgin River Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 21. Instructor Joey Vitale teaches the steps starting at 8 p.m., and there are drink specials. The same newspaper report lists two ticketed shows at the Event Center. The Mesquite Bourbon Round-Up on Saturday, Nov. 14, runs 6 to 9 p.m. with tickets from $47.85. Celebrating the Life of Kenny and Dolly, a tribute concert with Justin Sullivan and Karen Hester, starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, with tickets from $41.90.
So for two people, a free night of live music versus a ticketed tribute is a difference of about $80 to $95 before drinks. For November, those two ticketed nights are the main resort reasons to budget for entertainment at all.
The week before Thanksgiving is the busiest stretch
The week of Nov. 18 has the most going on, and much of it is put on by the community.
The Virgin Valley High School FFA Tree Gala opens on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 2 p.m. and runs through Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Red Barn at the Holiday Inn Resort, 333 N. Sandhill Blvd. This year's theme is "The Nutcracker," and the city's event listing says it is open to the public. Because it's open four days in a row, you can drop by on a weekday afternoon, before the weekend crowd.
Saturday, Nov. 21, is the night you'll have to choose. The Southern Nevada Symphony Orchestra performs "With Joyful Tidings" at 7 p.m. at the Virgin Valley High School Theater, 820 Valley View Dr., with doors opening at 6 p.m. Line dancing at Virgin River starts an hour later. That same Saturday is also the last day of the Tree Gala.
| Saturday, Nov. 21 | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|
| VVHS FFA Tree Gala, final day | Daytime | Holiday Inn Resort, Red Barn, 333 N. Sandhill Blvd. |
| SNSO "With Joyful Tidings" | Doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m. | Virgin Valley High School Theater, 820 Valley View Dr. |
| Boots and Buckles Line Dancing | 8 p.m. | Virgin River Event Center |
With the symphony at 7 p.m. and line dancing at 8 p.m., the evening comes down to one or the other. The Gala fits in the afternoon either way. Line dancing comes back to fit other evenings, but the orchestra plays here only once on this calendar.
Thanksgiving week: a free city dinner the day before, and prices you can compare
The City of Mesquite's free Community Thanksgiving Dinner is on Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mesquite Senior Center, 102 W. Old Mill Road. Since it falls on Wednesday, you can go to the city's dinner and still have your own on Thursday. Or, if your family is arriving late, it can be your holiday meal.
If you're eating out on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 26, Mesa Valleys Progress published these prices from the two resorts:
| Restaurant | Thanksgiving offering | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey Joe's Diner, CasaBlanca | Complete turkey dinner | $20.99 |
| Virgin River Café | Turkey breast dinner | $20.99 |
| Virgin River Buffet | Holiday spread with carved prime rib, turkey, ham, crab legs and seafood, 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. | $29.99 |
| Katherine's Steakhouse, CasaBlanca | Traditional multi-course turkey dinner | $38 |
The cheapest and most expensive tables are $17 apart per person. For $9 more than a diner plate, the buffet adds prime rib and crab legs. If you're feeding a big group with different tastes, the buffet's 10:30-to-8 hours mean you don't have to agree on a mealtime. Bingo players have their own Thanksgiving event too. The Virgin River Bingo Room has a Harvest Ball game on Thanksgiving Day that pays out $1,000.
The weekend after Thanksgiving has two local shows. Mesquite Community Theatre presents LIGHTS ON! "A Hollywood Christmas Variety Show" on Nov. 27 and 28 at 150 N. Yucca Street, Suite 22, with a 7 p.m. start on Nov. 27. On Saturday the 28th, the Kenny and Dolly tribute plays at Virgin River. With family in town, Friday night at the theater and Saturday night at the tribute could fill the whole weekend.
The parade on Mesquite Boulevard opens December
The city's Parade of Lights steps off on Thursday, Dec. 3, at 5:30 p.m. on Mesquite Blvd. between Arrowhead and Willow. This year's theme is "Home for the Holidays." The city's calendar entry runs until 7 p.m. Because it falls on a Thursday, it doesn't compete with weekend plans, but you'll want to be in place along the boulevard by the time most workdays end.
Golf events through the holidays
For golfers, the holiday calendar includes the courses. Wolf Creek Golf Club had a scheduled overseed closure from Aug. 30 to Oct. 2, 2026, and Falcon Ridge, which calls itself a year-round course, had its scheduled closure from Sept. 7 to Oct. 3. Those dates fall well before the tournament season shown below.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Oasis Golf Club's 13th Annual Valley Rally, listed at the Oasis Palmer Course.
- Sunday, Nov. 22: the Gobbler Classic, on Mesquite Gaming's golf calendar.
- Thursday, Dec. 10: the 22nd Annual Golf Fore Kids Tournament, a four-person scramble listed at the Oasis Palmer Course.
- Sunday, Dec. 20: Swing with Santa, also on Mesquite Gaming's golf calendar.
The Gobbler Classic is the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so it's an easy round to schedule with relatives who golf and come into town early. Golf Fore Kids is on a Thursday in December, when most out-of-town visitors have gone home.
New Year's Eve is where the free card is worth the most
CasaBlanca's '80s Prom New Year's Eve party runs Dec. 31 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. It's free for rewards members 21 and older, with champagne countdowns at 9 p.m. and at midnight. Two countdowns let you toast early and head home, or stay up for the second one. CasaBlanca's New Year's page also lists a New Year's Day brunch on Jan. 1, 2027, from 9 a.m. to noon, Zowie Bowie that evening, and Great White on Jan. 2.
Across town, the Eureka lists a free Juniper City New Year's Eve event, plus Dec. 31 dining specials at Gregory's Mesquite Grill, Mason Street and Town Square. Dinner at Gregory's and the Juniper City party can make a full night without leaving the property.
On the resort side, the free card covers the weekly CasaBlanca Showroom sets, Boots and Buckles, and the '80s Prom at midnight. The ticketed nights are the Bourbon Round-Up, the Kenny and Dolly tribute and the Great White show on Jan. 2.
If your fall and winter in Mesquite run on tee times and these calendar dates, and you've wondered which golf community would put you closer to the courses you play most, Hebert Group is happy to talk through the options with you. Dennis and Juliet know the Mesquite courses as golfers and as agents. Contact Us whenever you're ready to start the conversation.
