Food & Beverage Magazine about the festive combination of lights and food during the Christmas season.
By Ryan Slattery
There is still time to make out to the Las Vegas Ballpark and eat your way through the Enchant Christmas village. Now in its third season, the holiday spectacular is rolling along and fast becoming an annual tradition, attracting food and beverage companies across Las Vegas who want to be part of the celebration.
Among this year’s newcomers is Candi Crushed, a sweet treat collaboration founded by three Las Vegas natives, Amber Orrock, Britni Weldy and Amber McKinney. The company’s mission is to “bring joy and delight to people’s lives through innovative and high-quality confectionery products.” They produce a diverse range of sweets from chocolates and cookies to cotton candy and their signature fun creation, Paint Your Own (PYO) Cookie Kits allowing guests to purchase and frost their own festive handcrafted sugar cookies. Enchant was the ideal place to showcase their sweets.
“We felt that Enchant’s dazzling light show coincides directly with our company’s mission of providing a one-of-kind experience for customers,” Candi Crushed co-founder Amber Orrock explains. “This location and experience is a great opportunity for networking opportunities, brand visibility, marketing and an overall phenomenal platform for interacting with customers.”
To find out more about all the vendors participating this year, we spoke with James Santos, Assistant Company Manager for Enchant Christmas at Las Vegas Ballpark. Here’s what he had to say.
Enchant has become a wonderful holiday event, explain how the food and beverage options adds to the overall experience. We are so grateful and appreciative to return to Las Vegas for a third year and have the only Enchant Christmas in Las Vegas at Las Vegas Ballpark. The food and beverage selection at Enchant Christmas is so robust. We have everything from traditional concessions from our concessionaire, Levy, to small and notable businesses including Café Lola, Benyeh, Pizza Anonymous, Saint Honorè, and more. There are nearly 30 different food and beverage offerings. And you can’t forget the signature light bulb drinks available as both cocktails and mocktails.
Describe the layout of the Christmas village. Where can folks find food? Most of the food and beverage offerings are located on the concourse level of the Ballpark or what we reference as The Village at Enchant Christmas. That’s where a lot of our local shops are too. There are a few vendors on the field near the maze and ice skating trail. For suite holders and VIP guests, there are select offerings located in The Club including the Dinner Ticket Menu which offers a Chef Table Menu on select evenings for an upgraded ticket price.
How many vendors do you have this year? We have nearly 50 different local vendors with us this year at Enchant Christmas Las Vegas combining both food and beverage and small businesses combined.
What type of vendors are participating this year? We have both sweet and savory. A personal favorite is Penny Pop Popcorn. The flavors they offer are truly unique and delicious. Candi Crushed is a new vendor this year and our guests are loving it! Who doesn’t love a custom cotton candy vending machine? We also have Le Crepe Des Rois, Bowltastic!, Bubble Cone, Lilikoi Boba, Sweet and Boozy and Endless Pastabilities—to name a few.
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From hot chocolate to spiked cocktails, what are some of the drink options? From traditional or spiked hot cocoa to the signature light bulb cocktails and mocktails, there is something for everyone and every age. A few favorites are the “Jingle Juice” which includes Tito’s Vodka, grapefruit liquor, lime, cinnamon and cranberry juice and “Santa’s Little Helper,” which features Reposado tequila, ginger liquor, lime, green apple and sprite.
How where the vendors selected? We reach out and market to the Las Vegas community months before the November opening date. We are always looking for local crafters and artisans and unique and experiential workshop vendors to activate and enhance our guest’s experience. Once applications are received, we review internally with Enchant staff and start making selections for the season. It’s a fun process that really showcases the robust assortment of talent we have in Las Vegas. It is a pleasure to be able to support local businesses and jobs in each community we are in and really immerse ourselves in the uniqueness of each.
Explain how Enchant gives vendors exposure to a crowd they may not typically reach.
Showcasing your business at Enchant Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to reach thousands of people across the Las Vegas Valley. During the 29 nights of operation this year, we anticipate over 260,000 guests will attend and experience The World’s Largest Christmas Light Maze. During all the holiday noise, Enchant is a perfect one-stop to shop, dine, and enjoy all that the holidays have to offer.
Enchant Christmas Las Vegas runs through December 31, 2023. EnchantChristmas.com.
