Lighting up the Strip, Christmas style: 5 minutes with Jerry Nadal
The first year of Enchant was a big hit with locals. Why double down with the Resorts World site?
If there’s one city in the country where you can do two big holiday events, it’s Las Vegas. Resorts World has a large piece of undeveloped property for Enchant — we even have a 100-foot tree you’ll see if you look down the Strip.
Last year we got to know giant illuminated reindeer, a massive light maze, and of course the ice skating trail. But let’s talk trees.
Well, I grew up in New York City where the Rockefeller Christmas tree is 75 feet. Our trees are over 100 feet with 248,000 lights on a magnificent fur pine. We’ve nicknamed our Strip tree “Big Ben.”
What if just one light goes out? Will all 248,000 go out? Visions of Chevy Chase are dancing through our heads.
No, no. It’s not those kinds of lights where if one dies, they all die. I still have an old tree at my house where that happens. I’m that guy searching to see what one light isn’t working. It’s a holiday tradition. 
What are some other highlights of this year’s festival? What’s new?
We’re upping the game with an elevated food experience from a wide array of chefs. We’ll have Mrs. Claus doing story time, photos with Santa, and an ice wheel, which is basically a big wheel you step into and jog on while creating the ice for your snow cone. If you’re not bringing kids, we’ll have a Tipsy Tree Lounge for 21 and older. And we’ll have the Hallmark Channel Lounge, with holiday movies running and their wine being sold.
What’s the most difficult part of such a big holiday fest for your organization?
The engineering is the biggest job. We also have to level the surface and put in cables, Wi-Fi and internet. We hire about 1,800 seasonal workers.
And the most satisfying?
One of the most joyous parts is featuring local schools, choirs, dancers and singers.
You came to Vegas in 1993 and then became a senior vice president with Cirque du Soleil for 21 years before moving on to Enchant, which takes place in several cities. But you stayed here in Las Vegas. Why?
When I left Cirque, friends said, “Are you coming home to New York?” I said, “Do you still need a shovel in New York?” I’m home in Vegas. I can drive up to Mount Charleston, touch snow, then get back in the car. I love it here.
Best holiday memory?
My husband and I have 15-year-old twin boys. We do a sit-down dinner for 24 people on up on Christmas Day. I love to cook. That’s my Zen. On Christmas, I do all the old family recipes that you can only make once or twice a year or they’ll kill you. ◆
Enchant on the Strip runs Nov. 19–Jan. 1 at Resorts World. Enchant Las Vegas runs at Las Vegas Ballpark from Nov. 25–Jan. 1.