Las Vegas doesn’t do anything halfway—especially the holidays. This issue brings together two very different, very Vegas kinds of magic: the snow machines at Gipsy with Miss Continental Elite Alexis Mateo, and the twinkling trains and tinsel of Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.
Alexis is the definition of a working queen with a heart of gold. Long before she stepped onto RuPaul’s Drag Race, she was a backup dancer watching Continental legends from the wings and dreaming of a crown of her own. This year, that dream is reality: she’s reigning as Miss Continental Elite and choosing to spend Christmas not on the road, but here at home in Las Vegas—with her cast, her community, and her chosen family at Gipsy and Piranha.
Her new Thursday holiday show is more than sequins, snow, and Mariah high notes (though you’ll get plenty of those). It’s Alexis using her platform to lift up trans excellence, honor the queens who paved the way, and remind anyone feeling lonely this season that there is always a place for you at the table—and on the dance floor. In a year when politics have felt especially heavy, that kind of joy is its own form of resistance.
Across the Strip, Bellagio’s Conservatory has transformed into a storybook train station with a 42-foot tree, sparkling bells, toy soldiers, and the new Garden Table tucked inside a life-size gingerbread house. It’s over-the-top in the best way—complete with peppermint treats, holiday music, and a fragrance that smells like citrus, spice, and nostalgia. And it’s free and open 24/7, making it one of the most welcoming holiday experiences in the city for locals and visitors alike.
From Alexis shouting “BAM!” under indoor snowfall to late-night selfies under Bellagio’s glowing ornaments, this season is all about connection—between friends, lovers, drag families, and everyone who calls Las Vegas home for the holidays.
Wherever you land—front row at Gipsy, center bed at Bellagio, or curled up with this issue—we wish you a warm, queer, and wonderfully extra holiday season.
Happy Holidays!