If you only had one fall weekend at Craig Ranch Regional Park, which would you choose? The city's calendar makes it a real choice. Between now and the end of November, four separate events are scheduled at 628 W. Craig Road on Saturday, October 24. A week later, on Halloween, a three-day ticketed festival and a free city party share the park on the same evening.
Most of the park's fall season falls on those two Saturdays. November's events are spread out with room between them, and the city's calendar doesn't list any Craig Ranch events for December yet. Whether you want to be at the center of the action or just want your usual walk without the crowds, the dates below will help you plan.
Why the park can host this much now
The busy calendar follows this year's upgrades. On April 10, North Las Vegas reopened the amphitheater, which the city calls The Amp, with a free Totally 80s Symphonic concert. FOX5 reported a larger stage area, a new screen and new sound equipment. KTNV reported that the renovation added a roof, a support structure, lighting and sound, and raised capacity to 10,000.
The park's edges are changing too. Earlier in April, FOX5 reported that the City Council approved a $79,500 agreement with Dynamic Metalworks for new fencing, gates and bollards. The upgrades are meant to secure the park when it's closed overnight, and the work will also open up more parking spaces.
A bigger stage and more parking make it easier to schedule big events here. That's how one Saturday ends up with a morning of community events followed by a ticketed festival at night.
Saturday, October 24, hour by hour
The day starts at 7 a.m. and goes until 11 p.m. Here is the city's schedule for the park that day:
Time | Event | Admission |
|---|---|---|
7 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Backhoe Rodeo | Not listed by the city |
8 a.m. to noon | St. Jude Walk | Not listed by the city |
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Paws in the Park | Not listed by the city |
5 p.m. to 11 p.m. | Las Vegas Hot Air Balloon Festival, night two | Ticketed |
From 10 a.m. to noon, three events are going at the same time. The Backhoe Rodeo keeps running until 2 p.m., and the balloon festival gates open three hours after that. If you have a regular Saturday morning routine at Craig Ranch, such as a dog walk, a run or a playground stop, expect to share the park with three organized groups before lunch.
There's also an upside. A household could do the St. Jude Walk in the morning, bring the dog to Paws in the Park, go home for the afternoon and come back for the balloon glow after dark.
Planning around the balloon festival
The city lists the Balloon Glow at Craig Ranch as a third-party event on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, 5 to 11 p.m. both nights. The organizer, Balloon Shows USA, calls it the Las Vegas Hot Air Balloon Festival and lists tickets from $10 to $75.
If you're going, the FreshTix event page has the practical details:
- Gates: Open at 5 p.m. both nights.
- Main show: The balloon glow and laser show starts around 9 p.m., with balloon burns timed to music.
- Before the show: A DJ, festival food, craft and retail vendors, and a kids zone.
- Balloon rides: Tethered rides cost $35 per person and are sold onsite only. Spots are limited and depend on the weather.
- Parking: General parking is $10.
- What to bring: Chairs and blankets are welcome. Coolers and outside food or drink are not allowed.
- Wind: Balloons inflate only when winds are low enough to be safe, and staff will make announcements during the event.
Since the glow starts around 9 p.m., you can show up after dinner and still see the main event. The organizer says tickets are limited, so if you're set on Saturday, buy ahead.
Friday, October 23 is the same show with nothing else scheduled at the park that day. For families who mainly want to see the balloons, that's the simpler night.
Halloween brings a festival and a free party at the same time
The second busy Saturday is October 31. VIVA Taco Fest runs at Craig Ranch from Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday. On Saturday evening, the city's Trunk or Treat runs from 6 to 9 p.m., with free entry and no registration needed. The city lists costumes, candy, carnival rides and a car show.
The two events cost very different amounts. According to the VIVA Taco Fest site, general admission is $15 for any festival day, and children 43 inches and under get in free. General admission includes vendor access, Lucha Libre, the 360 Carshow weekend, cultural performances, festival competitions and altars. The $90 VIP ticket is for ages 21 and up and adds front-of-stage access, a tequila tasting, a VIP lounge with a private bar, upgraded restrooms and a separate check-in.
The festival FAQ lists a taco eating competition, a Catrina competition, Chihuahua races and a Chihuahua beauty competition, a soccer tournament, a 5K Glow Run, carnival rides and live entertainment. It notes that some competitions and special events need a separate ticket or registration. If your kids want to enter something, check that before the weekend.
Both events have a car show and carnival rides, and from 6 to 9 p.m. both are running at Craig Ranch. If you're mainly trick-or-treating, Trunk or Treat is the free option. If your family wants a full day of food and wrestling, a Taco Fest ticket covers that, and you'll already be at the park when Trunk or Treat starts.
If you'd rather skip the Saturday crowd, Sunday, November 1 is the last day of Taco Fest, with shorter hours and nothing else scheduled at the park.
November is the easier month
After Halloween, events are spaced out, and most are a single evening:
- Island Feeling Fest, Saturday, November 7, 3 to 11 p.m. at the Craig Ranch Regional Park Amphitheater. The city links to ticket purchases.
- Shop and Seek, Friday, November 13, 4 to 8 p.m. The city calls it a free community event.
- ATLiens, Saturday, November 14, 6 p.m. to midnight at the Craig Ranch Amphitheater, with ticketing linked from the city listing.
- C-AMP Out, Friday, November 20 into Saturday, November 21. This is an overnight campout that ends at 8 a.m. Saturday. The city describes it as $5 per person with activities and food included. The calendar has two entries for it, one starting at 4 p.m. and one at 5 p.m., so check the start time with the city before you pack.
Turnstile and Sullivan King already played the Amp on October 15 and 16, so the two November shows are the last ticketed nights at the renovated amphitheater on the city's fall calendar. The campout is the city's lowest-cost Craig Ranch event of the season, and it's the only one that keeps people in the park overnight.
One event on the city's fall list is somewhere else. Movie Madness on Friday, November 6, 6 to 8:30 p.m., is at Hartke Park, not Craig Ranch. The Totally 80s Symphonic concert that still shows up in the city's park promotions was the April 10 reopening show, so it's not on the fall lineup.
Choosing your weekend
Here's how the season looks by what you're after:
- The most going on in one day: Saturday, October 24, from the 7 a.m. Backhoe Rodeo to the 9 p.m. balloon glow.
- Balloons with less going on around them: Friday, October 23.
- Halloween on a budget: Trunk or Treat, October 31, 6 to 9 p.m., free.
- A full festival day: VIVA Taco Fest, with Sunday, November 1 as the quieter day.
- Something different: C-AMP Out on November 20, the one night of the season you can sleep in the park.
Event details can change, especially for third-party events like the balloon festival and Taco Fest. The city's Craig Ranch event page and each organizer's site will have the latest times.
If you live near Craig Ranch, or you're thinking about how close you'd want to be to a park with a fall season like this one, The Abella Team is happy to talk through what living around a busy regional park is like day to day. Schedule a consultation, and bring your questions about North Las Vegas.
