Bad Elf Pop-Up Bar Returns to Silverton Las Vegas

For the second year, the Shady Grove Lounge at Las Vegas’ Silverton Casino Hotel will transform into the Bad Elf Pop-Up Bar over the holiday season. From Nov. 4 to Jan. 2, this nascent alcoholic Christmas tradition will deck the bar with snow-covered Christmas trees, presents, and 27 “retired” elves dangling from the ceiling,

The dangling elves were a tradition conceived by Silverton executive director of communications Keith Salwoski, who noted that last year’s decorations included a smattering of shelf elves that inspired guests to offer to donate their own. “When we did some research, we were surprised to find several articles about the very same thing,” Salwoski told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a box set consisting of a smiley Santa’s helper facsimile figure and a picture book. First published in 2005 by author Carol Aebersold, it has sold more than 13 million copies. According to the book, the Elf on a Shelf must be hidden somewhere in a child’s bedroom. From here, the toy ostensibly spies and reports back to Santa Claus on the niceness vs. naughtiness therein. Parents are expected to move the elf each night.

But kids grow out of childhood traditions, and many parents tire of the pressure of finding creative new hiding spots long before that occurs. So the off-Strip casino hotel offered to retire all abandoned shelf elves by suspending them from the Bad Elf Pop-Up Bar’s ceiling. The Silverton put out the official call this summer. It was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion that caught fire, the casino said.

To help donor families cope with the elf-sized hole in their seasonal tradition, according to a statement from the Silverton, access to a digital took kit was provided featuring notes from their elf raving about retirement, and even photos of their elf’s new Las Vegas friends. They also offered each donor a drink voucher.

Bad Elf Experiences

Celebratory $10 cocktails at the Bad Elf Pop-Up Bar include the Peach Schnapps-based Grinch Shot, the vanilla vodka-spiked Naughty Butter Beer, and the Fireball-laced Spicy Apple Cider.

Three Bad Elf experiences are available. Starting at $20, each includes a cocktail, a souvenir glass, and a puzzle hunt employing clues within the bar. The $40 “Baddest Elf” Experience also includes one hour of bottomless drinks and a Christmas cookie.

For more information, visit www.silvertoncasino.com/badelf.

Silverton Enhancements

The Silverton, which opened in 1994, caters to locals and cost-conscious out-of-town visitors. Its interactive aquarium mermaids make the venue one of the more family-friendly off-Strip casino-hotels.

The venue recently announced a $45 million refurbishment that includes sprucing up 300 guest rooms.