Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas this week

Here are neon’s top picks of what to do the week of Friday, Nov. 7 through Thursday, Nov. 13:

Holiday Cactus Garden

The Ethel M Chocolates Holiday Cactus Garden, with its million lights, is open for the season. Guests can stroll through the holiday attraction from 5 to 10 p.m. daily through Jan. 3, with special hours Dec. 24 and 31, at 2 Cactus Garden Drive in Henderson. Santa will be available from 5 to 9 p.m. daily through Dec. 23. Admission is $3, with children younger than 2 and seniors 65 and older admitted free; ethelm.com.

SEMA Fest

Engines and amplifiers will be revved in unison when the music-meets-motorsports SEMA Fest speeds into Las Vegas with an outdoor concert headlined by chameleonic rockers Queens of the Stone Age, hitting Vegas for the first time in over seven years, alongside the bluesy Black Crowes and the new wave-y Neon Trees at 3 p.m. Friday in the Bronze Lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Tickets are $95; semafest.com.

Helldorado Days Rodeo

The Helldorado Days Rodeo, the reigning Nevada small rodeo of the year, returns for two nights of bareback riding, barrel racing, breakaway roping, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, tie-down roping and the ever-popular mutton bustin’. The competition, sanctioned by the PRCA and WPRA, begins at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the CORE Arena at the Plaza. Tickets start at $13.90; plazahotelcasino.com.

Wild and Scenic Film Festival

Nevada State Parks hosts the traveling film festival tour on Saturday at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, near Blue Diamond. The event starts at 3:30 p.m. with booths from local outdoors organizations, then the film festival screens eight short films (totaling 129 minutes) about nature, ecology, wildlife, wild wonders and more. Free with standard park admission; parks.nv.gov/events.

Lee’s Wine Experience

Sip, swirl and explore some of the 800 different wines and spirits offered from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Lee’s Family Forum. Guests can taste wines from around the globe and a wide selection of liquor, all to benefit Lee’s Helping Hand, at the 21-and-older experience. General admission tickets are $59.74; leesfamilyforum.com.

GZA

GZA is short for “genius,” and when it comes to “Liquid Swords,” the 1995 solo album from the Wu-Tang Clan MC, the nickname feels earned. With its head-spinning lyrical interplay, ’70s-soul-indebted production and Dostoevskian storylines, it’s a genuine hip-hop masterpiece. On the towering redwood that is the Wu-Tang family tree, “Liquid Swords” just might be the strongest branch. See GZA celebrate the 30th anniversary of this classic at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq Promenade. Tickets are $50.40; ticketmaster.com.

Upcycle: Thrift Meets Fine Art

Visit Slonina Artspace, 901 Fremont St., No. 174, to see how secondhand items can be reimagined into fine art at this Second Saturday art party sponsored by Goodwill. The free, family-friendly event will feature food, drinks and works from dozens of local artists. It runs from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, with a best-in-show announcement at 4.

Ferraro’s 40th

In November, Ferraro’s Ristorante, 4480 Paradise Road, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. To mark the occasion, on Friday, the restaurant is offering throwback classics — spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, eggplant Parmigiana — for $4.99, dine-in only. From Monday through Thursday, Ferraro’s is offering 10 different Italian wines for $40 per bottle, regularly $80 to $100.

Earl Sweatshirt

Earl Sweatshirt quietly dropped his latest album, “Live Laugh Love,” in August with little fanfare, an act in step with his nonchalant brilliance on the mic. Clocking in at less than 25 minutes, “Live Laugh Love” still packs enough dense wordplay to fill an album twice its length. “We on the cutting edge / told you we only doubling back to cover tracks,” Sweatshirt boasts early on the record, backing up his words in song. See him at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Tickets are $52; ticketmaster.com.

Dam Short selections

The Dam Short Film Festival is putting its best foot forward with “A Night of Comedy.” The 10 films in the 90-minute block are considered the best comedies from the past decade of the Boulder City festival. Dam Short Film Society board members will be available before and after the program. A reception with light bites is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday with the screening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $46; thebeverlytheater.com.