Alessia Cara leads this week’s best bets in Las Vegas

MUSIC

Alessia Cara

Her latest album may examine “The Pains of Growing,” but 23-year-old Canadian popster Alessia Cara grew up fast. Her winsome, precocious 2015 debut, “Know-It-All,” spawned hit single “Scars to Your Beautiful,” earned Cara a Grammy and led to collaborations with EDM star Zedd and rapper Logic. Trust her lonely at 7:30 p.m. Friday at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Tickets are $39.50 to $99; call 800-745-3000.

Jason Bracelin

FOOD & DRINK

Pizza Festival

The inaugural Las Vegas Pizza Festival, offering unlimited slices from 20 pizzaiolos, will be 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at The Industrial Event Space, 2330 Industrial Road. Tickets are $45 for general admission, $50 general admission for one adult and one child younger than 8, or $85 for VIP (with noon entry and free beer and wine). Visit vegaspizzafest.com.

Heidi Knapp Rinella

MOVIES

‘The Polar Express’

Kick off your holiday season with a trip aboard “The Polar Express.” Will the somewhat lifelike humans in the groundbreaking motion-capture film give your little ones nightmares? Possibly. But it’s also one of the surest signs that Christmas is (relatively speaking) just around the corner. See “The Polar Express” at 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at Galaxy Theatres locations at the Boulevard Mall, Cannery and Green Valley.

Christopher Lawrence

"A Scene from "The Polar Express." (Warner Bros. Pictures)

ARTS & LEISURE

‘Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure’

Explore the bottom of a prehistoric ocean in this all-new adventure from the creators of “Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live” at 6 p.m. Wednesday at The Smith Center’s Reynolds. Combining puppets, technology and paleontology, “Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure” uses life-sized puppets to teach and entertain. The show is recommended for ages 3 to 12. Tickets ($15-$25) are available at thesmithcenter.com.

Al Mancini

Erth's Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure (Heidrun Lohr/Red Tail Entertainment)

ARTS & LEISURE

Tree lighting

The Ice Rink at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opens its season with a tree-lighting event featuring Marc-Andre Fleury and Max Pacioretty on Wednesday. Hosted by Big D and Mark Shunock, the third annual event also will feature a set by DJ Lee Orchard, skating and more, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Golden Knights stars will light the 36-foot-tall Christmas tree at 7 p.m. Admission is free, and skate rental is $15 to $25. For details, visit cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.

Madelon Hynes