Foodies boarding Thanksgiving-week flights to Las Vegas, listen up! Mario Batali, award-winning chef and current host of ABC’s daytime hit, “The Chew,” will be hosting free outdoor cooking demos on Black Friday at The Venetian.

Batali will be taking pictures and serving up his signature pizzas from 1 to 3 PM on Friday. The complimentary event is part of the “Winter in Venice” celebration going on now through January 8 at The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas.

The inaugural season of “Winter in Venice” features all the sights and sounds of the winter season with a distinct Las Vegas flare. A synthetic ice skating rink (no cold necessary), set under more than 2,000 festive lights, steals the show.

“Winter in Venice” is free to the public with skating sessions available for a small fee.

CC Flickr photo credit: Andrew Hitchcock