BRETT’S VEGAS VIEW
Date: Nov. 26, 2017
BY: Jackie Brett
TROY LIQUOR BAR IS NEW AT GOLDEN NUGGET
Golden Nugget has a new nightlife experience with the venue, Troy Liquor Bar, which replaces the second-story Gold Diggers nightclub and opened Nov. 24. Imported from Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District, Troy Liquor Bar is located right off the Fremont Street Experience entrance and open Thursday through Sunday at 9 p.m.
The venue has new porcelain tile walls, plush lounge seating, bottle service, one-of-a-kind artwork, a diverse rotation of DJs, dance floor and a state-of-the-art sound system. The second-level balcony offers views overlooking the Fremont Street Experience. Also at the new sleek cocktail retreat, blackjack tables will be featured.
PLAZA GOES ALL OUT FOR NFR
Official hotel sponsor for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), the Plaza will host downtown Las Vegas’ first and only practice arena and stalls presented by Heel-O-Matic. A 100 ft. x 240 ft. practice arena with 120 VIP stalls and 24-hour security will be located right outside the Plaza. Team roping practice will be held there daily Dec. 4-16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with grade A and B live steers or Heel-O-Matic’s Ultimate Ground Driven Trainer available for use.
The Plaza will also offer free live NFR viewing parties, every night of NFR, in the resort’s new Plaza Events Center, which has 18 large high-definition television screens and seats up to 400 guests.
Guests attending NFR can take the Plaza’s free shuttle service to the Thomas & Mack Center each night of the 10-day event from 5 to 7 p.m. and returning 9 to 10:30 p.m., in time for the Plaza’s NFR After Parties with live entertainment in the Omaha Lounge on the casino floor.
Oscar’s steakhouse will have three special menus items during NFR and the casino bars will also have several drink specials.
GOLDEN NUGGET LINES UP COUNTRY’S BEST FOR NFR
Turning Downtown into Cowboy Town, the Golden Nugget will welcome country music all-stars Dec. 7-15 for National Finals Rodeo 2017. All concerts will be held in The Showroom following the rodeo at 10 p.m. each night. Tickets start at $49.
The impressive lineup includes: John Michael Montgomery Dec. 7; Brenda Lee Dec. 8; Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan Dec. 9; Charlie Daniels Band Dec. 10; Ronnie Milsap Dec. 11; Tanya Tucker Dec. 12; Lonestar Dec. 13; Clint Black Dec. 14; and Jamey Johnson Dec. 15.
SLS LAS VEGAS® GOES COUNTRY FOR NFR
As the official home and hotel of Cowboy Christmas during National Finals Rodeo (NFR), SLS Las Vegas will transform into a country destination for rodeo fans from Dec. 7-16 with live NFR streams inside The Sayers Club 6:30-10:30 except on Dec. 8 and 9, exclusive dining offerings and live entertainment. Plus, free shuttle transportation to and from NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center throughout the duration of the event.
Fans looking to watch the NFR action can enjoy live streams projected onto a big screen, with free admission inside The Sayers Club from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7 through Saturday, Dec. 16 excluding Dec. 8 and Dec. 9.
Chart-topping country band, Parmalee, will take the stage with special guest Kasey Tyndall at The Foundry on Sunday, Dec. 10. Following the success of their debut album, “Feels Like Carolina,” the band earned recognition as a semi-finalist for the Academy of Country Music’s coveted “New Artist of the Year” award. Tickets for the Hotdamalama Tour start at $22.50.
COSMOPOLITAN MAKES ALTERATIONS TO CHANDELIER BAR
The standout Chandelier bar at the Cosmopolitan has received a few upgrades recently to go along other tweaking at the resort. The eye-catching extreme crystal strands giving the multi-level lounge its distinctive appearance haven’t gone away. The changes include new furniture, colors and spaces.
Changes to the street level were completed last year. The first level is more open and includes bar top video poker.
On the second level, an area on the periphery of the lounge was converted to be a common area allowing for seating for three nearby food-and-beverage offerings: Eggslut, Milk Bar and the Juice Standard. A large origami-style rabbit sculpture and other art was also added along with more agile furniture replacing heavier lounge-style seating. Floors, walls and bar top were replaced with lighter color and reflective finishes.
Currently middle section level 1.5 is under construction and will receive new furniture, floor and bar along with some cosmetic upgrades by the end of the year.
PATTON OSWALT’S HARD ROCK SHOW HELPS LV VICTIMS’ FUND
Comedian, actor and writer, Patton Oswalt, scheduled to perform at The Joint at Hard Rock on Saturday, Dec. 2, is donating half of his performance fee to the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund. Show tickets start at $49.95.
LUCKY DRAGON CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY
North Strip resort Lucky Dragon, which was the first brand new resort to open in more than six years, is celebrating its first anniversary with a variety of special programming on Sunday, Dec. 3.
Beginning at noon the casino will be giving away Lucky Dragon t-shirts and have live music from resident favorite DJ Sojourner. A traditional lion and dragon dance will kick off the evening’s festivities at 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m.
In addition to the anniversary festivities taking place, Lucky Dragon will be offering a two-for-one special on all entrées from the recently updated menu at the property’s luxury dining room, Phoenix, through the entire month of December.
ORLEANS ARENA HOSTS ‘MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS’
Grammy Award-winner Chip Davis will bring “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas” classics and best-loved hits from his “Fresh Aire” series to the Orleans Arena on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. The show directed and co-produced by Davis features Mannheim Steamroller classics, along with multimedia effects in an intimate setting. Tickets start at $39.
This year marks the 33rd Anniversary of the Christmas Tour and release of “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,” an album that revolutionized the holiday season music category. Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 40 million albums with 28 million in the Christmas genre. Their holiday albums have become synonymous with Christmas and consistently occupy top spots on Billboard’s Seasonal Charts every year.
‘HOLIDAY AT THE PARK’ COMES ALIVE
The opening of “Holiday at The Park” will be Thursday, Nov. 30 in the Toshiba Plaza with the 80-foot tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature performances by The Mirage’s newest headliner Matt Goss and the Las Vegas Academy Choir. The emcee will be in-Arena host for the Vegas Golden Knights, Mark Shunock. The opening includes complimentary ice skating 4-10 p.m., a meet-and-greet with Santa, hot chocolate and tasty treats throughout. Complimentary parking will be available from 4–8 p.m. at the New York-New York and Monte Carlo self-park garages for guests attending the event.
HOLIDAY CLIPS
For the holiday season through Jan. 2, the “Ultimate 4-D Experience®” at Excalibur has added the special showcase of “The Polar Express™ 4-D Experience®.” The film adventure to the North Pole is the SimEx-Iwerks 4-D Version of the holiday classic. The movies putting the audience in the middle of the actions are shown in 3-D and the fourth dimension is the special effect theater.
The Fashion Show mall is offering a complimentary New York-style theatrical holiday show “Believe in the Magic” in the Great Hall with an array of singers and dancers transforming the shopping destination. Following every show, guests are invited to parade with characters to Santa's Photo Experience, while singing carols. The special holiday show will be performed Dec. 2-3, 9-10 and 16-24 at noon, 2, 4, and 6 p.m. each day.
Also at the Fashion Show mall, you can have photos taken with Santa at Neiman Marcus Court through Dec. 24. Online you can book a date and time and even save $5 by booking between Monday and Wednesday through Dec. 9; however, reservations and photo purchases are not required to visit Santa. Note Santa may take occasional breaks to feed the reindeer.
The holiday edition of “Vegas! The Show” in the Saxe Theater located at the Miracle Mile Shops is running through Dec. 31 with seasonal dance numbers, tunes and festive costumes. The show includes “Jingle Bell Rock” in the style of Wayne Newton, “Marshmallow World” as it was made famous by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, “Blue Christmas” ala Elvis Presley, and many more favorites.
No iceberg will stop the North Pole’s jolliest man from visiting Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition inside the Luxor on Saturdays, Dec. 16 and 23 from 1-3 p.m. Santa will greet guests and pose for photos on the replica of Titanic’s Grand Staircase.
The Neon Museum’s annual “December to Remember” family holiday celebration will take place Saturday, Dec. 9, from 3 to 6 p.m. It begins with ornament-making from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by hot chocolate and caroling by Las Vegas Academy choir in the Neon Museum Boneyard from 5 to 6 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
Children’s Heart Foundation supporter and star of History Channel’s “Pawn Stars,” Chumlee Russell, invites people to “Adopt A Heart Family” by coming down to his candy store, Chumlee’s Candy on the Blvd., and donating until Dec. 15. Guests who come in and donate will receive a special photo op with the star.
La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at Wynn will celebrate the Festival of Lights with a special Hanukkah dinner and festive cocktail Tuesday, Dec. 12 through Wednesday, Dec. 20. La Cave will serve crispy duck breast with sweet potato latkes and purple potatoes for $21 and reintroduce its signature Hanukkah cocktail, Eight Crazy Nights, made with Blue Curacao, Liquor 43, crème de menthe and egg whites for $16.
THE PSYCHIC HILLBILLY PAYS VEGAS A VISIT
The Psychic Hillbilly will invade the Back Space at The Space for a limited four-night engagement Dec. 7–10 at 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 and VIP $50.
From the woods of Appalachia, Hill Bill, The Psychic Hillbilly, is a moonshining, bear wrestling, mind-noodling, rugged yet charming comedy magician. His show features illusions along with back up Billy Dancers.
Writer Matt Donnelly of “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” takes on the role of Hill Bill in his brand new show combining his comedic craft with a few of his newly accomplished magic tricks. Another appearance in the show will be the Sock-ic Heel Billy with puppeteer and comedian Paul Mattingly.
In 2011, Donnelly started as an intern for Penn & Teller for their show on Discovery Channel. Hired as a comedy writer mid-season, he went on to write and produce numerous Penn & Teller television and film projects, including “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” for the last three seasons. Currently, Donnelly co-hosts the podcasts “Penn’s Sunday School,” “Matt and Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social” as well as “Matt and Mattingly’s The Bucket Show.”
ABOUT TOWN ITEMS
Wynn’s American steakhouse Country Club overlooking the 18th hole on the Wynn Golf Course will close after brunch on Jan. 14 in order to make way for construction of the resort’s Paradise Park manmade lagoon.
Tailgating at its best! Downtown Watch Zone Viewing Parties are continuing every football Sunday from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. through Dec. 17 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Viewing is on a 72-foot LED high definition screen. There is no cover but you must be 21 or older.
First Friday’s theme downtown on Dec. 1 is “Art of Movement.” The featured artist will be Las Vegas-native Jesse Hudson displaying his photography.
Quite joyful! With more than one million followers on Instagram and 1.8M likes on Facebook, social media phenomenon and world’s most popular French bulldog Manny The Frenchie recently enjoyed a visit to KÀ by Cirque du Soleil® at MGM Grand. The pooch was fitted in a custom replica costume of the show’s counselor character by the KÀ wardrobe department and then met up with his show twin, the counselor, for photos.
Different holiday approach, fresh off her firing from MTV, Farrah Abraham will return to the Crazy Horse III gentlemen’s club as sexy Santa for a NEON Flow celebration on Thursday, Dec. 14. The club will provide a hosted open bar from 10 p.m. through midnight, have entertainers sporting fluorescent body paints, lasers lighting up the venue, and DJ C.L.
NASCAR CHAMPION’S WEEK OFFERS FAN FUN
NASCAR Champion’s Week returns to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nov. 27-Dec. 1 celebrating the end of the 2017 racing season with the Monster Energy Cup Series and top drivers.
Fan Headquarters will be at The Park with giveaways, activities and driver appearances. NASCAR Drivers Autograph Sessions will be held Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 3-4:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 30 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The NASCAR Fan Lounge at Beerhaus presented by Coors Light will be open daily 1-8 p.m. Nov. 28-30.
NASCAR champion Kurt Busch will be hosting a charity event at Pole Position Raceway, 4175 S. Arville Street, on Nov. 28 from 7-9 p.m. with half the proceeds going to Vegas Strong helping victims and first responders and half going to Drivers for Vegas. Racers will pay a special $20 price to race and the public can attend with a $20 donation at the door. Half of the proceeds will go to Keep Vegas Strong and the other half going to Drivers for Vegas. Event goers will have the chance to compete against racers (rookie, intermediate and advanced) and celebrities with the ultimate chance to take on the champion, Kurt Busch. There will be special race prizes, raffles, a silent auction and other events.
PAINTINGS - SIGNINGS AT MAGICAL MEMORIES
Magical Memories featuring Disney Fine Art is hosting free special artist events at the gallery. Live painting, book signings, meet-and-greets and more with many of the most popular and prolific Disney fine artists.
Official artist of the Disney Fine Art collection, Tim Rogerson, and Trevor Carlton, who is widely-known for his mesmerizing live performances set to music while painting beloved Disney characters in a matter of minutes. The two men will be painting and signing works Friday, Dec. 1 from 2–5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 from 1–3 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 3 from 1-3 p.m.
As a Disney artist for nearly 15 years, Michelle St. Laurent’s artwork has been an everyday presence at Walt Disney World Resort both as a fine art painter and designer. You can meet St. Laurent at the gallery as she paints live and signs works Friday, Dec. 8 from 2–5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9 from 1–3 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10 from 1-3 p.m.
Disney artists Heather Theurer and Tennessee Loveless, who has limited achromatopsia colorblindness (almost complete colorblindness), and author Dave Bossert of the new book “The Art of Tennessee Loveless” will be live painting and signing books Friday, Dec. 15 from 2–5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 16 from 1–3 p.m. and 5–7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 17 from 1-3 p.m.
LITTLE BLACK DRESSES ON PARADE AT SAKS
The fourth annual Las Vegas Fashion Council (LVFC) Little Black Dress Event returns Thursday, Nov. 30 at Saks Fifth Avenue inside Fashion Show from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Las Vegas’ talented student designers from the Art Institute of Las Vegas enter their most creative dress designs to compete for a $500 tuition grant toward their education. Guests will be treated to hors d’ oeuvres, champagne, raffle giveaways and a live DJ. Tickets are $50, $40 for LVFC members and $25 for students.
GLOBE SALON HOLDS HOLIDAY SWEATER PARTY AT STARBOARD TACK
On Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 from 8–11 p.m., the public is invited to join locally-owned Globe Salon friends and family at the Starboard Tack, 2601 Atlantic Street, for a holiday party for a cause. The theme encourages attendees to wear festive, funny or straight-up ugly holiday sweaters, which gets a free drink. An unwrapped donation for the 19th Annual 98.5 KLUC Chet Buchanan Show Toy Drive can get another drink. Free drinks are limited so arrive early. Thee Swank Bastards, a Las Vegas-based surf rock ensemble, will perform live at 8:30 and 10 p.m. and there will be prizes for the best holiday sweater.
LAS VEGAS ACKNOWLEDGES WORLD AIDS DAY
World AIDS Day on Friday, Dec. 1 will be honored with a series of commemorations around Las Vegas. Nearly 30 Las Vegas landmarks and casinos will show their support by lighting their marquees red beginning at 8 p.m. The inaugural World AIDS Day was held in 1988 and was the first-ever health awareness day to be recognized globally. As of 2015, 36.7 million people live with HIV worldwide.
One landmark lighting up red will be the Keep Memory Alive Event Center, which was designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry, and was recently named “Best Conference Center in the Far West Region” by Northstar Meetings Group’s Stella Awards.
