Ringing in 2018 with America's Party!

Welcome to America's Party in Las Vegas! 

Each year, the Strip is Closed, pedestrians only; and everyone is enjoying the Fireworks from 7 different Casino rooftops.  Over 330,000 people came to party in Las Vegas last year; and local Tourism Officials say there's going to be more than that to Ring in 2018.

Over $500,000 was spent on the Fireworks last year, with the budget similar again this year. 

Here are the 7 Strip Casinos with Fireworks:

Aria Resort and Casino

Caesars Palace

Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino

MGM Grand Hotel and Casino

The Venetian

Treasure Island

Stratosphere Casino Hotel & Tower

The Fireworks will last 8 minutes and 18 seconds with over 80,000 fireworks explosions, choreographed with an exhilarating mix of music.

The Strip will be closed from Russell to Sahara beginning at 6:00 PM until well after Midnight.  Casinos begin closing their doors at 11:00 PM and don't reopen again until 12:30 AM.  They do this to control occupancy and maintain flow.

Downtown Las Vegas also has all their main stages open.  America's Party on Fremont Street is highlighted by the Spectacular Show on the Viva Vision Canopy that covers Downtown. 

Fremont Street will be closed starting at 4:00 PM, with Event Only wristband patrons admitted beginning at 6:00 PM.  Las Vegas Mayor, Carolyn Goodman, will ring in 2018 Downtown.

If you're planning to be on The Strip or Downtown, plan on getting there early, dress warm; and be ready for crowds of craziness wherever you wander about in Vegas.  

Have a Safe and Happy 2018 Celebration!

For all your Las Vegas inquiries and beyond, contact jahiggins@jstravelconsultants.com or feel free to call (702) 539 - 7834.  All inquiries are welcome and responded to within 24 hours.

Ice Vegas is coming to the T-Mobile Arena!

College hockey hits #IceVegas on January 5-6 at the inaugural Ice Vegas Invitational. The two-day tournament features Arizona State, Boston College, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan in a doubleheader each day at T-Mobile Arena. Tickets are good for both games of a session.

January 5, 2018

5:00 PM  Boston College vs Michigan Tech

8:30 PM  Arizona State vs Northern Michigan

January 6, 2018

5:00 PM  Consolation Game

8:30 PM  Championship Game

RESERVED EVENT PARKING AVAILABLE

Reserved event parking is available at New York-New York, Monte Carlo and the Aria Event Parking Garage for this event starting at $10. Additional service fees apply. The price increases the day of the event.  

The WNBA is All In for Las Vegas!

Las Vegas is now Home to a Professional Basketball Team!

MGM Resorts International has purchased and relocated the WNBA San Antonio Stars to Vegas.

In a press conference, MGM formally announced the team will now be the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces will play in the Mandalay Bay Events Center beginning with the 2018 Season.

MGM is putting up $10 Million for improvements to the Events Center before the Aces take the court.  The Aces are currently being coached by former NBA All-Star Bill Laimbeer.

Welcome to Las Vegas and "Let's Go Aces"

The Las Vegas Bowl is Ready to Kick Off!

The University of Oregon (7-5) will return to the Las Vegas Bowl for the first time in more than a decade when the Pac-12 Conference representative takes on Mountain West champion and 25th-ranked Boise State (10-3) in the 26th edition of the Las Vegas Bowl. The game will be played Saturday, Dec. 16, at 12:30 p.m. PT, and will air on ABC.

The Broncos will play in the Las Vegas Bowl for the first time since winning three straight appearances from 2010-12. The Ducks, who will serve as the home team, have split their two previous trips, downing Air Force in 1997 and falling to BYU in 2006.

Boise State stands 25th in the final College Football Playoff rankings, along with both the AP and coaches’ polls. This marks the 11th time in the last dozen years that at least one of the Las Vegas Bowl teams brings in a top 25 ranking.

“What a matchup we have for our city this year with two of the top national brands in college football,” Saccenti said. “It’s great to welcome 10-win Boise State back for the first time in a while after a hugely successful three-year run here. We are also thrilled to host Oregon for the first time in 11 years. We’re expecting a real battle between two high-scoring programs and look forward to hosting the Broncos and Ducks and their wonderful fans in Fabulous Las Vegas.”

The Las Vegas Bowl will mark just the third meeting between these two western powers. Boise State won both previous games, 37-32 in Eugene in 2008 and 19-8 in Boise to open the 2009 season, which ended with a Fiesta Bowl victory by the Broncos.

The Ducks feature three players from the Las Vegas area: offensive linemen Tyrell Crosby (Green Valley High School) and Sam Poutasi (Desert Pines High School) and defensive lineman Elijah George (Arbor View High School). Two current Broncos graduated from Southern Nevada high schools – offensive lineman John Molchon (Faith Lutheran High School) and defensive end Derriyon Shaw (Legacy High School).

Both teams will arrive Tuesday, Dec. 12, to enjoy a week full of activities. Tickets for Las Vegas Bowl XXVI range in price from $45-$120 (plus fees and LET), depending on location. Visit www.lvbowl.com for more information.

The Las Vegas Bowl is one of 14 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.

Follow the Las Vegas Bowl on Twitter: @LasVegasBowl

Find the Las Vegas Bowl on Facebook: facebook.com/lvbowl

"Rodeo Time in Vegas"

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have passed; but here in Vegas, we're looking forward to one of the largest shopping events of the year.  Its Rodeo Time and that means Cowboy Christmas!

The Las Vegas Convention Center will be buzzing with everything from Belt Buckles, Cowboy Hats; and all sorts of Western Style products from December 7th through the 16th.  The Shopping hall will be open from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily; and is open to the public.  The South Halls will feature some 350 Exhibitors.  Shuttle service between the Convention Center and Thomas & Mack Center will also be available.

www.nfrexperience.com/cowboychristmas/

This Annual Shopping Experience is of course part of the National Finals Rodeo.  Held at the Thomas & Mack Center each year, events will run from December 7th through the 16th. 

The all-around event usually gets referred to in a couple of different ways. However, on the PRCA's web site, it now called the PRCA World All-Around Champion. It's also acceptable to say World Champion or World All-Around Champion.  The title All-Around Cowboy is awarded at the end of the NFR to the highest-earning cowboy who has regularly competed in more than one event during the year.  In addition to world championships, an average winner is crowned in each event.

Since this event is extremely popular, it sells out all seats for all of the events. Many casinos carry the events live in their Sports Books or host special parties to accommodate all of the fans in town who can't get tickets for the events. Most of the major hotels and casinos book special entertainment into their showrooms with a country theme offering many of the regular shows an extended break. 

Entertainment this year actually kicks off on December 6th in Downtown Las Vegas.  Country Concerts for the 31st Annual Downtown Hoedown begin at 4:30 PM and are free to the public.

www.nfrexperience.com has all the information.

For all your Las Vegas inquiries and beyond,  contact jahiggins@jstravelconsultants.com or feel free to call (702) 539 – 7834.  All inquiries are welcome and responded to within 24 hours.

The Worlds Best Professional Bull Riders are back in Las Vegas!

We're all about bringing the best Bronco Busting in the world back to Las Vegas this week.  The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Built Ford Tough World Finals are riding in Las Vegas through Sunday.

For the 24th consecutive year, the top 40 bull riders in the world will battle against the world’s best bulls for their share of the $2 million purse. PBR hosts the richest bull riding event in Western sports. Through the years, it has evolved into a mesmerizing and action-packed event, featuring an all-star cast of the world’s best bull riders and toughest bucking bulls.

This year’s event, hosted at T-Mobile Arena, will attract more than 71,000 fans to this Annual Event.  www.t-mobilearena.com is where you can buy tickets and get more information.

For all your Las Vegas inquiries and beyond,  contact jahiggins@jstravelconsultants.com or feel free to call (702) 539 – 7834.  All inquiries are welcome and responded to within 24 hours.

The Main Event is coming to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving Week!

College Basketball is coming to the T-Mobile Arena for Thanksgiving with the Main Event Tournament from MGM Resorts.

For the first time, the Main Event Basketball Tournament will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Eight of the nation's top college basketball programs will be in action during Thanksgiving week,

Nov. 20 and Nov. 22. Don't miss, Eastern Kentucky, Prairie View A&M, Georgia State, Eastern Washington, UNLV, Rice, Ole Miss and Utah for some college basketball madness

RESERVED EVENT PARKING AVAILABLE

Reserved event parking is available at New York-New York, Monte Carlo and the Aria Event Parking Garage for this event starting at $10. Additional service fees apply. The price increases the day of the event. For more information, including maps, directions and to purchase passes, please go to:

www.t-mobilearena.com

The 2017 SEMA Show is here!

Registration starts this week for one of the largest Conventions in the Automotive Industry.  SEMA 2017 kicks off on Tuesday the 31st and runs through Friday the 3rd.  The event is at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.

The 2016 SEMA Show drew more than 70,000 domestic and international buyers. The displays are segmented into 12 sections, and a New Products Showcase featured nearly 3,000 newly introduced parts, tools and components. In addition, the SEMA Show provides attendees with educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, networking opportunities and more.  https://www.semashow.com/the-sema-show for more information.

For all your Las Vegas inquiries and beyond,  contact jahiggins@jstravelconsultants.com or feel free to call (702) 539 – 7834.  All inquiries are welcome and responded to within 24 hours.

Halloween in Vegas is "Frightfully Good"

Halloween Season is in full swing and that means annual traditions, trick or treating and lots of scary fun.  Here in Vegas, the Fright Dome at Circus Circus takes the main stage.  Fright Dome is a collection of Haunted Houses, Scare Zones, Live Shows, 4D Theaters, Premium Rides; and you can even get married at the Fright Zone.

Here's their official narrative:

Created from the mind of hauntrepreneur Jason Egan, Fright Dome at Circus Circus has been horrifying the masses since 2003. Egan’s many years in the industry and passion for all things terrifying culminate to make Fright Dome one of the top haunted attractions in the nation.

Named as one of the best haunted houses in the nation by USA TODAY’s “10Best for 2015” and recognized as one of the nation’s most extreme haunted attractions for 2014 by Travel Channel, Fright Dome is celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2017.

Taking over The Adventuredome at Circus Circus Las Vegas the entire month of October, Fright Dome will feature 250,000 scare feet of fear, six new haunted houses, four all new scare zones, live shows and much more. Spread throughout five acres, this haunted theme park features dark, fog-filled attractions complete with ghoulish and gore-clad professional actors. Not appropriate for children under 12.

https://frightdome.com/tickets/ is where you can go for more information.

For all your Las Vegas inquiries and beyond,  contact jahiggins@jstravelconsultants.com or feel free to call (702) 539 – 7834.  All inquiries are welcome and responded to within 24 hours.

"Vegas has "The Stones" at The Palazzo"

From Las Vegas, Susan and I had a fun day out at the Palazzo as we toured a brand new exhibition open on the Strip!

From Brown Sugar to Wild Horses, the Rolling Stones are one of the most Iconic Bands in Rock N Roll history.  Mick Jagger and the Stones have been rocking since 1962 and this new exhibit is full of memorabilia, stories, album covers and more.

Here’s the official description from the Venetian - Palazzo:

Exhibitionism is an immersive exhibit that tells the story of the Rolling Stones. The exhibit features more than 500 items, including a vintage guitar gallery, rare instruments and lyric books, backstage and tour paraphernalia, album art, photography, stage designs, and personal diaries and letters.

Exhibitionism includes more than 190 original artworks by Andy Warhol, David Bailey, John Pasche, Walton Ford, Shepard Fairey, Michael Cooper, Christian Piper, Robert Frank and many more. The exhibit also includes sound mixing desks, interactive displays, a screening narrated by Martin Scorsese, and video experiences throughout.

The exhibit culminates in an immersive backstage recreation, leading into a spectacular 3d concert finale.

Tickets can be purchased at any Venetian or Palazzo box office or by calling (702) 414-9000 or (866) 641-7469.  Audio guides are available at the exhibit for an additional fee of $5.50.  For more information go to:  www.venetian.com/entertainment/rolling-stones-exhibitionism.html