Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HOW VEGAS RESIDENTS PLAY
There's a myth in Las Vegas that residents live and work here, but don't really gam-
ble all that much. T'ain't so, and the so-called
“local's Casinos”
—basically, any
place off the Strip—can be great places to mingle with the locals, learn what Las
Vegas is really like, and enjoy lower table minimums. Just don't try the poker tables
at these places; sharks don't only live in the ocean, they enjoy desert life, too.
For non-gaming ways to party with the locals (it's fun, trust me), try the
following:
ART IN THE STREETS
On the first Friday of each month, the sometimes gloomy, sometimes cool
Downtown area known as the “Arts District” erupts into a boisterous, zany,
chaotic street fair, one that's totally home-grown and utterly unexpected in a
town this corporate. Called—you guessed it—
First Friday
(www.firstfriday-las
vegas.com),
it's an out and out celebration of art and community that begins
promptly at 6pm and wends its way on into the evening. Every artist's studio in
the area is open, often debuting new shows on that night, and most visitors spend
part of the evening simply walking from gallery to gallery with a glass of wine in
hand, chatting with locals and the artists themselves, who usually make it a point
to show up for this event. Out in the streets, people are making their own art.
Street performers breathe fire; when it's cold enough sculptors carve ice statues;
local bands play; and squads of children, armed with chalk, transform the streets
into multicolored murals. Don't worry about the event taking place during the
dinner hour—there are a number of street vendors around selling perfectly palat-
able grub.
First Friday tends to be centered around the area where Charleston Boulevard
and Main Street connect, but there are free shuttle buses that will take you around
to all of the various galleries. If you're driving to the event, park near the
Government Center to catch the shuttle bus or at Main Street, north of
Charleston (the meters along the street are suspended for the event). Those tak-
ing a taxi and a bus should also head for Government Center, the easiest hopping
off place for the party, as many of the streets are closed to traffic.
CELEBRITY KARAOKE
What do performers do on their nights off and after their shows? A lot of them
like to keep on performing, and they do that primarily at three locals' bars. If you
attend you can, if you're brave, pit your talent against the pros, or simply sit back
and watch a Strip-caliber show for free.
If you're around on a Monday night, head to the
Bootlegger Bistro
(7700 Las
Vegas Blvd. S.;
%
702/736
-
4939; www.bootleggerlasvegas.com; daily 24 hr.,
shows Mon 9pm; AE, DISC, MC, V),
which is owned by former lounge singer and
lieutenant governor Loraine Hunt. Its “Celebrity Karaoke” sessions are really that,
regularly drawing some of the most prominent performers in the city, including
Clint Holmes, the Amazing Jonathan (yes, he croons, too), Cook E. Jarr, mem-
bers of the Scintas, and countless other local acts. Singer/comedian Kelly Clinton
