Latest in Las Vegas

MGM MIRAGE’s CityCenter to Open in December MGM MIRAGE’s highly anticipated CityCenter development will celebrate openings throughout December, culminating with a grand opening celebration Dec. 16. Vdara Hotel & Spa, an all-suite boutique hotel with a non-gaming, smoke-free environment, opened today, Dec. 1. Crystals, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district featuring high-end designer stores and restaurants like BESO by Eva Longoria Parker, will open Dec. 3. Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, a 47-story, non-gaming hotel and residences featuring an unparalleled spa and unique Sky Lobby, will open Dec. 4. ARIA Resort & Casino, featuring Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil, dining experiences by world-renowned chefs and a luxurious spa, will open Dec. 16. CityCenter has earned its sixth LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, marking the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas. LEED certified components include Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, Veer Towers, Vdara Hotel & Spa, Crystals, ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, and ARIA’s convention center and theater.

Las Vegas to Host NASCAR 2009 Champion’s Week Las Vegas is the host city for this year’s NASCAR Champion’s Week festivities, which culminates on Friday, Dec. 4 with the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas. The festivities will kick off on Wednesday, Dec. 2 with Chasers for Charity Fanfest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway featuring a red carpet walk by the champion, car displays and live music. On Thursday, Dec. 3, all 12 Chase participants will drive in a Victory Lap Parade on Las Vegas Boulevard or “The Strip” from MGM Grand to the Spring Mountain Road intersection for a “burnout” by the champion.
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Celebrates 25 Years in Las Vegas The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR), considered the world’s premier rodeo, will celebrate 25 years in Las Vegas with 10 straight days of the best in rodeo competition at Thomas & Mack Center, Dec. 3-12. Each December, the top 15 contestants in bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding compete for the championship at Wrangler NFR. The rodeo has sold out 220 consecutive performances.

Las Vegas to Host Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon For the first time in marathon history, both sides of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip will be closed to vehicular traffic and reserved for participants of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon on Sunday, Dec. 6. The half marathon (13.1 miles) course will be entirely on the Strip with the full marathon (26.2 miles) right beside it for nearly eleven miles. Live music, chanting cheerleaders and Vegas-inspired fanfare including running Elvi and on-course weddings will be part of the event. The race is expected to draw 20,000 participants and more than 75,000 spectators.

Garth Brooks to Perform Series of Concerts at Wynn Las Vegas Steve Wynn and Garth Brooks have announced that Brooks will perform in the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas for a series of special engagements beginning Dec. 11. In the midst of one of the most successful careers in music history, the award-winning country music artist retired in 2001 and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children. The announcement officially marks Brooks’ return to the stage. Tickets for the first five weekends of concerts have sold out. Future Garth Brooks’ concert dates will be announced soon.

College Football Teams to Compete at MAACO Bowl Las Vegas The 2009 MAACO Bowl Las Vegas will feature the champion or first selection from the Mountain West Conference against the fourth/fifth selection from the Pa
cific-10 Conference on Dec. 22 at Sam Boyd Stadium. The annual showcase has sold out for four consecutive years with attendance of more than 40,000. The MAACO Bowl is televised on ESPN and heard throughout the country and overseas on the Sports USA Radio Network.

AAA Announces 2010 Five Diamond Award Recipients AAA recently announced the hotels and restaurants that achieved Five Diamond status, the travel authority’s highest rating. For 2010, Las Vegas AAA Five Diamond-rated hotels include The Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas, Encore Las Vegas, The Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, Bellagio (ninth consecutive year), Four Seasons Las Vegas (eleventh consecutive year), Skylofts at MGM Grand (fourth consecutive year), Wynn Las Vegas (fourth consecutive year) and The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino (third consecutive year). Las Vegas AAA Five Diamond-rated restaurants include Alex at Wynn Las Vegas (fifth consecutive year), Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand (fourth consecutive year), Le Cirque at Bellagio (seventh consecutive year), Picasso at Bellagio (ninth consecutive year) and Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace (second consecutive year). AAA rates nearly 60,000 restaurants and lodgings each year throughout all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, providing the broadest coverage of any U.S. rating system, both geographically and by number of properties rated. Of those, only 113 resorts and 52 restaurants earned the highly coveted AAA Five Diamond rating for 2010.

Banana Moon and The Pottery Shop Open at Town Square Monaco-based swimwear company Banana Moon has launched its first franchised concept store in the United States at Town Square Las Vegas. The store will carry its signature line of swimwear, activewear, beachwear and accessories. The Pottery Shop, a ceramic arts studio, has also opened at Town Square. The shop allows adults and children alike to hand-craft special keepsakes and gifts by choosing a ceramic piece, picking a design and colors, and painting in the studio.

Bette Midler Announces Final Performance Bette Midler has announced the final performance of her critically acclaimed Las Vegas show, ‘The Showgirl Must Go On.” The final performance will be Jan. 10, 2010 and will mark the end of her two-year residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace which began Feb. 20, 2008.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display to Return to the Rooftops Las Vegas Events (LVE) and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) have announced the New Year’s Eve celebration known as America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2010 will include a spectacular fireworks show fired from seven rooftop locations along the Las Vegas Strip. The firing locations include the following resort properties: MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, ARIA Resort & Casino, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island (TI), The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, and The Stratosphere.

M Resort Spa Casino to Welcome Nation’s Tallest Christmas Tree The M Resort Spa Casino will welcome the nation’s tallest Christmas tree, a 109-foot White Fir, on Dec. 12. The tree will be placed in the M Resort’s Villaggio Del Sole Outdoor Entertainment and Events Piazza and will be decorated with thousands of lights and ornaments. The M Resort will host a special Tree Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 12 featuring hot chocolate, carolers, Christmas cookies and more.

The Springs Preserve Presents Its Third Annual Winter Lights Festival The Springs Preserve proudly presents its third annual Winter Lights Festival. The lights display in the eight-acre garden and throughout the Preserve is created from half a million LED lights illuminated by solar power, a leading example of a sustainable holiday celebration. Guests enjoy entertainment from strolling performers, and rides on a “reindeer” pony, a holiday sleigh or kiddie train. Holiday inspired treats and green gift options are available throughout the Preserve. The festival runs 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday through Dec. 11-13, and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily from Dec. 18-24.

The Holidays Arrive at Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens will welcome winter with a holiday display rich in nostalgia. The display will feature flying reindeer made of whole pecans, a polar bear family created with white carnations and a seven-foot-tall, custom-sculpted rocking horse in the midst of a whimsical rail display featuring a working Bellagio-emblazoned train. The centerpiece is a 42-foot Shasta Fir tree featuring thousands of holiday lights. The holiday display is available for guests to enjoy December 6 through January 2.