CULTURE

Race ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LAS VEGAS

FEB. 25-26

Only Vegas would cross a competitive running event with an all-night party, giving birth to the Rock ‘n’ Roll running series. The night-running party includes half-marathon, 5K, and 10K courses through the entire (shut down) Las Vegas Strip and Downtown. Runners get to experience on-course entertainment, with live bands and DJs packing the streets, playing hits from all genres to make contestants forget the distance under the neon lights. The finish line is just the beginning of the festivities, as runners and guests are invited to enjoy postrace parties at some of the city’s hottest nightlife spots, where they’re free to come as they are — medal, running shoes, and all. (Jana Marquez)

4:30p, $89-159, Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street Downtown Las Vegas, runrocknroll.com

KODO ONE EARTH TOUR: TSUZUMI

FEB. 8

It’s been a rough three years for Nippon cultural enthusiasts, who’ve been unable to visit many local Japanese businesses because of closures and lockdown — not to mention Japan itself, whose travel restrictions barred most tourists. Those ready to reconnect with the Land of the Rising Sun can do so at Kodo’s One Earth Tour. Commemorating the group’s 42-year history, the performance traces Kodo’s percussive history through fan favorites such as "O-daiko," "Yatai-bayashi," and "Dyu-Ha" — the first time the latter has been performed on tour for a decade (Anne Davis) 7:30p, $29-99, Reynolds Hall in the Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

CHALK IT UP! ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL

At the Chalk it Up! festival, the bare cement is an open canvas, and the public, a collective Rembrandt. Over the course of the event, the sidewalk turns into one big chalk art painting. Let your little ones (or inner child) color outside the lines at the Kids Chalk Zone; unleash your creativity at the craft corner. If you’re not into chalk art, there are also face painting, balloon art, and other family activities. And all this frivolity will be accompanied by the Young Artists Orchestra of Las Vegas and the Kaminari Taiko Drummers. (Lourdes Trimidal) 10a-2p, free, Summerlin Library, 702507-3863, lvccld.bibliocommons.com/events

Opera Legends In Black

FEB. 5

Opera Las Vegas helps Southern Nevadans celebrate Black History Month in a new way this year: by commemorating the oft-forgotten Black pioneers of opera.

The curated songbook features African American greats, including Marian Anderson, Shirley Verrett, Martina Arroyo, and George Shirley. With a come-as-you-are dress code and no entry fee, the event aims to break down access barriers that prevent today’s generations from connecting with the opera heroes of the past. (AD) 3p, free, Windmill Library Theatre, operalasvegas.com

Music VIVALASVINYL RECORDLISTENING

FEB. 2

Those looking to show off their killer record collection or discover some new gems in the lending library can share their love of vinyl with others at this monthly club. Visitors can bring headphones for listening on the provided turntables and get their records cleaned by the library’s ultrasonic cleaner. This event is 18 and up only. (JM), 6p, free, Sahara West Library, lvccld.bibliocommons.com/events

Lecture MISS BLUEBELL: EXPLORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MARGARET KELLY

MARCH 5

This is the second installment in the three-event series, C’est Magnifique, commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Stardust Casino’s Lido de Paris cabaret show opening in Las Vegas. This event’s theme is Miss Bluebell herself (aka Margaret Kelly), a talented dancer and performer with enough je ne sais quois to find fame in Sin City during its golden days. Learn about her life, work, and enduring impact on Vegas entertainment from a panel of speakers, including Kelly’s family and colleagues. UNLV’s Entertainment History Collections Curator Su Kim Chung will moderate the discussion. (AD) 2-4p, free, Clark County Library Main Theater, lvccld.org

Food Festival Foodieland Night Market

MARCH 24-26 AND MARCH 31-APR. 2 With the return of warm weather, hipsters emerge from their caves in search of ube muffins and butter boards. They stumble into North Las Vegas and find … FoodieLand’s Night Market! Inspired by its famed counterparts in Asia, the festival brings together more than 170 multicultural food vendors from around America and the world. Besides unique dishes, attendees can enjoy alcoholic beverages, listen to live music, and shop at one of the featured artisanal booths. The best part?

FoodieLand is touring the Southwest U.S. this year, and Las Vegas is its first stop. (AD) Friday 3-11p, Saturday 1-11p, Sunday 1-10p, $3-5, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, foodielandnm.com

Concert LOVE AFFAIR

FEB. 4

Fans of Valentine’s Day (We see you!) can bond with their increasingly scarce brethren at the Love Affair concert. The lineup is a nostalgic who’s-who of R&B artists, including headliner The Isley Brothers, Blackstreet, All4-One, Color Me Badd, The Jets, Deniece Williams, and Atlantic Starr. Take that, candy heart haters! (JM) 7p, $49.50, The Orleans Arena, orleansarena

Concert

LOVE, STORM

MARCH 10-11

If you want to thank Storm Large for finally elucidating the lyrics to A-ha’s “Take On Me,” during her performance of the song on America’s Got Talent in 2021, then buy a ticket to one of her two Las Vegas shows. Singing with her band Le Bonheur, Large conceived the concert as a love letter to her fans. She got her start in San Francisco clubs in the ’90s and eventually moved to Portland, Oregon, which revived her singing career. She’s since taken the nightly concert and cabaret scene by storm, touring with the band Pink Martini and performing with the Detroit Symphony at Carnegie Hall. (LT) 7p, $39-59, The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

DANCE

Dynamic Gardens

FEB. 24-25

I’m a die-hard winter fan — gimme all the snow, frosty mornings, and short days. I get a little bummed that hygge-filled evenings are over when warm weather rolls around. But even a spring scrooge like me can appreciate the beauty of the new season as interpreted through dance. UNLV Dance’s Dynamic Gardens recital starts the season off with a bang (or rather, a bloom), spotlighting the work of both UNLV faculty members and other artists, including the acclaimed 20th-century choreographer Erick Hawkins. (AD) 2:30 and 7:30p, $18, UNLV’s Judy Bayley Theatre, 702-895-2787

YOUCAN’TTAKEIT WITHYOU

MARCH 3-19

Romeo and Juliet. The Hatfield and McCoys. But … funny? In this classic play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, audience members watch Tony Kirby, the successful boy from the pretentious