2025-07-17-Las-Vegas-Weekly

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INTERIM PUBLISHER

MARIA BLONDEAUX maria.blondeaux@gmgvegas.com

EDITOR SHANNON MILLER shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com

EDITORIAL

Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geo .carter@gmgvegas.com)

Managing Editor BROCK RADKE (brock.radke@gmgvegas.com)

Arts & Entertainment Editor AMBER SAMPSON (amber.sampson@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ (gabriela.rodriguez@gmgvegas.com)

Sta Writer TYLER SCHNEIDER (tyler.schneider@gmgvegas.com)

Contributing Writers KYLE CHOUINARD, GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, KATIE ANN MCCARVER

Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT

O ce Coordinator NADINE GUY

CREATIVE

Las Vegas Weekly Art Director CORLENE BYRD (corlene.byrd@gmgvegas.com)

Marketing Art Director BROOKE LAUREN EVERSON

Marketing Graphic Designer CARYL LOU PAAYAS

Contributing Graphic Designers WESLEY GATBONTON, CHRISTINA TRIMIDAL

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ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Associate Publisher ALEX HAASE

Senior Advertising Managers MIKE MALL, ADAIR MILNE, SUE SRAN

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Events Director SAMANTHA LAMB

Events Manager HANNAH ANTER

Events Coordinator APRIL MARTINEZ

Event Sales Coordinator MELINA TAYLOR

PRODUCTION & CIRCULATION

Vice President of Manufacturing MARIA BLONDEAUX

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LAS VEGAS WEEKLY

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14 FITNESS & OUTDOORS LIFE

Restore your body’s natural blueprint with tips and exercises for good posture.

With its oldest members now in their 20s, Gen Z has graduated into a disrupter role as Las Vegas resorts work to court them.

26 NEWS

A potential change to the City of Las Vegas’ late-night noise policy has Arts District businesses up in arms.

30 SPORTS Manny Pacquiao comes out of retirement to fight Mario Barrios at MGM Grand.

32 NIGHTLIFE

The makers of Stray Pirate venture into a new cocktail experience at Prowl.

36 SCENE Sure Thing Chapel celebrates vintage Vegas and matrimony.

38 FOOD & DRINK

Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani brings Italian restaurant Ai Pazzi to Summerlin.

Babymetal brings their brand of choreographed thrash to the Pearl, Some Like It Hot surprises with hijinks at the Smith Center and more this week.

Winnie & Ethel’s Heritage Berkshire pork chop. (Courtesy/Angelo Cerdeir)

SUPERGUIDE

THURSDAY JULY 17

VIOLENT VIRA

Violent Vira kissed us with her fists at the 2024 Sick New World festival, pummeling the crowd with a potent mixture of metal, alt-rock and rib-shaking rage. We’ve since been begging for more. The first generation Mexican-American singer rose to prominence in 2021, earning comparisons to the howling metalists of Kittie (and Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf, if we’re honest) after the debut of “I Don’t Care.” Vira wields a stunning amount of power onstage, backed by an incredible band carving ri s from a cavern of distortion. Newer cuts like “Saccharine” still roar but sound more polished now, showcasing significant growth you won’t want to miss live. 8 p.m., $30, Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us. –Amber Sampson

NBA SUMMER LEAGUE

Thru 7/20, times vary, Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com

CLOWNBAR

Thru 7/20, 7:30 p.m. (& thru 8/17, dates vary), Majestic Repertory Theatre, majesticrepertory.com

SPONGEBOB

SQUAREPANTS THE MUSICAL

Thru 7/19, 8 p.m., Spring Mountain Ranch State Park, supersummertheatre.org

BIGXTHAPLUG

10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com

ENZO IS BURNING

10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com

FRIDAY JULY 18

BACKSTREET BOYS Thru 7/20, 8 p.m., Sphere, ticketmaster.com

LADY GAGA

8 p.m., & 7/19, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.

KELLY CLARKSON

8 p.m., & 7/19, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com

CHRIS ISAAK

8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, axs.com.

NAS WITH THE LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC

8 p.m., & 7/19, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com

NEKROMANTIX

7:30 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.

VALLEY With Secos, 8 p.m., 24 Oxford, etix.com.

JEFF YOUNG GROUP

7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, dice.fm.

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. ROUND ROCK EXPRESS 7 p.m., & 7/19 (& 7/20, 6 p.m.), Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com

RALPH BARBOSA 8:30 p.m., & 7/19, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com

THE GET DOWN With CC Elise, Djelani, JKrazy, 8 p.m., Shag Room, virginhotelslv.com

DIPLO With Charly Jordan, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

TIËSTO 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com

FERG 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com

JAMES KENNEDY 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com

NOSTALGIX 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com

ALLEYCVT 10 p.m., Substance, seetickets.us

SATURDAY JULY 19

BOXING:

PACQUIAO VS. BARRIOS

5 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com

VEGAS KNIGHT HAWKS VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA WRANGLERS

6 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com

SILVER STATE SUMMER BREWFEST

3 p.m., Tuscany, eventbrite.com

ANIME NIGHT MART

5 p.m., Area15, area15.com.

OUR DANGEROUS HORIZONS: A SYMPOSIUM ON WRITING RACE AND PLACE

3 p.m., Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, blackmountain institute.org.

QUEENSRŸCHE

With Slaughter, Steven Adler, 7 p.m., Sunset Station Amphitheater, ticketmaster.com.

PSYCHEDELIC FURS

With The Mission, 7 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.

THE HAPPY TOGETHER TOUR

7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com.

SMASH MOUTH

7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

ROME 9 p.m., Fremont Street Experience, vegasexperience.com.

THE ROCKET MAN SHOW

8 p.m., Veil Pavilion, silvertoncasino.com.

OPEN MIKE EAGLE

With Cavalier, Rhys Langston, 8 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com.

KASKADE Noon, Ayu Dayclub, zoukgrouplv.com

MARSHMELLO

11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com

FANTASIA

BLOOD DANCE

8 p.m., Pearl Concert Theater, axs.com.

(Courtesy)

GUCCI MANE

10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com

DEADMAU5

With Callie Reiff, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com

ZEDD

10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com

AKON 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com

HENRY FONG 10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com

MASON MAYNARD 10 p.m., Rouge Room, rougeroomlv.com

Mexico City’s goth scene thrives beyond the awareness of mainstream audiences, fostering a rich underground culture that has produced and nurtured many alternative bands. Blood Dance emerges from this CDMX landscape, conjuring an ominous musical atmosphere steeped in vampirism, spiritual decay and power dynamics. Since forming in 2019, the band has cultivated a dedicated following within the goth community and now brings its dark artistry to the West Coast with a summer tour stop at Vegas’ Dive Bar. Gather with fellow creatures of the night for this musical seance and surrender to the haunting sounds of Blood Dance’s latest album Walk the Night 9 p.m., $10, Dive Bar, blood-dance.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez DO IT

S U P E R G U I D E

SUPERGUIDE

SUNDAY JULY 20

START MAKING SENSE

7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.

SOMNURI

With Graveflower, Lords Of Death, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm.

FLO RIDA 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.

AYYBO 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.

MONDAY JULY 21

P-LO 10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com.

DUSTIN LYNCH

With Vavo, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.

SONIC SANCTUARY

With JFB, DJ QBert, Nightstalker, TikTak, more, 8 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com.

BABYMETAL

Kawaii metal pioneers Babymetal return to Vegas armed with forthcoming album Metal Forth and newest member Momometal (vocalist and dancer). The Japanese supergroup captivates audiences with a fusion of crushing metal and bubbly choreographed performances, bridging two seemingly incompatible genres. Joining this North American tour is Ukrainian powerhouse Jinjer, fronted by formidable vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk, whose range makes her one of metal’s most compelling voices. Rounding out the lineup is Bloodywood, the rising Indian folk metal band that blends traditional instrumentation with modern aggression. This stacked lineup showcases metal’s global reach while each act brings cultural flavor to the genre’s foundational sound. 7 p.m., $151+, Pearl Concert Theater, tickmaster.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez (Courtesy)

EXHIBIT: LOOKING THROUGH A BLACK FRAME BY ABDI ALIMOND Thru 9/7, times vary, Enterprise Library, thelibrarydistrict.org

MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com.

JIMMY POWERS & THE HANG DYNASTY 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv. com.

JIMMI ELLIS 6 p.m., Composers Room, thecomposersroom.com.

DANNY BEVINS With Dave Burleigh, Michael Malone, thru 7/24, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts.com

NICK GUERRA With Spiro Siavelis, thru 7/27, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy.com

SUPERGUIDE

SOME LIKE IT HOT

Winner of four Tony awards and eight Drama Desk awards, Some Like It Hot draws its inspiration from the 1959 Billy Wilder comedy, and the 1935 French comedy it was based on. But if you’re expecting a rehash with simple stand-ins for Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, some bullet-ridden musical instruments and a passel of Prohibition-era gangsters, this adaptation—with its songs by Hairspray’s Marc Shaiman and a book co-written by comic Amber Ruffin—will provide some real surprises, far more than two stretched-out dresses can contain. Some Like It Hot takes its source material and adds real spice, sweetening it with toe-tapping, tuneful sugarcane. Thru 7/27, 7:30 p.m. (& 7/26-7/27, 2 p.m.), $35-$184, Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com. –Geo Carter

LAS VEGAS ACES VS. ATLANTA DREAM

7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com

CAULDRON NOIR PRESENTS

100 DAYS TO HALLOWEEN

9 p.m., Commonwealth, tixr.com.

MIKEY FRANCIS

10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.

STREETLIGHT MANIFESTO

8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS Thru 7/24, 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com.

LOWER CLASS BRATS

With Giuda, Menstrual Tramps, Cromm Fallon & the P200, 8 p.m., the Usual Place, dice.fm.

JOHN CAPARULO

JEREMY

GRIME 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

DAVID BLAINE

8 p.m., & 7/25-7/26, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

YAYA 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

FITNESS & OUTDOORS LIFE POSTURE

Too much sitting can lead to misalignment, pain and improper function. Here’s how you can counteract it.

If da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man was based on the modern American, he’d likely have tech neck and plantar fasciitis. Desk jobs and TikTok scrolling are not activities conducive to good posture. When body imbalances go unchecked, it can lead to misalignments and chronic pain.

Amber Okeson has a background in exercise science, is a former trainer, and the owner of Egoscue (5980 S. Rainbow Blvd. #300), which provides posture therapy to address pain and physical limitations. The goal is to restore the body’s natural blueprint, because, “You’re not broken,” she says. “You’re just bent.”

When sitting for long periods, we crane our necks and slouch forward to see our screens, leading to misalignment over time. Poor posture while sitting is a main contributor to hip, back, neck and knee issues and sciatica (nerve pain from the lower back down the leg).

“We say sitting is a sport. You need to train for it,” Okeson says.

To counteract sitting-related problems, you must engage the hips, glutes and lower back areas that shut down when you’re in a mesh o ce chair all day.

“Don’t stay in the same position for too long. Get up, walk around and do a few stretches,” she says.

Okeson suggests setting a timer every hour to do exercises.

That could include sitting on your sit bones to roll the pelvis forward versus it being tucked under. The gentle tilt is going to activate the hip flexors.

Another way to turn on the hips is to put a small pillow or toilet paper roll be-

+ Desk exercises (see page 16) (Shutterstock)

tween your knees and squeeze it together.

For the shoulders, she

For the shoulders, she says to do shoulder blade squeezes, like you’re trying to pinch them together. This will naturally start to align your neck, which is better than neck exercises alone.

er. This will naturally start to align your

“Too much forcing of the neck without addressing the upper back and hips is going to not go well,” she says. You can also put a rolled-up towel behind your back to remind yourself not to lean forward.

If this sounds like a di cult habit to start, the good news is our bodies want to be in alignment. Okeson says most of her clients start to see physical changes right away. Bigger breakthroughs happen around the one-month mark, the same time muscle memory starts to solidify.

“Posture is your body’s natural state. If you train it, then you’ll have it, so you won’t have to force all these things all the time,” she says. It will get to the point where slouching and bad posture are uncomfortable.

Regular maintenance is key, but 10 to 15 minutes a day can be enough to help prevent canes and walkers in the future.

“If we’re not fine-tuning and rebalancing our body on a regular basis, it will not maintain proper function,” she says, adding that daily therapy leads to feeling better, looking better and moving better.

“You’re doing it for a life well lived.”

SITTING PRETTY

3 exercises to reset the slouch

Amber Okeson of Egoscue suggests these desk exercises to train your body for good posture.

This exercise also targets the upper back, correcting slouch and tech neck.

1. Sit in your chair with your feet pointed forward, 4 to 6 inches apart.

2. Place a strap around your knees and apply pressure outward on the strap throughout the exercise. (If you don’t have a strap, that’s OK.)

3. Arch your lower back and roll your hips forward, like with the sitting overhead extensions.

4. With your hips forward and your back arched, put your knuckles at your temples with fingers curled like a golfer’s grip.

5. With your arms at shoulder level, pull your elbows back and then close them in front of your face.

6. Do three sets of 10.

This exercise can reposition the upper back, correct rounded shoulders and prevent forward neck.

1. Sit in your chair with your feet pointed forward, about 4 to 6 inches apart.

2. Arch your lower back and roll your hips forward.

3. Interlace your fingers and press your arms out in front of you, with your palms facing outward.

4. Move your arms overhead with your interlaced palms facing the ceiling.

5. Look up toward your hands. Do not bend your elbows.

6. Hold for one minute.

This exercise can activate the hip flexors, which get tight and can lead to hip and low back pain from prolonged sitting.

1. Sit in your chair with your feet pointed forward and 4 to 6 inches apart.

2. Put a pillow between your knees and apply gentle pressure, enough to keep the pillow in place.

3. Roll your hips forward and arch your back throughout the exercise.

4. Using your front hip muscles, lift your heels o the floor, then put them back down, not overly fast but in a smooth, controlled movement.

5. Do three sets of 20.

Zouk Nightclub (Courtesy)

From the early days of the Rat Pack to the emergence of themed, family-friendly resorts in the 1980s and 1990s to the entertainment and nightlife revolution of the new millennium, the staying power of Las Vegas as an escapist playground has always hinged on its ability to adapt to shifting cultural tides.

In 2011, the city pounced on the opportunity to welcome a booming electronic dance music scene when it hosted the Electric Daisy Carnival, which now draws more than 500,000 attendees each year. Long seen as a liability in America’s gambling capital, professional sports have also arrived en masse and look poised to de ne a key slice of Vegas’ future.

As the destination navigates the next stage of its development, baby boomers—the rst generation to be born after gambling was legalized statewide in 1931—are aging out of the market. In their stead, millennials—born between 1981 and 1996—now represent nearly 50% of all visitors. With its oldest members now in their twenties, Gen Z has also graduated into the disrupter role as casino operators work to court their unconventional travel habits.

Derek Stevens, owner and operator of three Downtown Las Vegas casinos and the innovative mind behind the 21-and-older Circa Resort, is among the gaming shareholders who have been keeping a nger on the pulse of this new order.

“From a customer service perspective, the importance of experience has become far more—far more—important than what it used to be,” Stevens says.

While Gen Z tastes have been notably de ned by the word “vibes,” the secret to understanding the next chapter of tourism in Southern Nevada inevitably starts with cold, hard data.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s annual visitor pro le studies have done the heavy lifting on that front since 1975, but chief marketing o cer Kate Wik helped modernize the process in 2022 by adding an online survey component. The 2024 study drew data from more than 5,400 responses, two-thirds of which remain tied to traditional in-person interviews.

It found that the average age of a Las Vegas tourist in 2024 was 43.6 years old, down from 46.2 in 2019 and 47.2 in 1992. Millennials made up 46% of the total visitor count, followed by Gen X at 38%.

Gen Z and respondents who identi ed as “retired” each made up another 7%.

“Because it’s such a long-standing study, it gives us this unique ability to be able to understand how the market has gone through changes over the decades,” Wik says. “We are just constantly reinventing and reimagining who we are, what we are and the experiences we provide our visitor base.”

The results from the last few years also point to the industry’s increasing reliance on higher-income brackets. More than a quarter of those surveyed in 2024 claimed an annual household income of $150,000 or more, while an additional 21% reported earning at least $120,000.

“In the couple of years post-COVID, you’re seeing higher spend in terms of people just letting loose and not being as budget-conscious as maybe they once had been. Historically, it’s been known as a really great value escape, but over the past decade or so, we’ve really been building on the luxury o erings,” Wik says.

Still, the rst ve months’ worth of 2025 visitation statistics suggest a need to promote more budget-friendly o erings. Through the end of May, the LVCVA reports a 6.5% decrease in total visitors compared to numbers from the same period in 2024, while Harry Reid International Airport saw 3.7% fewer passengers in that span. It’s the fth straight month in 2025 with lower visitation. Hotel occupancy and gaming revenues on the Strip were also down by more than a percent each year over year.

“Now you’re seeing consumer demand being more driven by value-driven messaging, budget-conscious travel opportunities and things of that nature,” Wik says, adding that Gen Z seems to be driving these trends more than any other group. “They’re sort of going o the beaten path more. It’s the most price-sensitive age bracket because they’ve got a lot of nancial pressures, like paying o school debt. With the economic headwinds domestically right now, it’s expected that they’re going to taper o a little bit.”

“When I started coming to Vegas, the main attraction was gambling. Now, the primary reason to take a trip is either for business or for some experiential entertainment.”

Millennial and Gen Z visitors will dictate the next era of the de nitive Vegas experience, but the task of predicting just what that future might look like is far from simple. The traditional o erings of gaming, entertainment, nightlife, dining and retail are always evolving, and the taste and desires of younger generations seem to be shifting faster than what was sought out by their predecessors. How will Las Vegas stay ahead of the curve in the face of this rapidly accelerating demographic turnover?

In the early 2010s, as millennials were gradually inheriting a greater share of the Las Vegas tourism landscape, casinos were wrestling with the theory that their generation was significantly less interested in the traditional gambling experience than their parents and grandparents.

In response, some operators started rolling out new, modernized slot machine games that they hoped would retain notoriously flighty millennial attention spans. Stevens took it one step further when he began accepting the Bitcoin cryptocurrency as a form of payment in his properties in 2014, though this didn’t include gambling.

Their campaigns were seemingly successful, according to nearly eight in 10 millennial visitors—now 29 to 44 years old—who told the LVCVA they gambled at least once in 2024.

They combined to spend an average of $767.91 on gaming per trip last year. By comparison, 64% of Gen Z tourists who wagered at least once during their 2024 stay forked over nearly $200 less, while their 45- to 60-year-old Gen X cohorts retained the bulk of the spending in that category at $873.35 each.

“One thing that’s really apparent is that the younger generation has really been attracted to slots, which really wasn’t the case 20 years ago. These slots have become so good and so entertaining now, and I think younger generations that grew up playing video games are really into the ways of these new machines,” Stevens says.

As a high-rolling sports gambler himself, Stevens doesn’t shy away from addressing the elephant on the casino floor.

“I think the proliferation of sports wagering throughout the country has actually been a benefit to Las Vegas,” he says, referring to a sharp rise in online sportsbook betting that began in 2018, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a 1992 law that was originally designed to prevent casinos from spreading to new states.

“When that was overturned, I did a lot of interviews where people asked, is this going to be bad for Vegas? I told them it’s going to be good because it will get more people aware of sports wagering,” Stevens continues. “More people are going to start to like it, and when they do, they’re all eventually going to want to come to the mecca, which is Las Vegas.”

Famous Foods Street Eats at Resorts World (Courtesy)
Omnia (Courtesy/Sammy Dean)
Palm Tree Beach Club (Courtesy)

Las Vegas has been one of the country’s top nightclub destinations since the 1990s, but Stevens cites the continued development of the dayclub or pool party concept as a major reason why the average visitor age continues to trend lower.

Jason Strauss—co-CEO of Tao Group Hospitality, one of the most influential nightlife companies to help build the Vegas scene—credits former Hard Rock Casino executive Chad Pallas with launching the prototype dayclub, Rehab, in 2004. The Tao Group enhanced its portfolio a few years later with the launch of Tao Beach at Venetian, which was completely renovated in 2022.

“It was really catching on with the locals, and that’s where me and my partner saw a need,” Strauss says. “It shouldn’t only be Sundays and it shouldn’t just be at a casino pool. We thought there needed to be a specific venue dedicated to this type of experience, where people who were already going to the nightclubs could expect that same level of energy and service through a brother-sister relationship with a dayclub.”

Strauss, Stevens and Wik frequently circled back to younger generations’ emphasis on “experience,” but Resorts World food and beverage executive Josef Wagner may have summarized it best when addressing it in dining terms.

“The biggest differentiator now is that you can no longer offer a restaurant with just great food and great service. A successful restaurant now needs to offer more,” he says. “It has to have an atmospheric aspect to it, or a type of entertainment that the guest feels immersed in. That’s a piece that’s still really resonating with younger visitors.”

In his view, the nostalgic image of the traditional American steakhouse has faded slightly as younger visitors continue to favor more exotic flavors and themes. Another factor, which he dubs “the arrival moment,” has also moved to the forefront.

“There’s a stage that’s not really about going in, sitting on a chair and actually having dinner at all. Now, when people get to the restaurant, they want to have this certain feeling where the lighting, music, ambiance and atmosphere becomes a thing,” Wagner says. “How does it make me feel when I arrive? Are there social media or picture moments I want to be part of? Above all else, that arrival moment is number one.”

Whether it’s at a luxurious Tao Group venue like the new Palm Tree Beach Club or Wynn’s Encore Beach Club, or a more casual and affordable option like Flamingo’s GO Pool, daylife in its various forms has become one of the “major fabrics of this city,” says Strauss, “and one of the primary drivers of casino business. Now, if you’re a casino and you don’t have big daylife, your ADR [average daily rate], casino play and even the amount of bubblegum bought in your convenience store is going to be affected.”

Though Gen Z visitors were fewer in 2024, they still managed to surpass millennial nightclub attendees, 30% to 18%, according to LVCVA data. The most recent visitor profile study doesn’t track dayclub attendance, but Strauss sees the Gen Z tendency to prefer group rates or all-inclusive packages as one explanation for an upward trajectory at these venues.

“You can fit 30 to 40 people in a cabana, but you can’t really do that at a nightclub table. So, there’s a value proposition tied to dayclubs that we weren’t really getting before,” he says.

Wagner’s belief that millennials “might spend a little bit more to get there” is supported by the data. They dropped an average of $636.80 per trip in the restaurant category last year en route to outspending the average Gen Z diner by roughly $96 per stay.

Wagner also likens efforts to personalize the food and beverage experience to tactics that are more commonly employed in other industries, like luxury vehicle sales. He’s seen the demand for this “underlooked” component of the millennial and Gen Z experience grow in recent years.

“If we customize your chopsticks, steak knife or napkin and embroider it with your name and things of that nature, the experience becomes much more memorable and ends up being something you will not forget,” Wagner says. “In food and beverage, we have to do this more, because I think it really makes you stand out.”

Another factor playing a bigger role in how younger generations prioritize their time in Las Vegas centers around Downtown. According to the LVCVA, 70% of Gen Z tourists visited the area last year, compared to just 47% of Gen X and 54% of millennial travelers.

“Over 50% of all the visitation in all of Vegas comes Downtown, yet Downtown only has less than 10% of the hotel rooms,” Stevens says. “We get just as many people from Wynn and Caesars Palace as we do from Tahiti Village and Circus Circus. The only thing I would really say differentiates the Downtown visitor from the Strip visitor, frankly, is that Downtown trends, probably, a year or two younger.”

Stevens credits part of this growth to the ongoing revitalization of Fremont Street and the free or affordable entertainment that he believes “has been very attractive to younger people.” But it’s clear the more organic

local development of hip restaurants and bars in the Arts District is attracting more Vegas visitors as well.

Social media and the rise of influencers has obviously been another recent game changer. Wik cites Las Vegas as “the number one most followed destination in the world on TikTok,” while Strauss adds that younger visitors who visit his clubs are now “finding their fandom through what songs they use or see in their own personal social media experiences.”

Similarly, Wagner says it’s now common to see diners arrive knowing exactly what they want to order ahead of time after seeing a reel or post about a specific dish on Instagram or TikTok.

“They really want to be in the mix in places that have high visibility on social media platforms. I see that a little bit in nightlife, too, but the average nightlife beverage spend and

major table spends are both down, I would say, across the Strip,” Wagner says, adding that he believes those trends are related to budget and discretionary income levels.

Evolving trends like these are absolutely crucial to the future of Las Vegas. Though studies have highlighted younger demographics as more willing to spend more on immersive experiences, most millennials and Gen Z Americans make far less than the average Strip visitor. Striking a balance between luxury and value will be paramount, Wik says.

“It’s really about making sure people understand that there’s also still a good value story in Las Vegas. Now, a lot of our messaging is, here are the top 10 free things to do in the market, or the top 10 things under $100,” she says. “Really, the onus is on us and all of our partners to create those reasons why consumers need to come visit us.”

–Derek Stevens, owner, Circa Resort
Stadium Swim at Circa (Courtesy/ Adam Kilbourn)
LEFT Derek Stevens (Courtesy)

IN THE NEWS

State agency aims to steer cannabis consumers to legal market

Locals and tourists taking a drive along Interstate 15 over the past two months may have noticed something new from Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board: advertising urging that people “don’t gamble on safety” and “buy legal cannabis.”

The ads, riffing on a billboard warning about marijuana from the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, were scattered near highways and around Harry Reid International

Airport to target tourists until the campaign ended June 30.

But it’s also a good reminder for locals, said CCB communications director Tyler Harrison. Around 30% of the marijuana bought in Nevada is illegal, according to a 2023 survey, and industry supporters believe the campaign should be the first of many actions to combat it.

“The illicit market does, unfortunately, take up a chunk of the canna-

bis market here in Nevada,” Harrison said. “So it’s definitely important … that consumers (get) to have a really easy way to connect with our licensed consumption lounges and also dispensaries across the state.”

A link displayed at the bottom of the billboard took people to the CCB’s website, which now predominantly features a directory of all legal locations in the state and a Google Maps version of it. –Kyle Chouinard

Picasso occupied a legendary Las Vegas restaurant space on Bellagio’s Lago di Como, offering diners unparalleled views of the iconic fountains. This fall, a new concept from Major Food Group will up the ante.

The New York-based company that operates Carbone and Parm at Aria and Sadelle’s at Bellagio partners again with MGM Resorts to create Carbone Riviera, set to open later this year as a seafood-driven take on the Italian-American culinary experience. Expect more world-class food, drinks and hospitality, with a little something extra: Bellagio will also debut a new experience allowing guests to ride around the lake and get even closer to the fountains in a 33-foot mini-yacht powerboat, part of the Riva Anniversario collection. It will be the first time in the resort’s history that members of the public have been invited to cruise across the lake. –Brock Radke

“I think that you need to expose kids to lots of different types of learning. Not every kid’s going to be interested in science or natural history, but you need to expose them to it so that they have an opportunity. Because if they never see it, they’re not going to know what it is.”

–Laurie Thomas, executive director, Las Vegas Science and Natural History Museum. The museum announced the addition of “Science” to its name with a ribbon cutting on July 11.

Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. takes a swing during the home run derby at the annual Battle For Vegas charity softball event at the Las Vegas Ballpark on July 12. The event raised $155,000 for the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, which will distribute the funds to Make-A-Wish Nevada, Best Buddies, the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas Life and more.

(Steve Marcus/Staff)

PAUL MCCARTNEY GOT BACK TOUR TO STOP AT ALLEGIANT

One of Paul McCartney’s earliest and most enduring Beatles hits came when his teenage narrator opined about love and aging on “When I’m Sixty-Four” in 1967. Back then, he probably had no idea he’d still be performing in front of stadium-sized audiences at age 83, but he’s now set to do just that as the 2025 iteration of his recurring Got Back Tour marks his first extensive return to the U.S. since 2022. His forthcoming 19stop journey includes an October 4 show at Allegiant Stadium with tickets available July 18 at ticketmaster.com –Tyler Schneider

CANNABIS
THE STRIP
Carbone Riviera to bring a new experience to Bellagio
HOT SHOT

As the City of Las Vegas weighs a change in its late-night noise policy , Arts District venues speak out against it

ADDING TO THE NOISE

Owners of Jammyland Allan Katz and Danielle Crouch. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

It’s a Thursday night in Las Vegas’ Arts District, and I’ve come out to meet Taverna Costera owner Jeff Hwang to discuss his concerns over a change in city law that he and other business owners in the area believe will handicap the flourishing live music and entertainment scene they’ve spent years building.

He greets me as his team prepares to host a hip-hop open mic on its rooftop stage. We hoof it half a block north to find employees at the newly opened Audio Bar gearing up for their own bass-heavy EDM event.

“We’re starting to see things on our side of the street now,” Hwang explains, adding that other new neighbors, like Nocturno and Philly Freeze Me, have helped extend the Arts District’s expansive growth to a previously forgotten stretch that lies north of Charleston Boulevard.

Hwang wants the trend to continue, but now fears it could be stomped out before it can really take flight. On June 26, he and other nearby businesses received a letter from the City of Las Vegas requesting feedback on a new proposal that would lift the Arts District’s existing exemption from the city’s standard noise ordinance, which generally requires loud gatherings to cease from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. Under the current longstanding exemption, Arts District businesses can legally run shows until midnight on Thursdays and until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The city inquiry asked for any businesses “likely to be affected by a proposal” or any interested party to “submit comments, data or arguments” showing that the proposed changes would “impose a direct and significant economic burden upon a business” or “directly restrict the formation, operation, or expansion of a business.”

“Until then, everyone who had live entertainment knew absolutely nothing, because there’s nobody in the Arts District saying we needed this,” Hwang says.

He proceeded to pen a public letter on July 1, writing that the plan would cause closures, job loss and “completely sterilize” the district. He was backed

by co-signers from peer businesses like 18Bin, Audio Bar, Berlin, Hola Habibi, Jammyland, Ninja Karaoke and Swan Dive.

“From there, we needed to figure out what we’re up against and who’s behind this. The obvious answer was that it’s one of these three condo projects that are coming up,” Hwang says, referring to the construction of the 3rd Street Assemblage, the Flats Arts District and the Midtown mixed-use development.

Midtown—which broke ground in April and is expected to add 3,000 residential units plus shops and other amenities across multiple buildings— is by far the largest. Hwang takes me up north of Coolidge Avenue, where the English Hotel sits adjacent to the Midtown site.

Both properties are owned by the Z Life Company, a development firm co-founded by Weina Zhang and Anna Olin. Hwang says his group is confident the duo was behind the push to kill the noise ordinance exemption.

In a July 10 phone call, Zhang referred the Weekly to a recently aired 8 News Now interview with Olin, who said it’s reasonable to “modify” the longstanding noise ordinance exemption to “adapt it to what the new use is going to be.”

Midtown also shared its own July 1 open letter in which the developer confirmed that it expressed “concern” about “specific late-night noise disruptions,” but also maintained that the proposal came through a “city-led effort.”

Ward 3 City Councilwoman Olivia Diaz—tied to the proposal because the Arts District is in her ward—was unavailable for comment last week.

City spokesman Jace Radke confirmed the matter is “not on an upcoming city council agenda or up for a vote currently.”

“The city has received concerns from some businesses in the Arts District about amplified outdoor sound levels and the hours that it is allowed,” Radke said in an email. “In response to the concerns raised, the city’s Community Development team reached out to the businesses in the Arts District ... to get feedback on if the ordinance should be amended to remove the exemption from the city’s noise chapter for certain

events within the district.”

If the noise policy were to change, he added that it wouldn’t apply to city-designated “special events” like First Friday, which are already exempt.

After news of a potential policy change broke on social media, community members and influencers like Nothing To Do LV have taken to social media to urge followers to submit public comment on the city’s website. While business owners have until 5 p.m. on July 31 to weigh in themselves, members of Hwang’s coalition have already made up their minds.

“They have their answer, and I don’t think it’s something that they’re going to want to push,” Hwang says before we greet other owners on our tour.

One of them, Danielle Crouch of Jammyland—a “reggae kitchen” with cocktails and live music—says she and fellow co-owner Allan Katz signed on to prevent a “domino effect” that could devastate the burgeoning scene.

“It feels speculative and like something that would be a blanket on the neighborhood, when, if there are issues, they can be addressed on a case-by-case basis,” Crouch says.

One block east, over at the Hispanic and Middle Eastern-fusion cocktail and hookah bar Hola Habibi, owner Jose Borquez says the proposal would make it harder for him to serve Vegas’ massive service industry sector, which makes up the bulk of his late-night clientele. He likens the push to “gentrification.”

“Bigger companies are coming in and taking advantage of the space we’ve built. Some, like Houston Hot Chicken and Wolfgang Puck, are good partners. [Puck] very politely named his space after the address, because he’s not coming in trying to bully anybody. He’s trying to be a part of it, versus the Midtown group that’s trying to use their financial influence,” Borquez says. Hwang, Crouch and Borquez all say they believe most who choose to move to the district do so understanding the vibrant—and occasionally loud—cultural scene there.

“The value of the condos that are going up is directly related to the vibrancy of the neighborhood,” Crouch says. “There are thousands of other neighborhoods here that are quiet, and if they wanted to live in Summerlin on the edge of Red Rock, they could.”

Taverna Costera. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

Warehouse Industrial Engineer sought by Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. in Henderson, NV. Design the layout of the warehouse in AutoCad software, so the processes are arranged logically. B-S plus 3 years required.

Apply by email to:

Technologies, Inc. totalrewards@aristocrat.com (Reference Job code: NV1122LN)

Kids + Teens Get Free Meals This Summer!

EVENTS FOR KIDS:

John Lewit

Kids’ Magician

Ages 5 – 11

Thursday, July 17 at 4 p.m.

Clark County Library

Saturday, July 19 at 11 a.m.

Sandy Valley Library

Wednesday, July 23 at 11:30 a.m.

Windmill Library

Thursday, July 24 at 10 a.m. Moapa Town Library

Prismatic Magic Laser Light Shows

Ages 3 – 17

Thursday, July 17 at 10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

Mesquite Library

Friday, July 18 at 11 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.

Clark County Library

Scan here for event details

TheLibraryDistrict.org/ SummerChallenge

Reading & Activities Program for Kids, Teens & Adults!

May y 15 5 –– July y 31 15 – 31

Sign up for the Library District’s Summer Challenge program to enjoy reading whatever you like and participate in fun events to win great prizes!

For details on these events and to see many more, go to TheLibraryDistrict.org/SummerChallenge or scan this QR Code:

EVENTS FOR TEENS:

Adam London

Comedian & Magician

Ages 3 – 17

Friday, July 18 at 12 p.m. Sunrise Library

Tuesday, July 29 at 11 a.m. Centennial Hills Library

Wednesday, July 30 at 4:30 p.m. Sahara West Library

Fyütch

Children’s Hip Hop Artist

Wednesday, July 30

Concert for ages 5 – 17

10:30 a.m. at Windmill Library

Teen Workshop for grades 6 – 12

4 p.m. at Whitney Library

Thursday, July 31

Concert for ages 5 – 17

10:30 a.m. at Whitney Library

RTF Mobile Gaming Truck

Gaming with PS5, Nintendo Switch, XBOX Series S, and more!

Ages 12 – 17

July

Multiple times & locations.

Clay Creations - UNR Extension - 4H

Teens learn to work with clay

Ages 12 – 17

Tuesday, July 22 at 1:30 p.m.

Clark County Library

Paint Pouring With Vibes DIY Studio

Teens learn to work with clay

Ages 12 – 17

Monday, July 28 at 12 p.m.

Windmill Library

EVENTS FOR ADULTS:

Writing Workshop: Past Travels with Joylynn Ross

Storytelling Workshop

Ages 18+

Thursday, July 17 at 5 p.m.

West Charleston Library

Thursday, July 31 at 11 a.m.

Clark County Library

Classical Guitar Workshop with Kyle Khembo

Ages 18+

Friday, July 18 at 1 p.m.

West Las Vegas Library

Saturday, July 19 at 3 p.m.

Rainbow Library

Sunday, July 20 at 2 p.m.

Clark County Library

Monday, July 21 at 5:30 p.m.

Sahara West Library

PACMAN’S

PACMAN’S

Manny Pacquiao unretires to take a shot at history at MGM Grand Garden Arena

Mario Barrios
Manny Pacquiao

“I have nothing but respect for him outside the ring. But inside the ring, he’s just another man who’s trying to take what’s mine.”
-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios

T-Mobile Arena.

Like virtually all the ghters in his generation, WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios grew up watching and drawing inspiration from Manny Pacquiao.

RETURN RETURN RETURN RETURN RETURN

Unlike some of the 30-year-old’s slightly older peers, he “never pictured” actually facing the now 46-year-old Pacquiao. The 16-year age gap made it feel unrealistic, especially with Barrios’ career only starting to take o right as Pacquiao’s was zzling out.

Hence Barrios’ shock and confusion when he rst got a call earlier this year that Pacquiao was planning to exercise his right as a former champion to come out of retirement and request a title ght.

“I wasn’t sure whether to take it as respect or disrespect, because he wanted me,” Barrios said recently at an open workout at the local Pound 4 Pound Gym. “But regardless, I’m the champion for a reason and I’m going to show why.”

The bout Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) never saw coming, and undeniably now the biggest of his career in terms of interest, commences Saturday, July 19 at MGM Grand Garden Arena when Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) challenges for his belt.

The welterweight championship matchup headlines a Premier Boxing Champions payper-view card streaming on Prime Video.

It marks the rst time Pacquiao has fought in nearly four years as the legendary, record-breaking former eight weight-class champion retired following a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021 at T-Mobile Arena.

“It wasn’t a good feeling because I had it in my heart and my mind that I can still ght,” Pacquiao said at an open workout of his own in Los Angeles. “I’ve always known that I could still work hard and dedicate myself and focus on training. I’ve rested and now I’m back.”

Perhaps the idea of meeting Pacquiao shouldn’t have been so far-fetched to Barrios, considering he elevated to champion—and won his second major title—by taking the belt o Ugas in September 2023. Barrios battered Ugas to claim a unanimous decision on the undercard of the Canelo vs. Charlo event at

But there were no signs of Pacquiao mulling a return back then, and it seemed to become less likely in December 2024 when he was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

In reality, Pacquiao has indicated that honor ended up making him hungrier for a comeback, as the chance to become the rst Hall of Famer to win a world title appealed to him.

“This ght is very important to me because it’s history,” Pacquiao said.

A win would also make Pacquiao the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history, breaking his own record set in July 2019 when he won a split decision over Keith Thurman at MGM.

Anyone who questions Pacquiao’s chances against Barrios based on the pair’s divergent fates against Ugas must on the contrary grapple with how they each fared against Thurman. Unlike Pacquiao, Barrios couldn’t solve Thurman in a unanimous-decision loss in February 2022 at Michelob Ultra Arena.

Pacquiao has expressed belief that his late-career triumph over Thurman was more telling than his disappointment against Ugas, who beat him on 11 days’ notice.

“I had a lot of distractions and problems before the Yordenis Ugas ght,” Pacquiao said. “But right now, I’m 100% and there are no distractions. I’m just training and completely focused on the ght.”

Chief among those distractions were Pacquiao’s political career in his native Philippines, which included a failed run at the presidency in 2022. His six-year term as a senator ended the same year and Pacquiao said he began longing to return to competition even more with the extra time—often sneaking away into the boxing gym he kept in his home to quietly train.

Pacquiao doesn’t anticipate his comeback being a one-o as he estimated he had “two or three ghts left,” or “another couple years.” But the San Antonio native Barrios will have something to say about that and has no reservations about ending Pacquiao’s second act early.

“I have nothing but respect for him outside the ring,” Barrios said. “But inside the ring, he’s just another man who’s trying to take what’s mine.”

PACQUIAO VS. BARRIOS July 19, undercard at 12:45 p.m., main card at 5 p.m., main event at 7:30 p.m., $310+. MGM Grand Garden Arena, axs.com Payper-view: $60 on Prime Video. Betting line: Barrios -280 (i.e. risking $280 to win $100) vs. Pacquiao +240 (i.e. risking $100 to win $240). Other main card fights: Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu, Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro, Brandon Figueroa vs. Joet Gonzalez.

(Mario Barrios by Steve Marcus/Sta ; Manny Pacquiao/AP Newsroom)

CAT POWER

Don’t mind the cat. The black panther that haunts the hi-def LED “windows” of Prowl—a new jungle-themed cocktail bar located next door to Stray Pirate in the Arts District, and co-owned and operated by that canine buccaneer bar’s Chris “Tater” Gutierrez —isn’t stalking you. Rather, the cat feels like a host, unobtrusively walking the oor, making sure Prowl’s cocktails, service and vibe are hitting the sweet spot. And it looks pleased with what it sees. It’s got jungle love.

Though they neighbor each other and have some super cial similarities, Stray Pirate and Prowl have di erences that go beyond theme. (The feel of Stray Pirate is more whimsical than the dark, atmospheric

Arts District cocktail bar Prowl is much more than its jungle theme

Prowl.) Gutierrez, a veteran of several prominent Downtown spots including Oak & Ivy, Corduroy and Atomic Liquors, readily spells out the key di erence: He intends for Prowl to be the place where he and his crew can build upon the superb cocktail culture that’s swiftly forming in the 18b.

“Everybody that comes around here is always super eager to have what’s on the menu,” he says. “At Stray Pirate, we sell more merchandise than beers, by two to three times. … It’s remarkable, how much more people are engaged in the cocktails we sell (at Prowl).”

Not surprising at all, considering how strongly Prowl’s creative list of craft cocktails comes on from the go. The Neon Flamingo ($14) brings together Worthy Park 109 rum, Charanda Urapan rum and Aperol with

strawberries and acidi ed pineapple; the taste is every bit as bright and electrifying as its namesake. Anchorman stans will pounce on the Sex Panther ($15), a potent mix of Corrido Reposado, Camazotz Oaxacan rum, Ancho Reyes, roasted pepita orgeat, lime, cilantro oil and, as you’d expect, “bits of real panther.” (While that’s unlikely, it’s very probable that 60% of the time, this drink works every time.)

The enticingly named For a Good Time, Call 1-888-87-PROWL ($15) is a “meow-ito style” concoction of Four Square Probitas rum, Chinola passionfruit liqueur, vanilla, mint, lime and a bit of bubbly, and its irty avor is roughly analogous to what you get if you call up that borderline NSFW phone number. The Monstera Mash ($15) features

Below left: The Monstera Mash and Neon Flamingo. Below: Prowl’s extensive theming. (Courtesy/AND Studios)

PROWL

1323 S. Commerce

St., 725-550-8355, prowllv.com. Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-midnight; Friday, 4 p.m.-midnight; Saturday, 2 p.m.-1 a.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.-midnight.

Capurra Quebranta pisco—a South American delight Gutierrez describes as “an un-aged brandy”—in delicious concert with sugar snap pea, mint, elderflower, cardamom, lime, egg white and sea salt. It tastes every bit as complex as the grocery list that goes into it.

And attention absolutely must be paid to the Tropical Howler ($15), a choose-your-own-basespirit adventure that features a generous splash of Prowl’s housemade ginger beer, garnished with hibiscus and a kaffir lime leaf. “It’s kind of a layup for us,” Gutierrez says with pride. “We make that with any and all spirits that we have behind the bar. It goes great with gin, goes great with mezcal and pisco. And I’m happy to do one in the vein of a Moscow Mule with vodka.”

Gutierrez stresses that Prowl’s approach isn’t

intended to be more elevated than Stray Pirate. “I’m totally okay with the idea of you saying I like Stray Pirate better than Prowl. We weren’t trying to empty out half of one to fill the other.”

Rather, he likes the idea of Prowl feeling a bit more experimental, while still approachable. A bit more wildcat.

“I’m a firm believer in making a cocktail menu somebody can wrap their brain around,” Gutierrez says. “I like to expose somebody to new, unique cocktails, but at the same time I’m looking for you to not be too scared away by it. … I’m gonna try to encourage you to have a drink with a few ingredients that I know you’ll enjoy, that you’re familiar with. I’ll make sure they’re fresh and tasty, and maybe there’s a remaining 15% of mystery that comes along with it.”

VINTAGE VOWS

Wedding chapels Sure Thing and Sure Thing Too honor retro Vegas with kitschy charm, heartfelt ceremonies and an inclusive embrace of all love stories

The scent of roses and the sound of vintage vinyl hang in the air like a sweet, intoxicating haze. Love oozes from pastel walls, bleeds into dusty pinks and deep reds, bounces off beveled mirrors and ricochets across an incandescent heart-shaped altar.

Under the stained-glass gaze of disco ball cherubs and velvet curtains, the sequined and sinister Hellvis belts out ceremonious vows in a crooning, devil-may-care tone. This isn’t your grandma’s wedding chapel. It’s Sure Thing Chapel, and it’s Vegas in all the best ways—kitschy, bold and strangely tender.

Opened in 2019 by Victoria Hogan and Amy Hybarger, Sure Thing Chapel sits slightly off the beaten path on Fremont East, far enough from the mainstream Strip madness to feel like a secret, but close enough to still catch the vintage glow of motel neon across the street.

“In hindsight, I don’t even think that we were really thinking about placement, other than the fact that there were beautiful neon signs across the street in the vintage motels,” Hogan says. “But we are kind of set apart from a lot of the more concentrated areas of chapels.”

Hogan, founder of traveling pop-up wedding company Flora Pop, has organized ceremonies

everywhere, from Palm Springs to Joshua Tree. She met Hybarger, a Vegas-born, seasoned wedding photographer when she organized Hybarger’s own wedding. Sparks flew, leading to an undeniable creative chemistry that birthed a professional and personal friendship.

They dreamed of building a space that honored vintage Vegas—more than a quickie backdrop for I Dos.

“It started out really minimal, because we were on basically a shoestring budget in the very beginning,” Hogan says. “We’ve always loved kitsch, nostalgic Vegas. … We just wanted to do that as much as we possibly could.”

That vision permeates every corner of Sure Thing Chapel, where vintage pieces from LA, Chicago and even overseas can be found. It’s a haven of custom artwork and stained glass, with drapes that practically swallow you. Each wedding is a curated set piece, every couple a center-stage love story.

packages too—from the Drive Thru ($666) to the Whole Shebang ($888), with everything from classic car add-ons to Lady Elvis and Surely the Showgirl special officiants. There’s even a vintage electric Wurlitzer Piano at the newer Sure Thing Too (opened in 2024), where guests can request songs live.

“We wanted the chapels to feel like you aren’t being rushed,” says Hogan. “Each couple and their guests could have the entirety of the space.” Sure Thing has become a magnet for international romantics and locals alike, many of whom are LGBTQ couples seeking a safe, celebratory space.

SURE THING CHAPEL multiple locations, (702) 758-3113, surethingchapel. com, open daily, times vary.

“We haven’t skimped on those details,” Hybarger says. “People really like that design element.”

(Courtesy)

That attention to detail shows in their wedding

“The wedding chapel scene has not always been super supportive of the LGBTQ community,” Hybarger says. “That’s always been really important for us.”

There’s no denying Sure Thing and Sure Thing Too are part spectacle, part sanctuary. From family-run operations (Hogan’s sister and parents are on staff) to their emoji-coded booking calendar, it’s chaotic love with choreography. And above all, it’s a toast to vintage Vegas, a wink at tradition and a bet on eternal romance.

(Courtesy)
Chef Fabio Viviani’s famous Wagyu meatball, bottom right, flanked by an assortment of new dishes and drinks at Ai Pazzi. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

FOOD + DRINK

CRAZY FOR VEGAS

Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani brings Ai Pazzi to Summerlin

Few Top Chef contestants have charmed the judges and TV audience the way Fabio Viviani did in 2008 and 2010. Plenty more have been able to parlay that exposure into sustained success in the hospitality biz, but Viviani had already operated restaurants and nightclubs in his native Italy and a few eateries in the Los Angeles area by the time we met him on the small screen.

After growing his company to more than a dozen concepts across the country (including casino partnerships in California and Chicago), the prolific restaurateur has finally expanded to Las Vegas in a big way. Viviani has signed up to redefine the food and beverage offerings at the recently renovated JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort at Summerlin, and the first breakthrough is the recently opened Italian restaurant Ai Pazzi.

fortable luxury resort in the suburbs, so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Ai Pazzi (which roughly translates to “the crazy ones,” explained by Viviani as a friendly tribute to the fact that “we’re all f**king crazy for hospitality”) offers classic Italian dishes and flavors from a refined but approachable perspective. And it’s custom-built for Vegas, a new concept created by Fabio Viviani Hospitality.

“We don’t care about extra toppings for the sake of luxury. If it doesn’t belong to the dish, it’s not going to be there,” he says. “This is a local restaurant, made for locals, and we’re trying to keep it traditional. You’re gonna find a few dishes I grew up with that everybody’s gotta have, but this restaurant doesn’t remind you of anything we already have.”

AI PAZZI JW Marriott, 702-8697790, aipazzi. com. Sunday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-10 p.m.

“We’re excited to be in Vegas and it’s a market that’s been missing from our portfolio for a while. But it was all about finding the right partners, the right place, the right scenario, and we found it,” Viviani says. “It’s a great property and they’ve spent a ton of money and time remodeling the whole thing, and it’s such a gorgeous destination resort.”

He’s especially excited to be off the Strip, saying the suburban diners in the Summerlin area are similar to the regulars at his big-city restaurants in other locations.

“We are creating a place that will have the features and quality craftsmanship of some of the best venues on the Strip, but we’re nestled in this com-

WINNIE & ETHEL’S EXPANDS WITH DINER DINNER THAT ELEVATES CLASSIC DISHES

Life is simple at a diner—no pretense, just clatter, comfort, and the familiar smell of something wonderful. Tucked into the Huntridge Center, Winnie & Ethel’s is a well-kept local secret that just made the best kind of move—expanding into dinner service. And yes, it’s worth pulling up a booth.

Among Ai Pazzi’s opening dishes: a Wagyu meatball starter with tomato sugo, whipped ricotta, basil and grilled bread; Maine lobster linguini with cherry tomato, garlic, white wine and lobster butter; and the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a grilled 32-ounce Linz Heritage Reserve Porterhouse with roasted garlic, Tuscan olive oil and Mediterranean salt.

Taking the space of the former Spiedini Fiamma restaurant swept away from the casino floor, Ai Pazzi’s full operations will eventually include a pizza counter and Mediterranean oyster bar along the main promenade leading into the new dining room. And this unique three-in-one venue is hopefully just the beginning of his partnership with the resort, Viviani says. JW Marriott also recently announced New York City’s esteemed Nom Wah dim sum restaurant is set to open there in September.

The appetizer menu reads like a nostalgic love letter with a twist: fresh shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, catfish corn fritters. But the Smoky Deviled Eggs ($16) are the heavy hitter, four creamy yolk bombs spiked with jalapeño and cotija, crowned with candied bacon and dusted with paprika. One round will have you considering a second.

Feel like easing into dinner? The hanger steak and blue cheese salad ($24) is a delicious mess of crunch and fat, slices of seared steak over iceberg with marinated potatoes, fried onions, and a red wine vinaigrette that pulls the whole thing together.

But the real deal—the thing you’ll dream about later—is the Angus Black Pepper BBQ Meatloaf ($32), a dense slab of smoky, beefy soul, worlds away from your mom’s ketchup-drenched loaf. It sits proud on mashed potatoes and a tangle of mixed veg with a house-made popover. Trust us, this dish will hold you over until the next morning. And no matter the entree, there’s a grown-up selection of wines for your pairing pleasure.

For your sweet treat of the evening, we recommend the baked-to-order chocolate chip cookies ($10), served warm and sprinkled with Maldon flaky sea salt— the perfect balance of comfort diner food, but with an elevated spirit.

WINNIE & ETHEL’S DOWNTOWN DINER 1130 E. Charleston Blvd. #140, 725-205-1831, winnieandethels.com. Daily, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; Friday-Monday, 5-9 p.m.

(Courtesy/Angelo Cerdeiros)

VEGAS IN YOUR POCKET

WHERE TO EAT, PLAY, SHOP AND PARTY

From ‘Where should we eat?’ to ‘What’s happening tonight?’ —Vegas2Go’s free app answers it all.

1,000+ Vegas hot spots

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Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

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Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.