What happens in Vegas

NHL to Host its Annual Awards in Las Vegas

For the first time ever, the National Hockey League will host its 2009 Awards in Las Vegas at The Pearl at Palms. The NHL is bringing its annual awards celebration to Las Vegas as part of a three-year agreement with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The 2009 NHL Awards celebration will feature the League naming its top players for the regular season in a host of categories including, most valuable player, outstanding goaltender, outstanding defenseman and outstanding rookie. Tickets are on sale now for the June 18th event and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.



CineVegas to Host 11th Annual Film Festival

The 11th Annual CineVegas Film Festival will kick off with the world premiere of Hue Rhodes’ Saint John of Las Vegas, along with eight other films. The 2009 Festival will be held June 10-15 at the Palms Casino Resort and Brenden Theatres. The Festival will also offer a selection of world and U.S. premieres of documentaries, advance screenings of high-profile films, the best new independent films, and a program of shorts and features from Nevada filmmakers. For more information, please contact Kelly Frey, CineVegas, kelly.frey@cinevegas.com.



Fremont Street Experience Presents the “Summer of ’69: Vegas or Bust”

Fremont Street Experience takes Las Vegas back 40 years this summer with the “Summer of ’69: Vegas or Bust” festival and concert series beginning Memorial Day weekend. The celebration offers tourists and residents a summer full of free concerts by iconic bands from 1969, including The Guess Who, Blood Sweat & Tears, Rare Earth, Janis Joplin’s Original Band Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Starship, The 5th Dimension, Canned Heat and Three Dog Night. All summer long, themed nightly entertainment will also include cover bands and tribute artists, theatrical performances with costumed entertainers, new Viva Vision shows paying tribute to the year 1969, and special guest appearances. All concerts and entertainment are free to the public. For more information, please contact Stephanie Capellas, Preferred Public Relations, Stephanie@preferredpublicrelations.com.



Don Bull Productions Brings Bullfighting to Las Vegas

Don Bull Productions will bring six days of bloodless bullfighting to Las Vegas for the first time ever this September. In conjunction with Mexican Independence Day festivities, the South Point Arena, located inside the South Point Hotel & Casino will welcome some of the best bullfighters in the world. Using specially designed adhesive Velcro pads instead of traditional banderillas, rejones and steel harpoons, competitors are able to preserve the existence of the toros while keeping the excitement and skill of traditional bullfighting alive. Events will take place Sept. 14 & 15 and Sept. 27-30 and will feature world-famous bullfighters Eulalio Lopex “El Zotoluco” (Mexico), Federico Pizzaro (Mexico), Antonio Barrera (Spain), Jorge Hernandez Garate (Mexico) and many more. For more information, please contact Craig Nyman, Kirvin Doak Communications, cnyman@kirvindoak.com.



CityCenter Nears Completion as it Tops Out Veer Towers

CityCenter is celebrating a milestone with the recent “topping out” of its dramatically inclining high-rise condominiums, Veer Towers. It is the final residential component to be topped out in preparation of the urban resort destination’s opening later this year. Designed by Helmut Jahn, Veer Towers features two glass towers that rise 37 stories and incline at five-degree angles. At peak, approximately 700 construction workers will work on Veer Towers. For more information, please contact Natalie Mounier, Kirvin Doak Communications, nmounier@kirvindoak.com.



El Cortez Opens New Boutique Hotel in Fremont East District

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino has opened its new Cabana Suites, providing a new form of luxury to downtown Las Vegas with plush rooms and high-tech amenities. With 64 rooms, the Cabana Suites will bring an artistic, boutique style with its sleek design and vintage Miami feel. Amenities include HDTVs, iPod speaker docks and WiFi. The property also has a state-of-the-art fitness center, business center and is conveniently located next to some of the Fremont East District’s trendiest bars. For more information, please contact Matt Guidish, Kirvin Doak Communications, mguidish@kirvindoak.com.



The Smith Center for the Performing Arts Celebrates its Groundbreaking

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts celebrated its groundbreaking on May 26 with a ceremonial carillon bell casting and ringing. A 4.75-acre complex housing the Nevada Ballet Theatre and the Las Vegas Philharmonic, The Smith Center will become the cultural hub of Las Vegas when it opens in the Union Park 61-acre development in downtown Las Vegas in early 2012. Designed to address the needs of community residents, The Smith Center will offer a blend of performances by local arts groups as well as first-run touring attractions. It will feature music, theater, and dance companies who celebrate cultures from all over the world. For more information, please contact Morgan Kise, Kirvin Doak Communications, mkise@kirvindoak.com.



Pool Season in Full Swing at Flamingo Las Vegas

Set in a sprawling 15-acre tropical retreat, the pool at Flamingo Las Vegas has opened for the summer season. The pool complex includes the Flamingo’s adults-only GO Pool offering European-style sunbathing in a secluded area, as well as tan ambassadors, drink specials, luxury cabanas and water activities such as floating beer pong and water volleyball. Guests looking to stay at the Flamingo this summer can book the “Go Get Wet” hotel package. Starting at just $69 a night, guests stay in a Flamingo GO Room and receive two complimentary cocktails. For more information, please contact Jamie Nielsen, Harrah’s Entertainment, jnielsen@harrahs.com.



Friday Night Equals Endless Seafood and Beer at Seasons

Seafood and beer is what guests can expect Friday nights at Seasons Buffet inside Silverton Casino Lodge. Seasons recently launched its new Seafood Buffet, which features delectable seafood dishes from American, Asian and Mediterranean cultures, as well as an endless supply of domestic beer. The buffet includes a soup and salad station, hot and chilled seafood selections, Asian and Italian seafood stations and a dessert bar. For more information, please contact Spence Johnson, BRAINtrust Marketing + Communications, spence@braintrustlv.com.



Select MGM MIRAGE Resorts Offer “Buffet All Day” Bargains

MGM Grand Buffet invites guests to take advantage of a $29.99 “All-Day Meal Pass.” Available Monday through Thursday, each pass allows for one breakfast, one lunch and one dinner – a savings of almost 50 percent. At Excalibur’s Roundtable Buffet, patrons can “Buffet All Day” for $25 per guest. Offering a savings of more than $20 off regular pricing, the value package includes VIP buffet line passes and unlimited reentry privileges. At Cravings Buffet at The Mirage, dinner guests can enjoy an “Early Bird Special” of $19.95 when they dine between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact Jessica Gildar, MGM MIRAGE, jgildar@mgmmirage.com.



Imperial Palace Welcomes “Imperial Hawaiian Luau” Season

Now in its 18th year, the Imperial Palace has brought back its poolside “Imperial Hawaiian Luau.” The open-air dinner show features an all-you-can-eat buffet, all-you-can-drink adult beverages and a souvenir Pagoda cup. From the sights of the ten beautiful Pacific-Island dancers, to the sounds of the drums and conch shell, to the taste of the finest Pacific-Island Cuisine, the luau is a journey for the senses. The 90-minute dinner show features live music and traditional dances and costuming from several of the Pacific Islands including Hawaii, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. The island-themed cuisine is a plentiful offering of roasted pig, seafood, an extensive dessert bar and many other island favorites. The Luau is offered every Tuesday and Saturday through Sept. 29. For more information, please contact Michelle Mosbacher, Harrah’s Entertainment, mmosbacher@harrahs.com.



Chef Paul Bartolotta Wins the James Beard Foundation Award

Paul Bartolotta, chef of Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas, received the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef Southwest on May 4. Bartolotta previously won the 1994 Best Chef, Midwest James Beard Award when he helmed the kitchen of Chicago's Spiaggia, which received four-star ratings from both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago magazine. Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, which received a 2006 James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant, offers a simple, yet refined Italian menu that redefines traditional American notions of Italian dining. For more information, please contact Amy Rossetti, Wynn Las Vegas, amy.rossetti@wynnlasvegas.com.