Frommer's Las Vegas 2004

20
CHAPTER 2 . PLANNING YOUR TRIP TO LAS VEGAS
June
CineVegas International Film Festival.
This annual event, usually
held in early June, is growing in
popularity and prestige, with film
debuts from both independent and
major studios, plus lots of celebrities
hanging around for the big parties.
Call & 800/431-2140 or visit their
website at www.cinevegas.com.
Las Vegas Jazz Festival. Worldclass
jazz musicians are invited to
play at this relatively new but growing
festival held at the Fremont
Street Experience for 3 days, usually
in early June. For details, schedules,
and tickets call & 800/249-3559
or visit their website at www.vegas
experience.com.
September
Oktoberfest. This boisterous
autumn holiday is celebrated from
mid-September through the end of
October at the Mount Charleston
Lodge (& 800/955-1314 or 702/
872-5408; www.mtcharlestonlodge.
com) with music, folk dancers, singalongs
around a roaring fire, special
decorations, and Bavarian cookouts.
International Mariachi Festival.
Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas
Blvd. S. (at Hacienda Ave.), started
hosting this worldwide Mariachi
(Mexican music) festival a few years
ago, and it has become one of
the city’s most eagerly anticipated
events. Call Mandalay Bay at
& 877/632-7400. The event is
usually held in early September.
October
Invensys Classic. This 5-day championship
event (formerly called the
PGA Tour Las Vegas Invitational),
played on three local courses (the
main course is TPC Summerland),
is televised by ESPN. For details,
call & 702/242-3000.
Moments
New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas
Over the last couple of years, more and more people have been choosing
Las Vegas as their party destination for New Year’s Eve. In fact,
some estimates indicate that by the time you read this, there will be
more people ringing in the new year in Nevada than in New York City’s
Times Square.
From experience, we can tell you that there are a lot of people who
come here on December 31. We mean a lot of people. Traffic is a nightmare,
parking (at least legally) is next to impossible, and there is not 1
square inch of the place that isn’t occupied by a human being. Las
Vegas doesn’t really need a reason to throw a party, but when an
event like this comes along, they do it up right.
A major portion of the Strip is closed down, sending the masses and
their substantial quantities of alcohol into the street. Each year’s celebration
is a little different but usually includes a streetside performance
by a major celebrity, confetti, the obligatory countdown, and fireworks.
For New Year’s 2001, the city launched a massive fireworks extravaganza
entitled “America’s Party.” It involved blasting pyrotechnics
from the roofs of 10 different hotels in succession up the Strip, with a
grand finale at midnight that rivaled the worldwide millennium celebrations
the year before. The event was considered such a success
that the city has made it an annual event.