Next week is St. Paddy's Day and Lake Las Vegas Resort plans to have its own pot o' gold to share with you. All the festivities will take place Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 in the waterfront enclave, MonteLago Village. What can you expect to see and do? How about live Irish concerts, craft stations for making commemorative trinkets, poetry readings and traditional Irish dancers? Not too shabby. Plus the fact that restaurants in the Village, like the Auld Dubliner, will also be serving delicious Irish eats and drinks.
If you're planning on going, here's the sked for the weekend's festivities: Friday, March 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. a concert by former "Lord of the Dance" vocalist, Ashley Davis, next to the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub. Saturday, March 17, from 1 to 3 p.m., Irish singer and culture expert Davis hosts a workshop including traditional Irish songs, music and stories in Villagio Conference Room in MonteLago Village.
At 4, 5 and 6 p.m. you can watch the Fearon O'Connor School of Irish Dance perform on the events plaza in MonteLago Village. It all wraps up Saturday night from 7 to 9 p.m. when Davis closes the celebration with more Irish songs, poetry and stories. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 702-564-1600.
STRAT SLOT BONUS
Here's a good deal. The Stratosphere has launched its New Member Bonus Program for new Ultimate Rewards Card Club members. The new program allows players to earn up to $200 in cash and comps for slot play during their first 24 hours of membership. Sounds good to me. Only slot play, including any reel, penny, multi-denominational and video poker will be considered towards the New Members Bonuses. Players will receive New Member Bonuses, in addition to earning cash back and comps.
Here's what you can get. A free T-shirt for 100 points; two free buffet brunches when you hot 400; two free show tickets to American Superstar or Bite (both pretty good shows) when you reach 1,200 points; and $100 in cash if you hit 2,000. The Stratosphere tells me that the $100 will be issued in the form of a comp voucher and may be redeemed seven days from the date of issuance. It will be valid for all you California residents for 180 days. This also applies to several other surrounding states.
BYE BYE BARBARY
Oh, no, not again. An old friend on the Strip has a new name. Last week, the Barbary Coast, recently purchased by Harrah's Entertainment group, was officially renamed Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, named after the company's founder, Bill Harrah. Two limited edition $5 inaugural chips were offered to mark the name change. I'm really getting annoyed with these name changes. It won't be long that none of the names of the original hotel-casinos in our town will still be here.
The resort features the Steakhouse at Bill's, the 24-hour Victorian Room restaurant, Seattle's Best Coffee bar, Drai's after-hours nightclub, daily lounge entertainment with a variety of acts including Big Elvis Monday through Friday, as well as slots, table games and a race and sports book.
HIT THE LINKS
Attention all you golfers. The Falls Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas Resort is inviting you to an equipment demonstration day featuring the latest in sporting gear, accessories, outerwear, nutrition supplements and more. Representatives from Titleist, FootJoy, Nike, Callaway, Taylor Made, Oakley, and more to test their equipment free of charge, this Saturday, March 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Falls Golf Club is located at 1605 Lake Las Vegas Pkwy at Lake Las Vegas Resort. No reservations are necessary, so take the drive, see the latest in golf equipment and accessories and have fun.
STILL WAITING
The rebranding of the Aladdin into Planet Hollywood has been pushed back again, this time till "the end of the third quarter," according to Robert Earl, founder of Planet Hollywood. Work, however, is ongoing, and the front of the Aladdin is being transformed with bright billboards. The Desert Passage Mall is also being rebranded as the Miracle Mile. And the 50-story Planet Hollywood Towers, a joint venture with Westgate Resorts, is finally rising just south of the hotel. What's that I was just saying about name changes?
TO THE MAX
Clark County Commissioners have approved use permits for the proposed Maxim-magazine-themed, mixed-use megaresort next to Circus Circus on the Strip. The nearly eight-acre site, which Los Angeles-based Concord Wilshire purchased for $50 million in 2005, will support three towers with 300 hotel rooms and 1,860 condo units, along with a casino, restaurants, and shops. Developers hope to complete the casino in 2010.
STILL WAITING II
Remember when the Lady Luck downtown closed more than a year ago, and we were told that within a year, it would reopen after major renovations? Well, here we are and the joint's still shuttered, apparently for yet another year. Reason? The $66 million loan they needed for the work fell through. Not a good sign. They shoulda kept it open. At least they would have had some cash coming in.
Word is that the Sahara has accepted an offer for its hotel-casino but new owners aren't saying what they plan to do with the property when they take it over, which will be sometime this year. Let's hope they don't change the name.
Good luck and I'll see you on the Strip. And don't forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com.
If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylv@cox.net. Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.
