Have fun after sunset in Sunrise and Whitney

When August rolls around, even the most die-hard Las Vegans admit it's too hot to be outside. When it's too hot out during the day, one solution is to explore your neighborhood after dark. There is no shortage of options in the Sunrise and Whitney areas.

Swim, skate, jump and play after dark

In the early evening, the newly opened Hollywood Aquatics Center, 1550 S. Hollywood Blvd., has extended hours in portions of the facility. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the indoor lap pool is open until 9 p.m., providing not only early evening swimming but also a great place to view the sunset. For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 455-8508

The Boulder Crystal Palace Skating Center, 4680 Boulder Highway, is open until 10 p.m. many nights and frequently has special blackout and disco events, including the Back To School Black Out Skate Party scheduled from 6 to 11 p.m. Aug. 24. The rink has a regular 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday family night special where a family of four can get skate rentals, pizza and soft drinks for $20. And there's a Christian music skate night from 7 to 10 p.m. the second Monday of each month with $5 admission. For more information, visit skatevegas.com or call 458-7107.

Sky Zone Indoor Trampoline Park, 4915 Steptoe St., offers dodgeball, exercise classes and open jumping most nights. On Saturdays it hosts Sky Jam lock-in events. From 10 p.m. to midnight jumpers 16 or older can bounce, play dodge ball and enjoy pizza while socializing for $15. Although the event is geared to teens, adults are welcome, too.

Walnut Recreation Center, 3075 N. Walnut Road, offers midnight basketball for players ages 14 to 24 from 8 p.m. to midnight Thursdays and Fridays during the summer. Admission is $2. The last sessions are scheduled this week. For more information, call 455-8402.

The skate park at the Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive, is open until 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $1. Participants younger than 18 must bring a parent or guardian during the center's regular business hours to sign a liability form to keep on file. For more information, visit clarkcountynv.gov or call 455-7340.

The Gemini Arcade Palace, 4180 S. Sandhill Road, specializes in dance and rhythm games and is open until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It also hosts competitions including international contests that draw participants from across the globe. Every few months the arcade hosts a lock-in event with coin-free play from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, visit gemini-
arcade-palace.com or call 586-3686.

Sing into the night

For more sedate entertainment, consider a local watering hole. Several area taverns such as the Four Mile Bar, 3650 Boulder Highway, and Cavalier Lounge, 3850 E. Desert Inn Road, feature karaoke and occasional live music.

"I bring bands in whenever we have the money to do it or if there's a band the folks want to hear," said Kim Lehman, Cavalier Lounge manager. "We've got karaoke Tuesday and Sunday from 8 (p.m.) to whenever."

Blind Tiger, 6295 S. Pecos Road, lets patrons take the mic from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Moonlit fun along the Boulder Strip

Evening entertainment is plentiful along the Boulder Strip, which is packed with casino amenities such as restaurants, lounges and 24-hour gaming.

The Grand Palace Lounge at Arizona Charlie's Boulder, 4575 Boulder Highway, features live music six nights a week with new bands every week and $1 and $2 beer specials. For more information, visit
arizonacharliesboulder.com or call 951-5800.

The Railhead at Boulder Station, 4111 Boulder Highway, features a mix of free and low-cover regular events. La Nueva Live Mix is a disc jockey event featuring hits sung in Spanish starting at 10 p.m. Fridays. Boulder Blues concerts and big-name touring musicians visit, too. Tanya Tucker is scheduled to sing at 8 p.m. Aug. 25. The Average White Band is set to perform at 8 p.m. Oct. 26. For more information, visit boulderstation.com or call 432-7777.

The Eastside Cannery, 5255 Boulder Highway, offers live music in multiple venues, including Pin-Ups Bar, which hosts regular Monday jazz nights and other free music the rest of the week. Marilyn's Lounge brings in a variety of local and touring performers rotating out every few days. The Eastside Events Center features big-name entertainers and events, such as Friday's performance by Rick Springfield and a Sept. 1 mixed martial arts event. For more information, visit eastsidecannery.com or call 856-5300.

Roxy's at Sam's Town, 5111 Boulder Highway, features a sampling of local bands with two or three performing each week. Larger performances and special events are hosted in Sam's Town Live. Upcoming offerings there include "Another Evening of Pop and Doo Wop" scheduled to feature Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters and others, at 8 p.m. Sept. 8.

Day or night, it's never too hot to take a leisurely stroll through Mystic Falls Park, Sam's Town's tree-filled indoor park . Laser light and animatronics shows entertain visitors nightly.

From 8 p.m. to midnight Saturdays, Sam's Town's bowling center hosts Extreme Bowling.

"The lights are down. We have neon and black light, rock music and that kind of stuff," said David Strow, spokesman for Boyd Gaming. "It's more of a party atmosphere."

For truly late-night activities, Sam's Town offers 24-hour bowling.

"Twenty-four hour bowling is a Vegas thing," Strow said. "It's a reflection of the fact that we're a 24-hour town."

For more information, visit samstown.com or call 456-7777.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.