Things to do in Paradise/Downtown

First Friday

First Friday is scheduled to return from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday in the 18b Arts District. A Fremont East street art fair is expected to be between Las Vegas Boulevard and Sixth Street behind the Downtown Cocktail Room and Beauty Bar. An arts and music stage is planned at Third and Colorado streets. Visit firstfridaylasvegas.com.

Participating galleries include:

n Blackbird Studios, 1551 S. Commerce St., Suite A, is set to showcase "Decaying 'Deco'dance and Sweet Curiosities" by Heather Hermann and "Misplaced Faith in Gravity" by Mark Mellon. Hermann's work exhibits the death of elegance and its revival in her "deco tech" style. Mellon's works depict mankind's power struggle over itself and ignoring the possibilities of the unknown. Both exhibits are scheduled to be on display through Jan. 27.

n Contemporary Arts Center, inside The Arts Factory at 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 120, plans to continue "Garden of Eden," a collection of Andrzej Maciejewski's still life photographs of fruits and vegetables, through Jan. 21.

n Trifecta Gallery inside The Arts Factory plans to feature Cirque du Soleil employees' works in the sixth annual "PARADE" exhibition.

n Theresa Lucero is set to showcase acrylic and canvas paintings with floral, astronomical and ocean motifs in her exhibit, "VS," at the Jenny Valdez Inc. Gallery inside The Arts Factory. An artist reception is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

n The City of the World, 1229 S. Casino Center Blvd., plans to present artist D'Shay's work from Ghana in celebration of African American Heritage Month.

In your neighborhood

n The Southern Nevada Old Time Contra Dancers plan a dance at
6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. A group lesson is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., followed by the dance from 7 to 10 p.m. Wear flat-soled shoes and comfortable clothing. The cost is $7 for adults, $5 for members, students and military personnel and $3 for children and nondancing adults. Visit tinyurl.com/7e8f5ym or call 656-9513 or 229-6383.

n "Rumor de Los Grandes: Endi Posovic Selected Prints" is scheduled to be on display at the Historic Fifth Street School Gallery, 401 S. Fourth St., through Monday by appointment. The exhibit features Bosnia native Endi Posovic's prints of Japanese woodcuts and Eastern European propaganda posters. Visit artslasvegas.org or call 229-1012.

n The exhibit "Short Stories" by artist Bobby Ross is scheduled to be on display Thursday through March 17 at the Charleston Heights Arts Center, 800 S. Brush St. Ross' graphite drawings depict homelessness, aging, religious intolerance and environmental degradation. Visit metroartsnevada.com or call 229-6383.

n The UNLV Performing Arts Center, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, plans to host the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet at 8 p.m. Saturday as part of the Charles Vanda Masters Series. The group ­-- John Dearman, Matthew Greif, William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant -- celebrates its 30th anniversary with the performance. Tickets range from $35 to $75, with $13 student rush tickets an hour before the event. Visit pac.unlv.edu or call 895-2787.

n The Insurgo Theater's original tragicomic clown production "Nutcracker" is set to take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday inside the Insurgo Theater at the Plaza, 1 S. Main St. Tickets to the all-ages production are $15. Visit insurgotheater.org.

n "Mama's Fabric," an exhibit by John Broussard, is set to be on display through May 5 at the West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd. The exhibit is focused on community organizer Beatrice Dixon, Broussard's mother, who had a passion for sewing fabrics given to her as gifts. The exhibit includes Broussard's photographs of diverse Americans and Dixon's fabrics to tell her story. A meet-the-artist reception is set from 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 27. Visit lasvegasnevada.gov or call 229-4800.

n The Marjorie Barrick Museum at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, plans to exhibit "Lost Places in the Mojave: Photographs by Julian Kilker" through Jan. 22. Visit barrickmuseum.unlv.edu or call 895-3381.

n Jest Serendipity Improv is set to perform at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Alexis Park Resort, 375 E. Harmon Ave. The show is limited to adults 21 or older and tickets are $29.95. Visit jestserendipity.com.

n "Evil Dead: The Musical" is slated to return to the Onyx Theatre, 953 E. Sahara Ave., at 8 p.m. every Friday and Saturday in January. After a successful opening run in October, the musical is set to have an extended "splatter zone." Tickets are $15 for locals, $20 for general admission and $30 for VIP splatter zone seats. Visit onyxtheatre.com or call 732-7225.

Plan ahead

n Seniors are invited to a free movie with popcorn beginning at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 11 at the Doolittle Senior Center, 1950 N. J St. Registration is required one week in advance. Visit lasvegasnevada.gov or call 229-6125.

n The Knights of Columbus plan an all-ages Saturday Night Stomp swing dance party Jan. 14. Lessons begin at 7 p.m. Social dancing begins at 8 p.m., and the party is set to continue until midnight at 911 E. Ogden Ave. Admission is $5. Only cash is accepted. Visit saturdaynightstomp.com.

n Tickets for KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler's 8 p.m. Feb. 4 performance, "Love Is Here to Stay," at the Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., are on sale. The concert is set to feature classic love songs written by Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and others. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Visit artslasvegas.org or call 229-3515.

n Tickets are on sale for the Turtle Island Quartet's 7 p.m. March 2 performance at the Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. The city of Las Vegas plans to host the performance celebrating the music of John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Visit artslasvegas.org or call 229-3515.