Pool parties! Crowds celebrate Labor Day in Las Vegas Valley — PHOTOS
With temperatures hovering in the triple digits by mid-morning on Labor Day, crowds across the valley sought relief on the unofficial end to summer.
At the Martinez Hall Family Pool in Las Vegas, kids wearing life vests bobbed up and down in the water while a DJ played the “Cha-Cha Slide” and parents lathered up their children with free sunscreen from a dispenser.
Children jumped off a diving board and stood in line for the slide as lifeguards stood watch, dancing along to the music.
Assemblymember Reuben D’Silva, D-Las Vegas, hung out at the pool wearing a pink flamingo floatie around his waist.
D’Silva said he partnered with Las Vegas City Councilwoman Olivia Díaz, Assemblymember Cinthia Moore and state Sen. Edgar Flores to put the pool party together. D’Silva said he was inspired by North Las Vegas Councilman Isaac Barron, who hosts a similar pool party to kick off the summer.
Everybody can show up to the free event, D’Silva said. The pool has the capacity for a few hundred people. D’Silva hopes the party becomes an annual Labor Day tradition.
“It’s super important,” D’Silva said. “I mean, in the end, we’re community servants, and we gotta do events and gotta focus on the community.”
Las Vegas resident Jaquila Howard brought her 10-year-old sister and 6-year-old daughter to beat the heat. She said her daughter lost her bathing suit and had only a T-shirt, but the city gave her a free bathing suit.
“I like it,” she said of the pool party. “It tires them out. I ain’t gotta do nothing, go home and shower.”
Enjoying the summer ‘as long as we can’
In Henderson, Carla and Rico Garcia knew their three children would want to spend the Labor Day holiday in the pool with neighbors and friends. While trying to find shade on the outdoor deck of the Whitney Ranch Pool, the Garcias watched as Joey, 11, Layla, 9, and Ant, 5, splashed in the water and took turns showing off their best cannonballs.
“Mom, watch me. Watch me!” exclaimed the youngest Garcia, as he took two or three small steps for a running start before launching himself in the air as high as he could. His slight frame made only the tiniest of splashes in the water, but his family would never let him know that.
“Nice job, baby,” Carla Garcia said with a thumbs-up and a wave.
Even big brother Joey was in on it.
“Yeah, bruh. Look at you go,” he said.
The smile on Ant Garcia’s face was worth enduring the scorching midday sun for his father.
“I wasn’t trying to sit out here all day,” Rico Garcia said on the unofficial last day of summer. “But it’s too hot to fire the grill up. … We’re (going to) enjoy the (summer) as long as we can.”
The Garcias, who live in Henderson, were among dozens of others who sought refuge from a September heat wave at Rad Tad’s End of Summer Pool Party hosted by the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center. Rad Tad, a water safety mascot, was on hand Monday to say “goodbye” to summer as guests enjoyed pool games, music and face-painting.
“It sure doesn’t feel like (the end of summer),” Andy Montez said as sweat visibly ran down the sides of his face. “Thankful to have the day off, though.”
Montez watched his two boys, Hunter, 12, and Noah, 9, play jackpot with a group of newly made friends in the deep end of the pool.
“I only got so many days like this with them left,” he said, motioning to the brothers with a head nod. “They wanted to come (here), so we’re here.”
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X. Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.
