City Cast Las Vegas
Make the most of your 🇺🇸 July 4
July 3, 2023
Welcome to a short-week Monday! 👏 Today’s is a somewhat abbreviated edition of Hey Las Vegas, and there won’t be one at all tomorrow — no fresh podcast, either — as we celebrate July 4. 🎇 I’ll be back Wednesday with the same ol’ gabble-gabble. Have a terrific holiday!
What's CITY Talking About?
🚄 Station to Station
Federal transportation officials are kicking in $25 million to help California build rail stations that will eventually be part of the proposed Brightline high-speed railway between Las Vegas and Southern California. [Review-Journal]
- Context: This high-speed rail thing just might work! [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
📈 Who Is This Guy?
Jeremy Aguero: His name frequently comes up in accounts of major policy discussions, most recently the effort to cadge $380 million in public financing for the Oakland A’s. He was a loud voice dismissing qualms about the proposed stadium’s viability. But who — and what — is Aguero? He occupies a hazily defined position somewhere between lobbyist, advocate, and analyst. [Nevada Current]
What To Do
🧨 Our roundup of Independence Day 🇺🇸 celebrations, activities, and viewing tips. 🧨
🎆 Summerlin
Join the 35,000 expected to show up for this 29th edition of the valley’s largest July 4 parade — which this year will include special guest Gov. Joe Lombardo and Golden Knight Zach Whitecloud, plus more than 70 floats. [Tuesday, 9 a.m.; free]
Fireworks go off at 9 p.m. Tuesday. Viewing party at the Sandbar pool opens at 7:30. [$35 adults, $10 kids]
🧨 Strip
Fireworks extravaganza begins at 9 p.m. Tuesday; free
🎇 Downtown
Look for a massive rooftop fireworks launch from this venerable downtown property. The poolside viewing party is for guests only, but Main Street will be closed between Carson and Ogden to accommodate viewers. [Tuesday, 9 p.m.; free]
—Plus, look for the Las Vegas Lights soccer team to bust out some fireworks after its Tuesday match against New Mexico United at Cashman Field.
🇺🇸 Around the Valley
Food trucks and a DJ will highlight this city-sponsored Independence Day bash, complete with fireworks and other fun. [Tuesday, 6 p.m.; free]
The annual Night of Fire event will feature auto racing capped by a fireworks display. [Today, 5 p.m.; $15]
Free County Waterpark Admission
Cool off Tuesday at no cost in the county-operated Walnut (1-6 p.m.), Whitney (noon-5 p.m.), and Paradise (noon-5 p.m.) waterparks.
🎆 Henderson
The city’s official Independence Day celebration will feature the band Little Texas, plus food vendors, games, and fireworks. [Tuesday, 6 p.m.; free]
Music duo Cover Lane performs before Tuesday’s 9 p.m. fireworks show — choreographed to music — viewable for free on and around the property.
The aerial bombardment ought to look particularly fetching reflected off of the artificial lake on the edge of Henderson. [Tuesday, 9 p.m.; free]
Fireworks go off at 9 p.m. Viewing party at the Backyard area opens at 7:30 Tuesday. [$35 adults, $10 kids]
🇺🇸 Boulder City
They’ll be Yankee Doodling their dandiest in small-town Boulder City, starting with a pancake breakfast, then an airplane flyover, a parade, music, and fireworks. [Tuesday, all day; free]
It’s a day-long weirdness of music, comedy, competitive hotdog-eating, and, of course, craft beer. [Begins at 8 a.m. Tuesday]
Our Favorite Viewing Tips
✨🤩 Sonja Cho Swanson, lead producer: “I almost don’t want to give this away, but my favorite spot to see fireworks is along the Neon to Nature trail from Bruce Trent Park. It’s a paved path that goes up along a ridge with views out over the Valley on both the Strip casinos and much of the western valley as well. Note: There are almost always some entrepreneurial young’uns setting off firecrackers nearby, in case your dog is skittish.”
🤩✨ Dayvid Figler, co-host: “The top, open-air level of parking garages like the Gold Coast or the Mirage. It's panoramic, and with a good height you really feel like you’re part of the action … but safely away!”
✨🤩 Scott Dickensheets, newsletter editor: “A short hike up from the Amargosa Trailhead on Henderson’s Horizon Ridge Parkway will offer a sweeping panorama of the valley — you should be able to see the big bang displays in Summerlin, along the Strip, and in downtown all in one dynamic vista.”
Where Is It?
First, Where Was It? ⤴️
Last week’s challenge must’ve been an art-breaker, judging from how few of you knew this sculpture sits in front of fire station No. 3, at Rancho and Washington. Four-alarm kudos to those who answered correctly:
🏆 Deborah R., Cliff Rogers, Wayne Rorex, Steve Sebelius
Now for This Week’s Challenge ⤵️
Do you know where in the valley to find this cool, contemplative space? Use the button below to tell me, and if you’re correct, I’ll note you in next Monday’s edition.
Today on City Cast
Dumb Questions About LV
More than almost any other place, Las Vegas invites WTF inquiries of the Do you live in a casino? variety. City Cast CEO David Plotz, who lives on the East Coast, bravely put his dumb questions to our co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson.
Lastly today, I’ll leave you with the stirring Independence Day words of one of our greatest presidents: "‘Mankind.’ That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore.” Amen to that! See you Wednesday.
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