by Jackie Brett Send Me E-mail

Fremont's Park Jam is an outdoor extreme sports celebration set to take over the lot next to Park on Fremont on Friday and Saturday, March 6-7 where a resort-style winter wonderland will be built.

Park Jam will kick off at 5:30 p.m. on March 6 with a family-oriented celebration featuring an urban skateboarding inspired ramp, vendor booths, live music from DJ Stellar presented by the Red Bull MXT truck, an art contest, taco stand, beverages and more. Local artists will show off their talents by turning the snowboard ramp into a one-of-a-kind work of art using a number of different techniques, with the end product being taken to Eagle Point Resort in Utah. Children can learn to ride like the pros do through simulation rides on Burton's kids' boards.

Park Jam will culminate with the snowboarding competition featuring professional snowboarders starting at 7 p.m. on March 7. Spectators will be able to view practice runs and live replays on giant screens surrounding the venue and Inspire Lounge across the street will open each of its levels for viewing with VIP viewing available from the balcony area.

SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL STARBURST LIGHT SHOW DEBUTS FEB. 26

Swarovski Pavilion and Starburst at Grand Bazaar Shops adjacent to Bally's will open Feb. 26. The custom pavilion and Starburst were designed to be the centerpiece of the Grand Bazaar Shops that will feature exclusive first-to-market brands and unique international retailers all packed into a two-acre outdoor shopping promenade.

At midnight that night, the Swarovski Crystal Starburst that towers above Grand Bazaar Shops and the Strip will be illuminated for the first time for the Midnight Celebration. This Starburst serves as the focal point for Swarovski's nightly three-minute-long light-and-sound show designed to mark the discovery of a new day. The production incorporates both the Starburst and a large video screen embedded into the multi-faceted façade of the Swarovski boutique. Evocative scenes from exotic bazaars, as well as the Starburst's more than 1,800 points of LED light, will be choreographed to an original score. The one-of-a-kind Swarovski Crystal Starburst is 14-foot-diameter structure and composed of 924 custom-cut Swarovski crystal spheres.

NEWLY REMODELED LAX NIGHTCLUB REOPENS

LAX Nightclub at Luxor is remodeled and reopened. The redesign offers sleek, modern features throughout and was done by Kurstin Schmitz of Urbane Design in Las Vegas. Guests enter the 26,000-square-foot venue through an impressive grand staircase. New features include a larger dance floor, state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, refreshed interior décor emphasized by silver and gold hues along with enhanced VIP service and bottle selections. Also new is LAX Lounge - an intimate space before entering the nightclub with a full bar and DJ booth.

The club's second story serves as an exclusive level featuring seven VIP lofts as well as a private dance area. Seemingly suspended over the main dance floor, each lavish loft has a bird's-eye view of the lower level.

In addition, LAX has revamped its programming and will feature music with widespread appeal focusing on emerging artists, including Bebe Rexha and Australian singer/songwriter Betty Who.

Thursday evenings are #TBT (Throwback Thursday) with hits from the '80s, '90s and 2000s and ladies drinking for free from 10:30 p.m. to midnight.

ULTRA-LOUNGE CONCEPT, HEART OF OMNIA WILL DEBUT MARCH 13

Hakkasan Group's first premiere ultra-lounge concept, Heart of OMNIA, located within OMNIA Nightclub at Caesars Palace is set to open Friday, March 13. The VIP destination will be owned and operated by Hakkasan Group with assistance from The h.wood Group, previously acquired by the global hospitality company last June.

The Heart of OMNIA is a dark, plush and intimate space highlighting a rich and sultry material palette that plays on masculine and feminine design elements. Positioned strategically next to the nightclub's entrance and adjoining the main club, Heart of OMNIA will welcome a legendary collection of iconic artists including DJ Ruckus and Rev Run, Questlove, DJ Irie, DJ Jazzy Jeff, D-Nice and Eric D-Lux & Five.

FREMONT STREET EXPERIENCE HOSTS DOWNTOWN HOOPSTOWN

The 6th Annual Downtown Hoopstown sponsored by Captain Morgan will take place March 2 through April 6. The four blocks underneath the Viva Vision canopy will be lined with college banners and flags as Fremont Street Experience transforms into the ultimate college basketball destination with special events including: nightly entertainment from the stage production show “Hardwood Hotties” featuring American Idol Season 6 Finalist Haley Scarnato, an interactive High Hoops Zone, the world's largest NCAA bracket and a special basketball-themed show displayed on the 1,500 ft. Viva Vision canopy.

“Hardwood Hotties” is a custom stage production show created exclusively for Fremont Street Experience and will be performed on the 3rd Street Stage: March 2-4, 8-11, 18, 20-25, 27-31 and April 1 and 3-7.

EDDIE IZZARD VISITS THE PEARL AT THE PALMS FOR TWO NIGHTS

Comedian Eddie Izzard will bring his Force Majeure World Tour to the United Sates with two shows at The Pearl at the Palms on Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $53.

Force Majeure is the most extensive comedy tour ever. It launched in March of 2013 and will take Izzard to 25 countries on five continents. Izzard has performed the show in France performing entirely in French, Berlin performing entirely in German and plans to learn and perform the show in Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

On television, Izzard will star in the Playstation original series, “Powers,” premiering on March 10. He starred in and served as a producer on the FX Network Show, “The Riches,” opposite Minnie Driver, guest starred in the final season of Showtime's “United States of Tara,” and received an Emmy nomination for his 2010 documentary, “Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story.”

NEIL DIAMOND MAKES STOP AT MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER

Legendary musician Neil Diamond will make a stop at the Mandalay Bay Events Center Sunday, May 17 as part of his Neil Diamond Tour 2015. He'll perform many of his classic hits as well as songs from his newest studio album “Melody Road.”

Diamond is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters. His many other achievements include a Golden Globe Award, 13 Grammy nominations and the 2009 NARAS MusiCares Person of the Year award. In 2011, Diamond received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture. Tickets range from $59.50 to $174.50.

YUSHO AT MONTE CARLO ATTEMPTS LONGEST SAKE BOMB TRAIN

The Monte Carlo's Yusho Japanese Grill & Noodle House will attempt to be home of the world's largest sake bomb train Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. with Yusho bartenders and staff working together to tackle the feat. The current record holder is Mobo Sushi in Santa Cruz, Calif., with a 167 sake bomb train. Food and drink specials will be available. To RSVP, text “SakeBombStrong” to 56242. A confirmation text will be sent along with a complimentary sake bomb offer for during the event.

RASCAL FLATTS STARTS NINE-SHOW RESIDENCY AT HARD ROCK

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, top-selling country music act Rascal Flatts kicks off its nine-show residency, “Rascal Flatts Vegas Riot!,” with a memorable grand entrance at Hard Rock featuring 50 members Foothill High School's Marching Band playing a rendition of Rascal Flatts' hit song “Fast Cars and Freedom.” They will march from The Joint to the main entrance as Rascal Flatts band members Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney each arrive in Richard Petty NASCAR race cars.

Rascal Flatts' special guest will be season seven winner of NBC's “The Voice,” Craig Wayne Boyd, at The Joint from through March 14. While in town, Rascal Flatts will sing the national anthem and Boyd will perform during the pre-race festivities at the Kobalt 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 8.

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Suzanne Somers of “Three's Company” fame will open her own residency show at Westgate in May. It's a return for her to Las Vegas where back in the 1980s she was a resident and had her own resident show “Moulin Rouge” at the Las Vegas Hilton, now Westgate. Over the past couple decades, Somers has become a self-help health guru lecturing and authoring 26 books including “Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones” in 2006.

Celebrating more than 40 years of hospitality excellence, UNLVino will hold its “take a sip for scholarship” April 16-18. Three evenings of events - including Bubble-Licious, Sake Fever and the Grand Tasting - will continue Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada's mission to rally the Las Vegas community in support of UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration.

Bubble-Licious will be held at The Venetian's Doge's Palace Plaza on Thursday, April 16 from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $125 in advance; $150 at the door.

Sake Fever will be around the outdoor pool at Red Rock on Friday, April 17 from 7-10 p.m. Franks & Deans, the world's first rock ‘n' roll Rat Pack tribute band, will entertain. Tickets are $100 in advance; $125 at the door.

The Grand Tasting will occupy the ballroom at Paris on Saturday, April 18 from 7-10 p.m. The evening will include a performance by famed modern jazz musician, Frankie Moreno and Chef Steve Martorano will be honored for his culinary accomplishments and bold Italian-American restaurant style. Tickets are $125 in advance; $150 at the door.

Brooklyn Bowl now offers Double Jump, which is a program enabling guests who dine at the Blue Ribbon restaurant to receive preferential access to the evening's concert event before the general public. Blue Ribbon was created by brothers, chefs and restaurateurs, Bruce and Eric Bromberg. Reservations are recommended on concert nights via vegas.brooklynbowl.com or by calling 702-862-2695. Brooklyn Bowl is open for dining every day starting at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon on Saturday and Sunday.

Westgate has partnered with Hotel Internet Services for the installation of its BeyondTV Wireless Streaming Player, allowing guests to experience the Internet, live TV, video-on-demand, personal media sharing, Internet radio and social media via their guest room TV or personal mobile devices while staying at the resort. Westgate is the first hotel to provide the revolutionary BeyondTV in-room entertainment system.

Guests at Westgate can view their personal subscribed content such as Netflix, Pandora and Hulu directly on their hotel room TV, simulating an at-home experience.

With the addition of the BeyondTV system, guests can choose from two different wireless speeds available on property, Turbo and Ultra Turbo. Installation has already been completed in more than 1,000 rooms and is slated to be completed in the remaining 2,000 rooms this spring.

2015 BEACH CONCERT SERIES KICKS OFF IN MAY AT MANDALAY BAY

The 2015 beach concert series at Mandalay Bay series will begin in May and run through September on the Mandalay Bay Beach stage, which rises over the resort's sand and surf 1.6 million gallon wave pool. Concert prices range from $33.50 to $49.50.

The lineup includes: Sublime with Rome May 22; Irish three-piece band The Script May 30; a country weekend with Lee Brice June 5 and Chris Young June 6; NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors and Colony House - July 10; Pepper and Iration July 17; Ziggy Marley July 31; and the Lost '80s Live tour on Saturday, Sept. 26 featuring ABC, Wang Chung, Naked Eyes, A Flock of Seagulls, Animotion, Boys Don't Cry, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Flirts and the return of Farrington + Mann + Juarez, among other artists.

The first ever Fantasy Sports Combine will offer serious game-changing insights and strategies on how to win daily, weekly and season long leagues at Wynn and Encore July 17-19. The world's most elite collection of fantasy experts will be attending including championship-winning coaches, legendary general managers, professional athletes and favorite sports media personalities. Tickets to the conference start at $995 with early registration $895.

Notable personalities will include fantasy gurus John Hansen of DirecTV and Sirius XM and Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports. Also scheduled to appear are legendary coaches Mike Shanahan and Mike Ditka; world-class athletes such as Brandon Marshall, Von Miller, Miles Austin, Michael Floyd, Kyle Orton, Brandon Stokley, Chauncey Billups and Adam Dunn; professional baseball analyst Harold Reynolds; veteran sports broadcasters Bonnie Bernstein and David Norrie; reporter Kaylee Hartung; host of American Ninja Warrior Matt Iseman and many more.

St. Vincent will perform in the Valley to Vegas: Spring Concert Series at Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan of on Friday, April 10 at 9 p.m. St. Vincent released her released her fourth album self-titled “St. Vincent” in 2013. General admission tickets are $25.

The sixth annual St. Baldrick's Day head-shaving event will be held Saturday, March 7 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. outside at New York-New York with live music, celebrity guest head-shavers and more. Participants shed their locks to support the St. Baldrick's Foundation. The event is free and open to the public, and participants can register online. This year's St. Baldrick's Day event will be hosted on New York-New York's recently opened outdoor plaza surrounded by new restaurants Shake Shack and Tom's Urban as well as fun shops including Hershey's Chocolate World, Stupidiotic, Swatch and I Love NYNY. Last year more than $100,000 was raised.

Festivities will include a special appearance by the Desert Skye & Pipe Band to kick off the event; live musical performances by Phoenix and Patrick Sieben on the Brooklyn Bridge; celebrity guest appearances by Las Vegas performers including Carrot Top, the ladies of FANTASY, Jersey Boys, Absinthe, Rock of Ages and more; activities including balloon art and face painting; a grand raffle prize; and photo opportunities at the head-shaving booths to commemorate the day.

The city of Las Vegas invites the public to three free family music and dance concerts in the outdoor Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza this spring. At 2 p.m. Saturday, March 7, Shirley Chen and her dancers will present a program of folk dances from many different regions of China. The program at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 4 will be “Shinka: Life Cycle of a Dancer,” featuring the Pink Tutu Ballet Company, with special appearance by Ms. Nevada United States, Brittany Cherie Williams. The festival of children's music and reading, “Rox in Sox Children's Music Festival” will be Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fremont Street Experience will host another SlotZilla Charity Challenge with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas and donate 100 percent of SlotZilla revenue on Thursday, Feb. 26 from noon to 6 p.m.

Chumlee, beloved TV personality on The History Channel's popular reality series, “Pawnstars,” will debut his DJ skills at Ghostbar Dayclub's season finale inside the Palms on Saturday, Feb. 28. In addition, the dayclub will close out the party's fourth season with extra wild bottle presentations and costumed party mascots.

Aliante will celebrate the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with food and drink specials including all bottled beers for $2 each from Tuesday, March 17 through Monday, April 6.

Cabo Wabo Cantina inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood will host viewing parties at its new upstairs lounge, The LOFT, for upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship fights including UFC 185 on Saturday, March 14 and UFC 186 on Saturday, April 25. Admission fee is $30.

Epicurean Charitable Foundation of Las Vegas (ECF) will participate in NevadaGIVES' fourth annual statewide online charity event, Nevada's Big Give, for a 24-hour period of giving beginning at midnight on Thursday, March, 12. ECF will join other Nevada nonprofits for a day of charitable giving through an online platform. To date, Nevada's Big Give has raised more than $1,440,600 for 463 Nevada charities from 10,744 unique donors.

TREVI Italian Restaurant inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace will honor National Meatball Day by offering several specially-priced menu favorites exclusively on Monday, March 9. Among the items will be the creative $9 dessert chocolate gelato “meatballs” as part of TREVI's signature vanilla gelato spaghetti ice dessert topped with a sweet strawberry sauce.

Aliante will host a bridal show with a complimentary bridal open house and tasting from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1 at Aliante. Registered guests will also have the chance to win a new groom's ring in a cake-dive contest courtesy of Michael E. Minden Jewelers. Admission to the bridal open house is free, but guests are encouraged to RSVP to events@aliantegaming.com or by calling 702.692.7360 by Friday, Feb. 27.