Category: Entertainment

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

October 13, 2011

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts nears completion

Art Deco design	Close up detail	New Discovery Children’s Museum
Stainless steel Art Deco detail	Symphony Park takes shape	Smith Center

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public/private partnership that will become the centerpiece of cultural life in Las Vegas offering a blend of performances by resident companies as well as first-run touring attractions. The 4.75-acre cultural complex will feature inviting lobbies with beautiful balconies, refined acoustics and a tastefully landscaped plaza linking surrounding hotels, restaurants, shops and offices in downtown’s 61-acre urban development, Symphony Park. Home to the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall and the Boman Pavilion, The Smith Center will be a living room for Las Vegas; a place that will educate, entertain and excite the citizens of our great community. The Smith Center broke ground in May of 2009 with a ceremonial carillon bell casting and ringing. In February 2010, it celebrated its “Topping Out” with the raising of 50 tons of steel and is projected to open in March 2012.

Next door the the Smith Center is the new home for the children’s museum, a state-of-the-art building to be named the Donald W. Reynolds Discovery Center. The children’s museum currently is located on Las Vegas Boulevard in the historic Cultural Corridor, where it will continue to serve the children and families of Las Vegas until the new facility is ready to open in late 2012.

Next to the Smith Center, a small park called, Symphony Park will be a two-acre open space within the heart of Symphony Park destined to become the neighborhood’s “Central Park.” The Park is expected to serve as a gathering place and outdoor venue for cultural, art and social activities.

For more information, visit www.thesmithcenter.com.

Photos by: LasVegas360.com
Date of photos: 11/13/2011

Webmaster

Posted by: Webmaster

Downtown, Entertainment, Locals, Vegas

Leave a comment

Vegas Streats Festival Food Trucks Ran Over by Crowds

August 14, 2011

Fukuburger Truck

Muncheeze - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tasty Bunz

The monthly Vegas Streats Festival was held on August 13, 2011. This was the 6th monthly festival in a row and is growing larger each month. East Fremont was hammered by flocks of people to get a chance to listen to some music, see some art and stand in extremely long lines for food from speciality food trucks. Has the Las Vegas Streats Festival become too big to handle the crowds? Well, I went down to East Fremont about 8:30pm, again a long line just to enter the festival area like last month but bigger. My intention was to sample a few new trucks this month. I wanted to check out Fukuburger, Muncheeze, and stop by Snow Ono for a tasty cool treat. But, the lines. The lines were quite long. They were 30-40 people deep at most trucks just to place an order. Fukuburger, I know you have lots of fans, but damn, that line was ridiculously long. I had to pass you guys up this time (Fukuburger), catch you at a different venue.

I got in the line for Muncheeze, I was hoping these guys were cranking it out. Well it took over 30 minutes just to get up to the window and to place my order. I walked around while the food was getting prepared., came back, and then walked around some more. Now the thing I noticed over the previous month was the masses of people at the festival lined up at the trucks. There was a continuos line of people outside waiting to get in and it extended half way down the block to the Beat Coffee shop. I went back to the Muncheeze truck to see if my order was up. Nope. I even spent some time talking to a girl who was handing out menus for Muncheeze and she pointed out what was the most popular items on the menu. She even mentioned something about a management change and that it was now a family business. I even got to visit the inter sanctum inside the truck to snap a few photos.

About 30+ minutes passed after placing my order, the food was ready. My food review will be in a separate post from this one. Spoiler – I like the food from Muncheeze. Now, I am a great fan of food trucks, but this will probably be my last time at the Vegas Streats Festival. I really don’t blame the guys and girls in the trucks, but they need to step it up or scale it up a little to move the food out faster. Now this was just not a problem for this food truck. This seemed to be the theme affecting all the food vendors. I went over to the Snow Ono truck and there was no line at the window, I walked up ready to place my order and the guy said that there is an 1 hour wait to get your order. At this point, I said to myself, the Vegas Streat Festival (at least for the food trucks) have hit their maximum capacity. I will meet up with them on an individual basis at other venues, not here for future food eats.

My hopes for the Vegas Streats Festival, I guess was too high. The music was good, the mix of people, the artists, even the El Cortez placed at least a half dozen more tables out since last time, but fell short in delivering enough food out their windows of those fabulous trucks. I will just have to track your trucks down in a less crowed place.

Food trucks and business mention in this article:

http://muncheezetruck.com/
http://snowonoshaveice.com
http://www.fukuburger.com
http://www.thebeatlv.com
http://vegasstreats.com
http://tastybunz.com
http://www.elcortezhotelcasino.com

Photos by LasVegas360.com

Vegas Info

Posted by: Vegas Info

Downtown, Entertainment, Food, Locals

Leave a comment

Taking it to the Streets – Vegas StrEats Festival

August 11, 2011

The Food Network is getting ready for the premiere of the second season of The Great Food Truck Race, which airs Sunday August 14, 2011 10pm/9c. Now, you have to chance to experience Las Vegas’ food trucks in the monthly Las Vegas Streats Festival. The Festival starts at 6pm – 2am August 13, 2011 in Downtown Las Vegas across the street from the El Cortez. Admission is free and there will be Live Music, Dj’s, and Artist, and along with Vegas’ own upscale Food Trucks. Including: Slidin’ Thru, Fukuburger, Tasty Buns, Snow Ono, Muncheeze, Lulu’s On the Move and others. Great food and music bringing new life to the downtown, see you there.

For a quick recap of last month’s Vegas Streats Festival – see July’s post and pictures.

Vegas Streats Festival - Saturday August 13, 2011 @6pm-2am

Visit their website http://www.vegasstreats.com

Vegas Info

Posted by: Vegas Info

Downtown, Entertainment, Food, Locals, Vegas

Leave a comment

Pinball Hall of Fame Museum

July 16, 2011

Here is another Las Vegas secret, it has the largest collection of pinball machines in the world. The Pinball Hall of Fame Museum is located in a whitewashed nondescript-looking building on Tropicana Blvd. (a mile and half off the Las Vegas Strip). The black and white vinyl sign on the plain building is the only evidence that this place exists. Upon entering the darkened museum, after your eyes have adjusted from the bright light outside, you come upon row after row of vintage pinball machines from the 1940’s to the present.

Click for Hi-res photo : copyright lasvegas360.com

Outside of the Pinball Hall of Fame, it looks like a thrift store.

These pinball machines aren’t just for looking at you can actually play each and every one of them. There are the old mechanical types, the ones with the analog numbers that rotate behind the glass as you score goes up to the modern day multi-ball, multi-layer digital ones you can find from time to time. This place does not charge any admission fee, and most machines cost only a quarter, yes, I said 25 cents! The old bill changers from the hotels have been rescued and given a new life dispensing quarters not tokens.

Click for hi-res photo: copyright lasvegas360.com 2011

Rows and rows of vintage pinball machines from the 40's-80's

This place will take you on a memory road trip from games of the past. I remember back in the 70’s the old MGM Grand Hotel (currently Bally’s) used to have a great arcade in the shopping retail area, before the fire. They had quite a collection of pinball machines like Dozer and Home Run, which are now located at the pinball museum. I even found the games that were my favorites from my local neighborhood arcade and stores like the Black Knight, Night Rider and other non-pinball classics like, Tron, Astroids, Defender, Space Invaders and Missile Command. All of these are present and accounted for at the pinball museum.

This is a hi-res 360° Virtual Tour of the Pinball Hame of Fame Museum.

Click here to take a 360° Virtual Tour

The games belong to one club member, Tim Arnold, and the pinball machines date from the 1950s up to 1990s. Since it is a non-profit museum, older games from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are the most prevalent, as this was the ‘heyday’ of pinball. They also include some of the early classic video games too. All profits from the museum are donated to local charities.

More modern pinball machines

Most visitors to the museum seem to be in their 40’s-50’s and they bring their kids with them to show them how we use to kick it old style. This was gaming in the analog world of a magic silver ball, clicky buttons, flippers, a sharp eye and a good sense of timing.

Bring your quarters, grab the kids and plan to stay for a few hours, enjoying a blast from the past. No tokens, no tickets, no redemption booth, and no life size plush characters walking around. Enjoy!

Located at 1610 E. Tropicana on the north side of Tropicana between S. Maryland Parkway and S. Eastern Ave, about 12 blocks (1.5 miles) from the ‘strip’ straight down Tropicana. They are open daily 11am-11pm Sunday through Thursday and 11am till Midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Drag you mouse to see a 360° view of the Pinball Hall of Fame Museum
Click here for more 360°panoramic views of the Pinball Hall of Fame

Click for hi-res 360 views

Notice the detail in the glasswork, I wonder why men love pinball?
(Click the images hi-res views)

Visit their web site http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

Webmaster

Posted by: Webmaster

Entertainment, Locals, Vegas

Leave a comment

Downtown: Bars and Lounges in Fremont East

July 8, 2011

In 2002, the city of Las Vegas created an entertainment district in the heart of downtown Las Vegas: Fremont East. The Fremont East District sits adjacent to the popular tourist attraction, the Fremont Street Experience. Fremont East is one of the only areas which is non gaming.

The Fremont East District offers an eclectic mixture of bars, clubs and cafes along Fremont Street from Las Vegas Boulevard to Eighth Street. The district continues one block north of Fremont Street to Ogden Avenue and one block south to Carson Avenue.

In the Fremont East District, you’ll be keeping good company with popular downtown venues such as Azul Tequila, The Beat Coffeehouse, Beauty Bar, The Griffin, Maharaja Hookah Café, Vanguard Lounge, newly opened Insert Coins and (my favorite), the Downtown Cocktail Room (concealed front door entrance and great drinks).

Just a note on parking:

Valet at El Cortez on 6th and Ogden
Free Parking Garage entrance on 7th between Ogden and Fremont
Metered street parking on 6th or 7th street, bring some quarters (free after 8pm)- check times on meters.
Parking along Jackie Gaughn Parkway metered credit card or coins.
Avoid the over priced parking ($10) next to the Hookah lounge or the parking at the Fremont Experience