Las Vegas: Still got it at 100

Way back on May 15, 1905, 110 acres of uninhabited Nevada desert were auctioned off at $1.25 an acre. That land formed the heart of what is now Las Vegas. The price of real estate has gone up just a bit in the past hundred years, and those acres of desert have transformed into the entertainment capital of the world. To celebrate the centennial, Vegas is planning a full year of celebrations and special events that will ring in the second century in style.

The party begins with a party at the end — the party at the end of the year, that is. The New Year’s Eve Extravaganza on Friday, Dec. 31, officially kicks off the centennial. In addition to the usual soirees all over town, hotels and casinos will project a historical video about Las Vegas, synched to a soundtrack written by Vegas veteran Clint Holmes and performed by a cast of big-name entertainers. The legendary neon powers of both the Strip and downtown will be augmented by over 200 “light cannons,” and midnight brings a massive fireworks display conceived to out-blast even the pyrotechnics of the city’s 1999 blowout.

The actual centennial may be May 15, 2005, but the months between New Year’s and May will be feature special commemorations, centennial-themed versions of annual events, and a swarm of small events to promote local history and community. Check http://www.lasvegas2005.org for updates, but currently planned highlights include the creation of the Las Vegas Walk of Fame near the Fremont Street Experience, where 10 18-inch bronze “chips” will be inlaid each month of 2005, each chip bearing the names of Vegas movers and shakers; the Folk Life Festival (April 23), which showcases the history and culture of ethnic groups that have called the Las Vegas Valley home over the centuries; and the Antique Air Show Parade (May 7), with over 100 vintage aircraft buzzing the Strip. Other centennial tributes before, during, and after May include public art installations, theater productions, Vegas movies at CineVegas, historic murals, an interfaith choir, a centennial quilt, and more.

The days of May 14-15 are the heart of the centennial. The fun starts on May 14 with the resurrected Helldorado Days parade downtown. May 15 begins with a re-creation of the original 1905 land auction. Then, big eaters are encouraged to join Las Vegas’s attempt to snag the world record for largest birthday cake ever assembled — over 130,000 pounds worth, in fact. And when night falls, the Fremont Street Experience will play host to a trippy “Lava Lounge” street party. More large and small events for the centennial weekend are to be announced in the coming months on the centennial’s official Web site.

Turning 100
But the centennial celebrations don’t stop after May 15. June brings “Once Upon 100 Weddings,” a mass wedding of 100 couples under the lights of the Fremont Street Experience. And June 15-18 is the date for the Mormon Celebration, pairing the centennial with the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Old Mormon Fort in Las Vegas; an adobe remnant of the fort is the oldest building in Nevada. The Mormon Celebration includes three days of concerts, fireworks and an outdoor pageant. And the same city-centennial boosters planning the New Year’s Eve party will be throwing another giant gala on July 4, complete with yet more fireworks.

More and more events will fill the calendar as 2004 winds down (centennial planners claim their goal is to support at least one event every day in 2005). Wrapping up in December 2005 will be the burying of a centennial time capsule filled with memorabilia from the Vegas’s first 100 years. The big casino-hotels are already putting together centennial packages and promotions as the year’s schedule takes shape, and the city’s hotel-room capacity will jump yet again with the opening of the behemoth Wynn Las Vegas in the spring. Make your own plans now, as you don’t want to miss out and have to wait another 100 years.

Chris Mohney is a contributor to The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas.

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