Extreme Thing

Don't miss out on Extreme Thing 2009 this Saturday at Desert Breeze Park!

The 2009 Extreme Thing Action Sports/Music Festival will feature:

Bad Religion
Silverstein, The Vandals, Big B, Framing Hanley, The Higher, Taking Dawn (Formally 7th Son), Bless the Fall, Suicide Silence

* Professional Wrestling Exhibitions from Adrenaline Unleashed

* Pro BMX Dirt Jump Competition hosted by Ricardo Laguna

* Roller Derby Tournament featuring teams from around the U.S.

* The XPOZ ZONE, a smoke free zone featuring 7 of the top local bands

* Food and beverages of all kinds available throughout the venue.

* Vegas Red Bull AmJam Competition featuring over 130 Skateboard and BMX contestants

* The Retaks Expression Tour kick off with the first annual “Retaks Battle of the Shops” Half Pipe Skateboard Competition.

* A large band merchandising area next to the stages.

11:00am to 10:00pm
Doors open at 11:00AM
DESERT BREEZE SKATEPARK
8245 SPRING MTN. RD

OPEN TO ALL AGES

Extreme Thing is a youth driven event therefore there will be no alcohol served.

Earth Hour Viewing Party

Earth Hour is a worldwide climate change initiative marked by people around the world turning off their lights for one hour on March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. The aim is to reach one billion people in an organized and collaborative global sustainability movement to show that it is possible to take action on global warming.

This year, Las Vegas is committed to the 2009 Earth Hour event as a flagship city, and the Springs Preserve is one of dozens of local business leaders committed to the cause. In addition to darkening all nonessential lighting at the Preserve, the Springs Cafe by Wolfgang Puck will host a viewing party, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on March 28.

Illuminated by LED candles, guests will experience Earth Hour from one of the best views in Las Vegas while being entertained by acoustic musicians Hungry Cloud, The Petals and Mother McKenzie. Admission is open to the public with a suggested donation of $5 to benefit the Springs Preserve Foundation. A limited cafe menu is available for food and beverage purchases.

Originating in 2007 in Sydney Australia, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the largest initiatives raising awareness for climate change with 50 million people across 35 countries participating in 2008. Popular landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, The Coliseum in Rome, and Times Square's Coca Cola billboard all stood together in darkness, as symbols for hope for climate change.

Smith Center

Las Vegas will soon break ground on a performing arts center!

http://tinyurl.com/d4shpf

Get yourself outside!

My two favorite seasons in Las Vegas are Spring and Fall. Now that we're in the latter part of March, the weather has turned from nippy to gorgeous! If you've never been to Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area, this is the weekend to do it.


Red Rock Canyon is located about 20 minutes west of Las Vegas. To get there, take Charleston and head west. The fee to get into the Red Rock loop is $5 per car. There is plenty to do and see in the canyon including driving the 13 mile loop, stopping for an afternoon picnic, or going on a hike. Be sure to stop at the Visitors Center to get information on the area.

St. Patty's

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Las Vegas!

There's plenty to do in Las Vegas on St. Patrick's Day, so get your green on and join in on the fun!

South Las Vegas: Fado's Irish Pub, located on Eastern just south of the 215.

West Las Vegas: Three Angry Wives, located on Charleston, East of Rampart.

Downtown Las Vegas: Hennessy's, located on Fremont Street.

City Life

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that Neon Reverb was coming soon. Well folks, it's this weekend! Check out their site for information on venues, bands, and cost.

If you're new to town and are not quite sure where to go to find information on events, City Life is a great place to start. Ok, I know that they advertise about events that occur in casinos, but keep reading. There's plenty of information on things to do and places to go beyond the neon. Pick up a copy of their publication in stores and restaurants all over town. If you're unable to spot one, check out their website. Look for new publication every week.

Neon Reverb

NEON REVERB is a music festival in Downtown Las Vegas, created and organized by local, independent promoters, on a not-for-profit basis, simply for the love of music.

March 12-15

Like to Blog? Like Beer, too?

Every Thursday night, a group of local Bloggers and Twitter enthusiasts gather at the Freakin' Frog to talk shop. The focus? Social networking.

Social networking is a term that you've probably heard if you socialize on the internet. Users of MySpace, Facebook, or any other online networking tool may be familiar. Most users of online networking tools such as these strictly keep these relationships online. Others, however, like to take it a step further.

Beer and Blog does exactly this. It provides an environment for social networkers to meet in person, help each other out with advice, and to have fun.


Beer and Blog occurs during Happy Hour every Thursday night at the Frog. If you decide to stay long enough, the Frog features live music, which normally begins around 8:00pm.

First Friday!

The first time that I attended a First Friday event, it was about 5 years ago and it was so small that all of the art activities occurred in only one building. Five years have passed and times sure have changed! The City of Las Vegas now closes down the entire street where vendors, artists, and musicians display and show off their art.

Visit First Friday on the first Friday of every month to support local artists! Entry fee is only $2. Valet parking is available on the corner of Charleston and Main.

Sad day for Las Vegas Culture

One of the main reasons for creating this site is my love for Las Vegas and its growing culture. I enjoy visiting and spending time in the local casino's, but prefer to spend my time and money in the local, creative environment. In the past 10 years or so, I've witnessed the unique culture grow immensely and have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of that growth!

Unfortunately tomorrow is a sad day for Las Vegas culture. The Las Vegas Art Museum will be closing. Be sure to drop by if you have the chance.

Spy On Vegas Open Bar Events

Last night I attended one of Spy On Vegas' open bar events. These events are great for a number of reasons. First, the events occur at different locations throughout the valley. Second, featured alcohol is free. At last night's event, attendees were able to sample Absolut Vodka and Fosters. Third, there's always a ton of people at these events. It's a great way to get out, try new drinks, and meet new people!

Open bar typically occurs from 6pm-9pm. Check out the Spy On website for information on an event near you!

The Library

No, I'm not talking about The Library that's located on Boulder Highway. I'm talking about the Public Library!

Now that I have your attention...

The last time that I visited the public library was probably in grade school. I can remember going to the library because it was a field trip and we had no choice but to go. I'm not much of a reader, so after all of these years, I haven't even thought about going for a visit.

Instead of sitting at home to surf the net, I've been getting myself out of the house to explore the cool hang out spots around my house. As a result, I've learned who offers free wifi and who does not. Cool tip about the public library #1: They have free wifi! After learning about this, I tucked my laptop into my backpack and headed to the library near my house.



When I first stepped into the library, I was immediately taken aback. The library has definitely changed since I was in Elementary School! Cool tip #2: Books aren't the only items available for check out. DVD's and CD's are also available! And I'm not talking about a small collection. There are literally thousands of movies and music titles to browse through. Being a music lover, I was amazed at the variety of CD's available.

After browsing for a while and re-acquainting myself with the library, I remembered how to look up items. This was the part that I used to disliked the most. Hunting through the card catalog was always a pain. Cool tip #3: The card catalog is long gone! You can now use a computer to search for your library item. Or better yet, you can log in from your home computer and search for items. You can even extend the check-out time for an item from the comfort of your own home!

Cool tip #4: Check-out is a breeze! Once you get your library card (which took about 5 minutes) and find items to check out, you head to the check out area. Remember when the librarian used to pull out the card from the back of the book and use the big stamper to stamp your due date? The days of the big stamper are history! At the library near my house, I scanned my library card and placed all of my items on a table. The computer scanned all of the items at once and spit out a receipt that listed everything that I had checked out. I grabbed my items as well as the receipt and was on my way!

The best part about the library is cool tip #5: Everything is free! As long as you turn your items back in by the due date, everything that you check out is free.

I'm sure that there are many other cool tips about the library that are yet to be discovered. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe - Maryland Parkway

Paymon's Med Cafe, located on the southwest corner of Maryland Parkway and Tropicana, is one of the best places in town to hang out with a group of people. The atmosphere is relaxing, the servers are friendly, and the music is always fantastic.

When you first walk into this cafe, it is very ordinary looking. Ask to sit in the courtyard and you won't be disappointed. The courtyard contains numerous tables, plants, and fountains. It's easy to settle in for a while with a group of friends as you enjoy the Mediterranean food and environment. Be sure to order their Athens fries (which are highly addictive)!

The best part about the Paymon's on Maryland Parkway is their Hookah Lounge. Expect to wait for a table on a weekend night, but it'll be well worth the wait. The couches are comfy, which makes this an ideal place for a group to meet up before hitting the town for the night. Multiple tobacco flavors are available to choose from and the "Hookah Master" will be more than happy to suggest flavors and help to get your hookah started. If you're hungry, a modified menu is available. I love their gyros and kabobs.

Happy hour is available at this restaurant!

I wasn't able to get a picture during my last visit, but will do so next time!

Blinded? Why?!?

After living in Las Vegas for ten years, the casinos get a little old.

Ok, ok...

Before I continue, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have nothing against the local casinos. I frequent them often and know the significance of casinos in Las Vegas as well as their place in this City's history. However, sometimes enough is enough.

Let's face it. The population in Las Vegas is substantial. There are millions of people living in this City and believe it or not, not everyone works in a casino. Many Las Vegas residents lead normal day-to-day lives. If you look beyond the strip, houses fill the valley. All of these people go to the grocery store, buy gas, shop at malls, and eat at restaurants just like anyone else.

So why is this site such a big deal?

Now that Las Vegas is 100+ years old and is maturing as a city, its residents are beginning to make it their own. Instead of relying on the casinos to provide restaurants and entertainment, the locals are opening unique restaurants, venues, and stores all over the valley. This is a big deal because they are so hard to find.

As I mentioned before, I have lived in Vegas for 10 years. One of my favorite past times is to seek out the uniqueness of this great city! As I come across these fun places, I will be sure to share the information with you.

No offense to the casinos, but information relating to a casino will not be posted in this blog.

I hope that you enjoy!

Freakin' Frog

I can't say enough about the Freakin' Frog. If you are a lover of beer, whiskey, and live music, then this is the place for you! Located right across from UNLV on Maryland Parkway, the Frog always has a plethora of unique beer on tap. On occasion, they'll open up the attic, which contains a selection of whiskey unlike any other. I often frequent the Frog and appreciate the kick-back atmosphere and free Wifi. Live music often fills the room as its patrons enjoy cold beer, some grub, and a social atmosphere.

This is a great place to meet new people! They also have happy hour specials!

Canvas Cafe

The Canvas Cafe is an amazing addition to the local Las Vegas scene. Located on the corner of Silverado Ranch and Bermuda, this quaint cafe offers free wifi, an amazing food and beer selection, and features the art of local artists on its walls. Visitors have the option of staying indoors, or if the weather's nice, hang out on the outdoor patio. The Canvas Cafe also hosts live music. If the artsy scene is something that you're in the mood for, this cafe will not disappoint. Contact the Canvas Cafe directly for information on live music performances.