As one of the nation’s top-selling master-planned communities, many have already discovered Cadence is a unique and special place. With its combination of value, lifestyle and community; it’s the perfect place to address your future. If you haven’t visited…come and see.
Follow a walkway. Explore Central Park. Marvel at the views. Tour model homes. Meet potential neighbors. Because once you’re here, we’re confident you’ll want to address your future too.
INTERIM PUBLISHER MARIA BLONDEAUX maria.blondeaux@gmgvegas.com
EDITOR SHANNON MILLER shannon.miller@gmgvegas.com
BAD ELF Pop-Up Bar
EDITORIAL
Senior Editor GEOFF CARTER (geo .carter@gmgvegas.com)
JOHN SUMMIT 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
RIOT
With Fliicks, Allergic, more, 10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
Las Vegas does excess better than any place, and when it comes to pizza, we’re talking molten cheese, blistered crusts and a devotion that’s downright spiritual. The fifth annual Las Vegas Pizza Festival is a one-day pilgrimage for the dough obsessed. Over 20 of the city’s best pizzaiolos and pizzerias are slinging slices from Detroit deep dish to New York foldables to charred Sicilian slabs. Wander booth to booth, grab unlimited bites from local legends like Settebello, Double Zero and Yukon Pizza, catch live entertainment and watch the masters toss some dough. If you feel like going all in, spring for the open bar package, because a good slice deserves a good drink. 1 p.m., $92+, Industrial Events Center, vegaspizzafest.com. –Gabriela Rodriguez DO IT ALL
Courtesy/Matt Christine Photography
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY NOV 16
MONDAY NOV 17
THE FRIGHTS
With Remo Drive, Desert Island Boys, 7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.
LIL DARKIE
6 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.
FIRST LADIES OF DISCO
3 p.m., & 11/16, Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
NATE CRAIG
With Kermit Apio, Je rey Baldinger, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand. mgmresorts.com.
LUENELL
10 p.m., & 11/17, Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com.
DJ E-ROCK
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
LAS VEGAS SINFONIETTA & VEGAS CITY OPERA: SEMELE
There’s a saying—good theater holds a mirror to the audience. In Las Vegas Sinfonietta and Vegas City Opera’s semi-staged production of Semele, it holds a smartphone. George Frideric Handel’s Baroque opera gets a modern influencer makeover as it follows a rising reality TV star and social media icon who is seduced by a powerful Hollywood mogul promising to make her immortal. The stage becomes a livestream scene where performers wield iPhones and ring lights. “By setting the story in a world of constant visibility, where everyone is always ‘on,’ we explore how the pursuit of adoration becomes a form of self-destruction,” says Semele director Simone. At the very least, watching the public unraveling of the titular character is sure to be good content. 3 p.m., $40, Clark County Library, lasvegassinfonietta.com. –Shannon Miller
BØRNS
8 p.m., Encore Theater, ticket master.com. Courtesy
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS VS. DALLAS COWBOYS 5:15 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com.
THE HANG WITH THE B-LISTERS 6 p.m., Composers Room, thecomposersroom. com.
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY NOV 18
JAZZ VEGAS ORCHESTRA
With Patrick Hogan, 7:30 p.m., Vic’s, jazzoutreachinitiative. org.
PLAGUE BEARER
With Vaulderie, Scathen, 8 p.m., the Gri n, dice.fm.
NYJAH
10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com
SHANNA CHRISTMAS
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. NEW YORK RANGERS
7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
PERFUME DE GARDENIA
8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com.
BRUCE HARPER BIG BAND
With Naomi Mauro, 7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com.
MIKEY FRANCIS 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
GREG WILSON
With Chino LaForge, thru 11/23, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com.
7 p.m., Fat Cat Lounge, fatcatlv.com. DO IT ALL
Courtesy/Matthew Murphy
WEDNESDAY NOV 19
DISNEY’S THE LION KING Thru 11/23, 7:30 p.m. (& 11/20, 11/22-11/23, 1 p.m.), Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com
& LEISURE
NATURE
A beginner’s guide to birding in the Vegas Valley
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
The golden days of fall are perfect for getting outside. While some people double down on getting their steps in or dust o their bicycles, the rest of us might be looking for a new way to breathe again. Enter: birding.
“When you start o birding, it’s like you’re being given all these puzzle pieces to the natural world,” says Morrigan DeVito, educator with the Red Rock Audubon Society. “The more you get out and observe, the more you start to connect those pieces and see this really rich tapestry of the comings and goings of all these di erent creatures in the Las Vegas Valley.”
You don’t need much to start. “You can observe and appreciate birds with nothing but your eyes and your ears,” DeVito says. Sure, binoculars help, especially for fast-moving ashes of color in the trees, but they’re not required. For the curious who want to level up, DeVito recommends checking the National Audubon Society’s binocular guide to nd a pair that ts your budget.
Once you step away from the city noise and listen closely to nature’s hum, you’ll be surprised what you’ll find.
“It was a snowy egret I saw at the Wetlands Park that really made me think, oh, I didn’t know we had those birds here, what else do we have?” says Devito. “So, I got into birding, definitely for my own mental health and just my own curiosity.”
She recommends beginners start at Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, which o ers miles of quiet paths circling ponds alive with ducks, herons and the occasional migrating warbler. DeVito calls it one of her favorite local spots, along with the Clark County Wetlands Park, a green corridor where desert meets riparian life. Up north, Floyd Lamb Park gives you old cottonwood trees, peacocks strutting around like they own the place and a front row seat to the shifting seasons. At Sunset Park, a surprising oasis near McCarran Airport, the lake attracts everything from geese to the iridescent Anna’s hummingbird.
Each location o ers a slightly di erent mix of sights depending on the month—sparrows and kinglets in winter, tanagers and warblers in spring. Pack your curiosity, maybe a thermos of co ee, and take a look around.
Apps like Merlin Bird ID from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology turn your phone into a eld guide, helping you identify species by color, song or shape. DeVito encourages beginners to also pay attention to details like a bird’s behavior, habitat, and time of year to learn who’s who out there.
But birding isn’t all about spotting species. “Bird watching fosters mindfulness and connection to nature,” DeVito says. “You’re connecting with other people through these shared moments of awe and wonder.” The activity, she adds, is a quiet way to unplug from daily life and get the most out of your surroundings.
“I’m just looking at this incredible being that has its own life, its own song. It’s a very grounding way to be
present,” she says.
To dive in, join one of Red Rock Audubon’s bird walks ( redrock audubon.com ) or head to a local park with water, which is a magnet for feathered friends. Small groups of 10 to 15 are typical on the group walks, intimate enough to learn without scaring away the stars of the show.
As for what you’ll nd this season, the Las Vegas Valley plays host to both year-round locals like the bold great-tailed grackle, the tiny, chattering verdin, and winter visitors like the white-crowned sparrow and yellow-rumped warbler.
“Every month is di erent, which makes it really fun to explore those places regularly,” says DeVito.
Photos by Wade Vandervort
Feed The Block, a Downtown dance party created by Corner Bar Management and Wynn Nightlife, attracts a massive crowd along the Fremont East Entertainment District. (Courtesy Corner Bar Management)
A
CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION
ABOUT TOURISM AND THE PERCEPTION OF LAS VEGAS
BY BROCK RADKE
Here’s what we know: Tourism continues to struggle, with Las Vegas visitation down nearly 9% in September year-over-year, equating to 300,000 fewer people coming to town that month. Nevada’s gaming revenue, which has held strong most of the year, fell 2.2% in September, the rst time dipping on the Las Vegas Strip since May. The federal government shutdown didn’t help, undermining consumer con dence across the country, canceling ights and stunting local employment and revenues.
Here’s what we need to gure out: How has the current tourism slump, with all its negative national headlines and social media toxicity, a ected the perception of Las Vegas? Gaming companies and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) have
spearheaded a signi cant marketing push to combat the ills of in ation, and casino o cials have acknowledged pricing mistakes and noted improving operating trends. Fears of a recession are simmering, and while Las Vegas has proven resilient in the past, new and di erent economic and political factors are brewing uncertainty.
Has Vegas changed too much, or not enough? The Weekly has explored the issue with a panel of locals who deeply understand the destination’s unique economy, regularly interact with visitors, and appreciate the crucial details that lie beneath statistics and headlines. They are: Jan Jones Blackhurst, former Mayor of Las Vegas and board member of Caesars Entertainment and the LVCVA; Derek Stevens, owner of Downtown venues Circa Resort & Casino, The D, Golden Gate and the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center; Christine Maddela, media consultant, former broadcast journalist and founder of Storyville Road; and John Anthony, co-founder of Spaghetti on the Wall Hospitality and partner in one of the most popular restaurants in Las Vegas, Sparrow & Wolf. It’s definitely more expensive to visit Las Vegas today than it was years ago, for a lot of di erent reasons, but has Vegas truly become less accessible? Is it no longer considered a value-oriented destination?
Blackhurst: No, I think it’s still seen as a value-oriented destination, but the de nition of value may have evolved from cheap prices to a myriad of experiences. Value is coming to Las Vegas and having ve-star dining, having the across-theboard level of room experiences whether you want to stay Downtown or on the Strip, and having entertainment like nowhere else in the
world. The value proposition is still as great, just in a di erent context.
Stevens: When you think about accessibility, there are two ways to get to Vegas, by car or by plane. When you take out an airline like Spirit that provides value-based pricing and wipe out a massive amount of ights, it has a big impact. Last month, the airport was down a little over 300,000 arrivals, and it was almost like the entire amount was because of Spirit. Those arrivals equate to a lot of room nights. There have been ups and downs with other airlines, but we’re very hopeful other airlines in that segment will expand and create new opportunities. One thing about the Vegas economy, something falters and something else comes in to ll the void. People that come in on airlines usually spend more time here than drivers, and then I think we’ve seen a reduction in the drive-in market as well.
Maddela: Cost cannot be ignored, and it’s something that is not uniquely a Vegas problem, but certainly people do feel that when planning their trips. I do think there are ways to do Vegas at a variety of price points … and we have to make the case for where they can do that. And it’s dicult to have a clear picture when they’re inundated with so many di erent information streams. If you look at [social media] in uencers, they paint a picture that looks really dire, but is it accurate? Not in all cases. They want to shine a light on the city but also want to get clicks. You have to look at everything with some level of nuance … and dig past TikTok and headlines.
“If Vegas has ever done anything properly throughout history, it becomes what it needs to be for the guest. The things I hear more people getting excited about and coming here to experience are sports and the Sphere.”
–John Anthony, co-founder of Spaghetti on the Wall Hospitality
Photo by Steve Marcus
Plenty of officials have pointed out that the online narrative is inaccurate and there are statistics to back that up. But that’s the thing about social media— it makes an impact, right or wrong. How much is it affecting tourism, and what can be done to combat misperceptions?
Maddela: A term I like to use is hyperbolic inflation. We have really leaned into hyperbole in all facets. It’s almost like it’s not enough for us to just look at facts, we need to see the craziest things, the biggest numbers or changes, anything that grabs our attention. That’s difficult to combat because you don’t become relevant or resonant unless you are riding the high highs and the low lows. But the way is to show, here’s who we are as a community, this is what Vegas offers. I do think the LVCVA has done a good job of marketing our destination and that’s their role, but it’s not a one size fits all. How do we tell different stories that don’t chase the hyperbole or chase transactions like waiving resort fees or parking fees for a limited time? What story are we telling to the traveler that loves the outdoors or loves to hike, or for people who may have had memorable experiences here or got married here or had girls’ trips? How can we articulate what we offer people beyond that tie to the dollar?
Anthony: My opinion is negative social media garners more clicks than positive unless you’re following something about dogs. [Laughs.] Even local influencers are [negative]. One that stood out, when casinos and resorts were offering that big week [Fabulous 5-Day Sale], some of those were outstanding deals. But every time I saw a post that was trending, it was poking holes in whatever the offer was. I think there are a few positive influencers out there but they’re not heard as readily. But people do pay attention to it. In our business, we take social media seriously and understand the power of it, because it helps drive people to make decisions.
Blackhurst: I think it’s affecting perception but not for all tourism. If you’re really watching your budget right now and reading how Vegas is horribly expensive, might you make another choice? Yes. Might you make no choice at all? Yes. One of the things I liked about the LVCVA’s new marketing of “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” if you really drill down, it effectively starts to dispute some of the social messaging happening online—really showcasing those values, telling you the right time to take your gondola ride, where to go to have fun and not have to spend a lot of money.
Stevens: People love to see carnage, but let’s measure this with some facts. The last three years, Nevada set records for gaming revenue. In the year ending June 30, 2025, it wasn’t the biggest year ever, just an exceptionally good year, coming off our best years. The “Vegas is dead” narrative is just factually overblown.
Sports events at bigger, newer venues have altered the Vegas experience. Do you think major league teams coming to Las Vegas has altered the perception of the destination for visitors? Do sports make Vegas less special in some way?
Stevens: I think it’s the opposite. Las Vegas has evolved because markets evolve.
Gaming is not the reason why someone gets on a plane anymore. Vegas is a great place for business and conventions, and a great place to meet up because we have a great airport. Families that live all over the country have a great place to get together. Thanksgiving used to be one of the slowest weekends of the year, and it’s not like that now; we have sold-out Thanksgivings at Barry’s [restaurant at Circa] because it’s such a great place to get together. So for sports—and this really started when the Golden Knights came—all of a sudden it’s a destination for sports tourism and it’s been a tremendous evolution for Vegas. When the Knights play, we have a massive influx of fans coming from the other team, and some buy tickets to the game, but some come watch it at our place. Now you have that with the Raiders, too, and I think when the A’s come, that will be the most significant impact because they’ll play during four of the slowest six months of the year. Anthony: It’s been a fantastic shift. If Vegas has ever done anything properly throughout history, it becomes what it needs to be for the guest. The things I hear more people getting excited about and coming here to experience are sports and the Sphere. The Sphere did so much revenue and brought in so many people, it’s been a huge game-changer, especially for that corridor of the Strip. Blackhurst: Sports has given a lot of people a reason to come here who maybe weren’t doing that before. And it’s not only an incentive, but it’s about the stadiums. This is an argument we made supporting public funds for Allegiant Stadium, because people said stadiums don’t make money, and maybe not in Cleveland, but they do in Las Vegas. We never had a stadium that size. It’s the highest performing stadium in
Sphere announces the coming of Major League Baseball franchise the A’s (Photo by Wade Vandervort)
The annual Electric Daisy Carnival music festivalat Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Courtesy/Chris Pearce for Insomniac Events)
the country because it can bring in Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. And one of the things that was so appealing in the A’s stadium is it’s a smaller size, between T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant, and it gives you another venue to program. It’s not just about sports, it’s about other entertainment options. Is there a part of the Vegas experience you think needs more emphasis, something you’d tell the world if it was your job to promote the destination?
Maddela: I always think our heart and our community is something that gets left behind, and certainly something I think we should brag about. If you look at how our nonprofits are supported—underfunded compared to other states of similar size—and our volunteerism rates are some of the lowest, those things tell me that aspect of what we offer isn’t being shared enough. If you have thousands of people coming to a conference and want to get involved in our community, we can make that happen, we can be a destination where you can give back and get involved.
Blackhurst: I still sit on the LVCVA board, and I think we’re actually doing a very good job. We’ve got a little problem with some of our foreign tourists with politics making them mad, but I think over time that will come back. Can we be smarter about highlighting our many value propositions? Sure, and with the diversity of experiences when you’re coming to Las Vegas. If you want to learn about history, you can go to the Neon Museum or Mob Museum, or if you just want to sit by the pool and have a drink with an umbrella, you can do that. I think it’s just
remembering who we are and making sure we’re really telling that story, not assuming people just know it. Las Vegas has always had the ability to land on its feet and there’s no question it will this time as well.
Anthony: If you asked me before this year, I would have said hospitality, but I know there is quite a bit of resources that go into showcasing food and beverage opportunities in Las Vegas, and that shows in bringing in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. As of next year, we’ll be a Michelin Guide rated city again. I have always thought Vegas is exactly what you want it to be, as a tourist. You can stay up all night and party, or you might be more interested in rock climbing and beautiful mountains, or Formula 1 or a football game. Now you can come here for the arts community, visiting Meow Wolf and going to First Friday. It’s an ever-evolving city and it’s always going to find that next thing to bring people in. Not everything is going to work, but I think the casinos have realized that maybe it felt too corporate recently, and they’ll soften themselves up and welcome people back.
Stevens: Vegas is a hospitality town and that means you’ve got a lot of labor, and with inflation, prices have gone up. The key thing we have to do is continue to earn the reputation of world-class hospitality. If you’re staying in Hawaii or New York City at a Four Seasons, I don’t know if you’re complaining about the price if you’re having that extraordinary experience. Vegas has to roll out additional world-class hospitality so people don’t feel nickel-and-dimed. That’s the stuff that hurts. What Caesars is doing, what MGM is doing, what we are trying to do here, that’s a good thing, but reputations don’t change on a dime, it takes a little while. That’s what will get Vegas back on the forefront.
"If you look at [social media] influencers, they paint a picture that looks really dire, but is it accurate? Not in all cases. They want to shine a light on the city but also want to get clicks. You have to look at everything with some level of nuance.”
–Christine Maddela, founder of Storyville Road
The Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena (left) and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium (Photos by Wade Vandervort)
THE
AS VEGAS STRUGGLES, DON’T LET PARACHUTE JOURNALISM ABOUT THE CITY GET YOU DOWN
BY GEOFF CARTER
Outsiders don’t see the cruise ship. Sometimes we don’t even see it: The resorts, the attractions, the stadiums—they all add up to one big hospitality vessel docked in the middle of the Valley, a love boat pumped up with anabolic steroids and legal hallucinogens. And for the most part, we only work there; we are not citizens of the Fontainebleau or the Cosmopolitan. We do our bit and we go ashore. And an astonishing number of outsiders, particularly the journalists now writing about our wonky economy, have never been disabused of that misconception. When they write about Vegas, they can only speak of what they’ve seen on the boat.
The term for this is “parachute journalism”—literal drop-in assessments. Vegas is a frequent target of parachute journalists, and has been since long
before Hunter S. Thompson knitted two separate press events into one very ctionalized psychotic episode. They come in, with the con dence only comped hotel rooms can provide, and declare that the city is failing (or has failed). It’s like being blindfolded, dropped into Times Square for 20 minutes, blindfolded again and spirited home, where you con dently wrote that New York City is all Bubba Gump franchises, jukebox musicals and costumed Pokémon.
And we let them get to us, time and again. Several times a year, my social feeds go nuts as locals dissect a piece of national writing that’s misunderstood this city. These stories get facts wrong; they omit important context; they make outdated and cringeworthy Elvis and 99-cent shrimp cocktail references. And then they con dently tell us why our
economy is doomed, and why we’re fools and
economy is doomed, and why we’re fools to live here. There are a lot of these stories circulating right now, and we’re still letting them make us crazy even though we know better. We’ve got to tune them out. Those stories are not actually about us, but the imaginary cruise ship.
can feel like cultural appropriation—it
“People popping in to report on us can feel like cultural appropriation—it sometimes comes o as super cial, inaccurate and stereotypical coverage,” says Melinda Sheckells, Las Vegas-based correspondent for the Hollywood Reporter. “On the other side of the coin, people who’ve been to Vegas once or twice, or have watched Casino a dozen times, think they really get it, because Vegas is one of the biggest main character cities and has this enrapturing way of convincing everyone they’re an expert.”
“We like to think that this is a cosmopolitan town, but it’s a small town at heart,” says Scott Dickensheets, a longtime local journalist and former editor of the Weekly. “There’s a basic provincialism here, and a sense that you must be here a while to get this town. … On our part, I think it’s a failure to understand that what readers outside this city want to know about Vegas. … The things we care about are not the things that people reading the New York Times care about.”
Stories about Vegas’ imminent death are now proliferating in our news feeds. Death by resort fees; death by Gen Z’s changing tastes; death by the spread of sports betting; death by water shortage and/or heat bubble (could happen); death by parking fees. (“We have generational parking trauma!” Sheckells says, and she ain’t wrong.)
Try not to let them get to you. Measure them all by what you’ve experienced on the ground … and try to give them credit for what they get right.
“I think this is one of the few towns where an outsider’s view can be just as relevant as an insider’s view,” Dickensheets says. “I read plenty of parachute journalism. Some of it is as good as stu that’s being done here, even if it doesn’t get all the references exactly right. But I think some of their gist is more correct for the distance that they have.”
IN THE NEWS
POLITICS
TRUMP PARDONS NEVADA
FAKE ELECTORS,
STATE CHARGES STILL IN PLAY
President Donald Trump on November 9 pardoned six Nevada Republicans who face state forgery charges for falsely certifying him as the winner of the state’s 2020 electoral votes, but the gesture is expected to have no effect on their ongoing prosecution because presidential clemency does not extend to state crimes.
Trump issued pardons to 77 political allies involved in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including six Nevadans. U.S. Pardon Attorney Ed Martin announced the “full, complete, and unconditional” pardons late Sunday.
The Nevada GOP praised the pardons on X, stating: “Thank you @realDonaldTrump for pardoning our brave Nevada electors. Standing up for truth and justice carries a heavy price, but the cause of liberty is a blessed one to have you as our champion and [Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald] as our leader in Nevada!”
Emily Persaud-Zamora, executive director of Silver State Voices, criticized the move.
“Federal pardons for the fake electors, even if state-level justice continues, fly in the face of justice,” she said in a statement to KSNV-TV. “Nevada voters deserve to know that their elections are safe and secure. Shielding the president’s allies from justice will do nothing but undermine that very premise.”
The six Nevada Republicans—GOP Chairman Michael McDonald, Clark County GOP Chairman Jesse Law, Republican National Committeeman Jim DeGraffenreid, state party Vice Chairman Jim Hindle, Shawn Meehan and Eileen Rice—gathered in Carson City on December 14, 2020, and signed certificates falsely stating Trump won Nevada’s presidential elec-
tion, despite Democrat Joe Biden defeating Trump. They sent the fraudulent document to the National Archives and Congress, where it was ultimately ignored.
Biden carried Nevada by more than 33,000 votes in 2020—a margin certified by Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, who made clear there was no evidence of widespread fraud or irregularities. With every court challenge to the result dismissed, Biden’s win in the Silver State stood firm despite repeated attempts to cast doubt on the outcome.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford originally filed charges in Clark County in December 2023, accusing the six fake electors of offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument, felonies carrying penalties of up to four or five years in prison. However, Clark County District Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed those charges in June 2024, ruling the case was filed in the wrong venue because the signing ceremony occurred in Carson City.
Ford refiled the charges in Carson City District Court in December 2024, just before the four-year statute of limitations expired. The attorney general maintains his office will continue pursuing an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court to return the case to Clark County.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the pardoned individuals “were persecuted and put through hell by the Biden administration for challenging an election.”
The pardons explicitly state they do not apply to Trump himself. Similar fake elector schemes in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin have resulted in state criminal charges. –Las Vegas Sun Staff
HOT SHOT
Manufactured just outside of Las Vegas in Boulder City, fortune-telling machine Zoltar magically appeared at Nevada landmarks throughout October, including Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings and the Valley of Fire. The machine’s final pop-up appearance at First Friday in the Arts District on November 7 gave away the last of special tickets with offers redeemable at Boulder City businesses. The marketing campaign organized by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority aimed to support Boulder City tourism.
“Trump and his Republican cronies on Capitol Hill do not give a damn about hurting working people, and their conduct over the last month has been nothing short of appalling. The concession we’ve been able to extract to get closer to extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits is a vote on a bill drafted and negotiated by Senate Democrats.”
–U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) in a partial statement after voting with Republicans on legislation to fund the government and end the government shutdown. The Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government without guarantee of renewing health care subsidies that will expire January 1—a sticking point for Democrats.
(Photo by Christopher DeVargas)
SHAPING A LEGACY
Theater nonprofit Broadway in the HOOD looks to expand its reach at new arts education facility
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
The Las Vegas-based theater and arts nonprofit Broadway in the HOOD has helped inspire the Valley’s underserved youth through programs like summer camps and stage productions since 2010. But until last month, that work had always taken place in borrowed spaces like the Smith Center, local libraries and even the occasional public park.
Now, after years of planning and fundraising, the organization finally has its own headquarters. The Legacy Theatre of Excellence is “the first African American-owned and operated performing arts and education complex in Las Vegas.” The new 15,000-square-foot facility provides the nonprofit with a long-awaited opportunity to consolidate everything under one roof near the corner of Flamingo and Pecos roads.
“It can be difficult to do all the programming you’ve
envisioned in someone else’s house, but we’re now able to do as much or as little as we’d like here,” Broadway in the HOOD founder Torrey Russell says. “We’re blessed to have a space like this that’s ours to call home, even if I don’t really think it’s fully sunk in for me yet.”
The multimillion-dollar theater was made possible by money from the state as well as private donors including the Engelstad Foundation.
First-time visitors are immediately greeted by vibrant decor that reflects the center’s African American heritage—from traditional drums and wooden lion sculptures to a series of life-sized wall panel photos depicting a hand-picked cast of legendary Black artists and entertainers.
Famed poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou welcomes guests near the entryway, while others like Hollywood trailblazer Sidney Poitier and iconic choreographer Alvin Ailey keep watch over the 500-seat
ABOVE A photo of poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou is displayed by the dance studio in the Legacy Theatre. (Photos by Steve Marcus)
theater and dance studio, respectively.
Scattered elsewhere in the building are classrooms, rehearsal spaces, recording studios, media labs and a kitchen area. Russell—who spent eight years serving as Angelou’s tour manager—says every room, resource and aesthetic feature throughout its walls was carefully chosen because they all “mean something significant” to his program’s past, present and future.
Broadway in the HOOD’s impact and influence was on full display as leaders unveiled the building to the public on October 10. Longtime program collaborator and Tony Award-winning actor Ben Vereen—also honored with his own portrait inside—cut the ribbon himself. A handful of students sang songs before four-year participant Akaylah Ishmael offered a powerful reflection on how her involvement came to shape her personal journey through adolescence.
“Every single mentor and instructor always spoke life into me and believed in me before I even believed in myself, to be honest. They taught me that I am loved, I am needed and am more than enough,” Ishmael said. “This place is not just a building, but a legacy—somewhere where people can walk in feeling lost and lonely and finally feel seen, just like me.”
Russell teared up a bit that day as he thought back to his own experience growing up in a Norfolk, Virginia, neighborhood where “entertainment was not something that was looked at as positive.” Drugs
and gang violence were often a fact of life, but he managed to find a different path forward.
Though he struggled with his grades early on, Russell credits a handful of his middle school teachers and mentors who stepped up to help cultivate his innate interest in performing arts when he was a teenager. Their guidance marked a turning point in his life that ultimately led him to pursue theater and eventually launch Broadway in the HOOD (Helping Others Open Doors).
“As Dr. Angelou would say, they were the ‘rainbows in my cloud’ who helped me realize the neighborhood I grew up in did not dictate who I was going to become,” Russell says. “I vowed to myself that if I ever had the opportunity to make a way for young people like they did, I’d take it.”
Decades later, Russell and his team have now served hundreds of local youth, including seven who have gone on to perform in Broadway productions like Hamilton, Dreamgirls and The Lion King. One of their earliest students, Cameron “C.H.” Miller, later served a term as a Nevada Assemblymember. Another pair is currently studying to become doctors. Another is now a master carpenter who volunteered to help construct the new Legacy Theatre stage.
Many more played behind-the-scenes roles in developing the new space, which Russell says offers Broadway in the HOOD the ability to “reach out to the community almost 24 hours a day.”
TOP
Justin Bryant, artistic dance director, gets a high five from Amari Childs, 7, the son of a dance student, during a class at the Legacy Theatre.
BELOW
Actor Ben Vereen’s sneakers are displayed at the Legacy Theatre.
“We’re now able to do more on the weekends and potentially even open things up for senior citizens who live right beside our venue while our students are at school on the weekdays,” Russell says. “We can have 50 young people practicing in our dance studio while another 50 rehearse in the theater. And out in the back parking lot, we’ll have even more dedicated space to build sets and work on lighting.”
The first chance to see this progress in action will come through the nonprofit’s upcoming 2026 programming, which at this point is set to include performances of The Meeting in January, Baby Girls Mirror in March, Sister Act in April and I Got the Last Laugh in May.
Beyond that, the possibilities seem endless, and Russell’s enthusiasm is palpable.
“For us, this is the continuation of an even bigger vision,” he says.
BY CASE KEEFER
Before the NFL’s trade deadline on November 4, a reporter asked Pete Carroll if the Raiders would be willing to minimize the interests of this season in hopes of building for the future if such a deal presented itself.
It was a harmless, common question that should be expected for the coach of any underperforming team, but Carroll didn’t seem to take it that way. He responded as if he was offended by the whole premise.
“I’m not thinking that way,” he said. “It never comes to my mind at all. We’re trying to get better ongoing, right now.”
It was a misguided answer—a textbook quote about juggling the present and future would have sufficed—with the Raiders sitting at 2-6 going into a game at the Broncos at the time. After losing to Denver 10-7 on November 6 to fall further back in the standings, the philosophy sounds even more ridiculous.
The Raiders aren’t going anywhere this season.
Carroll’s first squad has been worse than the hard-to-watch teams of the past two years that got the previous two coaches, Antonio Pierce and Josh McDaniels, fired.
It’s another lost season for the Silver and Black, and more defeats aren’t the thing that could make it worse over the second half of the year.
The worst-case scenario for the Raiders is if Carroll continues to stubbornly stick to his mission to compete for wins at all costs at the detriment of developing young players.
The win-now versus build-for-the-future debate was always going to be the central push-pull theme of the Raiders’ season. It was inescapable once the franchise made the 74-year-old Carroll the oldest coach in NFL history, someone who inherently doesn’t have the patience for a rebuild.
But it’s gone worse than expected.
Lowly Raiders need to place an emphasis on developing young players down the stretch of another lost season
Carroll spent all offseason promising he’s open to playing rookies but has so far contradicted that philosophy.
A new coach-general manager duo like Carroll and John Spytek typically like to feature their first NFL Draft class heavily to set a new culture, but the Raiders’ 2025 group can barely get on the field.
Las Vegas had a highly-touted class of 11 drafted rookies, but arguably only one of them has eclipsed expectations—third-round cornerback Darien Porter. The Iowa State product has been a special teams ace and shown big promise in limited snaps on defense. But he’s only made three starts, including in each of the last two games before getting benched against the Broncos, with Carroll and company appearing reluctant to endure any rookie growing pains.
No. 6 overall draft pick Ashton Jeanty has been solid, but there’s a higher bar after becoming the NFL’s highest running back selected in seven years. Given positional value, the Raiders needed Jeanty to immediately emerge as one of the best running backs in the NFL to justify his draft slot.
Even his biggest supporters would have a difficult time making that case as he’s 36th in the NFL at 3.6 yards per carry—albeit behind a horrendous run-blocking offensive line—and a work in progress in other areas.
Jeanty has weekly lowlights in pass protection to the point where the Raiders have occasionally taken him off the field in crucial situations. Against the Broncos, a pass bounced off his hands and turned into an interception.
But at least he’s playing and producing, for the most part. That’s more than can be said for second-round wide receiver Jack Bech, who got only nine snaps against the Broncos despite the team trading disgruntled veteran starter Jakobi Meyers a few days before.
A midseason Tennessee Titans castoff and
longtime Carroll acolyte, 33-year-old Tyler Lockett, primarily took over Meyers’ workload.
Lockett might be slightly better at the moment but players like Bech and third-round receiver Dont’e Thornton are needier for work to bank the experience that can help them grow.
In fairness, Thornton has gotten plenty of opportunities and just hasn’t made the most of them. He dropped a perfectly thrown deep ball from quarterback Geno Smith before halftime against the Broncos that could have changed the whole game.
“I’m frustrated about it, but I know for sure I’m going to get better from that,” Thornton said. “Having that happen is even more reason for why I need to be better and not get complacent with everything.”
Similar to the receiver situation, the Raiders didn’t turn to rookies when they suddenly had a vacancy on the offensive line against the Broncos.
Both starting guards, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Dylan Parham, left with injuries. The team turned to longtime Spytek favorite Alex Cappa and former undrafted practice squad player Will Compton to fill in.
Compton is only in his second year so his inclusion fits with the youth theme, but Raiders’ fans should be more eager to see third-round pick guard Caleb Rogers (who was inactive and hasn’t gotten a snap all year) or fourth-round tackle Charles Grant (who can also play guard and has one snap all year).
Maybe Las Vegas just completely struck out on this draft class—much different than one-and-done general manager Tom Telesco managed a year ago when he built the franchise’s best collection of rookies in years—but standard operating procedure in the NFL would be to make sure by putting them on the field.
The Raiders are in desperate need of a long-term vision, but Carroll doesn’t express much interest in that. He might have an aversion to the idea and, if that doesn’t change, it’s going to hold the team back more than losses piling up.
by
Head coach Pete Carroll (center) and the Raiders get ready to play the Tennessee Titans at Allegiant Stadium October 12.
Photo
Wade Vandervort
HOLIDAY SPIRIT
BY AMBER SAMPSON
When we reach U.K. singer-songwriter Leona Lewis by phone, she’s a little tied up. A Starry Night, her rst Las Vegas Christmas residency, has landed at Voltaire. Rehearsals have run long, and she’s currently in the middle of a dress tting for some of the glamorous gowns that’ll be showcased. It’s hectic, but the London-raised Lewis is relishing every moment of it.
“For the show, my main intention of doing it was to bring everyone together,” says Lewis. “I feel like in a world that’s quite disconnected in a lot of ways at the moment, I really am being very intentional about the room and creating a space that is full of love and connection.”
Lewis’ angelic vocals rst swept us o our feet with 2007’s Spirit, a certi ed-platinum album that made her the rst British solo artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Chart-topping pop ballads like “Bleeding Love” and “Better in Time” helped de ne Lewis’ early career. And festive hits like “One More Sleep,” one of the most streamed modern holiday songs in the U.K., have brought her closer to the Christmas throne.
songs that I know, that people love and love to sing along with. I grew up with so many di erent Christmas albums—the Motown kind of Phil Spector albums, Stevie Wonder’s Christmas songs, Donny Hathaway, Nat King Cole. I grew up listening to those thoughtful, warm, cozy, big hug kind of Christmas songs. And that very much inspired this set as well, especially Nat King Cole and Etta James because it’s kind of jazz inspired. I have a beautiful brass section that is accompanying me … and just lifts the whole show.
You have such incredible voice control. How do you approach the nuances of a pop song like “Bleeding Love” versus a Christmas standard?
Courtesy/Key Lime Photo
Ahead of her next run of shows, we caught up with Lewis to chat about the in uence of jazz, celebrating Christmas in the desert and more.
Of all places, why is the desert the right home for a Christmas residency?
Yeah, it’s not very snowy [laughs]. Although, literally when I moved here … it was the day that it rained. I literally was driving the U-Haul. I had the truck, I had everything ... and the clouds started rolling in. Of course, the Brit brings the rain.
But honestly, I’ve seen incredible shows here. I was always so in awe of the shows and the performers and just the magnitude of it also. I felt like when the opportunity arose, you know, 20 years later, I had a lot of material. I had my Christmas album. I had songs that people sang along with me, and I thought this is the time. And this amazing venue presented itself, Voltaire, which is an incredible space to perform in. I saw a couple of shows here as well, and I was just blown away. It felt like a perfect storm of everything coming together.
With the standards, especially the more jazz-leaning ones, the melodies are very intentional. I try to really honor the melodies, and then obviously make it me and put my spin on it. When you are a vocalist, you can get into that oversinging thing. And I think, especially over the years with me, it’s become less about that and more about what am I really saying, and how does my heart want to tell that story through voice? You learn that as a singer as you go on, and I’m also a songwriter, so I really dig into the lyrics. That’s really important.
One holiday song of yours I always think about is “One More Sleep.” Many people consider it a modern Christmas classic. What’s the secret to creating something new that still conjures that old Christmas magic?
So, when you’re performing holiday music, how do you balance the Christmas classics with your original holiday material, too?
I picked my favorite songs. I picked the
“One More Sleep” de nitely was inspired by Phil Spector and Darlene Love. And I just remember at the time, no one was really putting Christmas songs out anymore. Or if they were, they weren’t really resonating as much. So I wanted to go back to those Motown songs. They’re just amazing, full records. We wanted to create a great record, something that was nostalgic and cozy, and felt real. Even the way we recorded the instruments, like the strings, the horns, we did that Wall of Sound [technique] with all live, organic instruments. We really wanted to pay homage to that and bring it into the now. Also, I remember I wasn’t in the best of spaces when I was recording it, and I remember it helped me shift into such a better mindset. When I was singing it, it was a lot of joy that it was bringing me and that I was putting into the vocals and into the record.
Read more of this interview at lasvegasweekly.com
Personal Relationships. Powerful Results.
Local band Abbeys Garden blends DIY energy with emotive intensity
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Three years ago, I squeezed into the corner of a comic book shop and watched a band take shape. It was midsummer at Alternate Reality Comics. The audience was a patchwork of emo-a uent kids, skate-acculturated teens, garage-band hopefuls and anyone else who wanted to hear something honest and loud.
On a makeshift stage between racks of graphic novels, the twin guitarists of Abbeys Garden (actual twins Liam and Jude Rita) tore through their opening set for Chicago-based emo band Summer 2000. That 20-minute performance felt like the promising start of something great. Liam Rita remembers it well.
“I was so frightened of the rst-ever show we played. We were young. I think we were either still 17 or maybe freshly 18,” he recalls.
“Especially playing to your age group, and the whole presence of social media and what’s cool and not cool, we were bound to be scared. Like,
what if we bomb? What if they don’t like us?”
Fast forward to this October, when Abbeys Garden opened for California-based headliners Vs Self and Lagrimas at a sold-out weeknight show at Grey Witch. What grips you isn’t just the swelling audience but its intensity— bodies pitching forward, the voices matching the catharsis of the ri s, the band and crowd locking into the same moment, sharing vulnerability and movement. The band commanded the crowd as well as the stage.
“We don’t like getting put in any boxes … the whole emo, screamo. We just make music,” says Liam. “We’re just a very emotive band.”
Formed in 2023, Abbeys Garden is built on lifelong bonds. The band met in middle school, through a shared love for skating. Liam and his brother Jude share vocals and guitar duties, with David L. Jackson playing drums alongside Matthew Bartley on bass.
That lineage seeps into their sounds, while their a nity for heavier music and studio jams inject urgency into every chord.
ABBEYS GARDEN abbeysgarden. bandcamp.com/
“We only like surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals, people who aren’t afraid to show who they are and be vulnerable,” says Liam. “We’ve all cried in front of each other. We’ve been naked in front of each other. It’s spiritual. We’re allowed to be ourselves with no backlash.”
The band’s 2023 EPs—Little Book of Love Poems and Pebble Beach—emerged in rapid succession, released only months apart.
“We were young and unemployed, so all we did was write music and hang out,” Liam says. “And when we scrambled enough money together, someone could use their parent’s car, and we’d drive down to the studio and spend nights on end there.”
The track “Sick Like a Dog” features raw vocals, melancholic instrumentation, memorable guitar melodies and bass lines that anchor not just rhythm, but also feeling.
Now the band is set to unveil new music and a new sound.
“I’m saying new sound, and it’s probably been done a million times before, but I guess it’s a new sound to our old catalog,” explains Liam. “Some songs are mean, they’re angry, some are sad. I just feel like it’s more whole.”
Abbeys Garden’s forthcoming single “Cat’s Game” is a tangled relationship metaphor about two people locked in silence, counting score, and neither wins. These songs are emotional and personal.
The next chapter for Abbeys Garden includes a full-length album titled Darla Badger, due “whenever feels appropriate,” according to Liam. When that day comes, we and the band’s growing fan base will be ready to indulge in their sounds of unbridled emotion.
MONDAY FEVER
Marquee Nightclub ushers in new era with major renovation, revived locals’ night
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
It’s just after 8:30 p.m. on a Monday at the Cosmopolitan and a long line of chattering partygoers is already coalescing outside Marquee Nightclub two hours before it opens.
Few would have batted an eye at such a scene before the pandemic forced the club to shutter its famed locals’ night, Marquee Mondays. After a five-year absence, however, the excitement surrounding its return seems to meet the moment.
It came on the tail end of a grand reopening weekend, which drew thousands to the 40,000-square-foot club for the unveiling of its first major renovation since it opened in 2010. The four-day affair featured EDM stalwarts like Canadian deep house duo Loud Luxury, Australian super producer Fisher and performances from world-renowned DJ and local Steve Aoki.
Tao Group Hospitality co-CEO Jason Strauss says allowing those prominent names to lead the charge at the new-look club was the perfect way to cap off a sixmonth multimillion-dollar renovation.
With the club now revitalized, here are three reasons you should consider returning to the dance floor.
AN UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE
At the Marquee Mondays revival, Aoki dazzled crowds from a spacious new artist booth that’s been lowered roughly two feet closer to the dance floor. Aided by a new 1.5-ton LED screen with a kinetic centerpiece—plus other revamps like a state-ofthe-art lighting system and cutting-edge laser displays—the electronic music icon raged to his popular remix of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” and let the visuals shine while also spinning Panic! at the Disco and Usher.
“The foundation is cosmetic, with everything from the fabrics, furniture and woodwork in the main room being completely reimagined. We did total rehauls of the sound and lighting systems and added a monolith LED screen where we have an in-house team creating unique content for every single show,” Strauss says.
Having personally witnessed the hulking, movable screen in action alongside impressive audiovisual spectacles that simulated everything from pyrotechnic displays to a trippy, vibrant cartoon version of Aoki himself, it’s easy to see why Strauss calls the relaunch weekend “one of the busiest I’ve ever seen in 15 years.”
YOUR MONDAY IS GETTING A MAKEOVER
Before Marquee Mondays were put on pause in 2020, Strauss says the weekly events were once “the most prominent night in Las Vegas for the local industry to party.” He believes the new iterations will exceed that hype.
It’s still one of the best ways to start your week. And the revived event serves as a foundational part of the Cosmopolitan’s new Unlock Your Mondays promotion, offering locals exclusive drink and dining deals, discounted room and spa packages, and free parking perks.
Locals can check out those offerings over the next few Mondays, ahead of shows like BigXthaPlug on November 17, Luis Torres on November 24, EricD-Lux on December 1 and DJ Pauly D on December 8.
NEW PARTY PLANS
Next summer, partygoers will see a similar reimagining of the 22,000-square-foot Marquee Dayclub, which will include revised aesthetics and a new DJ booth.
Until then, Strauss says the club will continue to book heavy-hitting acts that lean into Marquee’s storied relationship with the EDM genre.
“This is the club that created EDM residents in Las Vegas and why you still see DJ billboards all over the Strip today,” Strauss says. “That legacy is why so many visitors have their own Marquee story, and we hope this gives them yet another reason to come back and make more.”
Steve Aoki at Marquee Nightclub (Courtesy/Sam Marshall)
KEEP IT REAL
Ferraro’s celebrates 40 years of authentic Italian cuisine
BY SHANNON MILLER
A 40-year-old institution has put Las Vegas on the map for Italian cuisine. In the past three years, Ferraro’s Ristorante has notched three awards from Gambero Rosso, the worldwide authority on Italian food, wine and culture.
The magazine recognized the fine dining restaurant for its wine list, authentic cuisine—Ferraro’s is one of only eight U.S. restaurants to receive this honor—and included the restaurant in its Top Italian Restaurants Guide.
The keyword is “authentic,” says executive chef Mimmo Ferraro. That’s something he and his father, founder Gino Ferraro, will not compromise.
meatballs or rigatoni in pink sauce on Ferraro’s menu. What you will find is a 22,000-bottle wine list, housemade breads and pastas and classic, expertly prepared dishes.
“I can put chicken parmigiana on the menu here for $100 and people will buy it. But it’s not Italian. It’s not who we are,” Mimmo says. “We want to be an Italian restaurant. We don’t want to be an American restaurant. We want to give people what we were brought up with.”
You won’t find Americanized chicken parmigiana, fettuccini alfredo, spaghetti and
In a recent visit, a light, summery Vermentino complemented grilled octopus ($28) with black olives, fried capers and white bean puree. A full-bodied Chianti stood up to the richness of wild boar and porcini mushroom ravioli. Fall-off-the-bone osso buco ($76) was made even heartier and more comforting with a Barbaresco.
And I won’t spoil too much of the dessert, but I have two words for you: pistacchio passion.
“Our food is simple, as it should be. You know, when you eat a dish, you should taste the ingredients, not overpowered with everything else,” Gino says. Decades of commitment to that philosophy has landed Ferraro’s where it is today. A native of Calabria, Gino and his wife Rosalba moved to Las Vegas in 1976 and, after having three children, opened a small deli and pizza restaurant on Spring Mountain Road in 1985.
“We were doing everything, when my wife and I worked side by side. From four in the morning,
making bread and prep for the deli items, salads ... all the prep you need to do to open by nine o’clock. We’d get home literally at 11:30 every day. We did that for many years,” Gino says. In 1992, when Mimmo turned 14, he started working in the cold kitchen and, over the years, worked in virtually every area of the restaurant—from cooking and prep to hosting and bussing tables—before leaving to attend culinary school. In 2001, he graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and studied in Italy before returning to Ferraro’s as executive chef.
The secret to their success over the years is being present in the restaurant on a daily basis, Mimmo says.
“I’m in the window every night, watching what comes out. He [Gino] has a palate and a nose where he can sense and smell and see if something isn’t right. ... We have people in the kitchen who have been with us for 16, 18 years—one, because of the way we treat them, but two, because they’re proud of the product and the quality of what we serve,” he says.
For the restaurant’s ruby anniversary, it’s offering a curated selection of 10 Italian wines—typically $80-$100—for $40 per bottle, available November 10-13. Handpicked by Gino himself, they’re sure to take your tastebuds to the old country.
“[Guests] say ‘We can’t get that anywhere else. It’s like being in Italy.’ We hear that every night,” he says.
Executive chef Mimmo Ferraro (left) and founder Gino Ferraro of Ferraro’s Ristorante (Photos by Christopher DeVargas)
Osso buco
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Akan concept of sankofa is a bird looking backward while moving forward. Its message is: “Go back and get it.” To move into the future, you must retrieve wisdom from the past; forgetting where you came from orphans you. The shape of your becoming must include the shape of your origin. You can’t transcend what you haven’t integrated. Look back, Aries.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming weeks are an excellent time for strategic forgetting, the art of unlearning who you were taught to be. Fanatical brand loyalty to yourself can be self-sabotage. I suggest you fire yourself from your own expectations. Clock out from the job of being who you were yesterday. It’s liberation time!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): We should all risk asking supposedly wrong questions, as truth often hides in the compost pile of our mistaken notions. A wrong question can help you shed assumptions and lure new insights out of hiding. By leaning into the awkward, you invite surprise and genuine learning. Ask yourself: What if I fail spectacularly? What if the opposite were true? What if I said yes?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian novelist Octavia Butler was fueled by two obsessions: “Where will we be going?” and “How will we get there?” A critic praised her “serious attention to the way human beings actually work.” Let’s make her your role model. Your future self is whispering previews. You are invited to be both a dreamer and builder, a seer and a strategist.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Tagalog word kilig refers to the butterfly-in-the-stomach flutter when something momentous or romantic happens. I suspect kilig will be a featured experience for you—if you make room for it. Don’t fill every minute with mundane tasks. Meditate on the truth that you deserve an influx of such blessings and must expand your consciousness to welcome their full arrival.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your liver performs countless functions, including detoxifying wastes and filtering 1.5 quarts of blood per minute. It can regenerate itself from as little as 25 percent of its original tissue. It is your internal resurrection machine: proof that some second chances are built-in. I invite you to celebrate this central repository of your life energy, Virgo. It’s an inspiring symbol of your ability to revitalize yourself.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The pupils of your eyes are holes—absences where light enters you. You have two voids in your face through which the world pours itself into your nervous system. These crucial features are literally made of nothing. This voidness is key to your love of life. Everything I said reframes emptiness not as deficiency, but as a functioning joy. In emotional life, our ability to be delighted depends on vulnerability.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your dreams speak in images, not ideas. They bypass your rational defenses to tell the truth, often slantwise, because the truth straight-on may be too bright. Your unconscious is fluent in symbol and emotional logic. It tries to tell you things your conscious self refuses to hear. Are you listening, or are you too busy being reasonable? Tune in to messages from deep within you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A tour guide noted that ancient Romans often finished work by noon, indulging in pleasure for the rest of the day, with over half the calendar as holidays. You can’t permanently arrange your schedule like theirs, but you’ll be wise to do so during the coming days. Do you dare to give yourself such abundant comfort and delight? Be bold enough to rebel against the daily drudgery and honor your soul’s craving for release.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Zulu greeting sawubona means “I see you,” “I acknowledge your existence, dignity and humanity.” The response is ngikhona: “I am here.” People receive respect for the deeper truths they contain. What if you greeted everyone like this, Capricorn—with an intention to bestow honor and recognition? Try this experiment. It will spur others to treat you even better.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Bear with me while I propose an outlandish theory: that you have enough of everything right now. What if enoughness is a quality of attention, not a quantity? What if it is a treasure you simply claim? You consider the possibility that the finish line keeps moving because you keep moving it. Resolve to believe that this breath, this moment and this gloriously imperfect life are enough.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Scots have over 100 words for rain. Sanskrit has an estimated 96 terms for various expressions of love, tenderness and spiritual bliss, including compassion, friendship and devotion. I invite you to take an inventory of all the kinds of a ection and care you experience. Now is an excellent phase to expand your understanding of these mysteries—and increase your capacity for giving and receiving them.
BACKSTORY
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AT SPRINGS PRESERVE | NOVEMBER 8, 2025 Some believe the spirits of the dead return to visit their families on Día de los Muertos, and an ofrenda (an offering) with photos, flowers, candles and maybe some food can be a way to welcome them. That would explain the sense of reverence and spirituality emanating from The Return at Springs Preserve. The immersive exhibit by local artist Isaias Urrabazo started with 10 photos and has since collected hundreds of photos of loved ones and pets from the community. Collectively, they inspire a sense of awe, as do the marigolds dripping from the ceiling and more than 6,000 butterflies that delicately bring the walls to life. Several stations around the room display artistic installations and mementos exploring the stories and memories of Urrabazo’s family. Dedicated to the loving memory and legacy of his mother Maria S. Urrabazo, the exhibit is open through November 30 and is a testament to the transformation of grief and the endurance of love that exists both here and in the afterlife. – Shannon Miller
Photo by Steve Marcus
BRING BARRY’S HOME FOR Thanksgiving
Let us set the table with Barry’s curated to-go meals, bringing a touch of gourmet to your home. Our meals are designed to be taken home and cooked to perfection, each meal includes a step-by-step card on how to prepare, so you can enjoy a restaurant-quality feast with ease.
Includes: half or whole organic turkey plus traditional stuffing, baby glazed carrots George Maloof Creamed corn, green bean casserole mashed potatoes, roasted yams fresh cranberry sauce, turkey gravy
