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Don’t go stir-crazy this season. Keep it productive and fun with our family guide.
14 WEEKLY Q&A
Grad Kumei Norwood of Tofu Tees prepares to take her entrepreneurship to the next level.
26 NEWS
Federal cuts to water released downstream will cause Lake Mead’s level to further plummet.
32 MUSIC
Los Angeles’ The Altons bring heartache and modern “souldies” to Fergusons Downtown.
34 NIGHTLIFE
Ugly Duckling beautifies karaoke with deep cuts and concert-quality sound.
36 DAYLIFE
Omnia Dayclub nails the exotic excess associated with a summertime getaway.
38 FOOD & DRINK
Restaurant Week returns to fight hunger with fabulous menus benefiting Three Square.
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY MAY 28
BURLESQUE HALL OF FAME WEEKENDER
Thru 5/31, times vary, Plaza, bhofweekend.com.
JUVENILE
7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.
FRANKIE MORENO
7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.
STARLING
With Llover, Rhaina Yasmin, 8 p.m., the Griffin, dice.fm.
LORDS OF ACID
With Dead on a Sunday, Princess Superstar, Tony and The Kiki, Mz Neon, 7 p.m., Bizarre Bar, bizarrebarlv.com.
CONTROLLED CHAOS COMEDY SHOW
With Vinnie Masteghin, 9:30 p.m., Copa Room, tuscanylv.com.
NATIONAL BARREL HORSE ASSOCIATION LAS VEGAS SUPER SHOW Thru 5/31, times vary, South Point Arena, nbha.com.
VAMPA
With Sazi, Katalift, 10 p.m., We All Scream, tixr.com.
FRIDAY MAY 29
AZÚCAR BANDA
& LATIN NIGHTS
Las Vegas finally has its Latin party—and it’s happening every Friday and Saturday on the Strip. Azúcar brings together a live banda performance, Latin DJ and an open bar with breathtaking rooftop views of Las Vegas Boulevard at the Sugar Factory. From reggaeton to cumbia, bachata to salsa, Azúcar is the most electric Latin night in the city. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, bachelorette or just an unforgettable weekend, this is the party you’ve been waiting for. Ages 21+. azucarvegas.com
NO DOUBT
8:30 p.m., & 5/30, 6/3, Sphere, ticketmaster.com.
ROD STEWART
7:30 p.m., & 5/30, 6/2, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com.
THE ALTONS
8 p.m., Fergusons Downtown, wethebeat.com.
MATT MAESON
With Hans Williams, 7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com.
TYLER HUBBARD
8 p.m., Sandbar at Red Rock, ticketmaster.com.
THREE LEGGED DOG
7:30 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.
MARILYN MONROE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
With Acraze, Kim Lee, Deux Twins, 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
AUDIEN
With Richy Rozay, Iky Vicky, 10 p.m., Substance, eventim.us.
DIPLO
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.
METRO BOOMIN
10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com.
CRIMECON
Cold cases. Wrongful convictions. That mysterious disappearance that chilled a small town. These scenarios keep a true-crime junkie awake at night, but now you won’t have to do it alone. CrimeCon will dive head-first into our captivating quest for justice in a world of heinous acts. The agenda will have live podcast tapings and educational panels, including how forensics has solved decades-old cases, self-defense demonstrations and harrowing accounts of tracking the country’s most notorious criminals. Panel moderators will pick the brains of TV journalist Nancy Grace, To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, and even detectives who worked the Route 91 mass shooting. Noon, $99+, Caesars Palace, crimecon.com. –Amber Sampson
DANNY OCEAN
8 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com.
MUSIC PARTY
SPORTS FOOD COMEDY MISC ARTS
SATURDAY MAY 30
FREDDIE GIBBS
Freddie Gibbs had spent well over a decade building a cult rap following when he launched himself into the stratosphere with Alfredo, a Grammy-nominated 2020 collaboration album with legendary producer The Alchemist. And on last year’s sequel, Alfredo 2, the pair delivered an Empire Strikes Back-worthy follow-up that’s become something of a rarity in today’s contentcentric hip-hop scene. No stranger to Vegas, the Gary, Indiana native—and certified king of smooth, criminally introspective lyricism—is set to return for the Last Rabbit Tour, where he’ll draw from the best of an absurdly dense catalog you’ll wish you heard sooner. 7:30 p.m., $82-$150, House of Blues, ticketmaster.com. –Tyler Schneider
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. COLORADO AVALANCHE
7 p.m. (if necessary), T-Mobile Arena, axs.com.
LAS VEGAS LIGHTS VS. FC TULSA
7:30 p.m., Cashman Field, lasvegaslightsfc.com.
FOODSTOCK
SOLIDARITY FRIDGE FOOD DRIVE CONCERT
With Close to Modern, The Offtrax, The Sands, 5 p.m., Giving Garden, eventbrite.com.
JAZZ VEGAS ORCHESTRA 7:30 p.m., Notoriety Live, notorietylive.com.
ALTURA LATIN SWIM NIGHT With Exile, iAmLou, i5, Dirty Dave, 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.
LEMA 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.
LOOK AHEAD: NEW VISTA WINE WALK
Join in at UnCommons on June 6 from 5 until 9 p.m. for the New Vista Wine Walk, a perfect Saturday night out for friends, families, and even your pup. Throughout the evening, guests have the opportunity to socialize, sip, stroll and stop at over 18 tasting stations featuring an eclectic mix of wine and a local shopping experience with Market in the Alley. Tickets are available now with 100% of proceeds benefitting New Vista, a local charity of 35 years whose mission is to provide people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities equal opportunities and supported living arrangements so they may experience life to the fullest. uncommons.com.
17-year-old shop owner, artist and activist Kumei Norwood on 10 years of Tofu
Tees and what her post-graduate future holds
BY AMBER SAMPSON
ew teenagers can say they founded a business before they could even legally drive. Kumei Norwood is an exception. The 17-yearold entrepreneur and activist has been running her shop, Tofu Tees, since she was 8. The brick-and-mortar store, a fixture of Fergusons Downtown since 2021, has been a project of passion but also purpose.
Norwood, a Las Vegas Academy of the Arts senior with a flair for fashion, uses her apparel designs and art for activism, shining a light on social issues through everything from T-shirts to totes. You’re just as likely to find clothing with timeless taglines like “Racism Is Trash” as you are to find books on Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Pinky Cole’s vegan tome Eat Plants, B*tch
That said, Norwood is still your average teenage girl in every way that matters. Her prom was nothing short of magical. She’s eagerly awaiting the next Olivia Rodrigo album. And high school graduation is just around the corner. So what happens next?
As Norwood prepares to enter a new stage of life, the Weekly sat down to talk about the future of Tofu Tees and how building it has shaped her.
Now that graduation is almost here, how do you feel about the next chapter and where you’re headed with Tofu Tees?
It’s really been a blur running Tofu Tees because I have all of these amazing
memories of things I’ve done throughout all the years. Everybody Downtown is just so supportive of me. I always call Fergusons my second home because I’m down here 24/7. But definitely in the future, I’m very excited about just going forward and progressing Tofu Tees. … I did get into UNLV and everything. I was gonna go there for marketing, but then I decided that I didn’t really want to do that currently. I wanted to more so just be one with the business and myself without the pressure of school. When I first opened my store, I was already in school, so it’ll be sort of a new experience for me and allow me to have more experiences to network.
Have you ever had a customer interaction that reaffirmed why you’re doing all of this?
It’s always when families come in. It’s a really crazy experience whenever people bring in their kids. And they’re like, Hey, look at this girl. She started when she was 8, and she has all this now, and they show them around the shop. And I’m trying not to get embarrassed or really excited [laughs], but that’s just always an amazing feeling. That’s really what keeps me going, knowing that it’s inspiring for other people to want to do that. Entrepreneurship is such a crazy path to go on, but it’s really fun and it’s such a good learning experience, even if you don’t want to pursue it in the future or make a career out of it. It’s still such a great thing to do at least once in your life.
This experience has been most of your adolescence. How has it changed you?
When I first started Tofu Tees, I was in elementary school. Back then it was less political and more just whatever I felt like doodling. … But then it sort of evolved as I got older and more into my middle school years, that’s when it began to get more political. It really gave me a political identity as well, because I feel like, at that time, I was one to follow the crowd. I didn’t want to really stand out much. In middle school, you want to fit in with everybody.
Tofu Tees really gave me an outlet to just express myself without having
“[TOFU TEES] really gave me a political identity ... I was really able to express myself and be self-assured in what I was saying.”
to talk. At that time as well, I was very shy and closed off. … When I was set up at a market or anything, or just in my element with the store, I was really able to express myself and be self-assured in what I was saying. … Tofu Tees, combined with LVA, made me myself. It gave me an outlet to express myself in different ways that I typically wouldn’t have if I didn’t go down those routes, especially with my fashion. … That combination just really lit a spark in me to open up.
Read more of this interview at lasvegasweekly.com.
2026 photo by Christopher DeVargas; 2022 photo by Steve Marcus; other photos courtesy Tofu Tees
School’s out, sun’s out! Don’t let your devices get in the way of real family fun.
When there’s no school and it’s 110 degrees outside, it’s easy for kids and teens to get sucked into their phones and tablets. But according to experts from the Mayo Clinic, relying on screens to kill time can cause obesity, disrupted sleep, behavioral problems, delays in language development and social skills, and attention problems. In today’s fraught landscape of mental health, it’s important to be vigilant about our relationships with technology and devices. And families can build a foundation and provide a wonderful support system for healthier alternatives.
There are a number of reasons we rely on screens. Sometimes they’re the easiest and quickest solution to providing some relief. But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children 2 and younger, one hour per day for children 2-12 years old and two hours per day for teens and adults. To help you get closer to those targets, we’ve created this guide for today’s families—for parents who work from home, for teens who don’t have the means to go out, and for generations who want to connect with each other. Let’s free our minds from the screen suck.
BY BROCK RADKE
Making the most of summer with the family when you work from home
Polina Weidner is a 25-year Las Vegan who graduated from UNLV and jumped immediately into the marketing industry. Six years ago—right before COVID—she started her own company, The Marketing Model, and built it into a success while navigating motherhood and working from home.
“No day is ever the same as the next or the one prior, and the distractions can definitely get to you,” Weidner says. “But finding ways to include my kids in the things I do for work has made my life a lot easier. They’ve seen me put together a client event and gone to photo shoots, and showing them at an early age that work ethic and the importance of it is a different type of education for them.”
Since she’s been perfecting this routine for the better part of her career—and posting content along the way at @wholeweidworld—Weidner shared some summer survival tips with the Weekly for parents who work from home and want to keep kids busy and flourishing until school resumes.
START WITH A MORNING MENU.
Since the early hours can be one of the most productive times for remote workers, use one of the popular “morning menu” workbooks to keep young children occupied and engaged.
Weidner supplies her 5-year-old with a few sheets after breakfast and often takes her laptop to the table to hang out together.
GET
OUTDOORS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
Parents and kids both need breaks in their day, and Weidner likes to get a little active.
“We do a lot of outdoor time and they can stay pretty busy in the backyard, but Vegas gets hot so this is typically an evening thing. We pop out when the sun’s going down, and I’ll finish up work emails while they play.”
MAKE YOUR SCHEDULE CHUNKY.
“Planning is about knowing when you have chunks of uninterrupted time, or when I can get help from Grandma or my husband, because kids need things at different times,” she says. “And I try really hard to give [the kids] a few-hour chunk of my time too, and then I don’t feel guilty when I do have to pull away.”
AVOID MESSY ACTIVITIES.
Crafts are great, but stick to cutouts, popsicle sticks, construction paper and glue; paints and other materials will create a cleanup you may not be able to fit into the day.
Communicate about media early and often.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health notes that communication is essential to building digital literacy and identifying when kids are struggling. It also assists with problem-solving for kids and adults.
Focus on what your family will gain, not how much screen time will be lost.
Examine how much media time you are using and what time of day it’s happening, and consider what other activities are getting crowded out, such as sleeping, spending time with pets or being outdoors. Planning to spend more engaged time together can help kids understand the cost of being hooked on screens.
For kids, cut use of any devices in the bedroom.
In bestseller The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt links the rise of youth depression and anxiety with the prevalent use of screens and access to social media.
When kids are alone in their own space without supervision, they can end up spending hours absorbing damaging content.
FIND THE OFFICE SCENARIO THAT WORKS BEST.
As many of us learned during the pandemic, a dedicated work space can be a game-changer by allowing you to get a lot more done in a shorter amount of time.
Weidner has a home office but it’s not off limits:
“I actually put a small desk in my office for the kids, and there’s a whiteboard so they can scribble and ‘work with Mom,’ and it’s worked out pretty well,” she says.
“Including them when I can makes them understand my work more, instead of feeling like they’re getting pushed away by it.”
Dedicate space and time for screens.
Shared household devices in shared spaces can create healthy usage habits. Treat the internet like a library, and let kids check out devices for short periods of time when appropriate
–Brock Radke
Race go-karts at K1 Speed ($29-$69, k1speed.com).
Ice skate at City National Arena ($13, city nationalarena.com) or Las Vegas Ice Center ($15, lasvegasice. com). Roller skate at Crystal Palace ($11-$13 plus $5 rental skates, crystalpalace rancho.com).
Bank of America’s Golf With Us program invites children, ages 6-18, to access tee times for $5 or less at any of 31 courses participating in Nevada. The company set a goal to enroll 150,000 youth in the program by a June 15 deadline (bofa.com/golf withus).
Lee Canyon’s mountain bike park is the perfect place to learn the sport. The resort’s all-inclusive packages cover rentals and instructors ($49-$189, leecanyonlv.com). For something slower-paced, check out the schedule for free mountainside yoga on Lee Canyon’s website.
City of Henderson has so many happenings to explore this summer, including a cardboard boat regatta in July and a Farm to Table 101 workshop in August. What really caught our eye was Running the Rec at Valley View Recreation Center. Designed for teens, it’s two hours of adult-supervised open-access basketball courts, volleyball, racquetball, game room and fitness room (plus free drinks and pizza!) on multiple dates in August (prices vary, hendersonhappenings.com).
Vegas’ museum game is strong— there are so many to explore. Step into a replica of an ancient Egyptian tomb, gander at dinosaurs or dive into learning about marine life at the Las Vegas Science and Natural History Museum (free-$14 per person, lvnhm.org). Go retro at the Pinball Hall of Fame, where a bucket of quarters can provide hours of entertainment on vintage and analog machines (pinballmuseum.org). Ponder the wide-ranging impacts of atomic testing and nuclear fallout with interactive exhibits at the Atomic Museum (free-$29 for adults, atomicmuseum.vegas). Or tour the Neon Museum’s outdoor boneyard during the cooler hours of the night, when the historic signs are all lit up—perfect for a family photo opp ($25-$35 per person, neonmuseum.org).
Career-minded summer camps are a wonderful way to keep kids’ brains active when they aren’t in school. At UNLV, the Young Rebels program offers hands-on programming for elementary, middle and high schoolers, with many offerings at $300 or less. Computer science, archaeology and classical guitar are just a few examples (unlv.edu/early-outreach/young-rebels). At the Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Finding My Future Summer Camp, kids ages 9-15 don’t simply learn about careers and financial literacy, they immerse themselves in the subjects. Junior Achievement’s simulated city lets attendees take on jobs and budgeting as though they were in the real world ($275$300 for one week, southernnevada. ja.org).
Check out events at any of the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches (thelibrarydistrict.org) or Henderson Libraries (hendersonlibraries. com).
A game plan to keep all ages entertained
By Las Vegas Weekly Staff
Spend an entire day at the 180-acre Springs Preserve, where admission gets you entry to countless immersive exhibits and displays including botanical gardens, a butterfly habitat and the WaterWorks Museum. Don’t skip a blast to Vegas’ past at Origen Museum, or the shimmering wall of showgirl history at Nevada State Museum Consider a yearly membership ($30-$60) if you’d like to attend the various planting and gardening workshops that can be found on Spring Preserve’s website ($5-$10 daily admission for Nevada residents, springspreserve. org).
Downtown, Arttherapy Cafe hosts numerous classes and events designed to improve your mental health through the act of creating art. Try an “art rage” workshop with paint throwing and splattering, sip and paint, or painting accompanied by sound bowls and meditation (prices vary, arttherapy cafe.com).
Gather on the lawn and under the stars at Spring Mountain Ranch, where Super Summer Theatre performs its 2026 lineup of musicals—Newsies in May, followed by 1776 in July, The Andrews Brothers in August and Come From Away in September (tickets start at $28 plus $10-15 park entry fee, super summertheatre.org).
Visit any of the well curated art galleries spread across 12 Las Vegas-Clark County Library District branches. (free, thelibrarydistrict. org/gallery-exhibits).
Did you know that Lee Canyon’s chairlift still operates in the summer and offers scenic rides Friday-Sunday for $14-$19? The views at 9,370 feet are some of the best you can get. Be sure to check out the resort’s calendar for a schedule of live music performances (lee canyonlv.com).
Tour a 1950s house that once belonged to a German actress, an 1860s blacksmith shop and some of the oldest buildings in Southern Nevada at Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. Just outside Red Rock Canyon, the park offers temperatures up to 10 degrees cooler than the Las Vegas Valley—perfect for a picnic under shady trees ($10$15 entry fee, parks.nv.gov).
Trained instructors at Sur la Table teach cooking classes over five days (two hours per day) for kids and teens ($250325, surlatable. com).
The Fashion Show mall is hosting several immersive pop-ups this summer, but one that really caught our eye was the travelling installation Bouquet From July 23-August 20, the Great Hall will transform into a vibrant garden with human-sized flowers that can be explored from within (free, fslv.com).
Enjoy board games at Grouchy John’s (grouchyjohns.com) or Meepleville Board Game Cafe (meepleville.com).
Wonder Play Cafe at Gramercy is the perfect place to crush some remote work while young kids explore in a safe and fun environment (memberships start at $85 per month, wonderplay cafelv.com).
You didn’t think we were that strict, did you? Screen time can be a good thing when it’s done right.
Arcade pit stops might seem counterintuitive to the whole screen-free mantra, but games— particularly racing ones—have been proven to build focus, develop better memory and reflexes. At the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, F1 Arcade’s simulators are a blast to race with the whole family. It’s a very social experience that encourages a lot of movement and interaction—which is precisely what you want instead of “tech neck” ($26 per person, f1arcade.com).
Game Nest in Chinatown is another great, affordable gaming alternative featuring many rare Japanese rhythm games. It’ll keep the teens on their toes (unlimited play at $12/hour, gamenestlv.com).
More traditional couch coop games like the holy grail of puzzle platformers Portal 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Switch, PC) and the more modern Split Fiction (PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2) deliver endless hours of mental stimulation and fun.
Of course, if you want to also get outdoors and enjoy some positive screen time, catch a film at the West Wind Drive-In ($2-$7.50 per person, westwinddi. com) or pull up poolside to Fontainebleau’s Oasis Cinema Club on Sundays this summer ($5 for locals, fontainebleaulasvegas.com). –Amber Sampson
Tips for teens looking for a summer gig
Show what you know
Be cautious with AI
Balance your search
Consider internships
With summer roles filling up, it’s worth considering unpaid internships or volunteering opportunities to bolster your future resume.
“Those are still opportunities to build a skill set and can put you ahead of other teens who did not take them,” Burns says, adding that the Ice Age Fossils State Park on the Valley’s north end has plenty of volunteer positions across a range of fields.
Build skills
Improving skills always helps you stand out. In particular, Burns says efficient typing is always valued.
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
The highly competitive summer job market isn’t getting any easier for teens in the Valley. But the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District is a prime resource for learning how to stand out.
“We are focusing more on some skill sets that either once were taught in public education, but are no longer offered, to fill that gap,” LVCCLD Career Pathways facilitator Russ Burns says.
Drawing from his experience helping teens craft resumes, connecting them with industry experts through career pathway events, and hosting workshops on civics, finances and multimedia programs, Burns offers some general tips to help you get started.
Searching for a job with limited experience can be daunting, but you can absolutely draw from skills you’ve developed in school or extracurriculars.
“If you’re a student aide who answers phones or enters grades, you’re already doing some form of administrative work. If you hold office in a club, that still shows skills you’re building and shows leadership. It could also be involvement in sports, a nonprofit or church organization,” Burns says.
The key, he adds, is to “reword” those roles “in a way that sounds job-specific.”
For example, a babysitter might say they “provided consistent childcare services, managed the daily schedules and meal preparation for two children.”
“I’m not against using it, but we have to remember AI is a tool. I would discourage having it just flat out write your resume,” Burns says.
You could have it help with specific tasks by writing out what your babysitting or team captain responsibilities entail and ask it to format that for a resume. But employers can tell if you relied on it too much.
“I would still reread it and not just copy and paste, because AI can make mistakes,” Burns says. “And you don’t want it to sound like you’re the CEO of babysitting when you’re not.”
Generations of parents have suggested handing out resumes to local businesses, commonly asking, “Have you followed up yet?”
For Burns, this is still a viable strategy—especially for small, local businesses that may not have the resources to advertise online.
“Being able to speak to a manager still goes a long way,” Burns says. “But you should also still be searching online.”
A good rule is to only apply to postings from the last week or so.
“For anything beyond that, oftentimes they’ve already got hundreds of applicants, or the job could have already been filled,” he says.
“It was once taught in the school district, but now it’s a skill that a lot of teens lack,” Burns says. “Computers are still used in most jobs, and there’s a ton of different free typing softwares online, so that’s a free skillset you can build.”
Know where to look
“All the Strip properties have lifeguard and pool attendant jobs that are great for teens, and city and county parks and recreation departments and local YMCAs offer recreational positions during the summer as well,” Burns says.
Other common roles for teens include food service, retail sales, movie theater attendants and after-school elementary programs.
Cooking
It’s a wonderful way to bond and pass down recipes. You’re also teaching your teen to be more independent. Just be sure to supervise when they’re han dling knives and hot things.
Make a zine
All that’s really needed to make a zine (essentially a self-published booklet) is paper, drawing/writing instruments and a copy machine/printer. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials on how to bind a zine, which can be done by folding and cutting a single sheet of paper or other creative methods. Teens can pick a topic or theme and work on it by themselves, or collaborate with family or friends. Distributing the zine and seeing how people react is another part of the fun.
Visual arts
Pick up some supplies from arts and craft stores for drawing, painting, collaging, calligraphy or oragami. You can stretch a little investment into hours of entertainment and expression.
Watch a movie together
Pull the curtains, pop some popcorn and bond.
Gardening
Family book club
Allow teens to choose a book. You can plan for regular sit-downs, maybe with tea and treats, to discuss the book chapter by chapter. Offer rewards for finishing books, like a meal that matches the theme of the book, or an outing to a place they’d like to go.
Fiber arts
If you have yard space, a little soil and some plants can go a long way. It’s fun for teens to pick out the plants they want; home improvement and landscaping stores and local nurseries offer great options at affordable prices. As they experiment with growing, they’ll probably want to return to the store to get other equipment like shade, trellises, etc. Who knows? Maybe it will be the thing that gets them out of bed early.
Music
Tin whistle, ukelele, har monica—these are some examples of cheap instru ments that are great for teaching music’s fundamen tals. Music stores also offer affordable rentals. Here’s where those YouTube tuto rials will come in handy. If they practice, then you can consider investing in an upgrade and/or lessons.
People who knit and crochet say if offers relief for anxiety, so that itself is a reason to try it. If your teen wants to use their skills to make an impact, consider connecting with The Mats Project. The local initiative from the Crochet Class nonprofit (crochet class.org) creates plastic-film yarn “plarn” that can be used to crochet insulating mats for the homeless.
Board games or puzzles
Ticket to Ride, Catan, Dungeons & Dragons—there are so many options to engage teens’ imaginations. Puzzles and LEGO sets are
IN THE NEWS
Clark County approves permits for Vegas’ first standalone children’s hospital
Clark County unanimously approved the development and use permits for Intermountain Health’s proposed standalone children’s hospital in the southwest valley.
The future facility will be located on a roughly 32-acre site in UNLV’s Harry Reid Research and Technology Park at Durango Drive and Patrick Lane.
Commissioners today approved the hospital and heliport use permits during a zoning commission meeting, clearing the way for construction on
“As
the hospital to begin.
The decision is a “historic” moment, one that “has been discussed for generations in this community” and “will not only so badly and desperately diversify and add to the healthcare portfolio that we have here, but one that will also diversify our economy in huge ways,” Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft said.
Las Vegas is the largest metropolitan area in the country without a standalone children’s hospital to
TOURISM
address pediatric medical needs.
The hospital is expected to break ground later this year and open in 2030.
“Today’s historic approval of Nevada’s first standalone pediatric hospital, by the Clark County Commission, will forever change healthcare in Southern Nevada,” Naft said. “The significant investment being made by Intermountain will save lives while diversifying our economy and I could not be more proud to have moved it forward.”
–Grace Da Rocha
Hoover Dam transformed by patriotic display
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson and other officials met at Hoover Dam over Memorial Day weekend to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to the country, and to unveil a striking patriotic installation and light display that will continue through July 4. It includes a dramatic red, white, and blue illumination and an American flag measuring 300 feet wide and 150 feet tall.
“Celebrations like tonight’s highlight the values that bind us: service, sacrifice, and the enduring belief that we can build a better future together. It is a fitting tribute on Memorial Day,” said Genevieve Johnson, acting regional director of the Bureau of Reclamation. –Staff
Nevada’s first Latino Secretary of State,
it’s
been upsetting
to
see
the
SECOND NATURE
After a trip to Mojave National Preserve just southwest of Las Vegas, Argentina-born artist Sasha Primo was inspired by the flora and fauna he observed there. Working with the City of Las Vegas, he painted desert creatures and plants on several utility boxes along Cheyenne Avenue, bringing creative inspiration and an appreciation for nature to the busy traffic corridor. (Courtesy/ Sasha Reisin)
ENTERTAINMENT
FREE BLOCK PARTY AT AREA15
Area15 will host its “biggest block party to date” on June 20, and all are welcome to partake in the free festivities and music from headliner Cash Cash as well as other performances. The off-Strip celebration will include a food festival, vendor village, dancing and photo opportunities happening across all 40 acres of the immersive entertainment district and its expansive outdoor areas. More information is available at area15.com. –Staff
continued
efforts to intimidate and vilify us. Latinos make up 30% of Nevada’s voters. And we need them to show up and vote and hold our elected leaders accountable.”
–Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar. Elections officials recommend mailing ballots at least a week before Election Day, June 9. Voters should update their contact information on vote.nv.gov to ensure state and local elections officials can contact them if there are any issues with their ballot.
Sign up for the Library District’s Summer Challenge program to enjoy reading whatever you like, earn cool rewards, and participate in fun events!
COOL EVENTS!
All participants ages 0 – 17 receive a book reward, and participants ages 18+ receive a Book Buck that can be redeemed for any one item at any Library District bookstore. Participants of all ages also receive a voucher for five free boneless wings from Wingstop.
Then, when you complete the challenge, you will receive a voucher for a free treat from Freed’s Bakery, one free personal pizza from Pizza Hut, and your choice of one of these cool rewards.
Buckets N Boards
A hilarious and high-energy show chock-full of amazing percussion, ridiculous songs, spectacular tap dancing, and inventive instrumentation.
Tuesday, June 23 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Whitney Library
Tuesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.
West Charleston Library
All Ages
Dreamcatcher by Leland Faulkner
Traditional tales will be brought to life through modern storytelling.
Thursday, June 25 at 11 a.m. & 4 p.m.
Sahara West Library
Friday, June 26 at 11 a.m.
East Las Vegas Library
Ages 5 – 11
Anime Your Way with Carlos Nieto* Learn how to create unique characters!
Multiple dates & locations in June Ages 12 – 17
Paige in Full with Paige Hernandez*
Move your body in this beat-filled visual mixtape that blends poetry, dance, media, and music.
Tuesday, July 14 at 4 p.m.
West Charleston Library Ages 12 – 17
Scan here for event details
The Filharmonic Workshop & Live Performance*
This LA-based a cappella group of Filipino- Americans was featured in NBC’s “The Sing-Off.”
Vocal Workshop
Friday, May 29 at 11 a.m. Spring Valley Library Concert
Saturday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. Windmill Library
Lori Tapahonso* – Lecture
Learn the history of oral storytelling and teaching customs in Indigenous communities.
June 24 at 11 a.m.
June 24 at 4:30 p.m.
A TALE OF TWO
Southern Nevada confronts a challenging future after recent Colorado River water cuts further deplete Lake Mead’ s levels
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
Amid the worst regional drought the Western U.S. has seen in 1,200 years, and in a year where Rocky Mountain snowpack levels also hit record lows, the Colorado River system is now barely over one-third of its total hydrological capacity, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
As a result, water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the river’s two largest reservoirs, are also depleting rapidly. In April, with Lake Powell on track to fall below 3,490 feet later this year—the minimum level at which it can generate power—the Bureau of Reclamation stepped in to announce emergency reductions to the amount of Colorado River water released from Lake Powell downstream to Lake Mead.
In a statement, the Bureau of Reclamation noted that the decision was necessary to prevent issues including “instability in regional power and water supplies” for the upstream communities that depend on Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam. But the agency also acknowledged that it could simultaneously “accelerate the downstream decline of Lake Mead,” including a potential 40% reduction to Hoover Dam’s hydropower generating capacity as early as this fall.
In May 2026, the Bureau of Reclamation released a 24-month study projecting that Lake Mead could plummet to 1,021 feet by summer 2027, shattering its 2022 record low by more than 20 feet. For UNLV hydrology professor David Kreamer, these developments
Sightseers take in the views at Hoover Dam in June 1983. (AP Photo)
Photo by Tyler Schneider
amount to nothing short of a crisis.
“It’s a desperate time on the Colorado River. Lake Powell is in danger of losing its capacity to provide power because the power inlets are kind of high up in the [Glen Canyon Dam], and this was one way to stave off total disaster,” Kreamer says.
IMPACT ON SOUTHERN NEVADA
The situation has been driven by what Kreamer calls “a record low snow drought,” meaning the Colorado River simply isn’t getting anywhere near the water runoff the entire basin has come to depend on. The Bureau of Reclamation’s May 2026 study projects the crucial April-to-July snowmelt runoff at just 13% of its historical average.
“Our water doesn’t come from rainfall. It pretty much comes from melted snowpack. And with climate change, the snow is melting much earlier,” Kreamer says. “We’re just having a really bad year.”
For Southern Nevadans who are worried about their future access to tap water, Kreamer offers some level of reassurance, noting that Hoover Dam can draw water at deeper levels than the lake’s current trajectory threatens.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is tasked with regulating and maintaining the Valley’s water supply, confirmed this through spokesperson Bronson Mack.
“We invested as a community and built a deep-water intake and a low lake level pumping station at Lake Mead. Those two facilities secure our access to our water supply, regardless of what Lake Mead’s elevation is,” Mack says.
For Kreamer, the more immediate concern is electricity.
“I think that we’re going to be moving down toward where we have to start thinking about power generation,” he says.
According to the Colorado River Commission of Nevada, the Silver State receives 24% of the total energy produced by the Hoover Dam. NV Energy did not respond to a request for comment on how a disruption could impact service.
The drought has also strained Hoover Dam’s infrastructure, but some help arrived May 21, when the Bureau of Reclamation and Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo announced a $52 million investment toward upgrades for Hoover Dam that include new wide-head turbines designed to operate at lower lake elevations. The investment came through funds unlocked by the Help Hoover Dam Act, bipartisan legislation led by Nevada U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Rep. Susie Lee that was signed into law in February.
A NEED FOR COMPROMISE
The future of Hoover Dam’s power generation capacity and the river system itself largely rest on the seven basin state negotiators’ ability to reach a new long-term agreement on how to share the Colorado River’s water before the current deal expires at the end of 2026. But after already missing a federally mandated February deadline to establish a new plan, they remain at odds on how to proceed.
The Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada argue that the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming should face mandatory cuts to their water allocations, while the Upper Basin states counter that they shouldn’t have to because they already collectively use less than their allocated amounts.
In May, the Lower Basin states submitted a proposal to the Bureau of Reclamation identifying more than 3.2 million acre-feet of water cutbacks through 2028. Nevada— which has the smallest allocation of all seven states at just 300,000 acre-feet, or less than 2%—would
lose 50,000 acre-feet under that plan, which still requires final approvals from the three states to move forward. Still, if the Upper Basin doesn’t agree to additional cuts on their end before the new water year begins October 1, the federal government will likely decide for everyone.
The negotiators’ inability to compromise represents the most pressing threat to an equilibrium that the states have maintained ever since they agreed to the first Colorado River Compact in 1922. Back then, Kreamer says, then-Secretary of Commerce and future president Herbert Hoover helped them craft a deal that was appropriate at the time. Unfortunately, they had no way of knowing just how large the population of those states would grow from there.
“Back then, [Hoover] predicted that the population of the Colorado River Basin might quadruple. It was 457,000 people at the time, so that’s 1.83 million. Well, right now we’re at 40 million people in the basin, and we obviously overallocated,” Kreamer says.
A CRUCIAL SUMMER
While Mack reiterates that Southern Nevada’s drinking water isn’t threatened by the cuts from Lake Powell to Lake Mead, he notes that Lake Mead’s water levels were already experiencing
a steep decline prior to the April 17 announcement.
“We’ve already seen a sevento-eight-foot drop in Lake Mead’s elevation just over the past six weeks or so,” he says.
Lake Mead Mohave Adventures, a local outdoor recreation business that provides services like watercraft rentals, boat storage and tours from Lake Mead’s Callville Bay Resort Marina and Temple Bar Resort Marina, is well accustomed to these fluctuating water levels.
Chad Taylor, the company’s director of marketing and guest experience, says the recent cuts will certainly cause an added strain on operations.
“It’s something that we plan and strategize for,” Taylor says. “But lowering the water levels as they suggested definitely creates some additional work for us.”
For each foot of elevation that Lake Mead loses, Taylor says the company’s team of 10 will typically move a marina anywhere from five to 15 feet out.
“Trajectory and topography play a huge role, and there’s a lot of safety and compliance that has to happen,” he says.
“Say the marina drops five feet. We could be moving out 40 or 50 feet from where we were, and we have over 180 acres underwater that have to move with it. It’s a continuous process.”
“Back then, [President Hoover] predicted that the population of the Colorado River Basin might quadruple. It was 457,000 people at the time, so that’s 1.83 million. Well, right now we’re at 40 million people in the basin, and we obviously overallocated.”
– David Kreamer, UNLV hydrology professor
(AP
Photo/John Locher)
Raiders quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins make for clear leaders, fast friends during offseason practices
BY CASE KEEFER
As a stretching period ended to commence the start of the second Raiders’ official offseason practice, the entire team came together in a circle at the goal line of one of the team’s fields at their headquarters in Henderson.
Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza were right in the middle, offering more high-fives and words of motivation than possibly any other pair of players on the roster.
Call it appropriate placement because the pair of freshly arrived quarterbacks are at the center of everything for the Raiders’ upcoming seventh season since moving to Las Vegas.
“Two really competitive guys,” head coach Klint Kubiak said af-
with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Both have spoken about an aim and confidence in bringing the best out of each other, but they’ll also be competing in practice over the next few months to see who earns the right to start. The Raiders open the 2026-2027 campaign September 13 at Allegiant Stadium against the Miami Dolphins.
“I made this clear to Klint: The best player needs to play,” Cousins said. “If that’s not me, I don’t want to be out there.”
The expectation for most of the offseason has been that Cousins will start the year.
Raiders general manager John Spytek and de facto director of
Cousins was one of four Raiders to reach out to him immediately on draft night, and they’ve only connected more since both coming to Las Vegas for offseason team activities.
The Raiders’ social media team even produced some viral content out of their friendship, spoofing 2008 film Step Brothers with their annual schedule reveal video starring the two quarterbacks.
“I’d love for him to focus on football more,” the no-nonsense Kubiak responded when asked how he’d rate Mendoza’s acting skills.
Kubiak and Co. might be trying to downplay it, but Mendoza has passed the test of his first few practices with flying colors. He’s looked like a natural in the admittedly small fraction of Kubiak’s offense that the Raiders are drilling. But he still primarily practiced with the rookies in the second full-team session.
Cousins took the bulk of the first-team snaps, with mainstay former starter Aidan O’Connell rotating in ahead of Mendoza.
“It’s good to start on the bottom of the totem pole,” Mendoza said. “I have a lot to learn and a lot of growing with great coaches and great players around me.”
Kubiak is looking for perfection out of his quarterbacks. He won’t hesitate to offer any criticisms, including on something as trivial as the pre-practice encouragement circle.
“I thought it was a little too lengthy,” he said. “We probably lost two minutes of practice time right there, so we can dap it up a little quicker next time.”
Kirk Cousins by Steve Marcus; Fernando Mendoza by John Locher/AP Photo
Fernando Mendoza
Kirk Cousins
PRESENTED BY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DEVARGAS AND FELIPE TEJEDA
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Love songs are easy to fake. Real yearning is not. The Altons know the difference.
For the last decade, the East Los Angeles band has been building a sound that drips with ache, devotion and the kind of romantic desperation that makes people text their ex at 1 a.m. Their music doesn’t hide behind any irony; it would rather walk straight into heartbreak with flowers in hand.
Now with Heartache in Room 14, released last year (on Valentine’s Day, of course) through Daptone Records, The Altons have fully settled into their velvet shadows of modern “souldies.” This record truly sounds lived in. Slow dances under dim lights. Cigarette burns on motel carpet. The feeling of wanting somebody back even when you know better.
Bandmates Bryan Ponce (colead vocals, guitar), Adriana Flores (co-lead vocals), Chris “Bolillo” Manjarrez (bass) and Caitlin Moss (drums) carry the music with complete sincerity, forgoing the gimmicks or retro cosplay. This is soul music played by people who genuinely under-
stand longing as a lifestyle.
“The process has kind of always been the same,” says Ponce. Songs usually begin with a melody or chord progression before the band shapes the feeling together in the studio.
Working with legendary producer Gabe Roth, also known as Bosco Mann, gave the band space to deepen the textures and emotion behind the record. Recording on tape demanded precision and intention from every member.
“I’ve had to pinch myself multiple times because I was such a fangirl in the beginning,” says Flores.
But there isn’t just one track
we could point you to truly experience the sound of The Altons. There are elements of Motown, psychedelia, sweet Spanish duets, lush arrangements and cinematic elements that make listening to the entire album well worth your time.
The album’s core comes from growing up in LA, where musical identity is never boxed into one thing. Soul exists next to punk and hip-hop. Old corridos blast from backyard parties and oldies echo through passing cars at night. The Altons absorb all of it.
Manjarrez laughs while admitting his love for Coldplay. Flores pulls inspiration from Aussie
punk act Amyl and the Sniffers and indie band Wet Leg when thinking about lyrics. Moss gravitates toward jazz, hip-hop and experimental music. Somehow all those threads collapse into something seamless once The Altons start playing together.
That emotional honesty has connected them with audiences far beyond California. And there’s a generational throughline that’s taking physical form at their shows. Audiences of all ages pack into venues to soak in and dance to this timeless sound.
“Sometimes we go to the middle of nowhere and wonder if people are going to show up and then it’s a packed room,” says Flores. “When we started traveling more, we started realizing that Latinos are everywhere.”
And so is longing.
“Everybody’s a little romantic,” says Manjarrez.
Flores agrees. “Latinos are yearners for real.”
The Altons are not trying to reinvent soul music. They’re reigniting it by making it personal again. Which is much harder, but they’re doing a damn good job of it.
Ugly Duckling beautifies karaoke with deep cuts, chill vibes and concert-quality sound
BY GEOFF CARTER
araoke first appeared stateside in the 1980s. It took a while to catch on. I remember encountering the word karaoke—a Japanese portmanteau meaning “empty orchestra”—in a 1987 story in Rolling Stone; something about David Byrne trying out this new-to-America form of interactive art with a demented version of “Whole Lotta Love.” It sounded so wonderfully avant-garde to my ears, a new form of creative expression: “Ooh, karaoke! The Talking Heads guy likes it!”
But alas: Smash cut to 40 years later, and a drunk crypto bro torturing “Mr. Brightside” half to death. Back in the 1980s, I could scarcely have imagined the eldritch terror of hearing the opening notes of “Sweet Caroline” in a karaoke bar, knowing what was coming next.
Ugly Duckling—now open in the Arts District, in a space it shares with the relocated Swan Dive—returns karaoke to the realm of art. A cousin to Portland, Oregon hot spot Baby Ket-
ten Karaoke—named “America’s greatest karaoke night” by the New York Times—Ugly Duckling is karaoke that David Byrne could love. Rotation bribes are banned. The sound is impeccable, and a vocal monitor helps you to keep good pitch. And their 393-page catalog is packed with songs you’ve likely never performed as karaoke: Destroyer’s “Tinseltown Swimming in Blood,” Tyler The Creator’s “Okra,” “Get Schwifty” from Rick & Morty and thousands more deep cuts, mashups and remixes. And they just plain sound good. Most of Ugly Duckling’s karaoke songs are built around the original backing tracks, meticulously assembled by Baby Ketten founder John Brophy himself. Sitting at Ugly Duckling’s bar with the venue’s general manager Chauncy James, Brophy tells an illustrative story about visiting a karaoke room in Japan.
UGLY DUCKLING
“I’m like, oh, they’ve got Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Perfect Drug,’ and it’s like…” Brophy makes a tinny, cheap keyboard noise. “And the video is, like, two lovers by the side of a duck pond. I still enjoy it. But to me, nothing rivals fronting a live karaoke band that’s nailing it. A nice sound system, replicating the volume and the bass as closely as possible, as if that band’s behind you … that’s the design for this place.”
KARAOKE LOUNGE 1412 S. Main St., instagram.com/ugly duckling karaokelounge. Thursday-Monday, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
Put another way: I saw someone sing Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” with that song’s original instrumentation and music video. That man instantly transformed into Dave Gahan. Well, he did in his heart, anyway, and that’s what matters. Ugly Duckling’s proximity to the new Swan Dive—the spaces share a roof but are separated by a thick wall, with little to no sonic bleed between the two—makes the bar a solid choice for anyone wanting to make an entire
evening of it. I performed a song before watching Memorials and Holy F--- at Swan Dive, and even enjoyed watching the bartenders belt out a few between serving up Ugly Duckling’s strongly poured, exquisitely tasty cocktails.
“Everybody we have here behind the bar loves to perform,” James says. “They wait in line to sing like everybody else. And if they must, they’ll sing from behind the bar while they’re working.”
They’ll never get bored. Ugly Duckling’s songbook is so vast that your go-to karaoke songs may be rendered obsolete. Some time back, Brophy made a point of singing a different song every time he got up to the mic. He stuck to his “no-repeat challenge” for two years. “It’s not for everyone,” he admits.
Well, it’s for me. I’ve done three songs at the bar, by the Replacements, New Order and Devo respectively. I won’t sing those songs at Ugly Duckling again. If he’s out there, I challenge David Byrne.
Beabadoobee
“She Plays Bass” Cupcakke
“Squidward Nose”
Neko Case
“This Tornado Loves You”
Dangerdoom
“Sofa King”
Jpegmafia
“Don’t Rely on Other Men”
The Killers
“Feel It In My Bones” (with Ryan Pardey)
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard “Rattlesnake”
M83
“Kim & Jessie”
Radiohead
“Everything in its Right Place” (8-bit version)
The Vandals
“Urban Struggle”
Photo by Geoff Carter
ANDOmnia Dayclub arrives on the pool scene like a summer fever dream
BY AMBER SAMPSON
The scene at Omnia Dayclub washes over me like a tidal wave of debauchery. It’s a bacchanalia of bottle girls and bikinis, wet decks and disastrously hot men with biceps the size of small babies. Everyone looks incredible. Everything sounds incredible, too. The quivering basslines of Australian tech-house hitmaker Fisher test the foundation of the DJ booth. It’s chest-high, so low and intimate you could fist bump the rowdy Aussie if you wanted to. And who wouldn’t?
No one throws a party quite like Tao Group Hospitality. Omnia Dayclub’s grand opening weekend was, by all measures, a mini-festival. After Fisher set the mood, Rüfüs Du Sol swept in with a solid supply of glistening melodies on Saturday,
followed by a euphoric swell of Martin Garrix beats on Sunday. The stars couldn’t resist the shine, as everyone from LeBron James and Shay Mitchell to Sofia Vergara and Travis Pastrana joined the party.
A Mykonos and Ibiza-inspired dayclub is easy to flaunt on paper but near impossible to execute without the right amount of passion. Omnia Dayclub, with its imported olive trees and private palatial cabanas and plunge pools, nails the exotic excess associated with a summertime getaway.
Two central pools on the main floor are where the chaos concentrates.
It’s where the girls from that weekend bachelorette trip cool down between blasts of cryo cannons as the party heats up. The DJ stage demands attention with
its 8K LED screen that swims with vibrant visuals. And the VIP tables situated behind the booth offer elite access to the artists, blurring the line between fan and insider. In terms of people watching, Omnia Dayclub’s upper deck feels like a whole other ball game. It’s a spacious reprieve from the party below, offering a sweeping view of the club and the Strip. Perched near the bridge connecting the club to Omnia Nightclub is also Skybar, a private terrace where you can enjoy drinks and signature bites away from the action but still close enough to feel the vibrations of it.
This debut held little back in terms of spectacle. The only thing left is to shamelessly eye our calendars, eager to head back and do it all over again next weekend.
DAYBREAKER
May 31, 9 a.m., $20-$35, Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.
BY AMBER SAMPSON
If there’s anything we’re learning about the next generation of partiers, it’s that alcohol is no longer a necessity. Daybreaker, a global sober dance party founded by Radha Agrawal, is taking over Omnia Dayclub on May 31. As younger audiences start to prioritize healthy
raving over hangovers, movements like Daybreaker have found an unlikely home in electronic dance music circles.
“People still want music, dancing, catharsis, and connection, but increasingly they want to feel good while doing it,” Agrawal said in a statement. “Bringing
Daybreaker into a venue like Omnia feels symbolic of a much larger cultural shift happening in real time.”
Guests will hit the dance floor at sunrise for guided yoga and grooves from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by a DJ set by Dutch hitmaker Afrojack. Now that’s how you do an alarm clock.
Omnia Dayclub welcomes sober sunrise dance party Daybreaker
Courtesy Omnia Dayclub
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Restaurant Week returns with fabulous menus and serious impact
BY BROCK RADKE
If you’re a longtime local who lives to explore the dining scene, you already know it’s that time of year again. But if you’re new to Las Vegas, you might not be aware of the incredible deals to be had during Restaurant Week, or the incredible impact the annual event is able to make in the community.
“With one in six Southern Nevadans facing hunger, Las Vegas Restaurant Week is a powerful way to support both local restaurants and neighbors who may not know where their next meal is coming from,” says Will Edwards, philanthropy officer at Three Square Food Bank. “Each year, this event demonstrates what a great city can do when good food is combined with kindness and generosity. The entire community comes together to ensure everyone has a meal at the table.”
Last year, more than 290 local restaurants participated, raising
an all-time high $403,358 for Three Square, providing 1.2 million meals for those in need. Since 2007, Las Vegas Restaurant Week has helped provide more than 10 million meals to continue the fight against hunger.
This year, more than 300 restaurants and special promotions will be dishing it up June 1-12, which means we can break last year’s record—feasting at our favorite spots and discovering new favorites along the way.
Visiting restaurantweeklv.org and finding a menu you want to explore is a great first step in getting involved with Three Square, Edwards says, and simply “enjoy a great meal for a great cause.” The next step, “if you are searching for a fun, rewarding experience, Three Square welcomes both individuals and groups to volunteer,” he continues. “If you are in a position to give, every dollar you give provides three wholesome meals.”
To learn more or support the mission, visit threesquare.org
And if you need a little nudge in making Restaurant Week plans, here are just a few spots across the Valley we have our eyes on.
Honey Salt
As one of the all-time friendliest neighborhood restaurants in town, Honey Salt is always on our RW list. Lunch ($30) has some fresh new entrees, but the dinner menu ($50) is truly a steal with three courses that could include chicken curry, shrimp scampi linguine, steak frites or bacon-wrapped meatloaf with tomato jam, asparagus and mashed potatoes.
Braseria by Edo
Easily one of the hottest new restaurants in Vegas, Braseria is going all out for Restaurant Week with a four-course dinner ($80) that will end up being more than four dishes—sampling different little bites is just what they do here. Prepare yourself for Parisian gnocchi with comté cheese and roasted scallion, golden beet tartare with Savora mustard sorbet, and saffron risotto with tiger shrimp, lardo, English peas and garlic aioli.
Kyu
If you want to ball out on your RW budget, head to Fontainebleau’s wood-fired, Asian-inspired palace, but good luck choosing a single entree for your second course of this offering ($90). Korean fried chicken, Chilean sea bass or filet mignon with fire-roasted kimchi? Impossible decisions, and then you have to consider the upgrades of Thai rice stone pot with lobster or smoked Wagyu tri tip. At least you can make sure your table gets both desserts—the signature black sugar cinnamon roll with chai frosting and the dark chocolate s’mores cake.
Hedary’s
This local Mediterranean institution shines with a four-course dinner menu ($30) offering your choice of legendary dips hummus, baba ghanoush or labni to start, then lentil soup, Greek salad or the spinach and feta-stuffed pastry ftayir. Chicken, steak, kafta or combination shish kabob with vegetables and rice is the main attraction, capped by some of the Valley’s best baklava.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the weeks ahead, simply being right won’t lead to success. Having strength, intelligence, wealth or connections might help, though less than usual. Instead, rely on a blend of cleverness and integrity. Be cunning while remaining honorable, practicing subtle strategy in service of higher aims. Let go of any need to receive full recognition for your efforts.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Dear Horoscope Guy: Two astrologers assured me that as a Taurus, I’m a money magnet. So why am I broke? I beg for cash miracles and buy lottery tickets twice a week, but still nothing! –Taurus Desperate for Dollars.” Dear Desperate: The luck you crave arrives as you diligently build your sweetest dreams, spurning shortcuts. The Divine prefers to fund eager co-creators, not wishful thinkers. A slow-motion jackpot will ultimately arrive through your devoted attention to what excites you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Among the Dogon of Mali, Sigui so is a secret language used in sacred rituals to mend tribal harmony. I’m borrowing “Sigui so” as a symbol for a way of talking you should specialize in now: language that eases tensions and fosters unity. Unleash your trademark wit, but spike it with sly blessings and tactful probes. Wield your fluency to burn away confusion, uncover unspoken feelings and give everyone permission to be their idiosyncratic selves.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): What’s the holiest, most healing trouble you could rustle up right now? I mean a buoyant disruption that freshens what’s stale without scorching the earth—like telling wild truths you usually soften, or asking for what your future self pines for instead of what is polite. I dare us to give ourselves permission to rumble. Let’s be brazen, instigating creative upheavals and at least one concrete action to rattle stagnant patterns.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sea otters are a keystone species essential to their entire ecosystem. As they eat sea urchins, kelp forests flourish; without them, the kelp may collapse, affecting hundreds of other species. One creature’s appetite regulates an entire undersea neighborhood. I suspect you’re serving a similar function, Leo. You are wielding more influence than you realize. Act accordingly: with maximum integrity and robust responsibility.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A Dutch woman left her grand-nephew an inheritance of 220,000 euros. The only problem is that he’s homeless and constantly moving, so executors cannot find him. This echoes a pattern in your life. Sources of blessings are searching for ways to reach you, but you are slow to notice. Figure out how to make yourself fully available for these gifts.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Visualize your fears. Consider how few rest on a genuine likelihood of happening, and how much uneasiness springs from vivid fantasies or mass culture. Take one concrete action to lower the tension you treat as normal, and another to weaken the grip of your deepest dread. You now have the bold, creative power necessary to shrink your baseline anxiety.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You have a sacred duty to celebrate your poignant sweetness and dark intelligence. For your emotional health, pay wild reverence to your deepest, most mysterious yearnings and tenderly nurture your inner world. I suggest memorizing this prayer by Rainer Maria Rilke: “Be attentive to what is arising within you, and place that above everything you perceive around you. What is happening in your innermost self is worthy of your entire love.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Linguists use the term “false friends” for words in different languages that seem similar but mean different things—like the Spanish embarazada, which means pregnant, not embarrassed. You are dealing with a situational false friend: people or circumstances variance with what you initially imagined. Rather than feeling unsettled, treat this as a prod to see with fresh eyes. This disorientation could begin more interesting understandings.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) includes a built-in error-detection notation. If you transpose two numbers, the last digit flags the mistake. Capricorn, build more mistake detection into your life. Invest in extra safeguards, verification steps and double-checks to create systems robust enough to survive oversights. Give yourself safety nets that will empower you to take smart risks and intriguing gambles.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may not yet grasp how richly creative you are right now. Consider this advance notice: Your capacity to originate ideas, projects and connections is surging, making it crucial to choose with care which possibilities you nurture. If you are selective and intentional about what you sow, then about six months from now you will gather lush, beautiful harvests instead of wrestling with overgrown, unruly tangles.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Ethnobotanist Wade Davis documented how different cultures perceive entirely different realities. Two people can stand in the same forest and see different landscapes through their personal mythology. This is your opportunity and your problem. You and others are inhabiting divergent realities. To reconcile them, you must first acknowledge them as fundamentally different ways of constructing meaning, not just small misunderstandings.
NEVADA STATE MUSEUM | NATIONAL SHOWGIRL DAY | MAY 21, 2026 May 24 was National Showgirl Day, an event we ought to celebrate with re-enactments, leopard-print athleisure and blowout sales on rhinestones and ostrich plumes. On May 21, Fantasy producer/creator and National Showgirl Day founder Anita Mann (second from left) marked the day by donating original costumes from Fantasy to the Nevada State Museum, and joining (from left) Fantasy performance director Ashton Bray, museum director Hollis J. Gillespie and Fantasy featured performers Mariah Nieslanik and Ciara Cornett for this lineup of fierce queens. –Geoff Carter
