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SEPTEMBER 19, 2026 Early Entry: 3PM General Admission: 4PM - 7PM

EDITORIAL

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HO GR AV TEL EAT AIL RA AB TES LE

8.20.26

NELLY Psilocybin-assisted therapy has been hailed as a mental health breakthrough that could be legalized. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

ON THE COVER

18 LEGALIZING A LIFELINE In a state ranked last for mental health, lawmakers, researchers and clinicians are pushing for a pilot program to help struggling veterans and first responders.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24

tickets from $ *

SPECIAL GUEST

COVER ART Photo illustration

WEEKLY Q&A Silverton aquatics safety manager Kristin Janise inspires desert dwellers to dive in and discover marine life.

SPORTS UNLV is still on the rise and expects more big things in the new football season. FILM Two friends documented a 112-mile hike to raise awareness of climate change’s impact on local ecosystems.

SCENE Spilled Milk and Urban Jungle grow community and good-natured competition with plant bingo. STAGE Majestic Repertory Theatre’s Prom Night ’99 immerses audiences in nostalgic high school drama.

FOOD & DRINK Straight from Japan to Spring Mountain, Hatoya enters the growing matcha market.

08 SUPERGUIDE

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L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

8.20.26

SUPERGUIDE THURSDAY AUG 20 LAS VEGAS ACES VS. CONNECTICUT SUN 7 p.m., Michelob Ultra Arena, axs.com. CRAIG ROBINSON Thru 8/22, 7 p.m. (& 8/21-8/22, 9:30 p.m.), Wiseguys, wiseguyscomedy. com. BARRY MANILOW 7 p.m., & 8/22 (& 8/21, 8 p.m.), Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com.

*Spotlight events are sponsored

FRIDAY AUG 21 BOYZ II MEN 8 p.m., & 8/22, the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL Thru 8/22, times vary, Mandalay Bay, vegassongwriters. com.

JEEZY 8 p.m., & 8/22, PH Live, ticketmaster.com. PAT BENATAR & NEIL GIRALDO 8 p.m., Pearl Theater, axs.com.

PEPPER With The Movement, Joe Samba, 7 p.m., Bel-Aire Backyard, axs.com.

BLACK SHEEP With DJ Jenna Palmer, 9 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com. CHRIS JANSON 8 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, rwlasvegas.com.

DO IT ALL

OUT IN FRONT With High Sierra Club, Superhiro, 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com. YOI TOKI With Saint Pepsi, Engelwood, Kidd Nostalgia, 9 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com.

S P OT L I G H T E V E N T

S U P E R G U I D E

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ASHLEY WALLS 10 p.m., Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, tixr.com.

SOFI TUKKER With Ares, noon, Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. Courtesy

THE RACING ZONE Beat the heat this August at the Racing Zone with our hottest deal yet: $30 per hour exclusively on eSports racing simulators all month long. Experience 22 immersive racing simulators featuring more than 100 cars and over 100 world-renowned tracks, plus enjoy a full-service bar and an atmosphere that’s just as exciting to watch as it is to race. Then, mark your calendar for Porsche Race Night on August 27, where you’ll have the chance to drive legendary Porsche race cars on the Las Vegas Grand Prix Circuit and other iconic tracks from around the world. Whether you’re a seasoned sim racer or trying it for the first time, there’s no better time to hit the track. theracingzone.com

RUSSELL PETERS 8 p.m., & 8/22, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.

S P OT L I G H T E V E N T

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 the Las Vegas Boulevard at 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

Courtesy

WAX MOTIF 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. PROSECUTE 10 p.m., Disopussy, tixr.com.

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MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

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COMEDY

MISC

SATURDAY AUG 22 Courtesy

MARSHMELLO 11 a.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com.

GUNS N’ ROSES 6:25 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, ticketmaster.com.

ZEDD 11 a.m., Palm Tree Beach Club, taogroup.com.

JORGE MEDINA 8 p.m., Pearl Theater, axs.com.

AFROJACK 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com.

HATEBREED With Creeping Death, Terror, Incantation, Gates to Hell, Torture, 4 p.m., House of Blues, ticketmaster.com.

LOUIS THE CHILD 11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com.

SURELY TEMPO 7 p.m., the Wall at Area15, area15.com. FIDDLE & FERN ENSEMBLE 2 p.m., Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, rdamuseum.org. TODD KERNS Times vary, Hard Rock Cafe, cafe.hardrock.com. MAGIC MEN AUSTRALIA 7:30 p.m., & 8/23, Plaza Showroom, plazahotelcasino.com. TIËSTO 11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com.

SPEEDWAY CHILDREN’S CHARITIES SOUTH POINT CAR & TRUCK SHOW This free annual family friendly event has it all— plenty of varied vendors, different food and drinks available for purchase and an overwhelming amount of raffles and prizes—but most importantly, it offers the chance to check out some of the hottest cars, trucks and even semi tractors, exhibited by locals. Awards will be presented for the People’s Choice, Children’s Choice and more, and proceeds benefit Speedway Children’s Charities, dedicated to making sure health, safety, education and joy are within reach for kids in Southern Nevada and across the country. 9 a.m., free, South Point Exhibit Hall, speedwaycharities.org. –Brock Radke

STEVE AOKI 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com. KASKADE 10 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. RL GRIME 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com. TY DOLLA SIGN 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com. NEON VIBRA With Nio Garcia, 10 p.m., Tailgate Beach Club, tailgatebeachclub.com. DE QUALITE 10 p.m., Disopussy, tixr.com.

S P OT L I G H T E V E N T STORY OF THE YEAR Story of the Year hits Fremont Street Experience bringing more than two decades of post-hardcore anthems to the 1st Street Stage at 9 p.m. From breakout album Page Avenue to fan favorites “Until the Day I Die,” “Anthem of Our Dying Day” and “Sidewalks,” relive some of the defining sounds of the early 2000s— live and free in Downtown Las Vegas. Upgrade your night with a SlotZilla VIP package for two complete with zipline tickets, wristbands for access to front of stage, SlotZilla T-shirt and a BOGO drink card valid at participating neighboring hotels. vegasexperience.com/dtr/ Courtesy

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SUPERGUIDE SUNDAY AUG 23

MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

Courtesy

APRIL MACIE With Zako Ryan, thru 8/30, 8 p.m., Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club, mgmgrand.com. YAMANEIKA SAUNDERS With Colum Tyrrell, Leonard Ouzts, Julio Diaz, thru 8/30, 7:30 & 9:30 p.m., Comedy Cellar, ticketmaster.com. SHANG FORBES Thru 8/30, 8 p.m., LA Comedy Club, bestvegascomedy. com. LAS VEGAS LADIES NIGHT 7 p.m., Maxan Jazz, maxanjazz.com.

BRIDGING THE MUSIC LAS VEGAS MINIFEST 7 p.m., Backstage Bar & Billiards, eventim.us.

SOUL TOWN & JACK CONNOR 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com.

WIZ KHALIFA 11 a.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com. DJ PAULY D 11 a.m., Omnia Dayclub, taogroup.com. S U P E R G U I D E

MISC

MONDAY, AUG 24

ROMAN CANDLE With Bite The Hand, Drought, The Saddest Landscape, Sincerely Yours, 5 p.m., Grey Witch, dice.fm.

DO IT ALL

COMEDY

MONDAY AUG 24

BREW & HOUSE COFFEE PARTY The rise of the alt-party continues. Multiple house DJs at We All Scream’s indoor and outdoor stages collide with specialty coffee concoctions, craft ice cream and lazy-sweet vibes when national daytime lifestyle brand Brew & House lands on Fremont East. Its core principles: The coffee bar is the centerpiece, not a sidepiece; the music is warm and designed for daytime; and the event is defined by the stylish and social people who attend. 11 a.m., $23+, We All Scream, avenueticket.com. -Brock Radke

JOSHWA 11:30 a.m., LIV Beach, livnightclub.com.

FOOD

SPORTS

JUSTIN CREDIBLE 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com. TYLER HENRY To the existential question, “where do we go after we die?” Tyler Henry gives some solace: our loved ones never really leave us. The medium known for communing with the dead on shows such as E’s Hollywood Medium and Netflix’s Live from the Other Side and Life After Death brings live audience readings to the Pearl. Henry has brought celebrities and countless people a sense of comfort—even closure—despite their grief. Don’t miss your chance to open the window to the other side. 8 p.m., $58+, Pearl Theater, axs.com.

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SUPERGUIDE TUESDAY AUG 25

MUSIC

PARTY

ARTS

SPORTS

FOOD

COMEDY

MISC

WEDNESDAY AUG 26

LAS VEGAS AVIATORS VS. SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS Thru 8/29, 7:05 p.m., Las Vegas Ballpark, ticketmaster.com. SHEENA EASTON Thru 8/27, 7 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com. ANEES With Michael Minelli, 7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com. NAOMI ROSE 8 p.m., the BackSpace, thespacelv.com. MIKEY FRANCIS 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com.

S U P E R G U I D E

IKONS OF ROCK Classic rock tribute shows have always had a place in Vegas casinos because the music connects with multigenerational audiences— and it’s just good-time stuff. SPI Entertainment opens a new one this week in one of the most underrated showrooms on the Strip at the Strat: Ikons of Rock showcases iconic tunes from Heart, Def Leppard, KISS, Ozzy Osbourne and more. It stars Darren Moore (also a co-producer), formerly of Canadian Music Hall of Fame band Harlequin, along with a stellar cast of singers and musicians who will have you ready to “Rock and Roll All Nite.” 7 p.m. nightly (dark Monday), $62+, Strat Theater, thestrat.com. –Brock Radke

Courtesy/Fabrice Demessence

TEASE AFTER DARK 8 p.m., the Usual Place, eventbrite.com.

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ROGER DALTREY With Jeffrey Gaines, 8 p.m., & 8/28-8/29, Encore Theater, ticketmaster. com.

KARA MCKEE 7 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com. INDIE FLORENTINO 8 p.m., Easy’s Cocktail Lounge, easysvegas.com.

FILM: GOODFELLAS With discussion w/ Geoff Schumacher, 7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverly theater.com. MAD HATTER TEA Thru 8/31, times vary, Peacock Alley at Waldorf Astoria, hilton.com.

IT’S MURPH 10:30 p.m., Encore Beach Club, wynnsocial.com. ERIC FORBES 9 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com. MELE 10:30 p.m., Marquee Nightclub, taogroup.com.

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8.20.26

Kristin Janise shares her love of diving at Silverton aquarium and beyond BY SHANNON MILLER sense of wonder captivates adults and children alike as they gaze at thousands of tropical fish in Silverton’s aquarium—clumsy pufferfish scooting along, yellowbar angelfish precisely picking at structures of coral and graceful stingrays gliding across the tank. Out of the blue, a mermaid appears. She flips and blows bubble kisses through the thick glass that separates this underwater world from the casino floor. “The kids light up at that,” says Kristin Janise, aquatics safety manager for the aquarium—and occasional mermaid. The 117,000-gallon aquarium has two daily feeding shows (1:30 and 4:30 p.m.) and mermaids swimming Thursday through Sunday, eight hours a day. Janise oversees all dive operations of safety divers, mermaids and aquarists. The instructor and PADI-certified Master Scuba Diver (the black belt of scuba certifications) also owns a local diving business (lvdive adventures.com) that provides opportunities for people to earn scuba certifications and do exotic excursions. She is also a public safety diver instructor and a volunteer on Las Vegas Metropolitan Police’s search and rescue dive team. The desert mermaid took a moment to come up for fresh air and speak with the Weekly about sharing her love of water, taking care of the sea and helping solve crimes in Lake Mead.

C U L T U R E

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W E E K L Y

Q & A

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Are you originally from Vegas? How did you discover your love for water? I was born and raised here, and then I left after high school. … I went to California for a few years, and then ended up in South Carolina, where I got my degree. I was always a water kid—always swimming, always in the lake. That’s when I kind of fell in love with it. My parents had a boat, so every summer, I was swimming in [Lake Mead] all the time. I’d snorkel around and see what creatures I could find. The water’s murky there, but if you saw one fish it was a good day. In high school, they had a few classes that went into marine science. That’s how I got on my way. Not only do you teach certified mermaid classes, you are an occasional mermaid in the Silverton aquarium. What’s it like seeing people from that perspective? Do you feel like a tropical fish? Sometimes you do. It’s a lot of fun, though. The kids love the mermaids, but even when we’re in there just scrubbing, we have kids that are just so amazed that you’re in the water with all these animals. I think the diving aspect, they see it as more of a technical thing, as where the mermaids are kind of more magical. Mermaids do tricks like bubble rings, bubble hearts and flips. What are some of your favorite creatures in the tank? Porcupine pufferfish have the cutest little faces and a lot of personality. They’re very smart. A lot of our animals are target trained, especially for feedings. That’s how we know how much food they’re getting. Our pufferfish are trained to come over to the step. We have a little target we put in there for them,

Photos by Steve Marcus

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A mermaid performs in Silverton’s aquarium.

and they know when it’s feeding time. … Most people think fish just forget everything instantly, and some do. But there are some that are actually very intelligent.

where there are all these objects underwater for us to look at. We have one called Wreck Alley. So there’s a few sunken boats that are around that area. We can get down to 130 feet, which is our recreational limit.

There are so many risks involved with diving. What is your approach to mitigation? Everybody who works at the aquarium has to be scuba-certified. … Our mermaids have to be open water certified as well, because they do breathe compressed air at the bottom of the aquarium. Our safety divers have to be rescue certified because they are the ones in charge of the safety of the mermaids. Every three to four months, I’m running a rescue training with them, where they are pulling people out of the water, we are going over CPR and oxygen administration, getting mermaids out of the water. It’s making sure that it’s muscle memory, so if anything does happen, that just kicks in.

You started volunteering on Metro’s search and rescue dive team in 2019. How has that been? It’s a very different type of diving, it’s not recreational or playing around. You have to know exactly what you’re doing and what the plan is. We might be looking for something and not be able to see very far. You have to be comfortable being under there and still doing a search pattern, trying to find whatever we’re in there to find, and be calm and comfortable. We’re looking for anything that falls under police jurisdiction. We’ll find vehicles or evidence. We do trainings once a month and train in blackout masks so we’re prepared for the environment.

Is Lake Mead a nice site to dive? How deep do you go? I actually really like Lake Mead, although a lot of people don’t like to dive in it. It does depend on the conditions and time of year you go. If you go in the winter, it’s very cold, but it’s very clear. It gives you a nice view of everything under there. In the summer with visibility, if we get five feet, it’s a good day. [But] if you can be comfortable diving in the lake, you can go anywhere tropical where the water is crystal clear. We have specific dive sites

What would you say is important to be aware of when it comes to marine life? Because I take people all over the world diving, my big thing is, don’t touch. It doesn’t matter if it looks like it’s dead, like coral. Don’t touch anything underwater. Leave the animals be. If they come up to you, that’s a cool interaction for you to have. But don’t chase or harass anything. Even in the desert, we say all water leads to the ocean. Don’t pollute. If you take something in, take it out with you.

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8.20.26

THE MATS PROJECT Find volunteer event dates and locations at crochetclass.org/ the-mats-project

The ongoing Cielo Tejido project at East Las Vegas Library is actively working on knitting hexagons in support of the library’s art installation leading up to Día de los Muertos. This class is specifically for beginner crocheters to learn the five patterns that will be used to create a sky canopy. August 29, 10 a.m., 2851 E. Bonanza Road.

THE MATS PROJECT IS SEEKING CROCHET AND WEAVING VOLUNTEERS TO HELP THE HOMELESS BY SHANNON MILLER At The Mats Project’s Sunday meetup at Centennial Hills Library, about a dozen volunteers gleefully convert plastic bags into “plarn.” They take scissors to donated, defective bags, cutting them into strips and looping them together to make a continuous string, which can then be used to create 6-by-3-foot sleeping mats. The initiative of the nonprofit Crochet Class (crochetclass.org) donates the mats to Shine A Light Foundation, which distributes them to the unhoused in the Valley. Founder Merri Medley says The Mats Project didn’t start with any seed money. It all started with teaching people to crochet. “I did some research and found that crochet has a lot of health benefits. It’s almost like a type of therapy. It engages both the right and left hemispheres of the brain when you’re counting stitches, changing colors, those types of activities—especially for seniors, helps keep us mentally sharp and helps our focus,” Medley says. A select number of volunteers know how to crochet mats and can teach any volunteers who want to learn. In addition to crochet, the nonprofit recently developed a peg loom for weaving. The materials were purchased with proceeds from a $3,000 donation from the local culinary event Vegas Unstripped. The loom has tripled the nonprofit’s productivity threshold, Medley says, adding that, as of June, the Mats Project has already donated 140 mats to the homeless and their “fur babies.” At Centennial Hills Library, crocheting or weaving mats is “not hard labor,” says one volunteer. It’s an opportunity to socialize and make a difference in someone’s day. “We donate drawstring bags filled with everyday essentials, including a little note to recipients to remind them they are loved, they do matter and they are valued,” Medley says. “When we go out and distribute them, I notice that they read the note first. They don’t just dive into the kit and look for the food items. They immediately read the note. That just touches your heart.”

Keep it low-stakes at Fiber Arts Lounge at Sunrise Library Auditorium, where you’re invited to bring your own project and meet other makers who have a passion for crochet and knitting. September 2 & 9, 5 p.m., 5400 E. Harris Ave. Teens grades 6-12 are invited to join in punch needle, crochet and felting at the Fiber Arts Club at Windmill Library. Those who are interested can also get their sewing certification. September 3, 3 p.m., 7060 W. Windmill Lane. In the Loop invites needle crafters to bring their work to a social setting and unwind with crafting and conversation. September 6, 10:30 a.m., 6711 N. Buffalo Drive. Visit thelibrarydistrict.org for more event information.

Shutterstock

Merri Medley (second from left) and volunteers with The Mats Project (Photo by Shannon Miller)

Geared toward ages 12 to 17, Crochet Corner takes over Teen Tuesday at Enterprise Library. September 1, 4 p.m., 8310 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

TA ST I N G E X P E R I E N C E

SEPTEMBER 12 | 1PM - 4PM TEQUILA TASTING STATIONS STREET FOOD FAVORITES LIVE DJ MILLION DOLLAR VIEWS

Visit CircaLasVegas.com or scan to learn more. 702-247-2258 | 8 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101 @LegacyClub | @CircaLasVegas

L A S V E G A S W E E K LY

8.20.26

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted “breakthrough therapy” designation for psilocybin, or “magic mushrooms,” in 2018. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

‘HEALING LOUDLY’ BY TYLER SCHNEIDER

As public perception and legislation moves, psychedelics could offer a lifeline for Nevada’s struggling veterans and first responders

All headshots courtesy

Editor’s note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

rom soldiers returning home from a tour suddenly haunted by the full weight of what they endured, to police officers, paramedics and firefighters grappling with casualties they were ultimately powerless to prevent, Nevada’s veteran and first responder communities carry a heavy mental health burden that too often hides in plain sight. Grim numbers fully bear out this reality. In 2023, according to Department of Veterans Affairs data, the state recorded the highest veteran suicide rate in the country at 61.2 per 100,000—more than double the rate of civilian Nevadans. And according to state officials, at least 26 of Nevada’s first responders died by suicide between 2019 and 2023, 19 of which worked

in law enforcement. For many, conventional remedies like antidepressants, sleeping pills and rigorous talk therapy simply aren’t cutting it. Clinicians call this “treatment resistant,” a label for patients who don’t improve after trying two or more standard treatments. Nevada veteran Gehrig Tucker inherited his burden in 2019, after sustaining two traumatic brain injuries within 48 hours while training for the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification Course in North Carolina. Retired from service against his will, Tucker returned home to Carson City a changed man. “I was in such a rough spot cognitively that if I were to go change the oil in my truck, I would have to watch the same YouTube video and write down the five steps because I was just not there,” he says. “I’d never experienced skin-crawling anxiety in my life, but I was so scared to go to sleep because my night terrors were so bad. The first

year or so was me trying to tough it out, and it just was not working.” He contemplated suicide “on a minutely basis” for four years, until a 2023 attempt marked a turning point that prompted him to seek help. But even after receiving care from a traumatic brain injury clinic in Boston, where he was placed on a regimen of antidepressants, uppers, downers and ketamine, “nothing was changing. I would say I was regressing.” Enter psychedelic drugs, which could represent a long-forbidden lifeline for people battling a range of mental health disorders, including the roughly one-third of PTSD patients who, like Tucker, are treatment resistant. These drugs have been classified as illegal Schedule I substances since 1970, when the Controlled Substances Act deemed them to have high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Penalties for possession in Nevada are up to four years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines.

8.20.26

LEGALIZING

LIFELINE

But more recent clinical trials have started to chip away at the belief that psychedelics are inherently criminal or simply recreational. The Food and Drug Administration granted “breakthrough therapy” designation for MDMA—also known as ecstasy— in 2017, and for psilocybin—or “magic mushrooms”—a year later. While that status is a far cry from legalization, it does expedite the FDA’s review of substances that could have legitimate medical benefits. Moving the needle further, in April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the FDA to fast track its ongoing review of psychedelic medicines and ordering federal agencies to loosen restrictions and build a pathway for eligible patients to access the drugs. The executive order only lists ibogaine by name, but days after Trump signed the order, former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced the agency would also be fast-tracking its reviews of psilocybin and MDMA. “These medications have the potential to address the nation’s mental health crisis, including conditions like treatment-resistant depression, alcoholism and other serious mental health and substance abuse conditions,” Makary said in a press release following the executive order. “As this field moves forward, it is critical that their development is grounded in sound science and rigorous clinical evidence. We owe it to our nation’s veterans and all Americans who are suffering from these conditions to evaluate these potential therapies with urgency.”

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PSYCHEDELICS

NEVADA’S AWAKENING As the national conversation about psychedelics has shifted, Nevada has been concurrently exploring the potential of psychedelic medicines since 2023, with Nevada Assemblymember Max Carter serving as a key figure. Although the Democrat and career union electrician isn’t a veteran, his advocacy is also shaped by immense trauma. First, in 2006, his wife, Karen Carter, was shot and severely wounded in a robbery of her business on Nellis Boulevard. “I watched a woman who was a genuine badass and not afraid of anything all of a sudden have panic attacks, symptoms of PTSD, migraines and other debilitating aftereffects,” Carter says. Seeking relief, Carter started following some promising early studies on psilocybin therapy. One landmark 2016 Johns Hopkins trial put 51 cancer patients suffering from depression and anxiety through a pair of psilocybin sessions. Six months later, 78% maintained a clinically significant drop in depression, while 65% met the criteria for full remission of their depression symptoms. “At the time, they said it was like pushing the reset button on your computer, taking the clutter in your hard drive and putting everything back where it belongs,” Carter says. Karen Carter was never able to try it legally, however, as she died in a tragic 2017 horseback riding accident in what was the darkest

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day of Max Carter’s life. “I have been very open and honest about my struggles with mental health since that time,” Carter says. “I became a trauma recovery yoga teacher, teaching in addiction facilities. Every time I turned around, I found myself running into somebody that was involved in the psychedelic movement.” A grieving Carter turned to legal ketamine therapy, which harnesses an anesthetic that is not a psychedelic but is often compared to them based on ketamine’s dissociative effects and similar mental health applications. “It took about nine or 10 sessions to move the needle with me, personally, and every six months to a year there was a high probability of me needing a tune-up,” Carter says. “I discovered that, if psilocybin or one of the others would have been legal, what was a very long process [with ketamine] could have likely been just one or two sessions.” This journey informed Carter’s decision to run for, and then win, a Nevada Assembly seat in 2022. Carter joined the Legislature just as other Nevada politicians were starting to warm up to the idea of legalizing psychedelics. In 2023, Carter signed on as one of two Assembly co-sponsors of Senate Bill 242, which established a Psychedelic Medicines Working Group after representatives in both chambers

I figured there was going to be some guy with blonde dreadlocks that said he was a shaman. And yes, there were some highly intelligent, very well-informed neo-hippies, but the first person that stood up was a retired cop who was also a minister. The coalition is just so broad— a beautiful thing that crosses all barriers.” –Nevada Assemblymember Max Carter

collectively voted 56-4 in favor. Thirty-eight Democrats and 18 Republicans approved, with the dissenting votes all from Senate Republicans. Carter was appointed to serve on the group’s 15-member panel of lawmakers, doctors, veterans and law enforcement officials, which drew from more than a year of hearings to produce a 59-page 2024 report designed as a roadmap for future legislation. “I figured there was going to be some guy with blonde dreadlocks that said he was a shaman. And yes, there were some highly intelligent, very well-informed neo-hippies, but the first person that stood up was a retired cop who was also a minister,” he says. “The coalition is just so broad—a beautiful thing that crosses all barriers.” Re-elected in 2024, Carter pressed on in the 2025 session, co-sponsoring Assembly Bill 378, which would have authorized a state-backed Alternative Therapy Pilot Program allowing veterans and first responders to participate in supervised clinical trials. It never advanced to a final vote, which Carter attributes primarily to budget limitations. Still, the Legislature did pass a symbolic resolution calling on Congress to reschedule psychedelics and streamline research. Now, Carter is running for a third term this November with the goal of bolstering this growing bipartisan coalition to hopefully usher through a successful version of the pilot program. “I’m a firm believer in healing loudly, because when we heal loudly, we empower others to heal, too,” Carter says. “We need to be more open and bring these things out of the shadows.”

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“Typically, when we had a new drug and it had a 5% beneficial effect, we were celebrating. But some of these psychedelic-related compounds had 70% to 80% effects, and I was really struck with why we weren’t studying those.” WHAT YOU’RE SEEING Cortical tissue showing neuroplasticity following treatment with psilocybin is shown through a microscope at UNLV. (Photo by Wade Vandervort)

–Dustin Hines, UNLV associate professor of psychology and co-founder of Tessellate

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A TRIP THROUGH THE SCIENCE Before his injuries, Tucker, now 31, describes himself as a “straight-laced conservative” who didn’t drink alcohol until he was 25 and never experimented with marijuana. But as his symptoms persisted throughout 2023, he tried MDMA. “It was the first time in my life where I ever experienced compassion for myself,” he recalls. “I actually went 13 months without a suicidal thought after that.” With his mind opened, Tucker connected with Reno-based nonprofit Sierra Psychedelic Society, which offered him a sponsorship to fly to Cancún, Mexico in February 2025 to undergo treatment with ibogaine—a psychoactive compound harvested from an African shrub—at the Beönd medical facility. “I felt like I had my 16-yearold brain back. It was like this cognitive reset and the ability to see troubling experiences in my life from a different perspective,” Tucker says. UNLV researchers Dustin and Rochelle Hines have spent more than a decade investigating psychedelics as treatments for conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, eating disorders, OCD and end-of-life distress. (The neuroscientists maintain a Drug Enforcement Agency registration that allows them to possess and study the Schedule I compounds.) The common thread between these conditions, Rochelle Hines says, is “repeated patterns of thoughts and ruminations.” Most psychedelics appear to interrupt these cycles by acting on the brain’s serotonin system—a sort of chemical highway that connects nerves, acts as a mood regulator and influences sleep,

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Dustin Hines, left, and Rochelle Hines in a laboratory at UNLV (Photo by Wade Vandervort)

appetite, memory and learning. They do this by binding to the 5-HT2A receptor, which most antidepressants hardly touch. Psychedelics also promote communication between different brain regions in a process called neuroplasticity, which can give brains stuck in rigid patterns some breathing room to build new, healthier connections and combat stubborn compulsions. “Repetitive thoughts about using substances, about not eating or purging what you’ve eaten—those are the sort of patterns that need to be adjusted,” Rochelle Hines says. Long before Dustin Hines served alongside Carter as a member of Nevada’s Psychedelic Medicines Working Group, his career first went through Big Pharma companies like AstraZeneca, Sage Therapeutics and Pfizer. He sensed something was missing. “I surveyed the scene and realized there has really been no major improvements to drugs for mental health since the ‘70s. We have some that are maybe less toxic or a bit safer, but no breakthrough drugs,” he says. “Typically, when we had a new drug and it had a 5%

beneficial effect, we were celebrating. But some of these psychedelic-related compounds had 70% to 80% effects, and I was really struck with why we weren’t studying those.” “The clinical evidence just kept coming in stronger and stronger,” Rochelle Hines adds. “It sort of forced us to reevaluate how these substances have been classified.” Like Carter, the Hineses point to the 2016 Johns Hopkins psilocybin trial as a turning point for credibility. But other drugs under the psychedelics umbrella, like the ibogaine that spurred Tucker’s new outlook, can have additional effects—like cardiac risk in high doses—that warrant further study. “Ibogaine is toxic at high levels,” Dustin Hines adds. “But it’s also probably one of the most powerful medicines that I’ve seen so far in the literature for addiction.” Rochelle Hines compares the current trajectory of psychedelic research to willow bark, the plant used to produce aspirin. “In the past, we used to use it to treat pain, and then we figured out, what is it in willow bark that

is actually doing this? And we discovered aspirin,” she says. “Psilocybin and ibogaine are kind of at the willow bark stage.” PREPPING FOR PRACTICE To prepare for the day when patients don’t have to travel out of the country to obtain psychedelic-assisted therapy, Dustin and Rochelle Hines founded Tessellate, a pharmaceutical company developing novel compounds and “modulators” that can be used to modify a trip. If a session is too intense, Dustin Hines says one of these compounds might “act as a dimmer switch to turn down the trip,” for example. On the clinical side, the Las Vegas Center for Psychedelic Therapy can’t offer legal psychedelic treatments yet, but it’s already preparing for the day the floodgates finally open. For now, the facility is permitted to administer ketamine treatments guided by anesthesiologist and Air Force veteran Richard Bennett, who earned his certification treating blast victims at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. There, he says, prolonged ketamine infusions

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routinely halved patients’ opioid requirements in one day, resulting in “hugely improved” PTSD symptoms. Since 2021, Bennett has performed more than 5,000 ketamine infusions in Southern Nevada. His patients also meet concurrently with therapists like Christine Lawler, a 17-year marriage and family therapist. “Being in practice for so long, I saw time and time again clients who were doing all of the work but kept getting stuck in the same cognitive loops and challenges,” she says. “I realized that psychedelic medicine can unlock therapeutic healing so much faster. Things that we’ve been working on for years in session can get unlocked in a day.” Lawler earned her Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Certification from the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. She was in part prompted by the 10% to 20% of her current patients she says are “psychedelic-curious.” And while she predicts legal psychedelic services could someday surpass her standard therapy practice, she stresses the need for a responsible transition. “We need to proceed with caution. Therapists need to be highly trained, safety protocols need to be in place and patients need to have respect for these medicines,” she says, adding that insurance companies also need to agree to cover treatment. Clinical guidelines for psychedelic-assisted therapy— including the first professional standards released by the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association in 2023— generally follow a three-phase structure: preparation, administration and integration. It’s both the model Lawler trained

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for and the arc of Tucker’s nine-week program. “The first four weeks are preparation—trying to build a foundation so that, when you show up on site, you have tools to reference, an idea of what to unpack and an awareness of what’s going to transpire,” Tucker explains. Then comes a week of treatment itself, which, for Tucker, included guided meditation, sound baths, group processing and extensive coaching leading up to the ibogaine session. “It’s like you do 20 years of processing in 12 hours,” Tucker says. “You’re in a hospital bed, and you wear an eye mask and headphones playing very soft music. You also have an IV, blood pressure cuff and an EKG hooked up to you the whole time, and you’re monitored. The provider to patient ratio, I believe, is four to one. That all needs to be the standard.” The final four-week period, integration, is an equally “crucial piece.” “You had this phenomenal life-changing experience. Why? There’s a deeper underlying reason, and that’s what you start to solidify and make concrete in the integration process. Without that, the likelihood of lasting effects plummets,” Tucker says. PATCHWORK REFORM Nevada isn’t the only state that has shown an interest in putting aside antiquated stigmas to address a pressing mental health crisis. A 2023 analysis on psychedelic therapy legislation, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that 25 state legislatures considered 74 psychedelic therapy-related bills between 2019 and 2022. Of those, 10 were

signed into law, while the rest died or were ongoing beyond the study’s cutoff. The authors predicted that most U.S. states will legalize psychedelics between 2033 and 2037. To date, Oregon and Colorado are the only states with active legal psilocybin programs, though New Mexico is developing a third. Oregon voters passed a ballot measure in 2020, and the state began licensing supervised psilocybin treatment in 2023—structured as a cash-based wellness industry where no medical diagnosis is required. A typical session costs between $1,000 and $3,000, with only limited options for insurance coverage. Roughly one-third of businesses approved for a psilocybin service center license have since closed, leaving just over 20 operating today. Nevada Assemblymember Carter notes that the potential commercialization of psychedelic medicines may become a norm as states and the federal government roll out legal pathways to obtain the therapy. “My concerns are that

Dried psilocybin mushrooms (Shutterstock)

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because of the highly structured FDA and DEA approval processes, we’re going to see them emphasize ways to make profit off of this,” Carter says. “I’m afraid that all of that organic movement that has proved that this works is going to get pushed aside for a big corporate takeover.” He’s not alone. A 2022 JAMA Health Forum analysis warned that short-sighted psychedelic policies risk repeating the mistakes of the cannabis industry, where rapid expansion in some states led to improper regulation and safety issues. “Psychedelics should not be on the recreational market like cannabis, but there are some things that we’ve learned from developing cannabis as a medicine that can be applied,” Rochelle Hines says. Oregon also faces a challenge similar to what other states experienced with cannabis—a growing number of cities and counties implementing local psilocybin bans. It’s a reminder that legalizing something on paper isn’t the same as normalizing it in practice.

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Other models vary. Three years after Denver became the first city to decriminalize mushrooms in 2019, Colorado voters approved a citizen-initiated ballot measure, legalizing personal use, permitting licensed healing centers, and creating a “clinical facilitator” license allowing providers to incorporate psilocybin into existing practices. Last year, New Mexico took another route by legalizing psilocybin through its legislature, establishing a medical program with aims to open to patients this winter. There are plenty of lessons to be learned from these early adopters, and Dustin Hines believes Trump’s executive order may expedite the rollout for financially strained states like Nevada. “A lot of doctors and clinics are licensed federally, and state level changes don’t necessarily mean you won’t lose your federal license if there’s an issue,” he says. “The federal level is now greenlighting things, which will allow the states more freedom. How it all rolls out, I don’t understand or know, as of yet. But it can only be beneficial for Nevadans if we could figure this out.”

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“Being in practice for so long, I saw time and time again clients who were doing all of the work but kept getting stuck in the same cognitive loops and challenges. I realized that psychedelic medicine can unlock therapeutic healing so much faster. Things that we’ve been working on for years in session can get unlocked in a day.” –Christine Lawler, marriage and family therapist

AN OPEN DOOR The Nevada Coalition for Psychedelic Medicines has been at the forefront of Nevada’s early push for psychedelic legislation. In a press release, the organization called Trump’s executive order “the most significant federal action on psychedelic medicine in over fifty years.” Ibogaine’s role in healing veterans like Tucker was at the heart of this order, with Navy SEAL veteran Marcus Luttrell and podcast host Joe Rogan largely credited for encouraging Trump to act. It notably provided $50 million for state level research specific to the drug. While marijuana remains illegal in Texas, the state has also earmarked its own $50 million pool to conduct trials. The momentum feels like validation for Tucker, who now guides others through the process he credits with saving his life as a paid facilitator with the Beönd program. But the work is far from over. The next step will come when the FDA hosts a September 14 hearing to discuss

its review, while a related bipartisan bill in Congress looks to codify the executive order into law. “This is the opportune time for Nevada to have the systems in place,” Tucker says. “We have to create a container where people are willing and able to allow themselves to process these things in a safe environment.” Tucker will continue to strengthen Nevada’s advocacy circles through testimony and his own psychedelic-adjacent veteran support nonprofit, the Heartland Harbor Foundation. He predicts that most people will know somebody who’s benefitted from psychedelic medicine within the next decade. “I’ve run 50-mile ultramarathons. I’ve walked 1,000 miles in 38 days. I’ve been through Special Forces training. None of it was as hard as sitting alone with my own thoughts and finally saying out loud what was plaguing my mind and soul,” Tucker says. “That’s what psychedelics gave me.”

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What studies have shown about psychedelic compounds Psilocybin The active compound in “magic mushrooms,” psilocybin is the most extensively studied psychedelic in modern clinical trials. It has earned FDA breakthrough therapy status for major depression and has also been employed to treat anxiety, substance-use and eating disorders and end-of-life distress in hospice patients. It is legal in some form in Colorado, Oregon and New Mexico.

Ibogaine

LSD

DMT

First synthesized in 1938, lysergic acid diethylamide is another well-known psychedelic that shares many of the same neurological mechanisms as psilocybin. Though it’s far less studied, it’s shown early promise for treating conditions like anxiety, depression and substance-use disorders.

Fast-acting psychedelics found in various plants and even secretions of the Sonoran Desert toad, DMT effects are typically intense but brief. While it hasn’t seen the same regulatory momentum as psilocybin or MDMA, researchers have studied its uses for depression, PTSD and substance use disorders.

MDMA

Mescaline

Known recreationally as ecstasy or molly, MDMA is technically an entactogen rather than a classic psychedelic, meaning it promotes empathy and emotional openness but doesn’t cause hallucinations. It received FDA breakthrough therapy status for PTSD in 2017 and can treat anxiety related to terminal illness.

Found in peyote and San Pedro cacti species, mescaline has been used by Indigenous populations in the Americas for thousands of years. It’s been studied as a remedy for depression, anxiety, addiction and PTSD. –Tyler Schneider

A psychoactive compound derived from the root bark of the West African iboga shrub, ibogaine has been used by indigenous tribes for spiritual purposes. It has documented potential for treating addiction, PTSD and traumatic brain injuries, but also can be toxic and carry legitimate cardiac risks in high dosages.

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IN THE NEWS

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ENTERTAINMENT

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL TO CLOSE MAD APPLE

Courtesy Waymo

TRANSPORTATION

WAYMO PARTNERING WITH RAIDERS FOR SERVICE TO ALLEGIANT STADIUM Waymo is bringing driverless rides to Las Vegas this summer, and Raiders and UNLV football fans will be among the first to benefit. A new partnership with the Raiders will give fans attending Raiders games, UNLV football games, concerts and other events at Allegiant Stadium a dedicated pickup and drop-off area located “within a short walk of the stadium,” officials said in a news release. “Partnering with Waymo reflects our drive to lead the industry in innovation and provide fans the best experience. Most importantly, it gives them a safe, reliable autonomous designated driver so they can focus entirely on enjoying the event,”

Sandra Douglass Morgan, president of the Raiders, said in a statement. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, announced in November 2025 that it would be expanding its services to Southern Nevada. The vehicles already operate in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin, and have plans to bring their services to San Diego and Detroit as well. Backed by a fleet of roughly 3,500 robotaxis, Waymo has surpassed 20 million trips and provided around 500,000 paid rides per week across its existing markets earlier this year. Last year, Waymo brought a small fleet of its vehicles piloted by human

autonomous specialists to test on Las Vegas roads. Data gathered in Las Vegas was used for improving the company’s self-driving technology deployed in other cities. Waymo vehicles accommodate up to four passengers and offer in-ride features including temperature controls, music and podcast streaming. It also gives riders the flexibility to add stops or modify destinations. Las Vegas riders will also be some of the first to experience the company’s newest vehicle, the Ojai—a roomier version of its previous Waymo cars with automatic elevator-like doors, removable steering wheels and digital personalization. The car also uses custom chips and improved LiDAR that can see through heavy rain and snow, along with upgraded receivers capable of detecting sirens and other sounds, the company said. –Grace Da Rocha

Cirque du Soleil announced on August 15 its high-energy variety show Mad Apple will be closing permanently on September 5 after more than four years of performances at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Tickets for remaining shows are available at madapplelv.com. “Mad Apple introduced stand-up comedy to a Cirque du Soleil resident show for the first time, and its blend of acrobatics and humor was the right combination to lead us out of the pandemic,” said Mark Cornell, CEO of Cirque du Soleil. “We thank the cast, crew, and creative team and every guest who joined us at New York-New York, and we remain focused on the next chapter of our Las Vegas portfolio.” The statement also noted that Cirque is “actively developing the next generation of … shows for the Strip,” and working with the cast and crew of Mad Apple with support and redeployment opportunities across the company’s portfolio, which includes four resident productions on the Strip. –Brock Radke

HEALTHCARE

570,000

The number of primary care visits provided to Culinary Union local members and their families since the opening of the union’s first health facility on Nellis Boulevard in 2017, according to Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge. The union just opened its fourth health facility on West Tropicana Avenue on August 13, which will offer primary care, imaging, dentistry and mental health care at low or no cost to eligible members and their families. Read the full story at lasvegassun.com.

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UNLV football’s stature has risen and the program expectations have now followed

BY RAY BREWER

Head coach Dan Mullen at a recent UNLV football practice.

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or most of its history, UNLV football measured success by whether it reached six wins. That bar is gone. As the Rebels open the 2026 season August 29 by hosting Memphis, they’re being talked about as a legitimate College Football Playoff team—and for once, that’s not wishful thinking. CBS Sports projects UNLV as the No. 12 seed in the 12team playoff. Las Vegas sportsbooks back that optimism: UNLV carries the second-best odds among Group of Six programs to reach the playoff, behind only Boise State and ahead of contenders like Memphis, James Madison and North Dakota State. The respect is earned. UNLV has won 30 games over the past three seasons , one of just 16 programs nationally to hit that mark in that span. For context, this is a program that made only four bowl appearances total before this run began. This isn’t a one-year mirage. The success has been years in the making. Here’s how the Rebels got here.

It starts with the $34.8 million on-campus practice facility that opened in 2019—a clear signal UNLV was done treating football as an afterthought. Then came a new home. Gone are the days of Sam Boyd Stadium in east Las Vegas. Games are now played at the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium, shared with the NFL’s Raiders. The program averaged 31,589 fans in 2024, and while that dipped to 19,383 last season, it still dwarfs the sparse crowds that once watched two-win teams at Sam Boyd.

UNLV moved on from hiring rising assistants like Marcus Arroyo or high school coach Tony Sanchez, and instead took a swing on proven Power Four head coaches. Current second-year coach Dan Mullen is, in the eyes of many, running an SEC-caliber program in Las Vegas. ESPN rated him the 14th best college coach of the past 20 years, heavily weighing his stops at Mississippi State and Florida before UNLV. His career record stands at 113-65, a .635 winning percentage that would look at home on a Power Four résumé, not a Mountain West one. Mullen succeeded Barry Odom, who left after two strong seasons for Purdue. Odom proved UNLV could win, guiding the Rebels to their first-ever national ranking in 2024.

Photos by Steve Marcus

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Jackson Arnold should contend for UNLV’s starting quarterback spot.

If UNLV’s playoff push has a foundation, it’s the roster Mullen has built through the transfer portal—a blend of proven talent and returning production designed to close the gaps that cost the Rebels a season ago. They finished 10-2 and lost to Boise State in the league title game. At the center of it is quarterback Jackson Arnold, a former five-star recruit arriving by way of Auburn and Oklahoma. He won’t carry the team alone; senior running back Jai’Den Thomas returns for another season as the identity of the offense and one of the best all-purpose backs in the Group of Six. Thomas is eighth alltime on the program’s career rushing list with 2,457 yards and fifth with 31 rushing touchdowns. UNLV had a league-high five players on the preseason All-Mountain West team, including offensive lineman Austin Boyd, wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons, defensive lineman Lucas Conti and safety Jake Pope.

None of that guarantees a playoff berth. The Group of Six’s automatic bid goes to whichever program finishes ranked highest, and UNLV still has to navigate a schedule that includes Memphis followed by three straight road games. The game after Memphis might be particularly challenging, a September 5 trip to Hawaii, which is expected to challenge for the league title behind former Bishop Gorman great quarterback Micah Alejado. UNLV also hosts California (October 3) and travels later in the season to face New Mexico (November 14), another Mountain West favorite. With the playoff buzz building, the big question is whether UNLV needs a perfect season to lock up the automatic bid. Mullen doesn’t think so—he argues one loss might not sink the Rebels’ chances, saying it depends on who the loss is against and when it occurs. Bottom line: Win the league, and the Rebels have a good chance for the playoff.

UNLV quarterback Alex Orji looks for his target during practice.

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FILM: THE GREAT DEPLETION August 23, 2 p.m., Springs Preserve; August 26, 6 p.m., Winchester Dondero Cultural Center; $5, helpthewest.org.

3 reasons to check out local screenings of The Great Depletion One hundred twelve miles. Seven days. Two friends. One epic journey. In spring of 2025, biologist Alex Harper and filmmaker Austin Williams set out on a hike along Las Vegas’ natural waterways—starting at the top of Griffith Peak in the Spring Mountains, following the Flamingo wash through town, and ending on the banks of the Colorado River. The film they made, The Great Depletion, is available on YouTube. It tells a story of the duo’s adventure, the delicate ecosystem surrounding the city and how water is central to life in the desert. “I feel like there’s a general information disconnect between the really smart people who understand what’s happening with our climate and our ecosystems, and then someone like myself who’s the general public,” Williams tells the Weekly. “The general awareness that enters my

Film stills Courtesy

sphere is news articles: ‘Lake Mead hits new lows.’ There’s drought, the increased temperatures, and it kind of feels like to me a replay of everything [that’s] so easy to tune out. “And at the same time, these topics are really sad. They’re frightening. They’re terrifying. And I think as humans, when we become terrified, we can become paralyzed.” Harper and Williams’ goal in making the film was to inspire awareness and action, but not in a way that was preachy or catastrophic. It’s a good mix of camping shenanigans, overcoming the challenges that a long hike presents, lessons on desert biology and hydrology, and raising awareness of water issues— namely overallocation of the Colorado River, the impacts of climate change and onset of aridification in the region.

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Here are three reasons you should get to the local screenings happening this week. THE CHALLENGE As though hiking 112 miles wasn’t enough, the duo allowed themselves to drink water from only free sources like springs, parks, libraries and community centers. Following that rule presents an opportunity to discuss water infrastructure and the impact of development. While it’s true that Las Vegas’ conservation efforts have reduced per capita water use even as the population has grown, Harper and Williams explore how lawns, golf courses and even the iconic Bellagio water show are part of the consumption of the most precious resource. As the Colorado River continues to dwindle and as Lake Mead’s level continues to plummet, adjustments must be made. “We must still adapt, as other neighboring cities must do, if we want to mitigate the heat island effect, maintain an urban canopy, and have water left over for fun stuff like splash pads,” Harper says.

THE WILDLIFE Throughout the course of the hike, Harper documented 110 bird species. Thanks to National Geographic-level videography from Red Rock Audubon’s Dave Anderson, many of those are on full display in the film, in addition to sheep, rabbits, lizards, insects and even amphibians. “We really hoped to pull at the heartstrings by connecting people with the wildlife that lives out here, whether it’s mule deer or birds or bobcats,” Williams says. Harper uses the pinyon jay as one example of life’s interconnectedness in the desert. The species—which has seen its population decline by 80%, according to Harper—is essential to spreading pinyon pine seeds and providing food for pollinators.

THE UNFOLDING NARRATIVE The project doesn’t end in Southern Nevada. Harper and Williams are currently raising funds to continue tracking and showing the impact of water systems in the desert Southwest (helpthewest.org). The next stop? New Mexico. “In the next film, we’re going to the Rio Grande [where] we’re seeing the same issues as the Colorado River, but there are huge sections that are already running completely dry and having a huge impact on wildlife out there,” Williams says, adding that they’re working with the conservation group Friends of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to get a lay of the land. “I think we all get to be doing our part … whether that’s through just mindful water usage, removing grass [or] planting native plants and trees to help these struggling species. I think on the other side of that, as individuals, we get to be aware of this problem, to be able to advocate for it, and to actually understand where this water is going and where we need to be raising our voice,” he says.

The new Neon Sky Film Festival (neonskyfilmfest.com) has announced its inaugural edition will take place in Las Vegas in partnership with the nonprofit arts incubator THIRD Street. The “bold new voice” in independent film is seeking submissions for the festival, set to take place in the Arts District May 7-9, 2027. “We believe great stories have the power to bring people together, and we’re here to champion those filmmakers who are doing something diﬀerent. Partnering with THIRD Street allows us to invest directly in the creative community we’re building while celebrating independent cinema in a city that knows how to put on a show,” co-founder and festival director Rose Watson said in a statement. The festival will feature independent features, short films, filmmaker Q&As and networking opportunities. –Shannon Miller

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Photos courtesy Spilled Milk

Plant Bingo brings people together for good-natured competition, plant education and the chance to take home some serious greenery BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ “Bingo!” yelps a voice from the back booth Nikdreamer. It’s no wonder this and every of Cornish Pasty’s lounge. other plant bingo of theirs has sold out well It’s half past noon on a Saturday, and the before the event. call is met with loud sighs from the doz“It’s always been a big community over comens of players who’ve been gripping their petition type of thing,” says Sforza. “If we can daubers and listening intently for the next include other small businesses to be a part of letter-number combination. As we relax our what we’re building and what we’re doing, the shoulders and wait for the card to be conmore the merrier.” firmed a “good bingo,” we watch the winner The duo initially went looking for ways to eye the table of greenery, ready drive business to their small shops. to claim their payout. Instead, they dug up something that’s PLANT BINGO: But we’re not talking cash considerably harder to nurture: a comOVERGROWN here—we’re talking houseplants. munity. August 23, 11:30 a.m., $45. Welcome to plant bingo, a sur“We have people that will show up Beverly prisingly wholesome little corner with their friends, people that bring Theater, spilled of Vegas daylife, where jackpots their moms, people that come on a date, milkstore.com/ are monstera deliciosa, green people that come solo, which makes us events. flame ferns and other assorted feel really good that we’ve created this specimens of domestic plant life. space where people are comfortable to The monthly event is the work of Kori Corcome by themselves,” says Cortez. tez of Spilled Milk, a home aesthetics store, That attention to detail shows through Sforand Christina Sforza of Urban Jungle, which za’s educational portion of the event. Between provides plant services and education. What rounds she gives players the quick-and-dirty began a year ago at Spilled Milk, drawing just education of where each plant comes from, 15 people, has since outgrown the shop and what it needs, and how to not kill it. moved into venues like the aforementioned There are familiar choices like spider lounge, Echo Taste & Sound, and the secplants, alongside specialties like the alocasia ond-floor Segue at the Beverly Theater. “stingray,” and for big winners, there’s bragNow, Cortez and Sforza are going bigger ging rights and a new responsibility. But for with Plant Bingo: Overgrown, a special edition everyone else, there are four-inch consolation returning to the Beverly, this time using the plants so you don’t leave empty-handed. indoor event space. There are 150 seats, 12 There’s an art to getting people out of their rounds, rare and massive plants, and addihomes and encouraging face-to-face intertional prizes like tickets to Play Playground action nowadays, and these two seem to have at Luxor and gifts from Akin Cooperative and struck gold. Or, perhaps, green. Kori Cortez of Spilled Milk

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Majestic Repertory Theatre stages the best night of our lives with the retro-immersive Prom Night ’99

PROM NIGHT ’99 Thru September 5, 7 p.m., $50. 1217 S. Main St., majesticrepertory.com.

Teenage rom-coms of the ’90s romanticized prom to an almost religious degree. Anything could happen on this fateful night. Life-altering makeovers could turn the nerdy girl glamorous. Grads could form new alliances over a shared joint in the alley. And that school bully might finally take a beating—if we’re lucky. Now, Majestic Repertory Theatre invites you to relive it, not just watch it, with Prom Night ’99. The immersive production drops theatergoers directly onto the dancefloor with William J. Clinton High’s class of 1999. The stakes have never been higher for this group of teens, who all share an interconnected story with multiple endings that you’ll uncover as you celebrate the best night of your life. There’s something inexplicably magical about crashing a late-’90s teen prom. Overhead, Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It” blasts through the speakers. A group of wallflowers hang back, actively trying to disappear so no one asks for a dance. The punch bowl’s suspiciously popular—hmm, wonder why. This year’s theme is “My Heart Will Go On” and the scene doesn’t undersell it. There’s even a full ice sculpture of the Titanic anchoring the set. Over the course of the night, drama ensues in just about every way, shape or form you’d come to expect from a dance full of unhinged, hormonal teen-

agers. And we’re rooting for every one of them going down with this ship. Artistic director Troy Heard creates a cast of characters worthy of a Never Been Kissed sequel for Prom Night ’99. There’s J.C. Fisher (Scream’d’s Joey Derby), the gangsta bad boy whose favorite films are Sleepless in Seattle and Boyz n the Hood. A man of taste. Then you’ve got Joey (Austin Parrales) and Melora (I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire’s Maile Onsaga) Vale, the sibling duo whose dad has “discreetly” decided to chaperone the dance. Joey’s a brooding musician, desperate to finish a song for a mystery crush he likes. Melora’s an eco-obsessed activist with the fire of one thousand Greta Thunbergs. And of course, you have the popular power couple in Zack Hunter (Showgirls’ Jeffery DuBey) and Laney Sinclair (Carly Salway), though their relationship appears to be headed directly for an iceberg. As you get to know even more characters, the plot thickens. It’s rewarding to catch snatches of gossip in the computer lab, or trade secrets and untangle motives to a nostalgic mix of Blink-182 and Spice Girls. It all ultimately leads to the big finale: Who will be crowned prom king and queen? Based on what we learn, it’s up to us to vote. And that freedom of choice makes revisiting Prom Night ’99 a must. So there’s only one question left: Will you go to prom with us?

Photo courtesy of Nicole Van Orman

BY AMBER SAMPSON

UPCOMING THEATER: Scream’d (starting September 18, Majestic Repertory Theatre); A Public Fit: You Will Get Sick (September 25-26, Clark County Library); Rumberas Show (September 25, Vegas Theatre Company); Nevada Conservatory Theater: Big Love (starting September 25, UNLV Black Box Theatre); Oh, Mary! (October 6-11, Reynolds Hall); Phantom of the Opera (starting October 21, Reynolds Hall); The Book of Mormon (November 4-15, Venetian Theatre).

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8.20.26

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The viral matcha trend has landed in Las Vegas, attracting Japan’s international star Hatoya BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ atcha has recently grabbed the attention of millions by way of social media virality. But what is it? In a nutshell, it’s a fine powder made from shadegrown green tea leaves. It has an earthy taste and enough caffeine to give drinkers a pep in their step, minus the crash that coffee can cause. Some say it tastes like grass. Others love its concentrated tea notes and umami, natural sweetness and strong antioxidant properties. And with its recent surge in popularity, thanks in no small part to the influencers who add brightly colored matcha lattes to their feeds, cafes around the country are finding new and interesting ways to incorporate matcha into their menus. The centuries-old powder is being whisked, blended or shaken into a green, creamy froth before serving with everything from sweetened cloud foams to honey-doused boba pearls. But when you zoom out from the drink’s western takeover, matcha is rooted in thousands of years of Japanese tradition and culture. Powdered tea was developed in China during the Tang Dynasty between the seventh and 10th centuries before making its way to Japan, where the practice was refined and matcha became closely associated with Japanese tea culture. Today, that tradition has made its way into the Las Vegas specialty coffee and cafe scene. Not all matcha is alike. Anyone who has spent time trying different blends can attest to this, with ceremonial grade, culinary grade and everything in between reflecting differences in cultivation, processing and preparation that show up in every sip. But there’s a big fish that recently landed in town.

There are some who warn that trying Hatoya may ruin every other matcha, because it is about as close as you can get to trying the real thing without hopping on a flight to Japan. What started as a 70-square-foot stand on a quiet neighborhood street in Kyoto has developed into a global phenomenon that has led countless people to one of Hatoya’s five shops, and recently, the beloved company came to us. Opened in Las Vegas in March, Hatoya is the purveyor’s first U.S. location, and it has stirred up plenty of hype. Located in Chinatown and founded by Nobu Maruyama, who regularly participates in matcha harvests, the store specializes in authenticity. Here, the powder is treated with the utmost respect, with hand whisks allowing its refined flavor to shine while house-made accompaniments, including mochi balls, matcha ice cream, seasonal fruit syrups and whipped cream—also known as espuma—complement the tea. The matcha is never pre-batched and is made in front of each customer, with four grades available: Original, Roasted, Midori and Joyo3. Each can be enjoyed traditionally, poured straight up or made into a specialty drink, including a matcha latte served with house-made ice cream and mochi balls or matcha poured over iced coconut water. Before the frothy matcha is poured, staff members pause for photos or video, turning HATOYA the preparation into part of 6000 Spring Mountain Road the experience and giving cus#4A. Daily, tomers a moment to watch a 10a.m.-9 p.m. Kyoto-rooted tradition unfold in real time.

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Photo by Wade Vandervort

8.20.26

Matcha has become a Valley-wide obsession, and you don’t have to go far to find a cafe putting its own spin on the bright green tea. In Green Valley, Kohi Coffee & Matcha (2839 N. Green Valley Parkway, also at 2101 S. Decatur Blvd. #16) folds matcha into sweet, dessert-inspired drinks, including tres leches and blueberry milk. Over on the eastside, INU Matcha & Brew (671 N. Nellis Blvd.) keeps things playful with ube cloud matcha and lychee-lime drinks from its family-run shop. In Centennial Hills, Leev Matcha Atelier (7565 Norman Rockwell Lane #120) takes a more tea-forward approach, serving bananas Foster and jasmine matchas made with tea sourced from Shizuoka, Japan. Each spot has its own take, making the valley’s matcha scene worth exploring. –Gabriela Rodriguez

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