Desert Diamonds
Las Vegas and Palm Springs roll out the pink carpet this winter
Las Vegas Doubles Down on Gay
Sin City opened its closet door when its first official gay bar opened in 1970. Today, Las Vegas has more than a dozen full-time gay bars, while many other venues regularly host gay nights.
Krave, which made headlines when it became the first gay club to open on Las Vegas’ famed Strip, recently relocated to the Fremont Street area in downtown Vegas. It updated its name to Krave Massive, to reflect the club’s expansion to 80,000-square-feet.
The new Krave is located adjacent to Drink & Drag, a bar and bowling alley in the Neonopolis complex that anchors the east end of Fremont. Having the two establishments is expected to help increase interest in the area among gay visitors.
While the city’s casino gambling began downtown in the mid-20th century, by the 1990s nearly all the gambling market had moved to the Strip. To draw business back to downtown, the city launched the Fremont Street Experience, which turned most of Fremont Street into a pedestrian mall with a sophisticated overhead light display and free stage shows.
In addition, many of the downtown hotels such as Golden Nugget, The Plaza, Golden Gate and The D (formerly Fitzgeralds) have undergone major renovations. And the new Mob Museum, located just a few blocks from Fremont, has proved to be extremely popular.
While it is likely that more gay travelers will – and should – visit downtown Vegas, the Strip remains the center of tourism for Vegas. Notably, nearly all of the mega-resort casinos along the Strip are members of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA). The Venetian and Palazzo resorts, owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp. and billionaire Sheldon Adelson, are unfortunate exceptions. Adelson has donated millions of dollars to conservative super PACs.
Exceptions aside, the Strip’s resorts are not only great places to lay your head, but also offer phenomenal entertainment. New York-New York’s Zumanity, one of many Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2013 and still thrills audiences with its erotic acrobatics. Many of the cast members are gay, including the very talented Edie, Mistress of Sensuality and drag persona of Christopher Kenney.
Another adults-only show, one of the newest to hit the Strip, is Absinthe at Caesars Palace. While often compared to Cirque du Soleil because of its mix of song, comedy and amazing acrobatics, Absinthe is its own unique blend of fun.
In a nod to Vegas as an entertainment giant, the LGBT Academy of Recording Arts signed a three year agreement with Caesars Entertainment to host its annual awards program in Vegas. The 8th Annual OutMusic Awards will be held at Caesars’ Planet Hollywood Dec. 16.
The other selling point of the Strip is the large number of celebrity and homegrown chefs who are putting Vegas on the map as a top culinary destination. New York chefs Scott Conant and Bobby Flay have been singing Vegas’ praises for many years. Conant has two Italian restaurants at The Cosmopolitan, the upscale Scarpetta and the more relaxed D.O.C.G., and Flay has his Mesa Grill at Caesars Palace. Two chefs that Vegas regulars have known for years, but who are now making their mark on the national scene are Devin Hashimoto and Christina Olivarez. After many years in a supporting role at various Vegas restaurants, chef Hashimoto is heading up Wynn’s new Mizumi. And chef Olivarez, a winner on Food Network’s Chopped, can be found at MGM Grand’s Diego.
If you happen to be looking to get hitched this winter – or anytime – Vegas might be the spot for you. While same-sex marriage is not yet recognized in Nevada, you can still have a commitment ceremony. The gay-owned Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel offers traditional chapel ceremony as well as the opportunity to go hound dog with an Elvis themed ceremony. And The Flamingo recently became the first of the large resorts to offer an official package of commitment ceremonies.
Find out more about Palm Spring at the Official Gay Palm Springs Tourism Website, visitgaypalmsprings.com, or the Desert Gay Tourism Guild, palmspringsgayinfo.com.
For more about Las Vegas, visit lasvegas.com.
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