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Costco Connection: Las Vegas

 

Travelers are anxiously awaiting news on which fun spots are open for business, and one particularly popular one is Las Vegas. Here’s what we know as the Connection went to press in mid-August.

Effective June 1, Las Vegas removed restrictions involving capacity limits, large gatherings and more. More casinos are open, the hotels are coming back at full capacity and many entertainment venues have reopened. As of July 30, indoor mask mandates were reintroduced.

The good news is that getting to Las Vegas by air is even easier than it was in 2019. Domestic flights are returning to McCarran International Airport; Las Vegas now has nonstop air service to 125 U.S. cities—that’s 10 more markets than the city had in 2019. And in the past few months, many U.S. airlines have announced or started new service between Las Vegas and 40 additional markets.

Here’s a Las Vegas update. It’s all subject to change, of course. So check ahead before buying any tickets.

Entertainment

Las Vegas wouldn’t be the entertainment capital of the world without, well, entertainment. The shows and performances are coming back. The free (yes, free) concert series at Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas returns, with a number of rock acts playing throughout the year. Also, several artists are kicking off new Las Vegas residencies, including Carrie Underwood, Usher and Sting, joining longterm residencies from Barry Manilow at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and Santana at Mandalay Bay, plus Vegas mainstays like magic and illusionist shows, Cirque du Soleil and comedy. And several major music festivals, such as the iHeart-Radio Music Festival, will return beginning this fall.

If you want to experience Fremont Street in a new way, you can zip-line on SlotZilla. And Fly Over Las Vegas offers an immersive flight-ride experience.

And this year the Las Vegas Raiders enter their first full season with fans allowed inside brand-new Allegiant Stadium. In true Vegas fashion, options include the Wynn Field Club, field-level suites spanning one end zone, replete with bottle service and DJs. The stadium will also host the 2022 Pro Bowl, as well as concerts featuring Garth Brooks, Illenium and others.

The Neon Museum has reopened, and is a must if you want to absorb Las Vegas’ history as told through its bright lights. You can take a tour of the Neon Boneyard.

One of my favorite attractions is at a new location: the Pinball Hall of Fame. If you’re a wannabe pinball wizard, bring plenty of quarters, as there are about 400 working pinball machines and arcade games ranging from the 1950s to the 1990s.

Cuisine

Last but never least, food is also back in Las Vegas. Many of the popular celebrity chef restaurants are reopening, and some notable new ones are opening their doors as well. And, yes, a number of Las Vegas’ famous buffets are open again.

 

Check out this article in Costco Connection.