🌎 Weekend Mode: Olympics Start, Unique Happy Hours, and More!

plus weekend road closures to know!

July 26, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

TODAY’S WIND DOWN BROUGHT TO YOU WITH

Happy Friday Afternoon, Neighbor!

Are you ready for the OFFICIAL official start of the Olympics? If you couldn't watch the Opening Ceremony during the day today, you've got another chance this afternoon. NBC is re-airing the ceremony with additional footage and commentary at 4:30 pm PST.

Also, last Friday we told you about our trip to Arte Museum Las Vegas's "Summer in Bloom." If you want to experience the olfactory and live music part of this temporary exhibit, you've only got tomorrow between 2 pm and 6 pm left to do it.

And, time is running out to become a Summerlin Insider and put your name in the running for our July giveaway - a Makers & Finders gift card. 🚨 We draw on July 31st!

In today’s Summerlin City Wind Down:

  • Today's Happy Hours & Eats 🌎

  • Did You Know? 🧐

  • Around the Valley (And France) 🚧

  • Events & Live Music 🎵

  • Beyond Summerlin 🚗

Let's get to it. See you on the other side.

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TODAY’S HAPPY HOURS & EATS 🌎

In honor of the Olympics, we're going global with today's Happy Hours. Specifically, we're talking places where you can get an eclectic mix of cuisines straight off the Happy Hour menu, some of which are quite surprising.

And, while many places share the same combo of global dishes, there are a couple of outliers that offer considerably more variety, both of which are, oddly enough, chains.

From one of the largest Happy Hour menus around comes one of the best selections of globally-inspired dishes, from fondue with the pretzel bites to crab wontons and sweet corn tamale cakes.

Yet another extensive Happy Hour menu, Lazy Dog serves up an interesting variety of Happy Hour fare. The cuisine is considered New American, but it's globally-touched, with dishes like edamame, lettuce wraps, hummus and pitas, queso, quesadillas, and goat cheese.

The Others

As for the rest, here are some place with Happy Hour menus elevated by at least three different cuisines (even if the food items themselves are a bit common) -

Not quite what you’re looking for? Check out our full list of Friday Happy Hours.

Did You Know? 🧐

The Romans canceled the Olympics.

The first Olympic Games, aka the Ancient Olympics, are old. Like really old. Like older than your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents old. They started in the 8th century B.C. in Olympia, Greece, and, just like today’s games, were held every four years. For 12 centuries. Like clockwork.

Then, in the 4th century A.D., Emperor Theodosius I got some religious wind up his butt and decided to ban all "pagan festivals." Since the Olympics honored Zeus, they were one of those pagan festivals that got the nix. Olympic hopefuls hung up their javelins and discuses, and those javelins and discuses would remain hung up for the next 1,500 years.

Fittingly enough for this Olympic year, it was a Parisian who first got the brain-flash to revive the games. Motivated by a desire to promote peace and foster international understanding, Pierre de Coubertin floated his idea in a speech to the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques (USFSA). Well-received, de Coubertin went on to organize an international congress in Paris in 1894, inviting representatives from various countries to discuss the potential revival of the Olympic Games. The congress took place at the Sorbonne and established the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

When it came to deciding where to hold the first Modern Olympics, it was a no-brainer. The games would be resurrected where they were unceremoniously snuffed out - in Greece. Specifically in Athens. While not quite Olympia, Athens was where it was at, and offered a close enough connection for bringing the old into the new.

In spite of limited resources and a super tight timeline, the first Modern Olympics took place in Athens from April 6 to April 15, 1896, with nearly 300 athletes from more than a dozen countries competing, and proved a smashing success. Since then, the Olympics have been canceled only three times - once during World War I and twice during World War II. And while the summer games had to be postponed in 2020 during the first wave of Covid, since their revival the Olympics have never been canceled during peace time.

AROUND THE VALLEY (AND FRANCE) 🚧

Here are some things Around the Valley we think might be of interest -

The Olympic Schedule Gets Seriously Busy 🏊‍♀️

While there have been a dabbling of events over the past few days, tomorrow the Olympic games start in earnest. Gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, boxing, surfing, swimming, tennis. Basically, if there’s an event you want to watch at the Olympics, there’s a good chance you can catch it this weekend.

Here’s the official handy-dandy schedule if you want to make a plan.

Stick to the Side Roads 🚧

If you have to go anywhere near 1-15 this weekend, be ready for major backups. The Nevada Department of Transportation is paving the northbound lanes, with a complete northbound closure between Warm Springs and Flamingo Roads.

They call it the Pave-A-Thon, but I suspect it’s gonna be a Headache-A-Thon for drivers.

How Hot is “Excessive Heat” Hot? 🥤

Hot enough to explode soda cans, apparently. Sodas on Southwest flights last week were exploding when flight attendants opened them. And, unsurprisingly, most of those explosive-can incidents occurred on flights leaving either Vegas or Phoenix.

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EVENTS & LIVE MUSIC 🎵

Do you love a dance? If so, you won’t want to miss the events coming up at Summerlin Library this weekend.

Direct from the library website: The 26th annual Las Vegas Dance in the Desert Festival returns to the Summerlin Library Performing Arts Center to celebrate the legacy of co-founders Kelly Roth and Kyla Quintero.

Their vision to bring dance as an art form to as many as possible continues this year with two master classes and performances that will keep you spellbound!

One of the master classes took place during the day today, but there’s one tomorrow from 10:30 am to noon if you’re feeling the rhythm.

TODAY

  • Total Wine & More Sampling Hours

    Total Wine & More

    730 S Rampart Blvd

    2-8 pm

  • Dance in the Desert (Performance)

    Summerlin Library Performing Arts Center

    1771 Inner Circle Dr

    7-9:30 pm

  • Live DJ

    Rouge Room (Red Rock Resort)

    11011 W Charleston Blvd

    11 pm-Close

AT RED ROCK CANYON

  • Red Rock Trivia

    Red Spring Pavilion/Calico Basin

    Calico Basin Rd

    6-7:30 pm

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Here’s just a taste of the live music around Summerlin tonight -

  • Live Piano Music

    T-Bones Chophouse (Red Rock Resort)

    11011 W Charleston Blvd

    6-9 pm

  • Pop Rebels

    Rampart Round Bar (JW Marriott Resort)

    221 N Rampar Blvd

    7 pm-Midnight

  • M3CCA

    Rocks Lounge (Red Rock Resort)

    11011 W Charleston Blvd

    9-11 pm

Nothing here of interest? Check out our full list of Summerlin Weekend Events.

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BEYOND SUMMERLIN 🚗

Looking to get Beyond Summerlin this weekend? Here are a few things you can do while avoiding I-15 -

THANKS!

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- Riley and the Summerlin City Wind Down team

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