It has been said that the Mountain West conference is “At the Peak,” and to me, nothing illustrates that more, than the fact that there are 12 teams competing in the only NCAA Division 1 conference that sponsors e-sports. Of course, since the matches are played head-to-head, Boise State has an advantage because they tint the monitors blue, and play with all blue avatars; an advantage that is confirmed in their winning of League of Legends and Overwatch, but with the Spring season being cut, next year the Mountain West has announced that they will be playing Mario Kart 8, for the Nintendo Switch. Due to the large amounts of people in the Mountain West cities suddenly having $1200 burning a hole in their pocket, every store that sells Nintendo Switch has sold out of their allotment; yes, even, Amazon. So, thus the conundrum becomes: How can these players, prospects, and ordinary people practice in order to “git gud” as the gamers would say? Well, that’s where I come in. For, you see, since I am allowed out on the streets again, finally, due to both my prison sentence being cut short, and my work being determined to be “essential,” I had the time to scope out some places. Alas, while my cough and fever are not improving as much as I had hoped since I last got back from Italy, I did manage to find some time to visit all of the Mountain West cities in order to find the easiest place to get a Switch and Mario Kart 8 location. For simplicity’s sake, I am going by the football stadium since it’s a well-defined point in most locations – San José State fans, the football stadium is that big ovoid building at the corner of E Alma Ave, and S 7th St… It’s the place where the people aren’t on Saturday’s is September. Should you get hungry during your travels, I have also managed to find a some breakfast locations in the same vicinity

Mountain

Air Force

Okay, so I lied a little; I tried to get into the university, but, unfortunately the men with guns wouldn’t actually let me get beyond the gate on S Gate Rd, and I was still a little jet-lagged having just gotten in from Frankfurt after having woken up for my 0610 flight for the Linate to Frankfurt leg (stupid weather prevented the flight from Denver to ABQ, but my loss is your gain). So, while this may not be the closest, it certainly will fit the bill. Tyler-Jay Rowland who lives at 3075 Navigation Drive, in Colorado Springs was more than willing to help out, especially since his son, Jeremiah, was grounded for a month for staying out after curfew two weekends in a row. As the falcon flies, this location is 5.2 miles away; in a car, it’s not too much further than that.

Boise State

Now, I don’t, technically, hate the way that Boise is laid out with the river running right through the center of town, but even though Maci Drew lives in the Clearwater Apartments, unit 323, which is in a straight line, only a quarter of a mile from the stadium, you will have to go the Exxtramile, to get to her apartment. Also, she would like me to point out, that times for a waitress like herself are a little rough, so please, if you’re hungry, skip Taco Bell, and eat at the Bar Gernika in downtown Boise, right next to the Central Plaza and Century Link Arena. “We have wifi” she said.

Colorado State

This is, by far, the most remarkable location; I had completely forgotten that they moved to an on-campus stadium, so I initially went to the Hughes Stadium location, and found a big pile of dirt. And not much else – well, if you exclude the trees that formed a nice line, that brought me back to my college days. Having corrected my too old Garmin in-car GPS, I found Tim Thatcher on 604 Balsam Ln; he’s a little deaf, so you might need to knock like you are ram-ing down the door. He bought the Switch after his wife of 35 years died to help him grieve and spend his retirement, “but it’s just making me too sad lately, and I’ve never been very good at vid’ya [sic] games. I still don’t know how I’m supposed to save the princess when she’s trying to beat me… That reminds me of my princess, who I lost last year. She was so kind, we met in high school, I had an onion on my belt as was the style in those days. They didn't have any white onions, because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones.” I’ll be honest, at this point I started zoning out because, again, fever. He honestly looked really sad as I was talking to him, so you might want to try to cheer him up, since he’s just a lonely guy bein’ a dude. In a straight line distance, you’re only going .3 miles, and it’s not too much further by car.

New Mexico

This is by far the closest location to the stadium. The UNM Lobo Club is a non-essential business in the state of New Mexico, and UNM and the Athletics Department realized that funding would need to be cut dramatically throughout the state, and with the sweetheart deal they got from the legislature this year, they decided to close all athletic facilities, including the Maloof building, home of both Eddie Nuñez’s office, and the Lobo Club. I suggest using the side door closest to the field level entrance of the stadium. That’ll take you to the weight room; an alarm will go off, the code is “1892” the year the football team first played (interesting tidbit: the marching band was founded in 1889, the same year as the university); from there enter the main hallway, and go to the first door on the left after you pass the restrooms. The last time I was there, they had a vending machine that dispensed free Mountain Dew; I was howl-ing with laughter after I found that. Also, if you see Señor Manta, say “Hola!” he’s been down on his luck since his family were killed in the accident, and now he wanders the street like a lone Lobo.

Utah State

It was like a bomb went off. No one was around; maybe they were busy playing Farmer, or having a bonfire out in the dirt behind the stadium, wit their brown-eyed girls, but Jeff Field’s dorm room, Aggie Village Community building 17, first floor, third window from the right (he leaves it unlocked, so don’t worry about access) has a Switch just sitting there on the bed, as though he borrowed it from someone, but never managed to return it before he left. Go on, take it, just say that it was yours and he left it, no one will check.

Wyoming

Cowboys and Cowgirls are just different, I guess; I could not find a Nintendo Switch in town for the life of me. I found many Switchblades, Light switches, and many wooden rods, so I took my horse down to Cheyenne, and found a recently laid-off Subway Sandwich Artist called Dom, who knew just where to look. He directed me to 803 West 21st St, Suite B. He told me, “yeah, the guy who runs this storefront, has a little son, about 6 years old. He keeps a Switch in his desk’s keyboard tray for when he picks his son up from school.” Because of the ordeal in Laramie, I asked him to clarify, and he did, “yeah… Nintendo switch.” He said as he looked around shiftily. If that doesn’t work you can always try Suite C, I heard they stock Switches… oh wait, not that kind.” I was going to ask him for more information, but he entered what looked like an abandoned brick building just passed the railroad tracks, “You didn’t see me,” he said. And I also didn’t hear the gunshots that went off as I walked back to my car.

Table View

School	Distance Driving (mi)	Straight Line Distance (mi)	Drive/Drone Difference	Variance (from all schools)A
Air Force	8.44	5.22	3.22	0.047
Boise State	1.00	0.282	0.718	1.069
Colorado State	0.420	0.312	0.108	1.792
New Mexico	0.206	0.191	0.015	1.920
Utah State	0.444	0.305	0.139	1.751
Wyoming	47.90	40.69	7.21	4.894

A: Variance is calculated based upon DDD’s distance from the standard deviation of DDD… Why DDD? Because, DDD is King.

West

Note: SDSU currently does not field an Esports team; I am including them because it seems likely that they will in the near future

Hawai’i

Hawai’i is interesting because the Honolulu airport has a much better open air location than the El Paso airport; there’s a water path, it’s weird man, it reminds me a lot of the Tiki Room at Disn… oh, yeah, Hawai’i, Polynesia, that makes sense. Anyway, the stadium is home to the largest swap meet’s I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, I did not find any Switches, but I did find a guy swapping Macadamia Nut cookies for a few dollars, so naturally, I bought some. It started to rain, so even though many people are Rainbow Warriors or Wahine, as the women prefer to be called, I am not. I stopped in at the ‘Aeia Public Library for a spell, and my phone was dead, so I needed a place to charge for a bit. The nice librarian, Akela (“it means graceful,” I was told. After I asked, “like the wolf-spirit in Hindi myths?”), pointed out, that, “We loan out all sorts of stuff here; pots, pans, sewing machines. Believe it or not, we even rent out video game systems. Our most popular is probably the Nintendo Switch, but we also have a couple of Xbox’s and PS4’s.” I guess I looked very shocked because Akela continued, “with the military surrounding us, we, the library system, get a lot of goods from contractors who don’t want to have a lot of their goods shipped back to the mainland.” Seeing how much it cost to ship out, I completely understood, and bid ¬¬Akela aloha, and failed the Hawai’I test by passing out at the nearest Embassy Suites, in Kapolei, if I remember correctly (I probably don’t, I was tired).

Fresno State

A nice cow brought me to Clovis. Much like what happened in Las Vegas, it was not the cool one, but instead the one in California. She (I saw udders), brought me specifically to 264 Clovis Ave, and said, “what you seek, from my master, is in there.” I’m not sure if it was my fever, jet-lag, a combination of them, or something else entirely, but then the cow vanished as though she was just a thing on the internet. A stray puppy passed by me in downtown, so that was probably the highlight of the trip.

Nevada (Reno)

Look, I’ll be honest, Reno to me always makes me feel like I’m going to be leaving the city without one or both of my kidneys. I don’t know why I expect Renoirs to chew my body like a Pack of Wolves, but there you are. Diedre Thomas of 128 Keystone Ave, fell on hard times. She poured herself a glass of vodka, neat, and said, “you can have anything you want,” she paused briefly to wink at me, “for the right price.” I specifically enquired about the Switch, “Anything,” she replied. She pulled out what appeared to be a small glass bowl that looked like an incense holder, and a baggie of chalk dust, and… Oh my god, she was going to smoke cocaine. Anyway, as she pulled out the pulled out the baggie, I hastily took my leave. I then went to the airport and went to my next stop….

Nevada – Las Vegas

Can you believe parents still bring their children, like elementary school aged children to Las Vegas. And it’s not the cool Las Vegas, in New Mexico, it’s the one in Nevada; well, I guess, technically they bring their kids to Paradise, and not Las Vegas, but c’mon man, there isn’t that much difference. Anyway, head to the Excalibur hotels because Carla, the housekeeper said that on average 3 Switches get left by guests every day. I then felt really depressed while walking around the hotel, so I left to check out the Mirage, where I normally stay on these Mountain West trips. I also learned that if there’s one thing that freaks me out more than the throngs of people walking the Strip, it’s when there’s nobody around. Once the new stadium gets completed it will be vastly easier to get to the casino than at the current location.

San Diego State

I stayed with Dominic, at his house of Friars Road. I was starting to feel sick to my stomach with the lack of green chile, so it was so enjoyable to spend time with a fellow New Mexican (and my roommate junior year). He took me on a little tour: Balboa Park’s stadium (home of the former Harbor Bowl, and the first tie in UNM Football history), the USS Midway, and Ocean Beach. I had forgotten about the assignment until I looked down at my feet and found a working Switch. When it was still there after an hour, I borrowed a small boat, realised, I need a bigger boat and headed out to the Ocean. Having claimed rights, I then put it back, so you might also find it.

San José State

Look, there are a lot of people who depart from the San Jose Airport. The kids who travel on these flights are slightly scatter-brained because of the adrenaline of taking a plane ride (and passing through the checkpoint), and leave some of their electronics, and I found a shoe! A shoe! Who only puts one shoe on and then walks-off? It was an adult shoe, so it’s not like a child/toddleparent left it, no, someone made a conscious decision to leave their shoe… Maybe it was a protest? Anyway, just tell the guy that you left your Switch at the checkpoint, if he asks you what color it was say, it had yellow grips that slide off, but the screen was bounded by black.

Table View

School	Distance Driving (mi)	Straight Line Distance (mi)	Drive/Drone Difference	Standard Deviation (all schools)A
Fresno State	4.46	3.28	1.18	0.644
Hawai’i	1.420	0.696	0.784	1.001
Nevada (Reno)	2.410	1.69	0.720	1.067
Nevada – Las Vegas (SBS)b	18.426	8.93	11.258
Nevada – Las Vegas (NVS)c	2.125	0.590	1.535	0.391
San Diego State	9.861	8.08	1.78	0.252
San José State	6.575	4.60	1.975	0.164

A: Variance is calculated based upon DDD’s distance from the standard deviation of DDD… Why DDD? Because, DDD is King.
b: Sam Boyd Stadium
c: New Vegas Stadium (Allegiant Field)

Conclusion

Even if the stores are sold out of Switches, there are always places you can go to get them, some are definitely within walking distance of your house, maybe even right next door. If you do choose to do that, there are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Milk 2. Eggs, specifically from Natural Grocers, if they still have member pricing. 3. Chicken thighs
Wait, that was my grocery list for last week.

1. Basque food is amazing.
2. The addresses are real, any businesses mention are real; the people mentioned or alluded to (with exception to the person who has an office in Clovis, CA; and Dominic in SD) are fake.
3. No, I do not know who lives at the addresses, and unless you can look it up in the phone book, I recommend that you don’t either. Please don’t bother them.
4. No, I am not sick… I have a lingering cough from allergies to junipemesquite pollen.
5. I have not visited Colorado Springs/Fort Collins/Laramie/Reno/San José/Honolulu, yet.
6. Information for the other cities comes from my memory
7. I remember when Park MGM was the Monte Carlo
8. Is Secret Pizza still at the Cosmo? I don’t remember seeing it the last time I was there, but that might have been because I was on the wrong floor.
9. Toss a coin to your witcher.
10. Normal people stop listing things at 10, but
11. This list goes up to 11.

It was always a question of when. Every man has his price and Floyd Mayweather knew that Conor McGregor, the most popular active combat sports athlete in the world, was the only one capable of meeting his demand.
What started as a rumor graduated to banter. Banter graduated to legitimate business discussions. And before we knew it we had Conor McGregor spurning whatever options he had in the UFC to enter the world of boxing.

Tale of the Tape

Floyd Mayweather	vs	Conor McGregor
49(26)-0	RECORD	21(18)-3 [MMA]
53%	KO %	75%
40	AGE	29
147 lbs	LAST 5 AVG WEIGHT	156.1 lbs
5'8"	HEIGHT	5'9"
72"	REACH	74"
Las Vegas, Nevada	HOMETOWN	Dublin, Ireland
5(0)-0	LAST 5	4(3)-1 [MMA]
-330	MONEYLINE*	+350
26(10)-0	IN LAS VEGAS	4(3)-1 [MMA]
3(2)-0	VS UNDEFEATED	2(2)-1 [MMA]
9(4)-0	VS SOUTHPAW
387	TOTAL RDS BOXED	0
1394(961)-211-43	TOTAL OPP. RECORD	249(187)-79 [MMA]
84%	TOTAL OPP. WIN %	76%
58%	OPP. KO %	57%

Accolades

Floyd Mayweather’s World Titles Won/Held

WBA super world welterweight title WBC super welterweight title x2 WBC welterweight title x2 IBF welterweight title WBO welterweight title WBC super lightweight title WBC lightweight title WBC super featherweight title

Mayweather’s Lineal Titles Held

Super featherweight champion (over Genaro Hernandez) Lightweight champion (over Jose Luis Castillo) Welterweight champion (over Carlos Baldomir) Super welterweight champion (over Canelo Alvarez) Welterweight champion (over Manny Pacquiao)

Conor McGregor's World Titles Won/Held

Cage Warriors lightweight title Cage Warriors featherweight title UFC featherweight title UFC lightweight title

How To Watch

Live

Mayweather-McGregor takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tickets are available through all the usual second hand sites.

TV

Country	Channel	Price	Time	Note
🇺🇸	Showtime PPV	$99.95	6PM PDT
🇬🇧	Sky Box Office	$19.95	2AM BST	In pounds
🇲🇽	Fox Sports 2	Free	6PM PDT
🇨🇦	Indigo	$99.99	6PM PDT	In canadians
🇦🇺	Main Event	$59.95	8/27 11AM AEST	In digeridoos
🇭🇺	Sport1	Free	4AM CEST
🇩🇪	DAZN	Free	3AM CET	Monthly cost
🇦🇹	DAZN	Free	3AM CET	Monthly cost
🇯🇵	DAZN	Free	8/27 10AM JST	Monthly cost
🇸🇪	Viaplay	499 kr	3AM CEST
🇵🇭	Sky PPV	p950	9AM PHT
🇫🇷	Canal+	$20	5AM CEST	Monthly cost
🇧🇪	Eleven PPV	$20	3AM CEST	In euros
🇧🇬	Mtel Sport 2	Free		Monthly cost
Latin America	Fox Premium	Depends	Depends	Check with your countries operator

Theaters

Fathom Events will be hosting Mayweather-McGregor in theaters around America. There are also theaters in Canada, but you'll need to google it.
Use this link to find a theater showing the fight near you

Online

Country	Site	Price	Note
🇺🇸	Showtime PPV	$99.95	All devices!!!! This will be produced by Showtime and you will get their commentary team.

Closed Circuit

You can purchase closed circuit tickets at the following hotels. You can purchase through Ticketmatster, at the MGM Resorts International Box Office (in-person), or call 800-745-3000. Note the price is $150 dollars.

• ARIA Resort & Casino
• Bellagio Resort & Casino
• MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
• Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
• Monte Carlo Resort & Casino
• New York-New York Hotel & Casino
• Luxor Hotel and Casino
• Excalibur Hotel & Casino

Bars and Pubs

Use this site to search for US bars and restuarants showing the fight
Use this site to search for UK bars and pubs

Ring Walks

All times are local/pacific.

Estimated Start Time	Fight
6:05 PM	Andrew Tabiti vs Steve Cunningham
6:35 PM	Nathan Cleverly vs Badou Jack
7:20 PM	Gervonta Davis vs Francisco Fonseca
7:55 PM	Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor

PPV Undercard

• Gervonta Davis vs Francisco Fonseca - 12 round fight for Davis's IBF super featherweight title. Davis currently sits as possibly the best fighter in the world under the age of 23. Davis is fierce, aggressive, and packs power in both hands. While Fonseca is undefeated, it's likely he will be blown out quickly given massive jump in opponent skill he's taking. Fight Rating: Can't miss.
  
• Nathan Cleverly vs Badou Jack - 12 rounds fight for Cleverly's WBA light heavyweight title. Badou Jack's career has followed a Hollywood script. Pushed too hard early, knocked out in 1 round, and now he's risen to the top while learning from his mistakes. Jack is a gritty, blue collar fighter. There is nothing pretty about what he does, but he makes for great fights. Cleverly is a solid challenger, but a clear underdog. Fight Rating: Close to can't miss.
  
• Andrew Tabiti vs Steve Cunningham - 10 rounds in the cruiserweight division. Tabiti is a rising cruiserweight contender with explosive power. Cunningham is older and thus we have an age vs youth matchup on our hands. Fight Rating: Don't blink.
  

Pre-Fight Undercard

FOX will be airing a pre-fight card before the pay-per-view starts.

• Yordenis Ugas vs Thomas Dulorme - 10 rounds in the welterweight division. Ugas has 3 losses and with any luck he'd be undefeated. Ugas is tricky, he knows how to be rough, and he can be sublime with his counter-punching when he needs to be. Dulorme is still trying to pick up the pieces of a career that's never panned out and this could be a launching pad for Ugas to get into a title picture. Fight Rating: 3/5
  
• Juan Heraldez vs Jose Miguel Borrego - 10 rounds in the super lightweight division. This one is going to open up the festivities and has potential to steal the show. Heraldez is 27 and desperately needs to win to take the next step in his career while Borrego is just getting off the ground at 19. Fight Rating: 4/5
  

Pay-Per-View Statistics

One small note. UFC pay-per-views statistics come from Dave Meltzer, whereas boxing numbers are generated by the cable and satellite providers. After the WME-IMG deal, it was discovered that McGregor-Diaz did 1.301 which would be the highest number a UFC fight ever did despite the reports from many journalists. But I'll stick with what was reported out of respect for Dana White and his company for risking their necks on a lawsuit by making this fight. For more information on Meltzer, I recommend listening to Something to Wrestle With Bruce Prichard.
Top Pay-Per-View Purchases All Time

1. Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao - 4,600,000
2. De La Hoya vs Mayweather – 2,400,000
3. Mayweather vs Alvarez – 2,200,000
4. Holyfield vs Tyson II – 1,990,000
5. Lewis vs Tyson – 1,970,000
6. Diaz vs McGregor II - 1,650,000
7. Lesnar vs Mir 2 – 1,600,000
8. Tyson vs Holyfield – 1,590,000
9. Tyson vs McNeeley – 1,550,000
10. Mayweather vs Cotto – 1,500,000
11. McGregor vs Diaz - 1,500,000

Top Ten Pay-Per-View Buyrates Beteween Mayweather-McGregor

1. Mayweather vs Pacquiao - 4,600,000
2. De La Hoya vs Mayweather – 2,400,000
3. Mayweather vs Alvarez – 2,200,000
4. Diaz vs McGregor II - 1,650,000
5. Mayweather vs Cotto – 1,500,000
6. McGregor vs Diaz 1,500,000
7. Aldo vs McGregor 1,400,000
8. Mayweather vs Mosley – 1,400,000
9. Alvarez vs McGregor - 1,300,000
10. Mayweather vs Ortiz – 1,250,000

Number of Mayweather Pay-Per-View Fights: 15
Total Mayweather Buys Generated: 19,595,000 Average Mayweather Buyrate: 1,306,000 Total Revenue Generated at $60 average price: $1,175,700,000 Average Pay-Per-View Revenue Generated: $78,380,000
Number of McGregor Pay-Per-View Fights: 5
Total McGregor Buys Generated: 6,675,000 Average McGregor Buyrate: 1,335,000 Total Revenue Generated at $60 average price: $400,500,000 Average Pay-Per-View Revenue Generated: $80,100,000
Combined
Total Combined Pay-Per-Views: 20 Total Buys Generated: 26,270,000 Average Combined Buyrate: 1,313,500 Average Combined Pay-Per-View Revenue Generated: $78,810,000
Total Combined Revenue Generated at an average price of $60 = $1,576,200,000
To have all televised and title fights synced with your calendar, please subscribe to the sunday puncher calendar. There is seriously no better or easier way to stay up-to-date with boxing. You'll never need to ask what time a fight starts or what channel you can catch it on again.

I posted some pics the other day of my 2013 trip to the Monaco GP. Someone mentioned they were interested in some practical tips for the race as they planned to tick it off their bucket list. Here are some that I wrote up a few years back.
How much will it cost me?
So, it’s not a cheap exercise – but it doesn’t have to bankrupt you unless you want it to.
Tickets are expensive (more on that later), however the rest of it really isn't too bad. You can dial it up & down as much as you want. I'll base this on the assumption that the person reading it is a normal human being, and won't be requiring helicopter transfers from Nice airport to The Fairmont Hotel. Some indicative costs below:
2/3 star hotel with sea views (staying within 15 mins train of Monaco): <€150/night 5cl beer at the track (which you can drink in the stands): €5 Ham sandwich/kebab at the track: €4 Train from Nice: €5 Two course lunch & some drinks at a half-decent restaurant in Monaco: €35pp Team hat/shirt: €30-40
Sweet. Where do I sit? Well, you need to buy grandstand tickets - there is no such thing as general admission & you cannot see the track from anywhere in Monaco except the grandstands (or secteur rocher - I'll get to that) - there's hoarding everywhere to block views.
Widely regarded as the "best" views are Stand K1 "high". This is the first stand at Tabac corner on the harbour, seated at the back of the stand (high up). It has views of Nouvelle Chicane, the run into Tabac, Tabac corner, and the entry into Swimming Pool. If you’re in the back row, you can also stand up & peer over the edge onto the main straight. The only downside is you are not quite so close to the cars. I did K1 "low" in the very front row, and while you don't quite get the panoramic views that the upper seats get, you are literally 2m from the cars as they go past at 160km/h. And if Max Chilton punts Pastor Maldonado into the wall in front of you, you get a face full of dust & a carbon fibre winglet off a Williams F1 car to keep
Anywhere in Stand K is brilliant as you have the widest views of the track, a screen, and you're right across from the boats which is a pretty iconic Monaco GP view.
Also great was Stand B - Casino Square. You are sitting directly opposite Casino Monte Carlo, again with a screen right in front of you. The cars are not as quick through here, but regardless of how many times you've seen the race on TV, it is a bizarre sight to see F1 cars going through what is usually a busy carpark. The sound here (IMO) was much louder & better too - must have been all the echoing off buildings etc.
The best way is to jump on YouTube and look for views from various stands - you'll get a good idea pretty quickly (in French the word for grandstand is ‘tribune’ – so search “Monaco grand prix tribune k” for example). I would definitely recommend stand K & B (in that order) - maybe do a mix i.e. stand B on Saturday, Stand K on Sunday. I’m sure the other stands are fine, however I have no experience with them so can’t say.
Note: when you buy Saturday & Sunday tickets, you get tickets for Thursday Free Practice included for no cost.
Budget up to €700pp for tickets if doing a full weekend.
Book directly through the Automobile Club Monaco website (www.acm.mc) - it is a horrible website, the ticketing UX sucks balls, and it only seems to work on Internet Explorer but persevere. They will send your tickets via registered post to your address & mine came in about Jan/Feb (ahead of the May race).
Hmm....not sure I can justify spending $1k pp on tickets.
No problem, there is another option. Secteur Rocher is a rocky hill near La Rascasse, and you can buy tickets to that for about €70 I think. There is no allocated seating so it's first in best dressed (meaning you'll need to get there early), however it has great (albeit a bit distant) views of the track and excellent views of the pits.
How do I get around while I’m there?
To get to Monaco, take the train. It costs €5 each way, trains leave every 15mins or so, and it only takes 10-15mins. The last train leaves Monaco at around 11.30pm.
It’s then only a short (but steep) walk from the train station to the grandstands, and everything’s clearly signed. The little ticket machines at the station are super easy to use too.
The roads are pretty diabolical on this weekend (the Cannes Film Festival is usually on around the same time 30mins up the road so you have all these people there at once) so buses are out, and a cab between Nice & Monaco apparently costs €250 each way on race weekend. If you have a bigger budget, helicopter transfers are easy to come across & aren’t as expensive as you might think (probably comparable to a cab).
Once you’re in Monaco, just walk everywhere. It’s tiny. The great thing is you can watch quali in the stands, then walk a few hundred metres to a myriad of half-decent (and sensibly priced) restaurants to have lunch/drinks while you wait for the next session to start.
Where do I stay?
If you have the budget, stay in Monaco if you can. While getting around is super easy, it would have been easier to just wander back to the room at the end of each day. I wouldn’t pay €500 a night or anything, but if you can get something for, say €200-250 I’d do it. That might be a bit optimistic though.
Otherwise, the obvious answer is Nice, but to be honest I (personally) would prefer to stay in a smaller town. I stayed in Villefranche-sur-Mer, but you could try Eze, Cap Ferrat or Bealieu-sur-Mer. They’re just a bit quieteprettier than Nice. Villefrance was nice & relaxed – plenty of places to eat & drink but no hustle & bussle. It was good to leave hectic/noisy Monaco behind at the end of each day and just chill in a nice quiet little town. Pretty much just look at the map & pick a town that looks nice. As mentioned, landing a sea-view room during GP weekend for under €150 is achievable (in any of the towns a few minutes outside Monte Carlo).
What else is there to do there?
Shitloads. The track opens to the public after each session (around 6pm) and then opens to traffic at 7pm. The restaurant La Rascasse turns into this massive party that spills out on to the road/track…DJs, drinks, the whole box & dice. Hundreds & hundreds of people there.
All the restaurants and bars are packed & have plenty on. There’s stuff going on in the street (merchandise, Lotus had a stand where you could drive their sim, live music in the street), beers everywhere. Lots to see.
You can go up to Casino Square, which can only be described as a circus on Saturday night. I’m not kidding, it is wall to wall rich kids posing in supercars. You are standing there watching a 20yr old kid rolling past the casino in an orange Aventador (on Kuwaiti plates…meaning he has shipped it over from Kuwait for the weekend), just wondering to yourself “who are these people?!” Young girls driving McLarens, Veyrons, SLRs, an Aston One77, Ferraris, you name it. You know the most recent Batmobile? That was there. As was a RR Phantom painted in camo green. It’s mental.
You can take a walk along the yachts & be surprised at how depressing the yacht parties look. It’s basically a bunch of rich dudes with Russian hookers all looking bored with each other, or some Poms who all bought tickets to the same VIP yacht package awkwardly trying to have a good time but failing.
You probably can’t go to any of the nice restaurants or bars. They are generally private events for special people only…I watched people getting turned away from Buddha Bar while playboys and socialites breezed in. Gotta be a part of the club. 
Is everyone there millionaires?
Nope. The crowd were mostly just genuine F1 fans from all over the world. LOTS of Aussies. My missus was a bit worried about what to wear thinking everyone was gonna be dressed up…nope.
All the billionaires are segregated in their viewing terraces or yachts.
You can generally tell who the special people are – they are always tanned, have perfect teeth. The men wear Hublot Big Bangs/AP Royal Oak Offshores, and the smoking hot women are dressed head to toe in Chanel. They are all a bunch of wankers to be honest, the whole “look at how rich I am” thing is amusing for about 10 minutes and then it becomes sad.
Monaco is a procession why would I want to go there herpa derpity derp it's the worst race on the calendar
Oh shut up, who cares. It’s an utterly brilliant spectacle & the atmosphere is amazing. You see the cars hammering around the track, and then when you’re walking the circuit 2hrs later & you cannot believe that they actually allow this race to happen. Like cigarettes or the IOMTT road race, if the Monaco Grand Prix was invented today you would be laughed out of the room for suggesting it. It is an absolutely absurd event that should be celebrated for existing in 2018.
Any other tips?
Yeah, after the race, head down to the paddock area near the pit entry/La Rascasse. They open it up to the public around 5.30/6pm. You will be able to walk into the paddock area. You’ll see drivers, team bosses, celebrities, media, etc. I said a quick hello to Michael Douglas, Christian Horner, Adrian Newey, Esteban Gutierrez, Sergio Perez. Saw DC, EJ, Brundle & co filming their post-race shows. And shook Mark Webber’s hand & congratulated him on his podium.
If you've ever said to yourself you'll go to the race "one day", you absolutely must do it.

Just got back from Vegas and wanted to share my experience for anyone coming since there always seem to be questions every week about similar stuff.
Stayed at the Luxor for three nights Wed-Sat this past week on an mlife offer with Resort Credit and Freeplay. Staff was very nice at Luxor and we stayed in a Tower Premium Room with 2 queen beds. Room was very nice actually. We were on the 2nd floor and didn't have much of a view, however, this is probably the nicest room I've had in Vegas. To give some reference, I usually only stay at the lower end strip properties since I'm a low-roller and that's what I get comped. I've stayed in a Flamingo Fab Room, Excalibur Royal Room, Bally's basic room (Jubilee?), The Rio (Never again.), and the Linq. The only property that was close was the Flamingo. I will say that the Luxor's room isn't as nice as the Go rooms at Flamingo though. We were very happy with the room for a comp room though. If you do stay at Luxor just know this: You have to walk. A lot. I like MGM's Casino and the walk to there even though it's only a few properties down is about 20-25 minutes and you have to walk through Excalibur unless you take the tram. All and all though, wasn't a bad place to stay and would definitely take it over Excalibur by a mile.
We hit up three buffets for brunch on our trip: The Aria, Bacchanal at Caesars, and Wicked Spoon at Cosmo. The Aria buffet was free from our myvegas points. (Facebook/Mobile game where you can earn some free stuff for your Vegas trip. Mostly buffets and free nights but there are some shows there too.) It was pretty good. Food all looked fresh and tasted good. Food is pretty standard buffet fare though which is where the other two buffets really shine. Purchased the unlimited drinks add-on for $19.99 for two people. We had margaritas and they were pretty good for 4 of them for $19.99, but beware, they are pretty slow bringing out drinks. I think brunch normal price is $28.99 which is a fair price I think for this buffet seeing as worse buffets charge that much.
Friday we went to Bacchanal on a Groupon, $88 for brunch for 2 with two mimosas each. Simply put, this is the best buffet in Vegas I have been to. (I have not eaten at Wynn or Sterling Brunch though.) Worth the price. Mimosas were very good. They were not all orange juice like some places make them. The food though was all on point. Slab bacon and Chicken and Waffles were delicious. Meats from the carving station were good as well. Chilaquiles were amazing too. Decent selection of seafood, Lobster Eggs Benedict was a favorite. My wife is Vegetarian and she had a very good selection of stuff to eat here and she was very happy with her choices.
Saturday we tried Wicked Spoon and we were really glad we did. We did the unlimited drinks and brunch buffet which worked out to about $115+tip. The service here was the best I've ever had any any buffet. Wife and I got through about 5 glasses of champagne each along with a 6th to go. He just kept bringing them out and was very fast to refill our water and clear our plates. Food was very inventive and delicious. Pork Pozole Sope and Gordon Ramsay style eggs were excellent which is saying a lot since buffet eggs are usually gross. The best thing I ate all trip though had to be this truffle pasta they had out. Normally when you get "truffle" dishes they're just made with truffle oil or something, however, there were decent sized chunks of actual black truffle shaved onto each dish. I love truffle and it was sooooo good. Now, where this buffet lacked was the carving station. I had some chewy beef that was the worst of the three buffets. However, I'd definitely go back here again even at the steep price since the drink service was so good and that truffle pasta was amazing.
The other two places we ate were VegeNation and Primrose. Vegenation is a vegan restaurant downtown. Probably best Vegetarian/Vegan place I've eaten at. Had the meatball sub which was good and my wife says they're spaghetti and meatballs are delicious. She strayed from it this time and got the Veggiechanga which was a vegan chimichanga. She wasn't too happy with it. It was filled with a lot of meat substitute and not as much veggies as she thought it would have. She regretted the choice the whole trip since she loved the spaghetti and meatballs last trip.
Primrose is a new restaurant in Monte Carlo/Park MGM. I had the Filet and frites and it was delicious. Decent size filet on top of bone marrow and mushrooms. The frites were ok, definitely not as good as Bouchon's, but good. My wife had the tomato pasta and it was very good. Kind of spicy with perfectly cooked pasta. Drinks were good and my wife ordered some lavender infused drink that was very tasty. All and all would recommend, dinner for two with drinks ended up around $120+tip. One thing to mention though is the Monte Carlo is a mess right now. So much construction going on and the entrances and exits are very inconvenient.
We went and saw Brilliant at the Neon Museum downtown and it was a pretty good show. Show lasts about a half hour and they give you some time after the show to snap pictures with the signs lit up. If you like vintage Vegas stuff I'd definitely recommend it. I think tickets were $26/pp for the show and you could buy a ticket with a tour of the museum for $42/pp.
Few other quick things: Go to the Cosmo's Chandelier Bar and order a Verbena ($16). It is the coolest cocktail I've ever had. You sip this cocktail after eating a flower than makes your tongue tingle and it is delicious.
Even if you're not a big gambler I suggest you check out MGM and play Sigma Derby and/or Fortune Cup. They are mechanical horse racing games that are a fun way to kill time and you're money doesn't disappear instantly. Sigma Derby user quarters and Fortune Cup is a more updated version with a minimum bet of $1. The D on Fremont also has one of each machine and I saw the Fortune Cup machine at a few other casinos like the Cosmo. Hit a quinella for $150 on the Fortune Cup machine at the MGM and my wife who is not normally a gambler had a fun time picking horses to win.
I also realized I don't think I like Fremont that much. Gambling is better downtown, but the whole atmosphere just isn't for me anymore. I think between the amount of non musician 'performers' and homeless beggars I saw and smelled on Thursday night I'm going to hit up the mob museum next trip then skip Fremont from now on.
TL;DR Buffets: Bacchanal >= Cosmo > Aria, go see Brilliant, Luxor's Tower Premium room is an excellent choice for a budget room, Vegenation has great vegan food, Primrose is good but Monte Carlo is a mess, Play Sigma Derby and Fortune Cup, maybe skip Fremont?
EDIT: Oh, almost forgot. The new Esports Arena at the Luxor looks awesome if you're into that sort of thing. $25 for unlimited play from 12PM-12AM. The setup there looked really nice. Thinking of trying to get my gaming group (Who are also really into Poker) to taking a trip for gambling and gaming.

I'm going in July and have done some research.
Plenty of this is from the sidebar, but other notes are from many of other sources.
The Vegas Degenerate Tour ( . ) ( . )
Things to do:

• Drugs
• Hookers
• Bellagio Fountains (free)
• Mirage Volcano Show (free)
• The lounge at the top of the Mandarin Oriental - Super Classy with amazing night time views, sexy patrons and great cocktails
• Wet Republic - Rent cabana 2 months in advance
• Las Vegas Helicopter Night Flight with VIP Transportation £65pp
• Grand Canyon Skywalk - Apparently Expensive and not that good - you have to take a bus to get there and it is $30 each. Go to Grand Canyon south instead.
• The Strip Gun Club Range
• Sapphires pool party - strippers pool party!!!
• Fremont Street Experience at night.
• Container Park, which is a few blocks east of the Freemont St. Experience, a 2 foot recycled steel praying mantis (acquired from Burning Man) spits giant fireballs to the beat of music A LOT. Lots of half naked men and women. LOTS (free)
• Ghost Bar at the Palms has amazing views. Check Groupon for deals. Happy hour 8-10pm
• Stratosphere rides
• Stratosphere bar at the top. Happy hour 2 hours after open
• High Roller observation wheel. Get a car with the open bar.
• Monte Carlo minus 5 Ice bar. Everything is made out of ice! Bar, glasses, seating - everything
• RiRa Irish bar with live music and good Guinness after 9pm
• The Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay, live music and amazing strip views
• Strip clubs: Spearmint Rhino, Hustler Club and Crazy Horse--those are our top 3 Rhino and Horse are high end and classy
• Top Golf location, just behind MGM. 5 levels of golf driving range, mixed with music, food and drinks. There are also 2 pools, free to use.#
• Dig This drive diggers and bulldozers.
• Spa in the ARIA is amazing with good treatments.
• Alibi show http://alibitheshow.com/ This experience throws the audience into an exciting adventure around the streets, restaurants, bars and other real-life locations on the Las Vegas Strip.
• BARE POOL AT MIRAGE: Go on Monday. At Bare, experience palm tree-enclosed seclusion as you relax and enjoy European-style sunbathing at Bare Pool at The Mirage. Read more https://jackcolton.com/las-vegas-dayclubs/bare-pool-mirage/
• Ride in a stuntplane! Actual vomiting everywhere http://www.skycombatace.com/
• Best price supercar rentals https://www.vegasluxuryrides.com
• Lake Mead boat rental boatbound.com
• Absinthe at Ceaser’s Palace amazing offensive comedy show http://www.ticketmaster.com/Absinthe-tickets/artist/802082
• There is so much free stuff going on up and down the strip though that you can just do all the free stuff and not spend a dime. From street dancers, people singing, or pictures with a grown dude wearing a diaper.
• Eclipse cinemas downtown for an over 21s only luxury cinema experience with cocktails and good food.
• The Linq promenade is a very nice area
• Treasures strip club: have a nice buffet and steak to go with your titty show http://www.treasureslasvegas.com/
• VooDoo Zipline at Rio Groupon $44 for two
• REAL BODIES at Ballys Groupon $35.50 for two

Tips:

• Hotel picker https://farm1.staticflickr.com/770/21800142824_6dddea1786_k.jpg
• $50 a night dining credit at ARIA somehow - research
• Do the $20 checking tip trick. Slip a $20 in between card and ID and ask to see if an upgrade is possible.
• Get player’s cards - sign up for the Player's Club (free) in each casino, they will usually give you some sort of incentive
• Buy water at a supermarket and keep at hotel
• Taxi from Airport request avoid the I-215 Airport Tunnel and go via Strip
• http://www.tix4tonight.com for tickets on the night
• Drinks are ALWAYS cheaper inside the casinos on Fremont than outside
• Harrah's has a "Million Dollar Pull" where you just go up and play a slot machine for free with the chance to win $1 million. Even if you don't win a million, you will always win something.
• If you want to go to top of the Stratosphere go to the desk to the right of the entrance and say you want to go to the bar. You won't have to pay the $15 to go to the top.
• Marketing manager for the Aria https://www.reddit.com/usetedistkrieg
• Have the clubs pick you up in their limos because all the cab/ubelyft/limo drivers get a kick back on anyone they drop off to the clubs and same with the VIP card guys! So if you don't use the free limo ... THE CLUB HAS TO CHARGE YOU A COVER!!! If you use the clubs FREE limo service they can sometimes wave that cover charge!! (that's like $20 a person!)
• Check for Groupon deals.
• Make sure you all download the Uber and Lyft app. Both offer new user signup credits. Free rides.
• A $400 Pre-Authorisation charge for resort fees and ‘amenities’ was taken as expected upon check in. I would recommend UK visitors to take a Cash Passport MasterCard (available in Thomas Cook and other travel agents)

Clubs

• Hosts contacts list for all major clubs: https://jackcolton.com/
• You can view hotel discounts at up to 30% as well as VIP table service for nightclubs at: www.VegasJames.com for strip clubs at: www.StripperKing.com
• XS Encore
• Hakkasan MGM
• Light inside the Mandalay Bay
• Tryst Wynn
• Vegas local youtuber and bouncehost Jacob Orth to hook us up with limo service to the Hustler club
• Places we personally recommend from experience:
• Hakkasan
• Omnia
• The Light
• XS
• XS does a nightitme pool party
• Gold Spike nightclub / hotel in Downtown is a bit more ‘Hipster’
• This list offers plenty more clubs to check out (many of which don’t require a cover).
• http://www.vegasvip.com/nightclubs.html

Food

• Alizé Tasting Menu - get groupon for discount £350 > $200
• Sage in the Aria has a highly rated tasting menu
• Aria buffet one of the best
• Joël Robuchon in MGM is crazy silly expensive but amazing food 16 course taster $425 each without drinks https://www.mgmgrand.com/en/restaurants/joel-robuchon-french-restaurant.html
• Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace a little cheaper 9 course tasting for $260/person or a $350/person 14 course tasting https://www.caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/guy-savoy#.WI8vkRuLTIU
• é by Jose Andres inside Jaleo inside Cosmo. Only 8 seats, reservations by email only ([email protected]) starting 3 months prior to the res date, 23 courses. $190/person(?) without alcohol pairing
• Raku in Chinatown does amazing 8/12 course tastings for $70/100 a person
• The tasting, or "seasonal discover menu" at L'Atelier is up to $165 per person
• Eiffel Tower restaurant is a Must for dinner!!!!!!!! Fantastic view of the strip
• Good steakhouses serve food at the restaurant bar and the bartender has seen some shit. So much more fun for a party up to three and the service is over the top.
• Delmonico's in Venetian at the bar. The cocktails and food were amazing.
• Mushashi's dirty show (Japanese steak with a naughty show for the girls.) Midnight to 4am happy hour.
• Secret Pizza. A secret pizza place. Needs research! Inside the Cosmopolitan
• Bachi Burger – also to reunite with a previous memory. I still think this is one of the top 3 burgers I’ve ever had. The oxtail chili cheese fries are recommended by others to be a “must”, but I personally prefer the truffle fries.
• Monta Ramen – I’m a huge ramen fan and I understood this was the –best- ramen place in Vegas.
• Sweets Raku – in the same complex as Monta Ramen. They have some neat desserts that they make right in front of you, lovely experience.
• Wicked Spoon Buffet at the Cosmo. Everything was really good and the deserts were awesome.
• Brunch @ Bacchanal Buffet, Caesar’s Palace – This was awesome! We had the groupon deal and it was impressively cheap. Midway through our meal they switched to their lunch menu so we got the best of both worlds there.
• Gordon Ramsey’s Burgr – onion rings were incredible. The burger was pretty good as well.
• Earl of Sandwich - I could seriously eat these every day.
• Studio B Buffet @ M Resort
• The "Heart Attack Grill" lets you eat free if you weigh over 350 pounds.
• Marriage Can Be Murder - This is a dinner / theater / murder mystery / whodunit show at the D downtown. Includes tasty food, extreme audience participation and likely embarrassment. You may be called upon to dance, or play a character in the murder mystery. Comes with tasty food, cocktails available.
• For dinner, I highly recommend BLT Steak House in Ballys Hotel and Red8 in The Wynn - if you are a food lover, BLT’s is particularly worth the extra!

Sex/Swingers Clubs (Or; no, you filthy pervert - what's wrong with you?)

• The Red Rooster http://www.yelp.com/biz/las-vegas-red-rooster-las-vegas
• The Green Door http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-green-door-las-vegas
• Couple's Oasis http://www.couplesoasis.com/main/

Drive:
Drive along east CA down US-395 and crossing over to Nevada after Death Valley is one of the greatest drives I have ever done.
Guides:

• https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/welcome-to-las-vegas-travel-guide-cityguides
• https://www.vegas.com/traveltips/
• http://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Free-Room-in-Las-Vegas
• http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/tipping.cfm

Edited to include corrections.

6 Nights in Vegas - On a Budget

A little background on us. I’m 35 my wife is 28. We aren’t major gamblers by any stretch, but we usually hit up a local casino maybe once a month, twice if we do good, and usually gambling about $100 a piece each time. We are both huge sports fans, especially college sports (Notre Dame). I’m a bit of a tightwad most of the time.
The morning of April 2, 2016 I asked her if she wanted to marry me (both of us have been married once before), she said yes. I bought tickets that morning, didn’t tell anyone our plans and drove from South Bend Indiana area to Chicago O’Hare, and arrived in Vegas right around dark.
The first couple of Hotels I tried for were booked, but we ended up finding a room at Planet Hollywood (which we spent all of about 4 hours in). We then flew out the next morning, spending a total of about 12 hours in Vegas.
This time around, after finding out my kids would be with their mom over Spring Break, I decided to save up and actually plan a trip this time. We debated Florida, Canada, the Smokies, and ended up deciding on Vegas.
Tuesday – March 27 We stayed the night at Blue Chip Casino (BOYD Gaming) in Michigan City Indiana (halfway to O’Hare). Both of us had comps for a free room and Buffet’s as well and about $75 worth of food credit that we had been saving for our Vegas trip. They also gave me a $25 gas card. We decided to gamble $100, and lost pretty quickly. After eating our “free buffets” we decided to go to bed, anticipating an early morning.
Wednesday – March 28 Once we got to O’Hare, we went and checked our 1 bag in at the Spirit Airlines desk. Everything at Spirit is A la Carte, and I had paid for 1 checked bag, however the lady in front of me discovered that their checked bags cost even more if over 40lbs. I had gone with Spirit to save a buck, and overall the experience wasn’t terrible, but I’ve had much better experiences with other non-discount airlines. After arriving in Vegas, we rode the bus from the airport to the Rental Car facility, and in short time had our new car for the week. The nice lady at Payless tried selling me several extras, and I politely declined each of them. I’ve come to expect the sales pitch no matter what rental company I use, and overall my experience with these guys was very good. We ended up changing reservations last minute for our Hotel due to additional offers I received while at Blue Chip. After checking in at the Fremont (all 6 nights) we unpacked, stopped at IN & OUT Burger, and made a run to Wal-Mart for snacks and drinks. We then decided to go check out the Nuwu Dispensary, we were both very impressed with the selection, cleanliness, and friendliness of everyone we talked to there (we are novices at this lol). After making a “small” purchase, we decided to drive out to Mount Charleston for the evening and ended up catching the sunset before driving back into town. We spent the rest of the evening walking around Fremont Street mostly just people watching, before we grabbed a snack from the Café inside the Fremont and went back to our room for the night. The food was average at best, but the price was right, even if I hadn’t used my points.
Thursday – March 29 We slept in until about 9:30, and slowly made our way over to the Hoover Dam. On our way to the Dam, we stopped at Sunset Station for their Brunch Buffet, and were really impressed, especially for the $7 price. After gambling a little and not winning we continued to the Dam. Waze had me going some crazy roads that I’d never taken before to get there, and took us about 3 times longer than I had ever remembered. After getting closer and seeing all of the traffic/road construction I now knew why. All of the lower parking lots were full, so we drove to the little gift shop on the Arizona side (I was surprised to see the road now ends here), got a couple of little souvenirs for our boys, and walked around a little bit before exploring Lake Meade a little and driving back to Fremont. After relaxing for a little bit we again decided to walk around Fremont Street and ended up getting Margaritas and Enchilada Nacho’s at Nachodaddy’s. I would highly recommend this place if you want a good drink and great nachos, we both loved it, and our bartenders were great. After walking back to the Fremont and going back and forth on winning/losing at the slot machines, my wife got a bonus feature on the machine she was playing, when I noticed a guy standing behind her watching. He looked really familiar, and after seeing “Deez Nuts” on the back of his jacket, I realized he was the youtube star from the Deez Nuts video. He posed for a picture with my wife and then went on his way. We gambled for a few hours and went to bed about even on the day.
Friday – March 30 After grabbing coffee from Dunkin Donuts inside the Fremont, we decided to drive down to Primm, because my wife had never been to California. We stopped at the truck stop and decided against topping off on gas, due to the price being over $4/gallon. We walked around the shop, found some more souvenirs for the kids, and ate lunch at Qdoba. After driving around behind the outlet mall, I realized there wasn’t a sign saying welcome to California, so I hopped on I15 and continued South/West until she got to see her sign. We went a few exits and decided a trip all the way to Baker wasn’t worth the drive, so we turned around just past the giant solar farm on the right. In the stretch from about a mile outside of Primm to where we turned around, we passed probably a dozen of each Nevada State Police and California Highway Patrol, many of which were on motorcycles and all of which had at least 1 car pulled over. About the time we made it back into Vegas, my buddy’s flight from Washington DC had arrived (he’s getting ready to leave for Japan for the next 3 years) so we went and picked him up at his hotel (Hooters). My wife won some money on the “Vacation” machine in Hooters and we decided to go walk the strip, which wasn’t a bad walk at all. We ended up going through the MGM, across to the Aria/Monte Carlo area and decided all the bars were a bit too busy due to a Golden Knights game getting ready to start. We walked over to Excalibur and rode the monorail to Mandalay Bay. We spent the rest of the evening here, and I decided to bet on Notre Dame Women, which turned out to be a good bet. My buddy, being born in Connecticut bet on UConn and that pretty much set the tone for his luck the rest of his trip. My wife and I ended up getting a giant hot dog/pepsi combo for $3.99 at the Café inside the Fremont after returning, and it was a better bet than the Chinese food we had tried earlier in the week.
Saturday – March 31 Another buddy of ours had moved to Vegas about 6 weeks ago, while his wife and kids are moving out there today. He called me late Saturday morning, and had us meet him out at the RV Dealership he works for. After getting a tour of their half million dollar Motorhomes (built here in Indiana), we hopped in his convertible and rode out to Red Rock Canyon. The line to get in was about 100 cars long, and it looked like they were only letting a few in every 15 minutes, so we drove out along that area and headed back a different way to the south side of town. The company he works for sponsors the Horse Arena at the South Point Casino, so we rode over, watched some of the show, and got the behind the scenes tour of the stalls, practice arena, and got to meet the horses/cowboys. We ended up spending most of the day at South Point, and we really enjoyed it, probably our favorite one on the “strip” so to speak. We ate dinner at Baja Miguel’s and all enjoyed our food. Later on Saturday night we rode back to downtown. My buddy that now lives in Vegas, took us to Container Park, which was really cool. After that we walked back down Fremont Street and I had bet earlier on Michigan beating Loyola in Men’s basketball. Another good choice, however I had to find a casino with a sports book that could cash me out. We ended up going to “The D” and really enjoyed the atmosphere/older machines. My wife ended up playing the old school Horse Racing Quarter Machine upstairs and stayed on it for quite a while. We ended up heading back to the Fremont, where we gambled the rest of our “$200 limit” for the day, and did pretty good. After several hours of gambling, we decided we were hungry, so we walked over to the Café at Binions, and were really impressed with what we had.
Sunday – April 1 We ate the Breakfast Buffet at the Fremont (comped), took an Uber back to our rental car on the other side of town, picked our buddy up at Hooters and headed north to Zion National Park. A couple hours later we arrived and were somewhat surprised that it wasn’t completely packed. My buddy has a free pass (Military) so we saved $30 on the gate fee. We spent most of the day at Zion, climbing, hiking, and exploring, it was my 4th time there, but the first time for my wife and buddy, and while my wife isn’t a hiker like me, she really enjoyed it and mentioned that it was one of her top 3 things we did on our trip. On our way back to town we stopped at Casa Blanca in Mesquite for a few hours, we didn’t do any good, but enjoyed the change of pace from the Vegas casinos.
Monday – April 2 We walked the strip again, and ate the brunch buffet at the Bellagio. It was really good, but if I hadn’t used the buy 1 get 1 free coupon I had, I wouldn’t have been quite as impressed. We walked around the strip some more, and ended up buying tickets to X-Country for my wife and I for the 10pm show at Harrah’s. The lady at the Box Office didn’t offer any discount, but when I asked about using my players card, she gave me a $10/ticket discount on the tickets. After that we drove across town to Sams Town (Boyd Gaming) and gambled for a few hours, I remembered a Steak House from several years back that I really enjoyed here, but we ended deciding against it for our anniversary meal. After going back to our hotel to change and shower, we ended up going to Viva Zapata’s (based on Reddit reviews). We weren’t disappointed! The food was amazing, the atmosphere even better, and the wait staff was the best! Our waiter asked what brought us out there, I told him it was our 2 year anniversary and we had flown in from Indiana to celebrate. We were enjoying the live Mariachi music, but started getting a little anxious as we were waiting on our bill (we wanted to get to Harrah’s by 9:30). A few minutes later here came the wait staff/musician to our table, put giant sombrero’s on us, gave us a couple of churros and each of us a shot of Tequila (no charge) while they sang us a song. I tipped them well and we were on our way to the show. My wife is a huge country music fan, and while I enjoy some of the older stuff, I’m more of a metalhead. I was pleasantly surprised at the price of our tickets, and for the money, the show wasn’t bad. 1 of the dancers really stood out from the rest though, but all in all it was a good experience. I wanted to go see Absinthe but found out they weren’t playing on Monday night. After our show we walked down to the Bellagio Fountains to see a show before heading back to the hotel.
Tuesday – April 3 We spent most of the morning packing up from our 6 nights at the Fremont, I checked with the Casino host to see about possibly comping more than 2 of our nights, but she showed me where my score in their algorithm was only a 65, and needed to be 100 to qualify for more. I still only paid $165 for the 4 nights I had to pay for, which was more than fair in my opinion, considering how little time we actually spent in the room. We went to Hooters and gambled for about 20 minutes, winning a couple hundred dollars, then took my buddy to the airport. Our flight wasn’t until 6:30pm, so we drove back North and had to try another Reddit suggestion for our last meal in town. We ended up at Hamburger Hut as we love to eat wings, and although the location and building were a bit sketchy, we ordered hot wings, a hot dog, and chili fries, this was our favorite food of the trip. We also really enjoyed hanging with some of the locals while we ate lunch. After eating lunch we hit up Walmart by the airport to find some last minute souvenirs to take back home, and then returned our rental car and waited a few hours for our flight back home.
What I would recommend
Sight Seeing - Zion National Park, Red Rock Canyon, Lake Mead, Container Park (especially if you have kids)
Food - Hamburger Hut, Viva Zapata’s, In & Out Burger, Nachodaddy, Hotdogs at South Point, Breakfast Buffet at Sunset Station, also saved a bunch of money by getting snacks and drinks for our room at the grocery store on day 1.
Casinos – As a gambler, the ones off the Strip seemed to pay better, but the ones on the strip were much classier and had newer slots you can’t find elsewhere. My 3 favorite were the Fremont, The D, and South Point. My wife really enjoyed seeing the sights at the Bellagio, the Flamingo, and others on the Strip. No matter what, if you’re going to gamble, get a players card, it saved me a bunch of money.
Transportation – If you like to do more than just stay in town and walk all week, I’d highly recommend getting a rental car like we did (about $200 for the week for a nice sized car), but if you don’t plan on going on long day trips like we did, UbeLyft would be great.
Entertainment – XCountry at Harrahs wasn’t the top show I’ve ever seen, but 2 tickets for $80 something and a happy wife, I can’t complain at all. Watching all the entrepreneurs on Fremont Street as well as the stage shows for free was hard to beat, and any trip to Vegas should include the Bellagio Fountains, the Flamingo Habitat, and any other free entertainment you can find along the strip.
What I wouldn’t recommend
Airlines – don’t go with the budget airlines expecting to save a bunch of money if you plan on taking a bag with you, checked or carry on, prefer to pick your seats out in advance, or want to get a snack while flying.
Food – While we didn’t really have any “bad” experiences, the café and Buffet at the Fremont were probably my least favorite, but I can’t complain because I didn’t have to pay for anything at either of them. Also I was looking forward to checking out Heart Attack Grill (based on Ducktales review), but they were packed and took Cash Only fyi.
Sight Seeing – Fremont Street after dark really isn’t the place to take your small kids but be sure to take them to Container Park during the day, Hoover Dam (unless you go early), Red Rock Canyon scenic trail on a holiday weekend. Pawn Stars was packed and if you’ve seen it once, the excitement kind of wore off, and they apparently charge for parking now. I parked up the street for free and only had a short walk, but the people trying to push you to buy extras outside of the store really kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

First, let me say thank you to all of our wonderful readers, users, subscribers, lurkers and whoever happens to stumble bum into our little islands, /Oahu and /Honolulu, in the vast ocean of the Innernet. Hope 2017 was good to you and hope 2018 will be even more better...so...to rock it in properly, here's a handy dandy guide I've put together using a variety of sources.
Please verify the information on your own and be aware, there may be changes for any kind of reason. If there are any mistakes or if you'd like to add your own, post a comment here or shoot me a PM.
Your 2017 Guide to the Best New Year’s Eve Events and Fireworks in Honolulu - From Honolulu Magazine
Eighth Annual New Year’s Eve Party of the Year
SATURDAY, DEC. 30 ­AND SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Party your way into the new year with a two-day festival featuring the electro-pop duo behind “Roses,” “Closer” and “Something Just Like This.” One ticket gets you access to The Chainsmokers concert at Aloha Stadium on Saturday, followed by a countdown to 2018 at Aloha Tower on Sunday with more than 30 bands and DJs on nine stages (including Walshy Fire of Major Lazer), Eat the Street food trucks and, of course, a spectacular fireworks display.
Saturday: Aloha Stadium, 99-500 Salt Lake Blvd., ‘Aiea, 5–10 p.m., all ages; Sunday: Aloha Tower Marketplace, 1 Aloha Tower Drive, 7 p.m.­–2 a.m., 18 and over; $135–$300, purchase tickets here.
Hideout NYE
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Start 2018 right dressed in all-white at The Laylow Hotel’s New Year’s Eve masquerade. Mingle with mysterious guests (thanks to complimentary masks!) out on the open-air lānai and by the pool while you listen to live performances by DJs Revise and Tittahbyte and get your drink on at not one, but two, bars.
2299 Kūhio Ave., 9 p.m.–2 a.m., $50 for the first 200 guests, $75 at the door, purchase tickets here.
Majestic! New Year’s Eve Cruise
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
All aboard Atlantis Adventures’ Majestic! for a New Year’s Eve with an ocean view of the Waikīkī fireworks, delicious appetizers, celebratory party favors and a complimentary glass of Champagne for a toast at midnight.
Pier 6, 1 Aloha Tower Drive, 10:30 p.m.­–12:45 a.m., $173, purchase tickets here.
Monte Carlo Casino Night at 53 By The Sea
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Try your hand at being James (or Jane) Bond for a night at 53 By The Sea’s glamorous New Year’s Eve party. This black-tie-optional event features casino favorites such as blackjack, craps and roulette, live music, a cigar lounge, a martini bar and a view of the Waikīkī fireworks from the terrace lānai. Each ticket includes casino cash, hors d’oeuvres, drink/cigar tickets, a Champagne toast and party favors.
53 Ahui St., 9 p.m.­–1 a.m., 21 and over, $150 per person, $250 per couple, purchase tickets here.
New Year’s Eve Celebrations at Hilton Hawaiian Village
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Best known for its Friday-night fireworks in Waikīkī, the Hilton Hawaiian Village outdoes itself with its New Year’s Eve show. The resort invites both visitors and locals to the Great Lawn for live entertainment by Henry Kapono and contemporary surf-rock band Dukes of Surf, a four-course dinner, cultural activities and an impressive fireworks finale over the lagoon.
2005 Kālia Road, 7–11 p.m., all ages, kama‘āina rates: $206 (child) or $256 (adult), purchase tickets here.
New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party at SKY Waikīkī
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Start the new year with a bit of mystery at SKY Waikīkī’s annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party. Dress to impress in cocktail attire and a mask for a night of hosted appetizers, an open bar featuring Ketel One Vodka cocktails and Veuve Clicquot Champagne and, best of all, a room full of masked strangers. Listen to a live performance by L.A.-based DJ William Lifestyle as you watch Waikīkī’s iconic fireworks show from the top.
2270 Kalākaua Ave., 19th Floor, 8 p.m., 21 and over, $150­–$300, purchase tickets here.
New Year’s Eve Pineapple Drop at Mililani Town Center
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Forget watching the Times Square ball drop on TV—you can see a 12-by-6-foot pineapple drop in person, right here on O‘ahu. The Mililani Town Center pineapple will drop at 7 p.m. HST (midnight in New York), making this one New Year’s Eve party that you can bring your kids and even your grandparents to. Listen to live music by Mike Love and Maunalua, win prizes in the #WeAreMililani selfie contest, be a part of a massive group dance to the “Electric Slide” and more.
95-1249 Meheula Parkway, #193, Mililani, 2–8 p.m., free, click here for more information.
NYE 2018 Presidential Suite Party: Kaleidoscope
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Say goodbye to 2017 in style at the Moana Surfrider’s exclusive New Year’s Eve soirée. This ultra-luxe private party takes place in the hotel’s Presidential Suite on the penthouse level with an unobstructed view of the Waikīkī fireworks. The evening begins with live performances by local artists Starr Kalahiki and Taimane and a variety of cirque performers. Keeping with the kaleidoscope concept, the party’s theme and its menu will change every hour.
2365 Kalākaua Ave., 9 p.m.–2 a.m., 21 and over, $750, purchase tickets here.
Rock-A-Hula Midnight New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Show
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Skip the typical New Year’s Eve parties for this midnight edition of Rock-A-Hula that takes you on a musical “Hawaiian Journey” from the 1920s to today. With Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Katy Perry tribute artists, hula and fire-knife dancers, a gourmet dinner and fireworks visual effects on the big screen, this show will have you rockin’ into the new year.
2201 Kalākaua Ave., Building B, Fourth Floor, 9:45 p.m.–12:45 a.m., all ages, $61 (child)­ to $185 (adult), kama‘āina rates available, purchase tickets here.
Star of Honolulu 2017 New Year’s Eve Cruise
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Sail into the new year on this midnight cruise featuring live entertainment, party favors and a prime view of the Waikīkī fireworks. Your choice of either a three- or five-course steak-and-lobster dinner comes with a Champagne toast to 2018.
1 Aloha Tower Drive, 10:15 p.m.­–12:30 a.m., $89­–$257, purchase tickets here.
The Countdown 2018 at Stripsteak Waikīkī
SUNDAY, DEC. 31
Dance the night away at this New Year’s Eve party hosted by renowned nightlife veterans Blaise Sato and Flash Hansen and featuring sounds by DJs Delve and Hooligan on the Grand Lānai of the International Market Place. Stripsteak will offer a special New Year’s Eve dinner menu with final seating at 8 p.m. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
2330 Kalākaua Ave., #330, 10 p.m.–2 a.m., 21 and over, $20–$50, purchase tickets here.
Ring in 2018 with These Fun New Year Cultural Celebrations in Honolulu - From Honolulu Magazine
First Day Hike
MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2018
The first sunrise of 2018 is at 7:09 a.m. Join more than 700 people who hike to the top of Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail to greet the new year. There’ll be a pū (blowing of a conch shell) followed by an oli blessing and taiko drummers. You’ll be hiking in pitch darkness, so bring a flashlight and arrive before the gates open at 5:30 a.m. to claim a parking spot. It might get chilly and windy at the top of the trail, so bring a light jacket.
Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail
Hatsumōde 2018
MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2018
Usher in good luck for the new year with your first temple or shrine visit in 2018. This Japanese custom is called hatsumōde. Listen to the sounds of taiko drums, eat ozoni mochi soup (a New Year’s soup with mochi rice cake and seasonal vegetables), then let the Japanese shishi lion lightly bite your head for good luck. Pro tip: Park your car for free at Damien Memorial School and catch a complimentary shuttle to the event.
Free, midnight to 5 p.m., Hawai‘i Kotohira Jinsha – Hawai‘i Dazaifu Tenmangu, 1239 Olomea St., (808) 841-4755, e-shrine.org
Hatsumohde New Year Celebration
MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2018
If you’re planning to stay up late, visit the Daijingu Temple of Hawai‘i between midnight and 3:30 a.m. to receive a blessing from a Shinto priest. You can buy a lucky amulet and a paper fortune to bring you good luck in 2018. Expect 6,000 people there. If you want to arrive earlier to beat the crowd, there will be a blessing on Dec. 31 at 10 and 11 p.m. Parking is available in the shrine’s parking lot and at the Boy Scouts parking lot across the street.
Free, midnight to 4 p.m., The Daijingu Temple of Hawai‘i, 61 Pū‘iwa Road, daijingutemple.org
Fukubukuro
SUNDAY, DEC. 31, 2017–MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2018 (INTERNATIONAL MARKET PLACE)
MONDAY, JAN. 1, 2018 (ALA MOANA CENTER)
Fukubukuro is a Japanese New Year’s Day custom in which retailers fill bags with mystery items and sell the bags at a discounted rate. At Ala Moana Center and International Market Place, you can take part in the tradition. For example, a mystery bag selling for $50 will contain at least $100 worth of merchandise. Here’s how it works: You can visit the participating stores, including Kate Spade New York, Godiva, Eden in Love and Reyn Spooner, to pick up a mystery bag. Sorry, you can’t open the bag until after you buy it. What’s inside? It’s a surprise! Expect limited quantities and long lines, so plan to hit up your favorite stores early.
Price varies, 9:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Jan. 1, 2018, Ala Moana Center, alamoanacenter.com/en.html
Price varies, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., Dec. 31, 2017 and Jan. 1, 2018, International Market Place, shopinternationalmarketplace.com/holidays
New Year’s ‘Ohana Festival
SATURDAY, JAN. 14, 2018
Celebrate the Year of the Dog at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i’s ‘Ohana Festival. This is a kickoff event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of gannen mono, the first Japanese immigrants to settle in Hawai‘i. There’ll be a craft fair, keiki games, food booths and more. Pro tip: Park your car for free at the University of Hawai‘i’s parking structure, then catch a complimentary shuttle to the festival.
Free, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Mō‘ili‘ili Field, jcch.com/events/2018-new-years-‘ohana-festival
LIST: New Year's Eve events across Hawaii to ring in 2018
K5 / HNN
Oahu Fireworks Displays
Aloha Tower Marketplace Display times 9 p.m., 10 p.m., 11 p.m. and midnight.
Barge fronting Kahala Avenue 10:30 p.m.
Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort Lagoon 11 p.m.
Offshore barge, Waikiki 12 midnight
The Kahala Hotel & Resort 12 midnight
Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, Coves 1 and 2 12 midnight
Turtle Bay Resort 11:59 p.m.
Oahu New Year's Eve Events
Mililani Town Center Pineapple Drop
After a two-year hiatus, the beloved Pineapple Drop welcomes the new year with the lowering of a giant illuminated pineapple. The man-made pineapple stands at 12 feet tall and six feet wide, and lights up with more than 2,500 bulbs. The parking lot between Consolidated Theatres and Chilis opens to attendees at noon with entertainment, lion dances and activities to follow.
The pineapple will be lowered at 7 p.m. to coincide with the New York City NYE Ball Drop.
8th Annual Party of the Year
This two-day event begins on Saturday Dec. 30. Headline group The Chainsmokers will perform at Aloha Stadium on Saturday. All ages welcome. Then revelers will return Sunday to celebrate the start of 2018.
The best 2017 New Year's Eve parties and events in Hawaii - Hawaii Magazine
OAHU
New Year’s Eve 2018 at Buho Cocina y Cantina
Who needs a New Year’s Eve bash when you can have a fiesta? Set in the heart of Waikiki, this chic Mexican restaurant opens its rooftop bar as 2018 makes its arrival. Honolulu-based DJ Toma will be providing the night’s soundtrack, while you enjoy margaritas and authentic Mexican cuisine. 21+, starts at 10 p.m., $50 general admission tickets, 2250 Kalakaua Ave., fifth floor, Waikiki, buhocantina.com.
New Year’s Eve Celebration: The Seven Kingdoms at RumFire
Party oceanfront around the Sheraton Waikiki’s pools with a perfect view of the midnight fireworks. Couple this with a constant mix of DJs, live entertainment and the famous RumFire bar for an unforgettable night. 21+, 8:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., $120 general admission tickets, VIP packages and separate Champagne Room bookings available, 2255 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki, rumfirewaikiki.com.
New Year’s Eve 2018 Masquerade Party at Sky Waikiki
You’ll find the best view of Waikiki at Sky Waikiki’s rooftop lounge. An upscale dress code is strictly enforced at this New Year’s gala (men must wear collared shirts, pants and dress shoes), and masquerade masks are highly recommended. Food and drinks will be on sale all night long, with the hosted bar featuring Ketel One Vodka and Veuve Clicquot Champagne. 21+, 8 p.m. to midnight, $200 general admission tickets, 2270 Kalakaua Ave., 19th Floor, Waikiki, skywaikiki.com.
Star of Honolulu’s New Year’s Eve Midnight Cruise
If you’re looking for a different way to ring in the New Year, consider boarding the Star of Honolulu at the Aloha Tower Marketplace. While sailing beyond Diamond Head and down the Kahala Coastline, enjoy a three-course dinner, a view of the Waikiki fireworks and onboard entertainment. All ages, 10:15 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., $195 general admission tickets, 1 Aloha Tower Dr., Honolulu, starofhonolulu.com.
8th Annual Party of the Year
Party with the masses at Aloha Tower Marketplace with 30 bands and DJs, featuring Walshy Fire of Major Lazer. There will also be food trucks and the island’s largest fireworks show. Choose the Sunday-only pass at $45 for general admission, or get a two-day pass ($135 early general admission) and attend The Chainsmokers concert the night before on Dec. 30, too. For more information, visit tickets.nyehawaii.com.
Where to party on New Year’s Eve - Frolic Hawaii
8th Annual Bud Light New Year’s Eve Party of the Year
7 p.m.
Aloha Tower Marketplace, 1 Aloha Tower Drive
$45-150
Tickets
More than 30 bands, musicians and local entertainers are performing on seven stages and venues throughout Aloha Tower Marketplace. There’ll be lots of libations, as well as food from Eat the Street food trucks. The night’s capped off with a stellar fireworks display above historic Aloha Tower.
New Year’s Eve 2017 Great Lawn Gala
7 p.m.
Hilton Hawaiian Village, 2005 Kalia Rd.
$300
Tickets
Hilton Hawaiian Village’s New Year’s Eve celebration features performances by Hoku Hanohano Award-winning Henry Kapono and Dukes of Surf. You can also enjoy a four-course set dinner—sashimi salad, Pacific crab and kabocha pumpkin bisque, petite filet mignon and butter-poached Maine lobster, and chocolate tasting trio—and a fireworks finale to top off the evening.
Tiki Drop 2018 Waikiki New Year’s Eve Party
7 p.m.
Tiki’s Grill & Bar, 2570 Kalakaua Ave.
$79 plus tax and tip
Tickets
The annual Tiki Drop Party overlooks Waikiki Beach, with two live bands, a DJ, dancing and great views of the fireworks. The full dinner menu is available along with a special prix fixe menu featuring a filet mignon and petite Tristan lobster tail duet. Oceanfront Dining VIP and Oceanfront Lanai VIP party packages are also available if you want to bring the whole gang.
New Year's Eve Pineapple Drop
2 to 7 p.m.
Town Center of Mililani, 95-1249 Meheula Pkwy.
Free
Live entertainment starts on the Kanikapila Stage at 2, Mike Love and Maunalua headline from 5:15, and a countdown synced to the New Year's Eve ball drop in New York's Times Square begins at 6:59. At 7 p.m. Mililani's famous lighted pineapple drops, leaving plenty of time to go find another NYE party somewhere. Free Pineapple Drop lightup fidget spinners with $25 purchase.
Bill Maher’s 7th Annual New Year’s Evening of Comedy
7:30 p.m.
Blaisdell Concert Hall, 777 Ward Ave.
Tickets from $45.50
Tickets
For the seventh year in a row, Bill Maher will be ringing in the New Year on Oahu. This evening of comedy will be extra special this year because Maher will be performing alongside actor and Grammy-nominated standup comedian Bob Saget (Full House) and comedic impersonator Reggie Brown as Barack Obama.
SKY Waikiki – New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party
8 p.m.
SKY Waikiki, 2270 Kalakaua Ave.
$150-300
Tickets
Masks are highly recommended for this annual event. Tickets include hosted food offerings—including duck pot stickers, jalapeno poppers, crab dip crostini and more—a hosted bar and entertainment by guest DJ William Lifestyle. VIP reservations are also available and include exclusive dining offerings with hosted bottle service.
Under the Sea
8 p.m.
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, 2365 Kalakaua Ave.
$125
Tickets
Ring in 2018 with a splash with the Moana’s “sea-tacular” New Year’s Eve party. The evening features Polynesian dancers and fire knife shows, live music by Taimane and Manoa DNA, fun kids’ activities, an oceanfront fireworks show and more. VIP cabanas and tables are available for an elevated NYE experience.
The Seven Kingdoms
8:30 p.m.
Sheraton Waikiki, 2255 Kalakaua Ave.
$120
Tickets
Revel in the night at Sheraton Waikiki’s “Seven Kingdoms” NYE extravaganza. Dress to impress and enjoy amazing oceanfront views of the midnight fireworks. Complimentary validated parking is good for up to four hours.
Hideout NYE
9 p.m.
Hideout at The Laylow, 2299 Kuhio Ave.
$50
Tickets
Embrace 2018 at the Hideout’s New Year’s Eve masquerade. This party’s taking place at the pool deck, since the two DJs and two bars will be too much for the open-air lanai and firepits to handle. Tickets include complimentary masks, tasty appetizers and a champagne toast, so all you need to bring is your best white attire.
Monte Carlo Casino Night
9 p.m.
53 By The Sea, 53 Ahui St.
$150
Tickets
You can bet on a great night at this black-tie event. Enjoy gourmet hors d’oeuvres, live music, a martini bar, cigar lounge, dancing, raffle prizes and more. Play your hand at the High Rollers table and ring in 2018 in style.
Hawaiian Brian’s Crossroads Soulgasm
9 p.m.
Hawaiian Brian’s Crossroads, 1680 Kapiolani Blvd. (concert room to the left)
$10
Tickets
Celebrate the new year with a House, Funk and Soul party! This party features award-winning musician, producer and DJ Cevil of thePeople’s party. There'll be goodies and giveaways from 9 to 10 p.m., so go early. There’s no better way to ring in 2018 than with some feel-good vibes.
Kahala Masquerade Ball 2018
9 p.m.
The Kahala (Maile Ballroom, poolside under the stars), 5000 Kahala Ave.
$250
Tickets
Sip on champagne and ring in 2018 in style at The Kahala. The evening kicks off with buffet-style food stations in the Maile Foyer from 9 to 11 p.m., with bar service and a nightclub and dancing area. Then, continue the party poolside with live music, a photo booth and midnight fireworks. Event tickets include complimentary tiaras, beads and festive hats at check-in, and noisemakers will be distributed at 11:30 p.m. Complimentary parking is included.
Addiction’s Winter Ball 2018
9 p.m.
The Modern, 1775 Ala Moana Blvd.
$40 (pre-sale), $60 (general admission)
Tickets
Count down to 2018 with DJs and dancing. Enjoy a VIP champagne reception at 9 p.m.; presale tickets are available until Dec. 29. To book your table reservation or for more information, visit [email protected].
Buho Cantina
10 p.m.
Buho Cocina y Cantina, 2250 Kalakaua Ave.
$50
Tickets
Celebrate under the stars at Buho Cantina’s rooftop venue. Ring in the New Year with DJ Toma and an epic annual bash! Dress to impress; for VIP reservations, contact [email protected].
Dave & Buster’s New Years Eve Family Fun
5 p.m.
Dave & Buster’s Honolulu, 1030 Auahi St.
$39.96 or $46.26
Tickets
Enjoy food and fun with the whole family to ring in the New Year! Designed for families, this event is from 5 to 8 p.m. and attendees can choose between two food-and-games package options. They include an appetizer buffet, dessert, unlimited soft drinks, Power Cards, a video ball drop to ring in 2018 and more.
AAA Hawaii Offers Tipsy Tow Service For New Year’s Eve
To help remove drinking drivers from the road, AAA Hawaii is offering its Tipsy Tow service during New Year’s Eve. The service is available from 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, until 6 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. Tipsy Tow is available in the areas served by AAA Hawaii.
AAA Hawaii encourages party-goers to plan ahead for a sober ride or use a designated driver if attending a gathering. But if those plans fall through, motorists, bartenders, restaurant managers, party hosts or passengers of a drinking driver may call 1-800-222-4357 for a free tow home of up to five miles. Callers simply tell the AAA operators, “I need a Tipsy Tow,” to receive the free tow and ride home. A regular AAA Hawaii-contracted roadside assistance service truck will be dispatched. Tipsy Tow is unique in that it provides a driver with the option of a safe ride home for themselves and their vehicle instead of driving while intoxicated.
Callers need to keep in mind that the service excludes rides for passengers, is restricted to a one-way, one-time ride for the driver and the destination is limited to the driver’s residence. Reservations are not accepted. Drivers can expect to pay the rate charged by the tow truck contractor for rides beyond five miles.
“We want motorists to be aware of the high crash risk from drinking and driving associated with the holiday and encourage them to think twice about getting behind the wheel if they have been drinking,” said AAA Hawaii’s General Manager Liane Sumida.
According to Hawaii state data, impaired driving continues to present a significant problem in Hawaii and poses a danger to public safety. Of the state’s 95 traffic fatalities in 2014, 52 (55 percent) had alcohol and/or drugs in their system. Nationwide, in 2016, crashes claimed 37,461 lives, and 28 percent died in crashes involving drunk drivers. An average of one alcohol-impaired driving fatality occurred every 51 minutes, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
New Year’s Eve traditionally is a time for home parties, as well as outings to restaurants and bars, and other excursions and gatherings. These activities contribute to a relaxed atmosphere and more drinking, according to Sumida.
“It takes only one or two drinks to slow physical and mental skills and affect vision, steering, braking, judgment and reaction time,” Sumida said. “Drivers should be aware that the law enforcement agencies are using extra patrols to look for drinking drivers during the holiday.”
Drinking drivers frequently don’t plan for other ways to get home because they are concerned about retrieving their vehicle. They cite the expense of taxis and time inconvenience as the major reasons they don’t use alternative transportation, according to AAA Hawaii. Today, more options are available including designated sober drivers, public transit and ride-hailing services.
People convicted of driving under the influence could lose many of the most important things in their lives, such as family, job, dignity and money. AAA Hawaii estimates that a first time DUI conviction can cost approximately $15,688 or more in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees and insurance costs.
AAA Hawaii advises those who celebrate New Year’s Eve to keep themselves and others safe and avoid DUI arrests by following these safety tips:

• Always plan ahead to designate a non-drinking driver before any party or celebration begins.
  
• At social events, designate non-drinking drivers who can get everyone home safely.
  
• Never serve alcohol to those under age 21. It’s illegal and dangerous.
  
• Never ride as a passenger in a car driven by someone who was drinking alcohol – even after one drink.
  
• Call a friend or family member for a ride home if you’ve been drinking.
  
• Keep a cab company or sober ride telephone number in your cell phone and wallet so you can call for a ride home.
  
• As a party host, offer non-alcoholic drink alternatives and provide a gift to guests who volunteer to be designated drivers; provide overnight accommodations to guests who’ve been drinking.
  
• Take the car keys away from friends and relatives who have been drinking.
  
• If you encounter an impaired driver on the road, keep a safe distance and ask a passenger to call 9-1-1 (or pull over to a safe location to make the call yourself).
  
• Remember: prescription, over-the-counter medications and illegal drugs also can impair your ability to drive safely.
  

Although Tipsy Tow is offered by AAA Hawaii and other AAA clubs, it is not a nationwide program. Check with your local AAA club for availability. Visit PreventDUI.AAA.com for impaired driving facts, transportation alternatives and expert advice. AAA encourages visitors to Take the Pledge to drive drug and alcohol-free.

CONTENT COURTESY OF COLUMBIA CVB
 
ON STAGE

• “Seussical the Musical”: 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Rhynsburger Theatre. University of Missouri Summer Rep performers present this fun-filled musical based on the works of children’s literature great Dr. Seuss. The show continues July 19-23. $10 to $15. theatre.missouri.edu.

 
SPECIAL EVENTS

• Morning Movies: Summer Series – Storks Monday-Friday, 10 AM at Forum 8 Theater. Those belonging to our Frequent Moviegoer Rewards (FMG) will be able to see any movie in the series free-of-charge when they present their FMG card at the box office. Each member will get up to 6 free admissions with their FMG card per show. Non-members will be charged $1.00 per ticket. Storks have moved on from delivering babies to packages. But when an order for a baby appears, the best delivery stork must scramble to fix the error by delivering the baby.

• Family Magic Night Friday 5:30 PM at Christian Fellowship Auditorium, 4600 Christian Fellowship Rd. Magician Joel Meyers has been seen on America’s Got Talent and Penn & Teller. You don’t want to miss this amazing show! Food trucks will be available at 5:30pm. Magic show begins at 7:00pm. Priority seating tickets only sold online. General admission tickets ($20) sold online or at Tiger Pediatrics locations: 303 Keene Ste 404 or 200 Southampton Dr.

• Fun Family Fishing Night Friday 6-8 PM at Jefferson Farm & Garden. Enjoy an evening of fun and relaxation at Jefferson Farm and Garden. Bring your family and friends to fish in the seven-acre stocked fishing pond. Cost is $5 per person (children 4 years and younger free) and includes the rental of a fishing pole, bait, one s’more and one drink. Fishing is catch and release only and a fishing license is not required. Please register by calling Amy Dooley at (573) 239-6134 or [email protected].

• Movies in the Park: Moana Friday 8:45 PM at Cosmo Park. Free admission courtesy Missouri Care, presented by Columbia Parks and Recreation. Bring a blanket and enjoy a movie on the large, inflatable screen under the stars! Concessions and food trucks available. No rain dates.

• Mighty Max Youth Triathlon Saturday 7 AM at Wilsons Beach and Tennis Club. Swim, bike, and run – 6 and under, 7-8, 9-10, and 11-14 each have separate distances.

• Boone County Farmers Market Saturday 8-12 PM at the Columbia Mall. When in Season, the following products expected at the market include: Flowering Plants, Vegetable Plants, hanging baskets, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, onions, beets, radishes, spinach, lettuce, apples, peaches, berries, cucumbers, zucchini, meats, jams, jellies, soaps, baked goods, kettle corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, pumpkins, gourds, winter squash, etc.

• Columbia Farmers Market Saturday 8-12 PM in the ARC Parking Lot. Fresh vegetables & fruit, meat, farm fresh eggs, cheeses, honey, cut flowers, plants, artisan items & more. As a producer-only market, everything sold here is offered by the farmers and artisans who help sustain our region. SNAP (food stamps) accepted at all markets. Live music every Saturday! Rain or Shine.

• Water Festival Saturday 9-12 PM at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Have fun with water and learn about streams and animals that live in streams through activities designed for children and families. Staff with several agencies will provide displays or activities including: catching aquatic animals in the stream, using an interactive stream model, finding what watershed you live in, learning about fish and pollution in rivers, and exploring Connor’s Cave. From 10:30 a.m. to noon, participate in a guided hike of about 3/4 mile to Gans Creek for more water fun and use of nets to catch aquatic animals. Free. Recommended for ages 4 years and up. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Registration is not necessary.

• Butterfly Festival – Pollinator Café 10-4 PM Saturday and 12-4 PM Sunday at Jefferson Farm & Garden. Come and celebrate the opening of the Native Butterfly House at Jefferson Farm and Garden, one of only two native butterfly houses in the state of Missouri. Free tours will engage all ages and will highlight the important role that butterflies play in our ecosystem and how visitors can attract and support butterflies in their home gardens. A variety of fun activities will be offered each weekend for kids to participate in. Event is free but some activities will have a small fee to participate.

• Meet the Author: Dr. Bill Young Saturday 10:30 AM at Boone County Historical Society. Wilkinson was the white owner and founder of the famed Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues. Dr. Young will discuss Wilkinson's impact on the game, race relations and the Kansas City's team's place in history. Admission is free and there will be Harold’s Doughnuts.

• Connor’s Cave Tours Saturday-Sunday 1-3:45 PM at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. During “Weekends on the Boardwalk,” you can enjoy a free guided tour of Connor’s Cave using park lights and helmets. Walk the Devil’s Icebox Trail on your own until you reach Devil’s Icebox where the park staff and volunteers will assist you. Learn about caves, bats and pink planarian. Each tour lasts about 20 minutes. Expect to get your feet wet. Tours will be offered every Saturday and Sunday afternoon except when weather is inclement or naturalists are not available. Reservations are not required. You may arrive anytime between 1 and 3:45 PM. Recommended for ages 5 and up. Please no pets.

• Collector’s Series Wine Release Party and Art Show Saturday 2-6 PM at Les Bourgeois Tasting Room. Be among the first to sample and purchase the latest release of our Collector’s Series wines. Guests will be treated to tastings of the new vintages by our winemakers, a selection of appetizers by our Chef and live music. In addition, the winning artists featured on the labels will have collections of their artwork for show and sale.

• Orr Street Farmers and Artisans Market Sunday 9-1 PM at Wabash Station Parking Lot. Produce, art, jewelry, crafts, music by Austin Jones and the Bootheel Boys, and Ozark Mountain Biscuit Food Truck.

 
GALLERY
 

• The Process of Healing: Through June 30 at the University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology, 115 Business Loop 70W. Artist Bill Chlanda’s photo essay explores the ways and means of healing from childhood abuse. maa.missouri.edu.

• Evolution of Perspective: Through July 16 at Orr Street Studios, 106 Orr St. Featuring works by Sara McCahon and Ashley Meyer. orrstreetstudios.com.

• Collections Show: Thursday through Aug. 1 in the Sidney Larson Gallery inside Brown Hall.

• Summer Exhibit: Through July 29 at Sager Braudis Gallery, 1025 E. Walnut. Exhibiting artists are Rebecca Crowell, Jessica Keiser, Carrie Shryock, Joel Sager and Kensuke Yamada. sagerbraudisgallery.com.
  
• In the Studio:: Through July 30 at Montminy Art Gallery, inside Boone County Historical Society, 3801 Ponderosa St. Nine artists in Access Arts’ residency program showcase their work across various mediums. boonehistory.org.
  
• The Romance of Ruins: through Aug. 13 at the University of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology, 115 Business Loop 70 W. This exhibit looks to ruins of the ancient world for inspiration, showing how “romantic decay” was a muse for artists working in the 18th through 20th centuries.
  

• Eclipsed: Through Aug. 23 at Columbia Art League, 207 S. Ninth St. With a historic eclipse set for August, the CAL summer members’ show is oriented around light and dark. columbiaartleague.org.
  
• Mike Seat: Through August at Talking Horse Theatre, 210 St. James St. The stalwart Columbia artist’s oil paintings will be on display.
  
• Courtiers, Courtesans and Crones: Women in Japanese Prints: Through Oct. 29 at the MU Museum of Art and Archaeology. Using woodblock prints, this exhibit examines the narrow ways in which women were conceived by male Japanese artists. maa.missouri.edu.
  

 
SPORTS
 

• Nothing this week Sports Fans!

 
LIVE MUSIC
 
Tuesday

• Grady Philip Drugg, Paddlefish, Sweet Milk 8 p.m. at Café Berlin; $5.

• Tales and Scales 6:30 PM at Daniel Boone Regional Library.

• Leighton Roden 7 to 10 p.m. at Murry’s.

Wednesday

• Hot Summer Nights: Let’s Build An Orchestra 6:30 p.m. at Missouri Theatre; free.

• Richard Parker, Clockwork Eclectic, Integrow, The Monte Carlos 8 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $5.

• Columbia Jazz Jam 8 p.m. at Café Berlin; free.

• Tom Andes 7 to 10 p.m. at Murry’s.

Thursday

• Norm Ruebling Band 6 PM at The Roof.

• The Steel Woods, Schuyler Prenger and the Dirt Road Junkies, Southern Avenue 7 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $5.

• Lisa Rose Quartet 7 to 9 p.m. at The Vault.

• Artie’s Univibe 6:30 p.m. at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.

Friday

• Hot Summer Nights: Rock On 7:30 p.m. at Missouri Theatre; $14 to $34.

• King of the Roots 8:30 p.m. at The Blue Note; $5.

• My Twins, Conman Economy, Between Elsewhere, The Radio Buzzkills 9 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $5.

• Artie’s Univibe 6:30 p.m. at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.

• The Onetwentyones 9 p.m. at Midway Lounge; $3.

Saturday

• C-Rock City 4 PM at Les Bourgeois A-Frame.

• Hot Summer Nights: Orchestral Fireworks 7:30 p.m. at Missouri Theatre; $13 to $32.

• Tim Pilcher and Monica Lord, Lake Mary, The Moody Pinks 8 p.m. at Café Berlin; $5.

• Nevalra, Degrave, Dead Medusa, Devourist 9 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $5.

• Indyground 8 p.m. at The Blue Note; free.

• Syncopation with DJs KEVO and GeeCee 10 PM at The Industry.

• Norm Jolly 6:30 p.m. at Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.

• Tom Andes 9 p.m. at Murry’s.

Sunday

• Ironweed, Swampweed 7 p.m. at Shelter Gardens; free.

• The Kansas City Street Band 3 p.m. at Rose Music Hall; $7.

• Lawn Chair Concert Series: J. Monet 4 PM at Douglass Park; free.

• Summer Garden Series: Ironweed Bluegrass Band & Swampweed Cajun Dancehall Band 7 PM at Shelter Gardens; free.

 
MOVIE GUIDE
47 METERS DOWN - Two sisters vacationing in Mexico become trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor. As their oxygen starts to run out and with great white sharks circling them, the sisters must find a way to get to the surface alive.
BEATRIZ AT DINNER - Salma Hayek stars as Beatriz, a kind-hearted and fiercely principled spiritual healer from a small Mexican town who now has clients all throughout Los Angeles County. Late one day, Beatriz finds herself stranded at the home of Cathy (Connie Britton), a wealthy and adoring regular. Cathy invites Beatriz to stay for dinner with her husband's business associates. Soon Beatriz is conversing with Doug (John Lithgow), an equally determined real estate tycoon with his own set of principles. Sparks fly in this engrossing, witty film from Miguel Arteta and Mike White (Chuck & Buck).
THE BEGUILED - Directed by Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides), this exhilarating, atmospheric thriller takes place near the end of the Civil War. Cpl. John McBurney (Colin Farrell), a wounded Union soldier, finds himself stranded In rural Virginia. Before he bleeds out, he is rescued by a young student (Oona Laurence) of the Miss Martha Farnsworth Seminary for Young Ladies. Nicole Kidman stars as Miss Martha, the headmistress of this isolated, all-girls boarding school. Rather than report John to the authorities, Martha decides to nurse him back to health. The first man this house has seen in ages, John quickly fetches the attention of the seminary's seven residents, including the schoolteacher (Kirsten Dunst), a student (Elle Fanning) and Miss Martha herself.
THE BIG SICK - A Pakistani-American standup comedian (Kumail Nanjiani) falls for an American woman (Zoe Kazan), despite the fact that his family wants him to consent to an arranged marriage with someone from his own culture.
CARS 3 - To get back in the game, Lightning McQueen will need the help of an eager young race technician with her own plan to win, inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet, and a few unexpected turns.
DESPICABLE ME 3 - Gru and his wife Lucy must stop former child star Balthazar Bratt from achieving world domination.
FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES - Toshio Matsumoto's staggering 1969 masterpiece transports us to the queer bars of Tokyo, where a magnetic young dancer named Eddie (Peter, of Kurosawa's Ran) and reigning drag queen Leda (Osamu Ogasawara) compete for the affection of club owner Gonda (Yoshio Tsuchiya, another Kurosawa regular). Eddie and Leda's riveting rivalry plays out like a sideways take on a famous Greek myth. As it dives into this story, Funeral Parade of Roses offers an exhilarating example of the possibilities of cinema. Wildly floating between fiction, documentary and the avant-garde, this one-of-a-kind Japanese New Wave title ― a major influence for Stanley Kubrick on A Clockwork Orange ― is just now appearing on North American shores, beautifully restored and ready to startle. [Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday only].
THE HERO - The legendary Sam Elliott stars as Lee Hayden, an aging Western movie star with a gorgeous voice. It's been decades since Hayden starred in a great movie. Now he relives his past alongside his friend and former co-star (Nick Offerman). As he confronts mortality, Hayden finds himself striking up a relationship with a stand-up comic (Laura Prepon) and attempting to form a bond with his daughter (Krysten Ritter). The Hero was written specifically for Elliott by writer-director Brett Haley (I'll See You in My Dreams).
THE HOUSE - A dad convinces his friends to start an illegal casino in his basement after he and his wife spend their daughter's college fund.
MEGAN LEAVEY - MEGAN LEAVEY is based on the true life story of a young marine corporal (Kate Mara) whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq.
THE MUMMY - A battle in the Middle East accidentally unearths Ahmanet, a betrayed Egyptian princess who was entombed under the desert. Now, a soldier of fortune must stop the resurrected monster as she embarks on a furious rampage through London.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES - Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea…including him.
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING - A young Peter ParkeSpider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging superhero in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES - A colonel leads his troops in a deadly battle against Caesar and his army of intelligent apes.
WISH UPON - A social outcast at school, Clare Shannon (Joey King) is delighted when she receives an unusual music box that she discovers will grant her seven wishes. Each wish seems to improve her life, but Clare soon realizes that these improvements come at a steep price. torn between wanting to to keep her ideal new existence and also wanting to save her friends and family, Clare is left with an impossible decision.
WONDER WOMAN - An Amazon princess (Gal Gadot) finds her idyllic life on an island occupied only by female warriors interrupted when a pilot (Chris Pine) crash-lands nearby. After rescuing him, she learns that World War I is engulfing the planet, and vows to use her superpowers to restore peace.
 
CHECK EACH THEATRE FOR SHOWTIMES
RAGTAG CINEMA – 10 Hitt Street 573-443-4359
REGAL STADIUM 14 THEATER – 2800 Goodwin Pointe Drive 573-817-0770
GOODRICH FORUM 8 – 1209 Forum Katy Parkway 573-445-7469

Hey Everyone,
My buddy and I are both recently single and decided on a last minute trip to Vegas (from 12th -19th December) to celebrate/console ourselves. Any recommendations on the best clubs? Its my first time so I'm not going to go clubbing every-night as i want to experience all Vegas has to offer, but which are the best nights - Friday and Saturday? Thursday is normally a big night here in London but i suspect that's because its city/office workers which doesn't really apply in Vegas.
I've had a quick look on the forums, and they seem to suggest a table with 1-2 bottles is the way to go. I'm used to this in Asia but given that there are only 2 of us i dont really want to drop $1k on a night out. These prices also seem extortionate but is that how expensive it really is? Is it not the normal thing to simply buy drinks at the bar?
Any help is appreciated as I'm clueless and its all last minute. We are staying at the Monte carlo if that helps (dont think it has a nightclub), and being British more than happy to simply settle for a good pub/bar aswell, but I have been warned by colleagues not to frequent the casino bars though as they are full of hookers?

City Paper made a list of a some New Year's Eve events going on in Baltimore and around the area. Since we're getting so many threads asking for what to do this year, this might be of some use. It doesn't cover everything going on, though.
2013 Live! A New Year’s Eve party with a top-shelf open bar, all access to Power Plant’s nine venues, food, live entertainment, and more. 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Dec. 31, Power Plant Live, Market Place and Water Street, (410) 727-5483, nyebmore.com, prices vary.
5th Annual Midnight Noon Celebration. The Maryland Science Center is letting kids ring in the new year without staying up all night. Kids will style their own party hats, decorate snowglobes, and create their own noisemakers. Live music from Milkshake. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Dec. 31, Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., (410) 685-5225, mdsci.org, included in paid admission.
Baltimore’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular. Usher in 2013 with a big-ass display of fireworks over the Inner Harbor. 9 p.m.- 12:30 a.m., Dec. 31, Harborplace Amphitheater, Light and Pratt streets, promotionandarts.com, free.
Big Night Baltimore. The Big Night Baltimore New Year’s Eve party will have 10 bands and DJs, multiple dance floors, food buffets, and much more. 9 p.m.-2 a.m., Dec. 31, Sheraton Center City, 101 W. Fayette St., bignightbaltimore.com, main event $99.99-$159+, VIP $169.99-$219+.
Charm City Countdown: Downtown. A New Year’s Eve party with various bars, food, a Monte Carlo casino, party favors for everyone, and four floors, each with a different theme. 9 p.m.-2 a.m., Dec. 31, 1840s Ballroom, 29 S. Front St., (410) 752-1624, charmcitycountdown.com, General $99-$125, VIP $139-$179.
Charm City Countdown: Uptown. A New Year’s Eve party with bars, food, entertainment, a Monte Carlo casino, and six different areas with separate themes. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., Dec. 31, Sheraton Baltimore North, 903 Dulaney Valley Road, Towson, charmcitycountdown.com, general $99-$125, VIP $139-$179.
Downtown Countdown. Booze it up before the bar drop with an open bar that runs from 9 p.m., to 1:30 a.m., Yellow Dubmarine, DJ Kopec, DJ Candy D, and Andrea Pais provide musical entertainment, while Kirk McEwen, The Leatherbury Twins, and Mike Quindlen bring the yucks in the comedy lounge. 8 p.m.-2 a.m., Dec. 31, Hyatt Regency, 300 Light St., (410) 528-1234, downtowncountdownbaltimore.missiontix.com, prices escalate as the event gets closer.
Drive-By Truckers. The popular Georgia band plays you into 2013 with its blend of alternative country and southern rock. Lee Fields and the Expressions open. 7 p.m., Dec. 31, 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW, Washington, D.C., (202) 265-0930, 930.com, $55.
Halestorm. Rock in the new year with siblings Arejay and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Hale and Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith. 9 p.m., Dec. 31, Baltimore Soundstage, 124 Market Place, 244-0057, baltimoresoundstage.com, $25, VIP $75.
Lotus. The instrumental electronic jam band brings the vibes for the last moments of 2012. 9 p.m., Dec. 31, Rams Head Live, 20 Market Place, (410) 244-1131,ramsheadlive.com, $42.50-$50.
Magooby’s New Year’s Eve Party. The comedy club’s party features Robert Kelly and Dan Soder, a DJ, dancing, a midnight toast, and food buffet. Packages including hotel accommodations, early dinner, and other options are available. 6 p.m.-2 a.m., Dec. 31, Magooby’s Joke House, 9603 Derreco Road, Timonium, (410) 252-2727, magoobys.com, prices vary.
New Year’s Eve Dance Party at the Depot. DJs Fun Billy, Doug, and Charlie are on the decks for this party, which includes free food and a free champagne toast. 9 p.m., Dec. 31, the Depot, 1728 N. Charles St., (410) 528-0174, thedepotbaltimore.com. free.
New Year’s Cruise. An hour-long dockside cocktail reception followed by a buffet dinner. A view of the fireworks and dancing will follow. 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m., Dec. 31, Baltimore Marine Center, 2738 Lighthouse Point East, (410) 238-0484, baltimorepaddlewheel.com, $140.
New Year’s Eve Party featuring The Return: Beatles Tribute. Spend New Year’s Eve jamming out to classic Beatles songs. 6:45 p.m., Dec. 31, Rams Head On Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis, (410) 268-4545, ramsheadtavern.com, $114.
The Roots. America’s favorite late-night backing band rings in 2013. 9 p.m., Dec. 31, the Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, (301) 960-9999, fillmoresilverspring.com. $75.

Hey guys. Going to Vegas in just shy of 3 weeks now and wanted to bounce some ideas off you guys.
We fly in Saturday. Our plan is to hit up Lee's Liquor to stock our room with alcohol to pregame since we all know it can get expensive drinking even at the casino bars (paid $14 for a vodka/cran in a bar in the middle of mgm casino last time). After that go check into Monte Carlo where we are staying. Have a few drinks, wait for everyone else to show up, get ready, and go out for a nice dinner at Piero's. The main reason for Piero's is because we were suppose to go a few years ago with the same group, but the bday boy had a meltdown and we missed out. Ive gone once since then and had a amazing experience. So if theres any reason why I should avoid it since its been 2 years since that, let me know, or other recommendations
After that day.... I really don't know what else to do. It will be Cinco De Mayo, is there anything that I should hit up?
We have a mixed group of guys and girls who may seperate so the Girls can go do the club thing since most the guys going aren't into that seen. We rather hit up a bar, shoot the shit, and get drunk. We normally end up at Carnivale. Not sure if that's because we haven't found anything better to do or what. Whats a good hang out on the strip that has a good atmosphere at night, no dress code, no cover, and reasonably priced drinks?
I'm a big foodie - what places should I hit up? Who has the best wings? I love finding hidden gems when I travel, but its hard when i'm trying not to get too far off the strip, but will if I get the chance too. Loved Lotus of Siam while I was there last time along with the ox tail soup and hawaiian bbq from California Hotel.
Sorry I know I was a bit all over the place with the writing. I kept double backing and trying to fix/add stuff. Having a lot of trouble keeping focus with stuff going on lately.