‘Light Up Las Vegas’ parade on the Strip scrapped

Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 years ago

An aerial photo of the Las Vegas Strip after all Las Vegas casinos have been shut down during the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, March 30, 2020. (Michael Quine/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Vegas88s

The Las Vegas Strip is largely empty after Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered a mandatory shutdown of most nonessential businesses in the state due to concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. Photo taken on Friday, March 20, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

BalanceVille art car rises into the air at First Friday in the Arts District of downtown Las Vegas June 1, 2018. The art car was on display to promote the upcoming Intergalactic Art Car Festival on Saturday, June 9. The festival will feature a parade on a closed section of the Strip followed by a party in the Llama Lot in downtown Las Vegas. K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal @KMCannonPhoto K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal @KMCannonPhoto

Tomas Toulee raises BalanceVille art car into the air at First Friday in the Arts District of downtown Las Vegas June 1, 2018. The art car was on display to promote the upcoming Intergalactic Art Car Festival on Saturday, June 9. The festival will feature a parade on a closed section of the Strip followed by a party in the Llama Lot in downtown Las Vegas. K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal @KMCannonPhoto K.M. Cannon Las Vegas Review-Journal @KMCannonPhoto

The “Light Up Las Vegas” car parade planned for the Las Vegas Strip has been canceled.

Organizers made the decision Wednesday morning, a couple of hours after Gov. Steve Sisolak announced mandatory statewide stay-at-home orders.

“In consideration of Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak’s most recent stay-at-home order, organizers have CANCELED the Light Up Las Vegas drive scheduled for this afternoon,” event organizers said in a statement. “PLEASE STAY HOME. The safety and health of our community remain paramount. Let’s all support the return of our beloved city’s tourism and hospitality community by following the governor’s guidance during this critical time.”

The event did not have support of two major Strip resort companies: MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment. Organizers had contacted the companies to provide marquee messages during the event.

The vehicular parade was open to the public and had been planned for 5 p.m., starting from the parking lot of Entertainment Benefits group at McCarran Sunset Business Park at 1421 E. Sunset Road. The line of cars was to continue on to Las Vegas Boulevard heading north, past the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, all the way to the intersection of Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.

The event was to serve as a show of support for the Las Vegas tourism and hospitality industry and its workers.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.