It's First Friday in Las Vegas!! Art, Kids Zone and more!

The First Friday Las Vegas arts and culture festival continues to draw crowds from around the valley and beyond for a night of art, music, food and more. This month, First Friday joins the worldwide effort to be more environmentally aware and celebrate Earth Day. The next First Friday Las Vegas takes place Friday, April 6, 2012 from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m.

6 p.m.  A Going Green bicycle tour of LEED certified buildings downtown will kick off at the RTC parking lot, 600 S. Grand Central Parkway, and end inside of the First Friday event

FIRST FRIDAY LAS VEGAS HIGHLIGHTS:  ARTS DISTRICT HUB

Location: Casino Center and Colorado Ave.

Art Style: Emerging and established artists, arts, crafts

Activities:

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. The Kids Zone will feature students from Garehime Elementary School for their first Going Downtown Day. Garehime students are being prepared to succeed in the entrepreneurial age by participating in a model city. Each class is responsible for operating a business or government agency including a bank, post office, museum, florist, TV and radio stations and many more. Patrons of First Friday Las Vegas can trade in money for Downtown Dollars to purchase homemade products from students with proceeds going towards the unique school program. A Student Stage will be set up with live performances by students of all ages from 6 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. Roos-N-More will bring an exotic animal petting zoo and educate families about the natural habitats of these animals - all providing a great evening of entertainment, education, and shopping for those of all ages.

6 p.m. - 12 a.m. Stop by a very special cake display in the Arts District Hub and see what local artists have created. Three local artists, Justin Favela, Wendy Kveck and Andreana Donahue, have teamed up with three of the city’s finest culinary artists, Jim McNamara of Paris Las Vegas, Derek Franceschini of Luxor and Amy Byro from Harrahs, to create their interpretations of a an artistic wedding cake. The creative cakes are being documented during their creation by Luxury Las Vegas magazine and will be featured in the May issue.

Entertainment:

6 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Two stages with live music and DJ performances. Golden Nugget Main Stage located on Casino Center just south of Colorado Ave. The Lyon’s Den Stage located on 3rd Street just south of Imperial in front of Theatre7.  Both programmed from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m. with live bands and DJ performances.

DOWN 3RD

Location: Imperial and 3rd Street

Activities:

First Friday Las Vegas is expanding further into the Down 3RD location each month and will feature a classic car and custom bicycle show. There will also be a special art car highlight - the world’s largest praying mantis, a 40-foot tall creature that spews flames.

FREMONT STREET EAST

Location: Get Back Alley located just south of Fremont Street between 6th and Las Vegas Blvd.

Art Style: Street and Performance Art

Activities: Deriving its name from the long-running and hugely successful DJ funk and soul dance party held every First Friday, Get Back Alley is the newest part of the First Friday expansion to Fremont Street East. First Friday will transform the alley behind Downtown Cocktail Room, The Griffin, Beauty Bar and Le Thai into an arts hallway. This area will include live murals, street art, live music and performance arts demonstrations.

6 p.m. – 2 a.m. This month’s First Friday Las Vegas has invited the Green Fairy, Gazillionaire, Penny Pibbets and the crazy cast of Absinthe Las Vegas at Caesars Palace to get their green on with the First Friday team! The Gaz, as he is known on the streets, has generously given the Spiegelworld Bar Vendome to First Friday Las Vegas in support of downtown and their contribution to expanding art in the Vegas community. The Bar Vendome is a multi-million dollar, pop-up container bar. Fans can join The Gazillionaire and cast after midnight for drinks while enjoying the ever expanding street and performance art. After 2 a.m., the bar will be transported to a secret, mysterious location to be protected by a roving army of invisible unicorns trained by Downtown Project.

Entertainment:

Live DJ and B-boy performances programmed in Get Back Alley from 6 p.m. until 12 a.m.

CLARK COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER

6 p.m. – 12 a.m. Students from the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) and the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) have joined forces to present “Object Builders of the Future Unite: The Sequel,” a group exhibition curated by CSN Associate Professor Keith Conley and UNLV Assistant Professor Emily Kennerk. The exhibit is the second Rotunda Gallery installation to feature student artists from CSN’s 3-D Design and Beginning Sculpture Classes as well as UNLV’s Intermediate and Advanced Sculpture classes. Students will present ambitious works from simple materials such as wood, cardboard, paper and plaster. The works transcend the simplicity of the materials used to construct them. UNLV students scale up everyday objects into human scale forms, while CSN students explore the human figure.

HOURS OF OPERATION:

6 p.m. until 12 a.m.

PARKING/SHUTTLE:

Shuttle service will run from 5:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.

Two Open Top Sightseeing Shuttles and an additional handicap equipped shuttle will make a constant loop around the entire event route.

For Handicap Transportation to event, please call: 702- 739-7990

There will be ample free parking as well as $5 parking lots.*

*If you park in unauthorized parking areas, you may be subject to towing.  

Fremont Route Shuttle Stops:

* El Cortez- pick up and drop off in front of Get Back Alley event

* Plaza Hotel- in front of and north of main entrance

* Golden Nugget- lobby doors just south of Rush Tower

* Arts District Hub at Colorado and Main

Government Center Route Shuttle Stops:

* Government Center at Rotunda Gallery

* Commerce Street Galleries

* Arts District Hub at Colorado and Main

Additional free parking at City Hall Garage at Stewart and Las Vegas Blvd. (must walk to Fremont shuttle stops)

GENERAL INFORMATION:

For more information on First Friday Las Vegas, please check back on the websitewww.firstfridaylasvegas.com or on the facebook page www.facebook.com/firstfridaylasvegas.

ABOUT FIRST FRIDAY LAS VEGAS

First Friday Las Vegas has been a mainstay of arts and culture in downtown Las Vegas for nine years. In 2011, just shy of the October nine year anniversary, the arts and culture festival welcomed a new ownership group, First Friday Las Vegas, LLC, comprised of  Zappos.com executives Tony Hsieh, Fred Mossler and Steve Hill, as well as downtown developer Andrew Donner and marketing executive Joey Vanas. The outdoor event features several areas throughout Downtown Las Vegas that showcase artists of all calibers and genres, supplementing with live music, food and other celebratory events.