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City Cast Las Vegas

As you may have heard, a new study shows that Nevada has 

But there’s help. Thanks to funds from the American Rescue Plan, Nevada has money available to help some families pay for childcare, and the requirements have been modified such that more families qualify — so even if you’ve applied unsuccessfully before, you’re urged to try again. In addition, if you run a child care facility — even if it’s in your own home — or want to, there’s funding for that, too.

Eligibility is based on household income, number of people in the household, and your need for childcare. To find out if you qualify, call the Las Vegas Urban League at 702-473-9400 or 1-855-4UL-KIDS.

👉 To know what information the program will need, as well as necessary documents (ID, proof of everyone’s Social Security number), 

👉 For more details, click on the button below.

Get Childcare

Eligibility rules for childcare assistance have changed. Do you qualify? 

Chef DJ Flores is doing something exciting at 

. Like many of the chefs off-Strip opening up new concepts, Flores is a graduate of high-end casino restaurants, and marries his fine-dining expertise with a deep dive into his Mexican culinary heritage. “

” refers to a traditional agricultural system — at its base, it’s a plot of land that every home once had, which grew maize, beans, and squash in a regenerative cycle that nourished both the soil and the families that tended it. More philosophically, it represents the wisdom of ancient farmers who worked with the land instead of against it.

Flores is taking a similar approach to corn: He sources heritage varietals and employs nixtamalization, an ancient technique that extracts more nutrients and flavor from the kernels. His tortillas are fragrant and pliable. On the day I went, they were serving tortillas made with 

 corn, a deep gold colored grain with notes of butternut squash. We feasted on dense blue corn pinole pancakes, and chilaquiles redolent with heaps of fresh cilantro. My favorites, though, were the huevos rancheros, two perfectly jiggly eggs doused in a warm, tomato-y broth that I unrepentantly slurped up after finishing the eggs; and the black bean tetelas — tender pockets of corn wrapped around black beans like a Christmas present. Flores is part of a growing movement of chefs who are looking to the past and the future, holding both in perfect balance, with gems like Milpa as the result.

The modern and ancient mix at chef DJ Flores' restaurant.

An Off-Strip Gem Mixing Old and New Mexican Cooking in Las Vegas.

It's Back to the Future at Milpa

Food & Drink

Living in Las Vegas pretty much entails leapfrogging from one climate-controlled cube of constructed space to another — home to car to office to bar to restaurant to mall to this or that concert venue or family attraction. That sounds bleak and lame, but I’m down with it. The great stupid genius of this city is in its stubborn, hubristic terraforming, and I say let’s celebrate it. Honestly, I’m waiting for the day we just clap a giant dinner bell over everything from Summerlin to Sunrise Manor and make the whole place an immersive, walkable, urban-themed terrarium experience that in a delightful Borgesian twist is, ta-da, indistinguishable from a real city.

Until then, one of my hobbies is enjoying our many richly fake spaces à la carte (shouts to the Bellagio Conservatory, Springs Preserve, Fashion Show Mall), and one of my favorites is

. Opened way back in 1994, it’s a massive cliff waterfall guarded by animatronic bears, wolves, owls, and mountain lions, all set up in a misty, jungly atrium ringed by shops and restaurants. But it’s during the daily light-and-water show that Mystic Falls truly comes alive. The funny thing about artifice is how it 

) — and in that very insistence bursts its own seams and becomes kind of silly. During its daily show, Mystic Falls does just that, burgeoning into a kind of volcanic spasm of fervid, apocalyptic camp as the music booms and laser lights slash across the dancing spouts of water, and the robot menagerie erratically sways and poplocks to the echoing beat. This is the great, nightmarish indoors, and it is quintessentially Vegas.

So, yeah, Mystic Falls is philosophically chewy, but I should also say that on a practical level, it’s also a fun hang. There’s a cozy atrium bar that’s a fine perch for catching a buzz while catching the show, and don’t sleep on the underrated Angry Butcher Steakhouse if you want dinner with ringside seats. Mystic Falls’

 runs through Dec. 23, but don’t fret if you miss it. Its “standard” show is a fanciful riot of New Age synth fugues, dancing kokopellis, and echoey eagle screeches — and is as real fake-Vegas as it gets.

Where better to celebrate this city's "stubborn, hubristic terraforming"?

Mystic Falls Is the Real Essence of Fake Las Vegas.

The Real Essence of Fake Vegas: Mystic Falls

The Appreciation Index

As of next week, the Fremont Street Experience will have been open for 28 years. So here’s a shout-out to the time before that, receding deeper into memory every day, when anyone — including, it seems, a carload of 

 on a pre-hibernation toot — could drive down Glitter Gulch for an immersion in classic Las Vegas.

That began to change in the early 1990s, as the Strip, energized by the Mirage and the onset of the megaresort era, began siphoning off downtown’s clientele. Before, “80% of the people who came to Las Vegas made at least one trip to see Fremont Street,” 

. “By 1989, 1990-91, those numbers had flipped so that less than 20% were coming downtown.”

The area was said to need a super-size entry in the “experience economy” to avoid being decimated. And because modern Las Vegas’ best practices dictate that you can solve any problem by throwing spectacle at it, a 

 became the solution (a frankly better one than Steve Wynn’s proposal to replace downtown streets with canals). 

And the view from the skyboxes is that it worked. “We turned it around with the Fremont Street Experience,” casino owner Bill Boyd told author Geoff Schumacher for his book “

But “turned it around” has a different meaning to those Vegas longtimers who still mourn the raffish, human-scaled, uncapped Glitter Gulch, and for whom the modern Fremont just doesn’t bear comparison.

The garish attraction saved downtown, if not Fremont Street.

Remembering Downtown Las Vegas Before the Experience

Before the Experience, There Was Just Fremont Street

Las Vegas History

 my labradoodle wearing fake antlers, the desert bighorn sheep is as close as Las Vegas is gonna get to reindeer. Here are a few facts about Nevada’s state mammal, 

 these herbivores to survive in arid deserts: Their light coloring reflects 40% of the sun’s rays; their complex stomachs maximize the nutrition in tough desert plants.

 a bighorn can go for months getting their necessary electrolytes from their diet instead of by drinking water. During summer, they can go for up to three days in 100 degrees between drinks.

 that desert bighorn can lose up to 30% of their fluid weight and still function; for many species 10% is enough to trigger dehydration.

 As with many males, boy sheep try to impress girl sheep through head-butting contests. They’ve been observed to last more than 24 hours, with as many as five clashes per hour. Swipe right on your fave, ewes!

 have horns that curl fully — so much so that they sometimes break them off against rocks to improve their field of vision. Ewes have a half-curl.

 Least concern. In 2022, Nevada issued nearly 300 desert bighorn sheep ram tags.

 is climate change — not only because it’ll dry up water sources, but because it will impact the nutritional value of the grasses, shrubs, cacti, and acacia they survive on.

They're as close to reindeer as Southern Nevada's gonna get.

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn Sheep Around Las Vegas

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn

Urban Almanac

Once the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas now gets plenty of rest — it seems fewer bars and restaurants are open all night. As the witching hour shuts down, is Las Vegas losing something essential? We asked City Cast Las Vegas contributor and man about town Brent Holmes.

As someone who grew up in Las Vegas and later lived weird hours as an artist, what’s special about our city’s notorious accessibility and convenience around the clock?

“I can't imagine my schedule being (tied to), ‘Well, everything closes at 10,’ and no longer being able to have access to whatever odd, nefarious itch I have in the middle of the night. I need some Cap’n Crunch, it's 3 in the morning — I'm gonna go get me some Cap’n Crunch.”

It seems like a lot of places, like grocery stores, now have locks on their doors that they use! Can we even call ourselves 24/7 anymore?

“I don't think we really are. There's not the weird lounge act at 2 in the morning just killing it, right? They were really, like, 

 playing it. And that was the thing — there was this culture of entertainers getting off shift at 9 o'clock at night, and they would just pop from gig to gig, lounge to lounge, event to event, and hang out, play, drink, have a great time.”

Do you think we'll ever become a 24-hour city again?

“I hope so. I hope we're not headed the way of, you know, Albuquerque. I would like to see this city vibrant and strange at all hours. It's one of the most important things about our cultural identity — that this is a city that not just never 

. We've always got something new for you, and it has a superb effect on the locals. There are people living their entire lives at night here. And it's really beautiful that way.”

Is It Still Las Vegas If It Isn't 24/7?

Brent Holmes on What's Lost If Vegas Isn't a 24-Hour Town

3 Questions With

When people think of the glories of Summerlin, chances are whatever they have in mind falls within the boundaries of this neighborhood: the restaurants and entertainment of Red Rock Resort, the commercial sprawl of Downtown Summerlin, the Aviators’ ballpark and the Golden Knights’ practice rink.

“Gardens Park is a delight for dog walkers, parents with kids, and more,” says one reader, who notes, “There's even a regular group of ladies who get together and practice dance.” Reader Chrystal Watters (“This is my square of city! I love living there.”) favors Willows Park. She also touts the 215 West Beltway 

There’s more to do than shop, see a baseball game, or watch hockey practice — though those are all fine options. Downtown Summerlin frequently hosts concerts, fairs, and community events. Especially this time of year. Watters says: “The holidays are a great time — 

 in Downtown Summerlin, the ice-skating rink, 

 at the ballpark.” In addition to bowling and movies at Red Rock Resort, there’s 

A major draw of South Summerlin is that it’s near so much: “Hiking at Red Rock is a quick drive,” says Watters. “You could even bike there if you’re motivated.” There’s a shooting range just up Charleston if that’s your cup of tea. Firearms enthusiast? The 

 shooting range is just as close. For art, books, and events, the versatile 

What isn't there to do in Summerlin South?

Get to Know One of Las Vegas' Most Active Neighborhoods

Get to Know Summerlin South 

Neighborhood Guides

Time again for our occasional pop quiz about the natural wonders of this city and state. Answers after the questions. Good luck!

1. Which other state also claims the mountain bluebird as its state bird?

(a) Montana (b) Wyoming (c) Idaho (d) Florida

2. What does the prestigious Cornell bird lab suggest we do about the above?

(a) Continue sharing the bluebird (b) Adopt the sagebrush sparrow instead (c) Adopt the calliope hummingbird instead (d) Challenge the other state to a bird-off

3. Near Caliente is a fossil deposit with what are believed to be the oldest specimens — 250 million years old — of what creature?

(a) Ichthyosaur (b) Wooly mammoth (c) Lounge lizards (d) Trilobites

4. Which of the following isn’t the actual name of a local cactus species?

(a) Stinging Pete prickly pear (b) Teddy bear cholla (c) Jumping cholla (d) Scarlet hedgehog cactus

5. Enough wild turkeys live in Nevada to warrant hunting seasons in the spring — including out near Moapa. Are they native to the state?

(a) Yes (b) No (c) We talking about the bird or the bourbon?

6. The only place in North America to find a Virgin Valley black fire opal is in a remote corner of Nevada. It’s so rare because …

(a) It required an unusual combination of ancient volcanic elements (b) It occurs in small, unpredictable veins (c) It only formed inside prehistoric wood

 be a good band name, however. 5. (b) They were 

Test Your Knowledge of Las Vegas + Nevada Nature

The caption on this 1968 gem is straightforward, but the dream contained within is expansive. It harkens back to a time when promoting Las Vegas to the world through unusual and sometimes provocative staged photos was its own artform. Yet compared to today's more bombastic promotions, they seem downright wholesome. These three archetypal Las Vegans from the 1960s (big white-hat chef, themed showgirls) aren’t particularly famous. Their Google traces are limited to facts like Orie being the star of the Thunderbird Hotel revue “

” (undoubtedly bolstered by the popular youth-oriented TV program of the day) and Carl’s 

 30 years later. Yet what a untypical/typical November day it must have been, posing with a likely uncooperative turkey (no word on its next act, though the photo implies much) to get that perfect, enduring Las Vegas shot.

A chef, showgirls, and a gobbler — a throwback Thanksgiving.

A Very Vegas Turkey

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, Nevada has money to help some families pay for childcare.

Do You Qualify for Expanded Childcare Assistance in Las Vegas?

See If You Qualify for Expanded Childcare Help

Tips and tricks by Las Vegas locals, for locals.

Las Vegas Life Hacks

Winter is coming — Dec. 21 is its first day. While that typically doesn’t mean snow days in the valley, it still gets damn cold — especially if you’re a bougainvillea. There are some easy steps you can take to help your flora hang on until spring. Here are a few tips we glommed from the 

 Prune or transplant a damaged plant until well after the coldest part of the season; otherwise you'll risk doing even more damage — or killing it altogether.

 If you have real grass, set your sprinklers on a midmorning schedule; our winter has lots of afternoon winds that hamper watering accuracy; and it gives the water time to soak in before night’s colder temps.

 When you water, do your best not to get water on leaves and petals.

 Fertilize your fruit trees late in the winter.

 drain outdoor hoses, don’t leave faucets and spigots dripping, indoors or out, says the Water District. Our winters aren’t generally extreme enough to make that necessary.

 Pile a few inches of mulch around the bases of your plants to provide extra cold-weather insulation.

 Overwater your succulents, which tend to be dormant in the winter anyway. Water plus freezing weather often equals rot, say botanical experts.

 Plan ahead. The Water District: “February is usually mild enough to allow you to plant petunias, pansies, snapdragons and other cool-season annuals …”

Simple steps to protect gardens and grass.

Winter-Proof Your Yard

 be in the vicinity of the Las Vegas Grand Prix between now and Sunday morning, you’ll want to know when the affected roads are closing and reopening. Hopefully this helps.

Las Vegas Boulevard, Sands, Spring Mountain eastbound exit ramps on I-15, Flamingo, Harmon, Koval. (

👉 Marginally helpful map, FAQ, and more at the 

If you absolutely have to be near the Grand Prix, here are the streets to avoid.

Know Your Las Vegas Grand Prix Road Closures

Household batteries are so commonplace that they can seem harmless, but I’ve always had a vague notion that it’s illegal to toss them in the trash. So I have saved them, as above, until I can figure out what to do with them. Now’s the time!

“Alkaline batteries, such as AA, AAA, and D batteries, are suitable to be discarded in your regular trash cart,” says a spokesperson for trash company Republic Services. 

 “However, recycling them is a better alternative if you are trying to be more sustainable.” 

In other words, don’t just throw them in the garbage. Alkaline batteries can leak chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (like the one in your phone) 

 that are particularly difficult to extinguish.

However, none can be recycled in your curbside trash. What to do?

🔋 You can drop off your alkaline batteries for free at local 

 dropoff points. For a few dollars a pound, 

 will recycle your alkalines, and for $4 a pound, your undamaged lithium-ions.

📫 If you prefer to recycle from home, you can order a mail-in container from 

🚙 Turn car batteries in to an auto parts store.

💻 Old electronics containing lithium batteries can be recycled at 

— Adrian González contributed to this segment.

Besides just tossing 'em in the trash, of course.

How to Dispose of Old Batteries in Las Vegas

How to Dispose of Old Batteries

Yes. The law is very clear. NRS 171.126 provides that any citizen can arrest a person for a misdemeanor (or larger offense) committed in their presence or any felony whether it is witnessed or not, as long as there's reasonable cause to believe the person did the crime. In making the arrest, the person can't use any more force than is necessary and reasonable under the circumstances — and certainly not deadly force unless it's in self-defense.

 That's the tricky part. There are no clear guidelines as to how to conduct a citizen's arrest, and when it 

 been used, it's usually just detaining the person until the police arrive.

 NRS 171.134 says “the person from whose custody he or she escaped … may immediately pursue and retake the person at any time and in any place within the state.”

 The obvious concern involves the person who's not happy to be citizen-arrested and gets physical. Also, what if the citizen is wrong? The person arrested could sue for things like false imprisonment or assault with a deadly weapon (if you use one to detain the person). The better course is the obvious one: Get as much information as you can and relay it to cops.

You can, but it's probably not your best move.

Can You Make a Citizen's Arrest in Las Vegas?

It’s about time to resume hiking, and wherever you get your steps in, from Mount Charleston to Sloane Canyon, Red Rock to McCullough Trail, here’s a refresher in outback behavior, compiled from a number of 

; don’t disturb their momentum. Keep single file when you can; pass on the left. And because trails often serve a mix of users, it’s good to know the proper hierarchy: bikers yield to hikers, and both yield to horses.

This commonly refers to packing out your garbage — a good habit on or off the trail. It also refers to your dog’s poop (though 

, 200 paces off the trail). But it also means don’t etch or jot your initials on a rock or tree; you’re not “leaving petroglyphs for future generations,” you’re just defacing nature.

Different guides offer different advice — keep your music all the way off; or listen in earbuds at low volume. Basic point being, 

 with your loud music or phone calls. But keep your phone handy in case of a snakebite (they’re said to be active in October), an accident, or getting lost.

. And, in case a search party has to find you, maybe the other person will remember you from your friendly demeanor.

🐕 Taking your dog hiking? We’ve got a podcast episode about that! 
[City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

🐕 Click to Listen

Trail Etiquette for Hiking Around Las Vegas

 creates all sorts of dead zones into which official communications vanish. You move, lose an envelope, delete an email. Sometimes those missing documents have money attached — refunds and the like. After three years, that moolah reverts to the state treasurer’s office for safekeeping.

But it’s still yours. And you can get it — for free.

 The state is hanging on to nearly a billion dollars in unclaimed funds.

 Refunds, rebates, safety-deposit-box contents, overpayments, utility deposits, stocks and bonds, dividends, and more.

 Forever! The state treasurer’s office holds it “in perpetuity.” So if you never claim it, your heirs can.

 This differs depending on the claim. With some, you may have to prove that you lived at a prior residence. Or you may have to show a connection to the entity from which the money came. In some instances, other documents might be required.

 You fill out an online form, print it out, and snail-mail it in.

 Before you send in your claim, you have to sign it in the presence of a notary; their fees vary.

 Click below 👇 to search the state’s holdings and initiate the process. 

Begin Your Search Here

After three years, unclaimed funds revert to the state treasurer’s office for safekeeping. But it’s still yours. And you can get it — for free.


How to Get Free Money From the State of Nevada

How to Get Free Money From the State

 City Cast Las Vegas convened co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson, plus Vegas lifer Andrew Kiraly (publisher of 

), to talk about some of the informal but often urgent guidelines for surviving in this town. A few excerpts:

“If you mentally shift and think of commuting as part of living in Las Vegas,” Andrew says, “that takes a lot of the stress and frustration out of it.”

“Wait five to 10 seconds before you pull into the intersection,” Dayvid advises. Ever in a hurry, many residents blast through intersections just after the light turns red. This rule “has saved my life countless times,” he says.

The “Vegas flake” is a real thing; lots of people here are one flimsy excuse away from ghosting. So to maintain friends in a valley of oddball job shifts and cross-town suburbs, do the work, Vogue says. “Say, ‘Hey, I can meet you on these days, at these times, at this location — see you there.’ And then send the reminder text.”

In a tourist town full of buzzy restaurants, it’s not always easy to snag a table. But, Dayvid says, there’s probably a place in the bar. “The bar is the workaround if you don't have a reservation,” Vogue adds. “You can get in, your food's usually faster, you've got some good convo.” Andrew agrees: “It's much more social to eat at the bar.”

For more useful tips, listen to the full episode:

Rules for Living

Not long ago, City Cast Las Vegas convened co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson, plus Vegas lifer Andrew Kiraly (publisher of TheList.Vegas), to talk about some of the informal but often urgent guidelines for surviving in this town.

Rules for Living Your Best Las Vegas Life

Rules for Living Your Best Vegas

remind anyone of this — I value my quiet time — but today begins the period during which residents are allowed to light fireworks to celebrate Fourth of July, irritate their neighbors, and frighten nearby pets. The window closes at 11:59 p.m. on July 4. This is the only period fireworks are legally OK.

 fireworks are allowed. Gone are the days when, let’s say, 

 and definitely not a younger, more reckless version of myself, could order rockets and other potent boom-makers from the back pages of Soldier of Fortune magazine and rock this town.

 Roman candles, firecrackers that spin or bounce and can’t be controlled, and “anything made of highly combustible materials” are all prohibited. (Note to the folks down the street: This means you.)

Las Vegas Life Hacks

See If You Qualify for Expanded Childcare Help

Las Vegas Life Hacks

Winter-Proof Your Yard

Know Your Las Vegas Grand Prix Road Closures

How to Dispose of Old Batteries

Can You Make a Citizen's Arrest in Las Vegas?

Trail Etiquette for Hiking Around Las Vegas

How to Get Free Money From the State

Rules for Living Your Best Vegas

Boom Time, Safety, and Other Las Vegas Fireworks Tips

The latest in Las Vegas

It's Back to the Future at Milpa

The Real Essence of Fake Vegas: Mystic Falls

Before the Experience, There Was Just Fremont Street

Fun Facts About the Desert Bighorn

Brent Holmes on What's Lost If Vegas Isn't a 24-Hour Town

Get to Know Summerlin South

Test Your Knowledge of Las Vegas + Nevada Nature

A Very Vegas Turkey