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Erin Blanchfield is a -250 favorite over Macee Barber in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Mateusz Gamrot is -150 over Ludovit Klein.
The Plaza is one of our favorites. It's in a great location downtown, it has some of the loosest table-game rules and video poker schedules in town, the showroom is admirably old school and the Sand Dollar Lounge is always rocking, the bars are top-rate, including the outdoor video poker bar the Carousel, restaurants are recommendable, and the CEO is Jonathan Jossel, who started running the joint when he was all of 29 years old. It was a trial by ordeal, as Jonathan describes in the video, during the economic downtown after 2008, but he earned his wings, has returned the Plaza to its bargain-friendly downtown roots, and is innovative to boot. The lively and informative interview provides a rare look into the mind and motivations of one of the top casino executives in Las Vegas, which means the whole country, and is well worth watching.
And speaking of the Plaza, all-inclusive deals are a rarity in Las Vegas, which is why this deal at the Plaza is interesting to us. This is exactly all-inclusive, such as at resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean (Secrets comes to mind), but it's a good play in Vegas. On June 1, all-inclusive packages starting at $125 per person per night will be available. The package includes room, unlimited drinks at two different bars, two meals a day (breakfast and lunch) at Hash House a Go Go, Fresh Mexican Grill, Pop Up Pizza, and the Coffee Bar, discounted appetizers and drinks at Oscar's Steakhouse, and early check in. Best of all, the resort fee of $44.07 (including tax) is waived. It's a summer deal that must be completed by August 30. Get more information or book the package here, and Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel talks about the deal in our YouTube interview.
In another sign of some Strip casinos reacting to the downward trend in revenue and visitation, Resorts World is offering free parking starting on Monday and running through August 28, just before Labor Day weekend. We assume this means that the gates will be up in both self-parking garages, which eliminates the $18 fee for everyone. Previously, only locals (up to three hours) and Genting Elite, Monarch, Prime, and Imperial tiers enjoyed the perk (entry-level Royal members had to pay). This is actually a positive sign. Fontainebleau reacted by laying off up to 60 dealers this week and MGM is introducing new fees (for example, on top of the already-exorbitant room-service menu prices, a $25 upcharge for china, silverware, and glass; thankfully, it's only $10 for takeout boxes and plastic).
Two days before the start of meteorological summer (June 1), Las Vegas will blister under the first major heat wave of 2025. High temperatures are expected to hit 104 today, which will fall two degrees short of the record high, and 104 tomorrow, which will tie the record. The extreme heat will pass through fairly quickly, with cooler temps, stronger winds, and a slight chance of showers on Sunday night. Then the weather will be seasonal through next week, with highs back in the low 100s next weekend.
The Edmonton Oilers are -120 favorites over the Florida Panthers to win the NHL's Stanley Cup. This is a rematch of last year’s final that went seven games and was won by the Panthers. Game 1 is Wednesday in Edmonton.
A slot player firing up $250 per hand in the Red Rock's high-limit room on a Dragon Link machine at 10 p.m. last night hit the progressive jackpot of $1,086,315.
April visitor numbers were down noticeably: 180,000 fewer people came to Las Vegas than in April 2024. That's despite Wrestlemania, which attracted nearly 125,000 people. It was the fourth straight month of visitor declines as compared to the same period last year. It would've been more, but convention attendance was up nearly 14%. Airline passenger counts fell 3.4% in April, driven by less international travel, though vehicle travel across the California border on I-15 rose 7.7%. Year to date, visitation is down 6.5% or about 900,000 people.
Strip hotel-room occupancy was down a half-percent in April, downtown down 2.6%. Are the Strip casinos reacting? You bet: They raised room rates. The average daily rate was $190, an increase of 4.4% over April 2024. Fewer visitors also meant less revenue. The Strip total was down for the ninth month out of the past 10, though downtown and locals casinos were up slightly, the former 1%, the latter 3.2%.
On Friday, a traveler at the D Gates at Reid International made a $5 bet on a Wheel of Fortune Triple Red Hot 7s Gold Spin machine and walked away with $1,816,404. No word on whether the player was arriving or departing, but if the latter, they probably missed their plane. Of course, the newly minted millionaire could well afford the rebooking fee.
Our newest release, Advantage Players by Michael Kaplan, is back from the printer and shipping. Thanks to everyone who ordered for your patience during a longer-than-normal publishing process, as we extended our deadlines to add chapters (the last one about the influencer Vegas Matt) that improved the book. If you purchased prior to publication, your book has been shipped; new buyers will get immediate delivery. Advantage Players, subtitled Inside the Winning World of Casino Virtuosos, Master Strategists, and Mathematical Wizards, profiles several top APs both in and out of the casinos, including many names you’ll recognize — James Grosjean, Max Rubin, Don Johnson, Phil Ivey, Mattress Mack, David Blaine, Larry Flynt, Heidi Fleiss, and even the rock band The Ramones, among many others. It’s a big book, nearly 350 pages, with 22 chapters, plus a Prologue, Epilogue, and Conclusion, and a cool eight-page photo spread (you can actually get a gander at some of these people). Order here or from Amazon, where you can watch a video of Anthony Curtis summarizing the book.
Rivea, the Mediterranean restaurant atop the W tower at Mandalay Bay, will close on June 22. Rivea was opened as Mix in 2004 by celebrity French chef Alain Ducasse when the W was called THEhotel, then was transformed into Rivea in 2015 when the tower was called Delano. There's no word on what the new name of the restaurant (or the tower) will be, but whatever it is, the view will still be spectacular from the 64th floor of the W (though what the real number of the floor is is anyone's guess).
The Golden Nugget is having a "Santa's Summer Sale" that waives the resort fee, offers free parking, and provides additional "rewards" (such as coupons for the GN's retail shops) for booking directly on the hotel website. The sale is good through July 31 and you can book at the promo rates for multiple stays through June 30, 2026. Rates are as low as $59 (plus taxes) and you can book here. We're seeing more of these kinds of deals as Las Vegas starts to suffer from ... well, how long of a list do you want?
LoveExploring.com has a cool slide show of 32 "incredible Las Vegas hotels gone forever." It's a nostalgic scroll down Memory Lane with images and blurbs of the hotels and motels that have closed, been imploded, or changed names over the past 25 or so years.
Today is Day One of the 56th annual World Series or Poker, which will take place over the next six weeks at the Horseshoe and Paris. There are 100 bracelet tournaments leading up to the $10,000-buy-in Main Event, which starts on July 2, with the final table taking place July 15-16. Similar to the rules changes at other events since last year's WSOP final table, players are prohibited from using real-time electronic-assistance tools and/or accepting coaching during play. Last year's final table erupted in controversy when the eventual winner took advice from coaches on the rail based on AI and other electronic analytics. None of that will be allowed this year and going forward.
TastingTable.com ranked the 10 hardest-to-get restaurant tables in Las Vegas. They didn't cite any methodology, so we suspect that the list is subjective based on popularity, but just in case you're planning on eating at any of them on your next trip, you'll definitely want to plan as far ahead as possible. Here are the 10: é by José Andrés (Cosmopolitan), Carbone (Aria), Kaiseki Sanga (3650 S. Decatur), Kabuto (5040 W. Spring Mountain), Wing Lei (Wynn), Nobu (Caesars Palace), Sinatra (Encore), Lotus of Siam (620 E. Flamingo), SW Steakhouse (Wynn), and Vanderpump Cocktail Garden (Caesars Palace).
Jennifer Lopez will do 12 shows late this year and in March at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “Jennifer Lopez: Up All Night Live in Las Vegas” opens with four shows on Dec. 30 and 31 and Jan. 2 and 3. The eight other performances are on March 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 27, and 28. This is Lopez's second Las Vegas residency; the first was at Planet Hollywood and ran for 120 shows from 2016 to 2018, grossing more than $100 million. The presale starts next Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT; general-public tickets will be available on Friday June 6 at 10 a.m.
The YouTube channel Not Leaving Las Vegas takes a deep dive into the "2024 Las Vegas Visitor Profile Survey" and reports that this place isn't just going downhill, but that "Vegas is on its last legs." The narrator, Stephen, goes into a little detail about how the survey is conducted, then uses the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's own data as evidence that Vegas is facing, in the euphemistic phrase loved by gaming-industry analysts, headwinds. It's well worth the 12 minutes for the before (2019) and after (2024) comparisons, then another 12 reading more than 1,250 comments, every single one of which agrees with Stephen's conclusions. This is the one we liked the best: "My wife and I went to Vegas for a concert. It felt like we got mugged from the time we got off the airplane till the time we left." See it here -- and thanks to XY, LVA correspondent extraordinaire, for the link.
Chowhound.com has a new page that identifies “The Hands Down Best Burger in Every State.” The Nevada winner: Bar Code Burgers. This is a 10-year-old bar and burger place that occupies the former location of the Elbow Room, a dive bar that opened in 1968 and was, reportedly, the first tavern to serve chicken wings; in fact, they had actual wings, preserved in some way (shellack, most likely in those days), on the wall. About the burgers, Anthony says, "They're decent, but I wouldn't say near the best." If you try them, let us know what you think.
The city is busy with an estimated 345,000 people in for the Memorial Day weekend and the sports books will be jumping with NBA and NHL playoff action today. Promos are sparse, but as it does every year, South Point is offering active and veteran military a free buffet for two today. Must show military ID.
That was fast. The presale for EDC 2026 opened yesterday morning and by midnight, all general admission and VIP tickets were gone. General admission plus tickets were still available this morning, but reportedly going fast, so they too might be sold out by now. This is the first time in EDC's 30-year history that general-public tickets will not be available from Insomniac, the EDC promoter; however, though 2025 was a sellout, tickets were readily available on the resale market up to last weekend's festival. General admission tickets for 2026 are $524.99, VIP $1,398, and as of earlier today, GA+ $698.99. EDC 2026 will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway May 15-17.
An analysis by Clever Real Estate based on data from the U.S. Census and Economic Analysis bureaus ranks Las Vegas as the 27th most affordable city out of 50 major metropolitan areas in the ratio of home prices to income. With the median single-family house price of $449,000, a household needs a yearly income of $113,839 to put down the usual 20% on the house and afford the mortgage. That's roughly 33% more than the median household income of Las Vegans of $75,065. Only Detroit and Pittsburgh were ranked as affordable out of the 50 cities; the other 48 have an income gap between income and home buying.
Pato O’Ward is the +400 favorite to win today's Indianapolis 500. He's followed by Alex Palou at +435 and Joseph Newgarden at +675.
The beloved pool complex at the Flamingo, which opened in the mid-'90s after the old four-story Oregon Building was demolished, has reopened following a complete overhaul. The adults-only Go Pool added two new pools to bring the total to five, with a "wet deck" (shallow pool where sunbathers can lounge on chaises in the water), a cenote-like cave area with an infinity pool and skylight, plenty of palm trees, a wraparound bar, and a DJ spinning tunes nonstop. Best of all, entrance is free and open to the public; you don't need to be a Flamingo guest to gain entry. But show up early to secure a spot and don't expect a relaxing afternoon. It's more of a pool party than a quiet swim.
We continue to pursue coupons for our Member Rewards Online program and the new one's a deal for pizza lovers. Carnegie Pizza in the new food hall, Miracle Eats, at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is offering a 2-for-1. With the printed coupon, LVA Platinum members ($50 per year) receive either two slices of pizza or two entire pies for the price of one (not good for both). Diamond members ($3 per month) get the BOGO slice. See all the details and print your coupon here.
The Bellagio Conservatory and Horticultural Garden has unveiled its summer display and it's a doozy. "Glam Menagerie: A Surrealist Summer,” the display is more whimsical than usual, featuring a zebra couple, one upright and the other lying on a couch, a dancing tiger in a bonnet and dress, a towering moss-covered giraffe and chess pieces on a black-and-white board, spindly legged pink flamingos and a high-kicking high-heeled owl, a flower-draped angel, 22,000 potted plants, shrubs, and trees, and 125,000 pounds of ivy. The exhibit runs through September 6.
A story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal quotes U.S. Census Bureau statistics that show the growth in southern Nevada continues unabated. As of a year ago, the population in the metropolitan area was 2.4 million, an increase of 123,000 people or 5.4% in four years. That's more than double the national growth rate of 2.6% (to 340 million Americans). North Las Vegas’ population more than doubled the metro growth at 12.6% to 294,000, while Henderson’s population grew by almost 10 percent to about 350,000. The city of Las Vegas' population increased by nearly 5 percent to around 679,000. The growth is attributed to the continued burgeoning of the tourist economy, relatively low housing costs (for the Southwest), attractive climate, lack of state income taxes, and development into the far corners of the Las Vegas Valley.
Today is "Beer Friday"! Join Anthony and Andrew for a YouTube livestream starting at 4 p.m. PST. Watch the show live, interact online, and have a drink or two with the guys to start the weekend. Log in to join at LVA YouTube live channel.
According to AAA, 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles this weekend, the highest number in 20 years. Upwards of 340,000 of them will come to Las Vegas, down from 345,000 last year, predicts the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Total occupancy here is expected to be 93% and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the average room rate across 153 properties is $248.41 a night; downtown, it averages $204.67. AAA ranked Las Vegas among the top five U.S. destinations for the long weekend.
Circa Sports has announced another record-breaking year for its football contests. Circa Survivor and Circa Million VII will combine for the highest payout to date, $21 million guaranteed. Additionally, Circa is debuting Circa Grandissimo, "an ultra-luxury survivor-style contest with $1.5 million guaranteed and $100,000 per entry. Woo. Circa Survivor has gone up to $15 million this year, after a total prize pool of $14,266,000 was split by eight winners last year on a $10 million guarantee. Circa Million VII will be $6 million guaranteed, with a $1 million first-place prize. Each contest’s pool is no rake and any additional entries that exceed the guarantee will be added to the prize. Sign-ups are open now through September 6 at 2 p.m. PT at all Circa Sports locations, either in-person or via proxy or the Circa Sports Nevada app. The three contests will run September 4 through January 4.
According to a story in this morning's Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures is teaming up with a leading developer of entertainment attractions and The STRAT to launch a "fully immersive experience based on its Top Gun franchise, which stars Tom Cruise." The venue, a rendering of which you can see here, will occupy an undeveloped piece of land at the STRAT (perhaps the dirt lot just north of Atomic Golf) and comprise "a combination of rides and storytelling, utilizing advanced technology and, of course, jet simulators." A recreation of the Hard Deck bar from Top Gun: Maverick will be included, with live piano singalongs. Tentatively dubbed Top Gun Las Vegas, the attraction is slated to open sometime in 2028, which to us means at least three years from now and ... we'll see.
Celebrity chef, James Beard Award winner, author, and "Top Chef" star Kwame Onwuachi will open Maroon steakhouse in the space occupied by José Andrés’ Bazaar Meat, which is closing on June 30 and moving to Palazzo. This will be Onwuachi's first West Coast restaurant; his Tatiana in New York City, which opened in 2022, was ranked the number-one restaurant in New York City by the New York Times and earned the 2023 "The One to Watch" award from World’s 50 Best; Dōgon, his new restaurant in Washington, D.C., is getting rave reviews. Maroon, named for the Maroons of Jamaica, descendants of Africans who escaped enslavement and created self-sufficient communities in the country's Blue Mountains, will "reimagine the classic American steakhouse through the lens of Caribbean cuisine. There will be jerk rubs and dry-aged cuts, live-fire cooking, scotch bonnet-infused sauces, grilled seafood, and vibrant sides rooted in West African, Jamaican, and Creole traditions," according to Travel & Leisure. Maroon will open by the end of the year and is definitely a coup for the Sahara.
Virgin Las Vegas is advertising a room deal at 35% off the rack rate and no resort fee. You must book before next Tuesday (May 27) and stay there between now and September 30. Rooms are as low as $59 and that rate and the others, which you can see on the Virgin reservations page (click on You Deserve It), include all fees. Not bad for a premium property off the Strip with free parking.
Roughly four years after his last boxing match, Manny Pacquiao will face off against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19. The 46-year-old Pacquiao, from the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8. The "Pacman" won 12 titles in a record eight weight classes, has a record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. The 30-year-old Barrios retained the WBC welterweight title in a draw against Abel Ramos last November and is 29-2-1 with 18 KOs. Pacquiao said, "Don't worry about it," in response to the 16-year age difference, but he didn't look like a champion in his last few outings before retiring in August 2021.
An image from Las Vegas Locally shows a bottle-service experience available last weekend at EDC called the "Notorious." For $575,000, the package included 125 bottles of Dom Pérignon Brut, 125 bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé, and 10 bottles of Clase Azul Ultra Tequila. Now that's what we call a party for two people. According to EDM.com, you could also avail yourself of lesser-lights champagne packages, such as "You, Me, & Everyone We Know" for $140,000, "Supernova Pop" for $105,000, and a single six-liter Methuselah of Armand de Brignac Rosé topped for $63,000. Or you could lower yourself to a six-pack of Bud Light for $150. We like Canada Roy's comment: "Yet you still had to 'dispose' of it in a Porta Potty ..."
The temporary wall on the second floor of Fontainebleau since it opened is finally giving way to the Hall of Excellence. The Hall is a partnership between Tom Brady and longtime sportscaster Jim Gray and will display "iconic sports and entertainment memorabilia." According to the press release, Morgan Freeman will narrate a self-guided tour through the Hall, which will display Jackie Robinson's first major league bat, Muhammad Ali's gloves from his fight against George Chuvalo, Michael Jordan's first pair of Air Jordans, Kobe Bryant's jersey from his first nationally televised game, and a golf ball from Tiger Woods' first Masters win in 1997. Other items will commemorate sports stars Joe DiMaggio, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Arnold Palmer, Hank Aaron, Carl Lewis, Magic Johnson, Mike Tyson, and Michael Phelps, along with championship rings from the Las Vegas Aces, the Vegas Golden Knights, and all seven of Brady's Super winning Bowls. The Hall of Excellence opens on June 20 and tickets go on sale on Friday at FontainebleauLasVegas.com for $35, $30 seniors, locals, and military, and $20 for 15 and younger.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which has its origins in Florence, Italy, more than 800 years ago, has opened its first Las Vegas store at Fontainebleau. The farmaceutica, though it doesn't sell medicines, is often called "the oldest pharmacy in the world," selling fragrances and skin, body, and hair-care products. Its rose water dates back to 1381 and is still available and some of its perfumes trace their history as far back as the 16th century. The store is on the second floor of Fbleau and is open seven days a week.
As it does most summers, live-music and entertainment-event promoter AEG is having a $50 (plus fees) sale. Some big shows in Vegas qualify for select dates: Janet Jackson at Resorts World; David Blaine, Jim Gaffigan, Tiffany Haddish, and UB40 and English Beat at Encore; and a number of shows at the Theater at Virgin, including Australian Pink Floyd tribute. The sale, depending on the tickets, ends May 29-31 and all tickets must be bought in pairs (some of the $50 prices are for two tickets). Find all the bands, dates, and venues and buy tickets here.
Now in its 18th year, Las Vegas Restaurant Week will be held from June 2 to 13 (it's actually a 12-day event). It takes place in June every year and encourages Las Vegans and visitors to dine out for a good meal at a good value for a good cause. The city’s finest restaurants offer special three-course prix fixe menus, donating a portion of proceeds to Three Square Food Bank, southern Nevada’s only food bank and its largest hunger-relief organization. Each restaurant selects the donation level of $4, $5 or $6 per meal. Since 2007, ten million meals have been provided for those in need through Restaurant Week. The list of restaurants that participate in the event continues to grow and this year is epic. From 1228 Main (in the Arts District downtown) to Zaytinya (Jose Andres' new mezze eatery at the Forum Shops), you can see all 260 Las Vegas restaurants, including the special three-course menus and prices, and make reservations here.
In a social media post yesterday, the director of Reid International called a development by the federal government that moves forward the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) out in Jean a "major milestone." The milestone? The Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. The director wrote, "This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation’s fastest growing regions.” Call us skeptical, but two federal agencies announcing that they intend to ... do something ... someday, rather than an important step, is another baby step in a process that's been going on for 25 years -- and counting. Still, it's better, we suppose, than the feds not intending to do something.
As if Vegas regulars need more reasons to give Las Vegas a wide berth the weekend of November 21-23, Allegiant Stadium is booked on both Saturday and Sunday. The UNLV Rebels football team plays Hawaii on Saturday and the Raiders play at home against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It's a football-F1 grinder, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix sandwiched between the games at 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturday night. All we can say is, that's triple the trouble, including soldout hotels (at exorbitant room rates), booked up restaurants, ridiculous crowds everywhere, monumental traffic jams, utter madness at the airport, and all-around turmoil, tumult, and trials and tribulations.
The new video in the series that covers Las Vegas history decade by decade has just been released by the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial. The City of Las Vegas: The Seventies is the seventh in the series; one is released every year in conjunction with Las Vegas' birthday, May 15. The Seventies is essentially an intensification of The Sixties, with unrest sweeping the nation and Las Vegas finally dealing with all the problems that had been swept under the rug for the sake of appearances: racism, welfare, union, women's, and tribal issues. It also marked the start of the Mint 400, the World Series of Poker, polyester and disco, Bargain City, and the explosive growth of the population and sprawl, plus the end of the Mob. And this episode contains some unexpected revelations. Like the other City of Las Vegas videos, The Seventies is a meaty 75 minutes and well worth every minute. See it here.
The Florida Panthers are -125 favorites over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.5.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -8 favorites over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their second-round NBA playoff series. The total is 214.
Going into the final round of golf's PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler with a 3-stroke lead is the -400 favorite to win. He’s followed by Bryson DeChambeau at +280 and Jon Rahm at +325.
The odds for the Preakness Stakes make Journalism the favorite at 8-5, followed by Sandman at 4-1 and River Thames at 9-2. The long shot in the field of nine is Pay Billy at 20-1. The Triple Crown isn't in play, as Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty is not in the field.
Michael Morales is a -550 favorite over Gilbert Burns in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Rodolfo Bellato is -425 over Paul Craig.
Upwards of 13,000 apartments opened to occupancy between January 2023 and last month, a "historic" number of new units entering the rental market in Las Vegas. The new supply has been absorbed quickly, as evidenced by vacancy rates: 10.5% in 2023 and 9.9% last year and so far this year. Rents are down slightly in Henderson, which has the highest rates in the valley; the average for a one-bedroom is $1,530, down 1.3% since March and a half-point since March 2024. In Las Vegas, a one-bedroom averages $1,230, an increase of 2.5% since March and flat since last year.
Anthony had to catch a plane, so this week's YouTube video is a seven-minute quick hitter. Anthony and Andrew spend half of it talking about our big (350 pages with an eight-page photo spread) new book, Advantage Players, which will be available (and shipping) on Monday and is on sale for $18.71 (regularly $24.95). Then Anthony briefly discusses EDC, here this weekend, and announces a cool charity event at a local bar: a tri-tip cookoff and strawberry margarita blendoff. Samples of both from multiple vendors are free, though donations are accepted. Find out when and where by tuning in.
Clark County 215, a.k.a. Bruce Woodbury Beltway, will be closed completely in both directions between the Tropicana Avenue and Flamingo Road exits in the southwest valley this weekend. The closure, starting at 9 p.m. tonight and reopening by 9 p.m. tomorrow, will allow road crews to work on the Peace Way bridge over the freeway. Lane restrictions will be in place farther out in each direction, so be prepared to detour if you're heading that way over the next day or so.
The Vegas Golden Knights lost the second round of the NHL playoffs last night. The Edmonton Oilers won Game Five by a score of 1-0 in overtime, eliminating the home team 4- games to 1. The Oilers, who lost the Stanley Cup Finals last year to the Florida Panthers, now move on to the Western Conference championship, facing the winner of the Dallas Stars-Winnipeg Jets series; the Stars are up 3-1. And the NFL schedule for the upcoming season was released last night. The Las Vegas Raiders, with a new head coach, general manager, quarterback, and revolving door of players, are facing an uphill battle, reflected in four predictions from pundits: ESPN 7 wins, 10 losses; Fox 7-10; Sports Illustrated 6-11; A to Z Sports 9-8. As one of the worst teams last year (4-13, third consecutive losing season, and worst record since 2014), even these mediocre projections would be a big improvement.
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at +425 to win the PGA Championship golf tournament. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at +600, Bryson DeChambeau at +700, and Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, both at +1600. Tiger Woods is not in the field.
... to three people bit by bed bugs at Luxor last year. One of the victims was transported by ambulance to a Las Vegas hospital for an allergic reaction (she felt like she was suffocating), where she was treated in the parking lot, so as not to spread the infestation; all three were treated when they returned home. Apparently dissatisfied with the utmost magnanimity of MGM Resorts' refunding of their resort fees for the night, the couple and a single traveler are suing MRI. A second lawsuit has been filed against Treasure Island for bed bugs. No refund was issued to the victim there, who was given a new room -- where she was bit by more bugs. The three lawsuits, filed by the same law firm, are alleging negligence and seeking $30,000 per person in damages.
Zaytinya ("olive oil" in Turkish) opened yesterday at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Announced two years ago to major excitement due to the popularity of the brand, with locations in Miami, Manhattan, southern California, and in its 23rd year in Washington, D.C., Zaytinya is the sixth restaurant in Las Vegas from celebrity chef and global philanthropist José Andrés; it's also the title of cookbook released last year by Andrés. The cuisine is eastern Mediterranean -- Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese -- and unlike the D.C. original, which serves only mezze (the eastern Mediterranean form of western Mediterranean tapas), the Las Vegas menu also includes entrees, such as grilled salmon and roast half-chicken ($45), lamb chops ($65), and prime rib ($85). The mezze range from fries ($9) and spanakopita ($16) to lamb-loin kebab ($22) and octopus ($24). There are also speads, salads, flat breads, as well as a family-style option (kebab platter $70, whole sea bass $85, and lamb shoulder $105) and a 13-course Chef's Experience tasting menu ($90 per person). The full bar specializes in Spanish and Greek wines and Las Vegas beers. Zaytinya is open for dinner only: Sun.-Thurs. 5-9, Fri. and Sat. till 10.
Tomorrow evening, Downtown Grand is hosting British indie rock band Lime Garden for a night-swim concert at the Citrus Grand Pool Deck. Attendees can enjoy the band’s blend of disco, pop, and surf rock, while "vibing on Downtown Grand’s recently renovated pool deck," according to the press release. The event is open to all ages and tickets are free on Eventbrite. Doors open at 7 pm.
According to the press release (we haven't verified the odds), last Saturday, a pair of guests playing Face Up Pai Gow Poker hit back-to-back 7-card straight flushes to win back-to-back progressive jackpots. "The odds were 1 in 45 billion and it happened at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada," it read. Arlen scored first, collecting $183,496 on the progressive. After decks were changed, on the very next hand, Quinlin held a 7-card straight flush to win $90,002. This wasn’t the first time the Atlantis celebrated a gaming milestone. Two years ago, a slot player at the Atlantis won just over $14 million on Megabucks, which remains the largest slot jackpot in Reno history.
According to John Katsilometes, the Review-Journal entertainment columnist, iLuminate, the LED-outlined dance show, will close on May 31 after more than 1,200 performances at the STRAT. It was a long-time Top Ten Value since shortly after it opened in August 2021. VitalVegas reports that Hogs & Heifers, the raucous saloon and restaurant across from Downtown Grand, will close on July 31. Apparently, the lease ran out and won't be renewed. VitalVegas also confirms that Mr Chow, the upscale Chinese restaurant at Caesars Palace, will close after dinner on Saturday. Though it's been open for around 10 years and Mr Chow has venues in Beverly Hills, London, Manhattan, Miami, and a few other major cities, the location on the second floor of Caesars in the old Bacchanal Room was less than ideal. No word on what might replace it.
It's that weekend again. EDC hits the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday and runs through Sunday night. Upwards of 525,000 entrances are expected compared to 500,000 last year and all the tickets have been sold out for months, though you can buy resale tix on lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com through Ticketmaster (starting at $663 plus fees). In addition, Insomniac TV is livestreaming the acts from all five stages on five dedicated channels (watch free on the website). Seven days worth of events start today, with several downtown and at the airport, plus various activities at Planet 13, including a food truck festival. Traffic around the Speedway will be insane all weekend, so definitely consult GPS or a map for alternate routes north of the city.
The somewhat reunited Sex Pistols, one of the original punk-rock bands formed in London in 1975, is undertaking its first tour of the U.S. since 2003. Although the original band managed to stay together for only a couple of years and recorded all of one album, they had an overarching influence on rock. The original lead singer, John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon, isn't part of the current lineup and Sid Vicious, the second bassist and ultimate outcast, died in 1979 at age 21. The reconstituted band will play the Pearl Theater at the Palms on October 17, capping the 18-show tour. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $80.
Our fourth jackpots episode of the LVA YouTube vlog is here -- with big hits galore. Anthony and Andrew start out discussing a couple of insightful comments from viewers, then launch into the largest jackpots in history (based on a Question of the Day from last week) and a couple of jackpots hit by two members of the LVA family: George A, who's been on the show several times, and none other than Andrew. George hit his very first royal flush ever and Andrew hit his first single-line royal. Yahoo! From there, a local couple visiting the Eureka casino to use our 2-for-1 MRB coupon at the excellent Fat Choy hit an $18K jackpot, then went to a bar recommended by Anthony and hit a seqential royal. It definitely pays to be an LVA member! The lightning round covers all kinds of good luck sent in by viewers and you can see it all right here with just a twitch of the mouse.
Harlem Nights, a $700 million 60-story hotel-casino on a two-acre site in the Historic Westside district at the once-vibrant corner of Jackson Avenue and F Street, was proposed in spring 2023. Nothing has happened to our knowledge since then, but it seems that the project is still viable, though smaller in scope. A report on 8NewsNow over the weekend stated that Harlem Nights is now a 22-story 211-room hotel-casino, presumably in response to the existing height restriction (of 22 stories) and that the Las Vegas Planning Commission will consider the scaled-down property at its next meeting.
With apologies to Bob Seger and his song "Sunspot Baby," Sara King sure had a real good time -- and now she's paying the piper. The disbarred lawyer, ex-wife of a Saudi prince, and glam queen who, according to one ex-friend, "loved money and had no soul" pled guilty to wire fraud and money laundering a couple of years ago and was sentenced last week to 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution to the tune of the $8.7 million out of which she bilked "investors" to support her lavish spree, which included a stay of six months in one of the Wynn's most exclusive villas. Dubbing herself the "Slot Whisperer" with an "“unbeatable strategy” for high-stakes slots, King ran through the high seven figures playing the machines non-stop, which of course the Wynn was happy to facilitiate -- until she ran out of other people's money. Her scam was offering a 10% return on money invested in the short-term high-interest loans her company made to celebrities, professional athletes, and other high-net-worth people who needed quick cash and were collaterized by their cars, yachts, sports contracts, etc. But all the investment money went into the Wynn's coffers and Ms. King will spend the better part of the next two years behind bars.
The thermometer reached 99 yesterday and 100 is predicted for today. If we hit triple digits, it will be the first time this year. The earliest Las Vegas has ever seen 100 degrees was on May 1, 1947, and the latest first date was June 30, 1965 and 2023. The median is May 24. So 100 degrees today will be fairly early historically. Even if today does breach triple digits, the forecast calls for a high temperature of 77 on Tuesday and the 80s and low 90s -- nowhere near 100 -- for the next two weeks.
Belal Muhammad is a -215 favorite over Jack Della Maddalena in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Manon Fiorot is -135 over Valentina Shevchenko.
Station Casinos is expanding to the Strip, opening a full-scale sports book at Treasure Island. The 3,100-square-foot STN Sportsbook replaces the one previously operated by Treasure Island and features 74 TV screens and a video wall, eight betting windows, and mobile sign-up stations for STN Sports accounts. As for whether or not Station has greater ambitions for the Strip, we're taking the No. The company owns a number of developable parcels in the neighborhoods and will no doubt stick to being a locals casino company.
Seth MacFarlane, creator of the popular animated series "Family Guy" (now in its 23rd season), also has a voice; he plays both Peter (the father) and Stewie (the son) Griffin. In addition, he's an accomplished baritone with eight studio albums and five Grammy nominations. His latest album, Lush Life -- The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, will be released in early June. To support Lush Life, MacFarlane will do three performances at Voltaire at the Venetian: July 3, 4, and 5. He'll be backed by a 29-piece ochestra conducted by composer Joel McNeely. Tickets are on sale now at voltairelv.com.
Las Vegas Metro Police have responded to more than 6,000 vehicle crashes so far this year and based on their locations have issued a list of the most crash-prone intersections in the city. Two out of the 20 worst are inside the tourist corridor; Koval Lane and Tropicana Avenue ranks sixth on the list with 18 crashes and Harmon Avenue and the Strip ranks 10th with 17. The five worst intersections are Flamingo and Rainbow (26 crashes), Eastern and Sahara (24), Charleston Lamb (23), Jones Tropicana (22), and Maryland and Sahara (20). Be careful out there. The life you save might be your own -- or mine.
Clark County’s version of the Punxatawney groundhog, the one named Phil, has finally shown up. Mojave "Rip Van Winkle" Max, a desert tortoise and the mascot for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program, emerged from his brumation burrow at Springs Preserve shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday, May 8. It was a mere 15 days later than the previous record for tardiness of April 23, set in 2023. Apparently, the warming of the earth signals tortoises to wake up, but a cool spring so far hadn't warmed enough for ol' Max to get the news that we're eight weeks into spring. His earliest emergence was February 14 in 2005, so the range from earliest to latest is now 83 days.
The Steve Miller Band is touring this summer and will stop at Planet Hollywood for one night on October 25. Singer-songwriter, harmonicist, keyboardist, and guitarist, Miller started his band in 1966, recorded 18 albums, and had two dozen hit songs make the Billboard Top 100, including "The Joker," "Fly like an Eagle," "Space Cowboy," "Living in the USA," "Rock'n Me," "Mercury Blues," "Abracadabra," "Wild Mountain Honey," "Take the Money and Run," and (our favorite) "Going to the Country." Tickets are on sale now. Burton Cummings, legendary frontman and songwriter for Canadian rock band the Guess Who, will play the Pearl Theater at the Palms on August 23 as part of a 23-city tour this summer. The Guess Who had a dozen hits in their life span from 1965 to 1974, the biggest of course "American Woman." They also topped the charts with "Shakin' All Over," "Laughing," "No Time," "No Sugar Tonight," "Tossin' and Turnin,'" and "These Eyes." Cummings, now 77, embarked on a solo career afterwards. Tickets are on sale now.
With no announcement, the Westgate Fresh Buffet closed on Monday. Too bad; we had a nice coupon there. That leaves 11 operating buffets in Las Vegas: Palms (with a Member Rewards Online coupon), South Point, Circus Circus, Main Street Station, Rampart, MGM Grand, Excalibur, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Wynn, and Caesars Palace.
The Burlesque Hall of Fame, a nonprofit devoted to the art and history of burlesque performance, is closing on July 20. The museum in the Arts District opened in 2006 and announced the closure in a statement as due to "reduced tourist visitation, recession fears, and the current administration’s cuts to museum funding, which have all made continued operation of the museum space untenable." The statement continued that the museum isn't going out of business; the collection of burlesque memorabilia will be maintained, the BHoF's annual fundraiser will continue, and a capital campaign will accrue funds to reopen the museum "when more stable and political conditions emerge."
One of the greatest rock bands in history, The Who, will make a stop in Las Vegas on their "farewell" tour, "The Song Is Over," on September 28 at MGM Grand Garden. That show will be the last on the tour, which will visit 12 cities in the U.S. and two in Canada starting on August 16. The band got its start in London in 1964, so it spans more than six decades. Only two members of the original quartet, lead guitarist Pete Townshend, 80, and frontman Roger Daltrey, 81, remain. Bassist John Entwistle died in Room 658 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock in June 2002, one day before the scheduled first show of the Who's 2002 United States tour; he was 57 years old. And wildman drummer Keith Moon, for whom every song was a drum solo, died at age 32 of an overdose of clomethiazole (prescribed as an antidote to alcoholism). Pre-sale tickets start at 10 a.m. local time next Tuesday through Thursday; the general on-sale begins at 10 a.m. local time on Friday May 16.
The Backstreet Boys haven't even begun their residency at Sphere yet (it starts on July 11), but more shows have been added for the third time; the new dates are Aug. 22, 23, and 24. That brings the total number to 21. Pre-sale tickets for the three new dates start on Monday at 10 a.m. PT; the general public can start buying them on Friday May 16, also at 10 a.m. PT. In other Sphere news, anyone with a Nevada ID can take a 20% discount on tickets to the Sphere Experience, which includes the movie Postcard from Earth. We hadn't checked prices for a while, so imagine our surprise when we saw that they now start at $189 per person and go up to -- are you hanging onto your hats? -- $509. When we saw it last year, the price was $100. The $189 ticket includes tax, but with a $53 service fee and $8 electronic transfer fee, you'll pay $250 for the hour-long movie. With the 20% off for locals at the cheapest price point, the ticket goes for $151, so expect to pay around $212 if you live around here.
Yesterday, Las Vegas received 0.61 of an inch of rain, beating the previous record of 0.59 of an inch set in 1969. So far this month, 1.44 inches of precipitation have been recorded, the highest amount for the entire month in history. (May is the second driest month of the year at .11 inches and last year, no measurable rain fell at all.) Today, scattered showers are predicted through the morning, then it dries out, probably until the monsoon season starts late next month. Temperatures also heat up from here. Monday's high was 68, only three degrees higher than the record lowest high temperature for May 5. The thermometer rises all the way to near 100 on Saturday.
A number of surveys are emerging in conjunction with Mother's Day this weekend and Nevada doesn't look so good in most of them. Best representative is one done by Kremp, an online florist company, that ranks Nevada as 48th worst out of the 50 states in which "to be a mom." Metrics studied include women's median earnings, the gender wage gap, and child-care costs; job protection and paid family/parental leave; and health status and education levels. Massachusetts ranked number one with a total score of 720.3, followed by Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut, all in the 700s, and Kentucky (693.2). Nevada's score was 613.2 and only West Virginia (602.2) New Mexico (592.9) came in lower. You can see the whole survey here.
THE PARTY at Superfrico will be the latest show in the wacky Spiegelworld's stable, which includes Absinthe, DiscoShow, and Atomic Saloon Show in Las Vegas and The Hook in Atlantic City. THE PARTY will be a dinner show in the new Blue Room, an intimate boutique restaurant-within-a-restaurant, hidden within Superfrico at the Cosmopolitan. It will be hosted by Laurie Hagen, an award-winning actor, dancer, clown, singer-songwriter, and cabaret/burlesque performer who seems to channel Liza Minelli. Only 50 seats per night will be available and the three-course dinner and two-hour variety show will feature a rotating cast of "unusualists." You're invited to THE PARTY, which opens on Thursday July 10. Tables are available at 7 p.m. and tickets are on sale for $150, but there's a two-person minimum. Including $25.13 tax and a $54 autosuck gratuity, the total to see the show is $379.13.
If you're downtown this weekend, you might get caught up in the 2025 Helldorado Days Parade. This annual event celebrates the founding of Las Vegas on May 15, 1905, so this year marks the city's 120th anniversary. The parade began in 1935, so we're now in its 90th year. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, starting on Gass Avenue, then marching north on 4th Street for eight blocks to end on Stewart Avenue. The procession should end around 11:30.
"Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar, in the middle of a residency at Park MGM, will livestream his "Best of All Worlds" concert on May 16 via Veeps.com. Sacramento hair metal band Tesla has announced a mini-residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on October 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25. California veteran rockers Buckcherry will open for the Scorpions' mini-residency at Planet Hollywood August 14, 16, 19, 21, and 23. Also, 22-year-old heartthrob and TikTok sensation Benson Boone, known for his megahit "Beautiful Things," will play T-Mobile on September 26. Beyonce, long rumored for a residency at Sphere, was using an image of the arena in an interlude visual on her current tour. Depicted as 300 feet tall, she's walking in Las Vegas when she stoops to pick up Sphere, taps it with one finger, and walks away with it. Apparently, James Dolan, the lovable chairman and CEO Sphere Entertainment Co., took exception to the "unauthorized" publicity and sent Bey a cease-and-desist letter; the segment was removed from the visuals. Rumors have it that Dolan is pissed off that Beyonce hasn't agreed to a Sphere residency. But she will play Allegiant Stadium July 25 and 26 (she'd have to do upwards of 10 shows at Sphere for that kind of ticket sales). Finally, notable by the absence of Las Vegas on his upcoming tour, David Lee Roth will play 20 dates in secondary markets, but some speculation has it that he'll do a Vegas residency after the tour.
A report from Zillow indicates that the inventory of residential real estate grew 45% between March 2024 and March 2025. This reflects a nationwide trend of "new listings flooding the country's real estate market" and Zillow said that Las Vegas is "leading the trend." Sellers are listing homes at higher rates than last year, but buyers aren't making as great a dent in the inventory, so houses are sitting on the market longer. At the same time, prices are remaining mostly stable at record highs. Case in point: New-home builders in the valley sold 942 houses in March, down 10% from March 2024, but the median price was $530,000, up 10% and the highest in Las Vegas history. Las Vegas sellers of existing single-family houses reduced the asking prices on 27% percent of listings, up a bit from 20% last year. Zillow said home values continue to increase; month over month, prices in 41 of the nation's 50 biggest metro areas went up and fell in only five of them.
The Wynn celebrated its 20th anniversary last Monday and in conjunction with the celebration, an interesting 22-minute video, "Let Me Tell You a Story," delves into the history of the Wynn, as seen through the eyes and words of long-time employees, along with photos and footage. In the interviews, they offer firsthand behind-the-scenes accounts of what it was like on "day one" at the Desert Inn, then working toward the opening of Steve Wynn's masterpiece. The stories and graphics are remarkably compelling and if you're like us, at about minute 2, you won't be able to turn it off. So devote the 20-plus minutes; you won't be sorry. See it here. And thanks as always to Canada Roy for the link. This video hasn't been publicized at all, as evidenced by the less than 1,800 views as of this writing.
A new non-casino hotel has been proposed for a few blocks from Allegiant Stadium. The plans, which will be considered (and rubber-stamped) by the Clark County Zoning Commission next week, call for an eight-story 220-room hotel, with a sushi bar, outdoor pool, banquet room, and outdoor event area. This is the latest step in the evolution of the four-year-old Stadium District Plan, an effort to locate hotels, restaurants, and other visitor businesses into the mostly industrial area surrounding Allegiant.
The Houston Rockets are -2.5 favorites over the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The total is 206.5.
The Winnipeg Jets are -175 favorites over the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.
According to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times, some dumpsters on the construction site for the $1.7 billion Bally's Chicago has caused the the project to stop dead in its tracks. The dumpsters in question prompted the Illinois Gaming Board to issue a cease-and-desist order "in connection with a pending IGB investigation into the use of undisclosed and unapproved vendors at the construction site." The waste-hauling company was reputed to have ties to the Chicago Mob; its involvement in a casino project in Rosemont, a Chicago suburb, in the early 2000s killed that plan and the casino moved "essentially across the street" to Des Plaines. That casino, Rivers, "has long been the most lucrative casino in Illinois, raking in more than $2.3 billion over the last five years." For its part, Bally's issued a statement. "Today we were informed by IGB that the contractors working on the Bally’s Chicago site were utilizing an unapproved vendor and were issued a stop work notice. We appreciate the diligence and action of IGB. This is the process at work. We look forward to working with the IGB to eliminate the possibility of it happening again."
Cory Sandhagen is a -550 favorite over Deiveson Figueiredo in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Bo Nickal is -400 over Reinier de Ridder.
The Colorado Avalanche are -175 favorites over the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.5.
The Denver Nuggets are -1.5 favorites over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The total is 207.5.
The current odds for the Kentucky Derby make Journalism the favorite at 7-2, followed by Sandman at 5-1 and Luxor Cafe at 8-1. The long shot is Admire Daytona at 41-1.
Downtown Rocks, the every-summer free concert series on the Fremont Street Experience, kicks off May 24 with a triple-header concert on all three FSE stages: Hinder, Drowning Pool, and Saliva. As per the announcement, "Downtown Rocks brings a full-throttle mashup of chart-topping artists and iconic music legends to the famous stages of Fremont Street Experience. From high voltage jams and neon lights to epic crowds and ice-cold drinks — SHOW UP LOUD and let Downtown Rocks turn your summer nights into high gear!" Bigger band names include Buckcherry (June 7), Robin Thicke (June 21), Toad the Wet Sprocket (Aug. 30), and Dishwalla (Aug. 30). Shows start variously at 6, 7, 8, and 9 p.m., but get there early if you don't want to stand at Downtown Grand. You can see the full lineup here.
Longtime long-haired flamenco sensation, María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, better known as Charo, plays the South Point Showroom May 9, 10, and 11. The 74-year-old (or 84-year-old; her age has long been a topic of debate) was trained in classical guitar from a young age by Andrés Segovia, one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Her flamboyant stage presence, over-the-top costumes, bubbly accent, rapid-fire speech, and trademark catchphrase “Cuchi-Cuchi!” will be on full display next weekend. Tickets are on sale now; every seat in the room is $40 base.
After some delays, Nevada’s first H Mart has opened at 2620 S. Decatur Boulevard. The Las Vegas version of the Korean grocery, with more than 90 stores in the U.S., also has a food hall with names you probably haven’t heard, including Hanmo Tofu, Jopok Topokk, Moonbongri Soondae Express, Paik’s Noodle, Saku Japanese Eatery, Tiger Sugar, and BBQ Chicken (how’d that get in there?).
Just in time for the 2025 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris, Caesars is opening poker rooms at Planet Hollywood and Caesars Palace. Planet Hollywood's room closed in 2021 and the new room will occupy the space of the former London Club on the mezzanine level of the casino with 23 tables. The poker room at Caesars, near the sports book, closed last June and was replaced by high-end slots. A temporary room will be located along the Appian Way retail strip and open sometime this month; details on the permanent poker room will be revealed "at a later date."
Caesars has announced that the venerable Harveys Lake Tahoe, which opened in 1944 and celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, will be rebranded Caesars Republic. The new name will take effect in July, in conjunction with a $160 million capital-improvement project at the property. The renovations will "completely re-imagine" the hotel lobby, casino, and one tower of rooms; the existing Hell’s Kitchen restaurant will be expanded and a Lisa Vanderpump eatery, Wolf, will be added. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2026. This will be the second Caesars Republic-branded property. A Hilton Hotel of the same name opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2023, but it doesn't have a casino.
May starts out moderately hot and ends up summery hot. Average high temperatures range from 83 degrees on the first and 94 on the 31st, while average lows go from 61 to 71. Record high temperatures, though, are all in the triple digits, from 102 (seven days) to 109 (on the 28th in 2003). The record low of 38 was recorded on the third in 1948; otherwise, all record lows have been in the 40s, with two 50-degree nights (the 26th in 1980 and 28th in 1971). Average rainfall is a quarter-inch, tied with October for the third lowest month of precipitation.