Your Guide to Celebrating Labor Day Weekend in Las Vegas

 
View 2018 Labor Day Sale Hotel Room Rates & Availability Can you think of a better place than Las Vegas to celebrate Labor Day weekend? We can’t either! With enough entertainment, events, and parties to fill every weekend of the year – Las Vegas fully delivers on Labor Day weekend fun. Say goodbye to summer in spectacular style and indulge in all the luxury, excitement, and wild energy of Las Vegas. Planning your weekend? Let us help with a list of the hottest events in Downtown Las Vegas.

The Pool at the Plaza

All new and offering every amenity, the Pool at the Plaza is now open. This 70,000 sq. ft. aquatic oasis is sure to delight water lovers everywhere. The fully redesigned pool and deck area exudes a retro-chic vibe; perfectly blending the swagger of classic Vegas with the trendy-cool of the revitalized downtown area. You and your friends could easily stay at The Pool at the Plaza all weekend long, enjoying the sun, the atmosphere, and the wealth of amenities. This amazing pool experience boasts: cabana suites, lily pad day beds, 12-person hot tub, mini craps & blackjack, ping pong and recreational sports, a food truck, and even a stage and event space. The Pool at the Plaza is the spot for a Labor Day weekend to remember!

Sunset & Chill

If you’re looking to relax and unwind, then Sunset and Chill is the perfect event for you. Every Saturday from 6pm to sunset, you can enjoy a poolside happy hour with 50% off select beverages. Enjoy a stunning Vegas sunset paired with sounds of reggae music on the Pool at the Plaza, in the middle of Downtown Las Vegas!

Viva Vision Light Show

One can’t-miss attraction in DTLV is the Viva Vision Light Show, located at the Fremont Street Experience.  It is no surprise that this stunning installation pulls in 17 million visitors a year. Revel in the ingenuity and brilliance of modern technology and visionary minds as you experience the 1,500 ft. long and 90 ft. wide, high-resolution Viva Vision video screen, which is poised an awe-inspiring 90 ft. above the mall on Freemont Street. Comprised of 12.5 million LED lamps, and enhanced with impeccable sound, each Viva Vision light show lasts about 6 minutes – beginning at sunset and running past midnight. This modern marvel is a site you don’t want to miss!

Labor Day Fun in DTLV

Make this a Labor Day to remember and come to Downtown Las Vegas to experience the food, the fun, and the chic urban environment. With countless events and venues, your weekend will be overflowing with memory-making thrills and adventures.  

What to Know About Playing Vintage & Coin Slots in DTLV

 
  There is an iconic sound missing from the Las Vegas Strip these days – can you guess what it is? It would be the sound of coin payouts hitting the metal tray of coin-operated slot machines. Coin slot machines are an endangered species in the new digital landscape of Vegas slots. Though shiny, bright, and new, the coinless slot revolution lacks the satisfaction that many old-school players and retro-loving newbies seek from their slot machine experience.

Goodbye Coins, Hello TITO

In the 90s the casino world made a major move away from coin-operated slot machines, even though these machines, and their unforgettable clang of coins dropping, are a quintessential Vegas experience. Coin-operated slots are labor intensive for casinos. From the never-ending need to refill hoppers, complete repairs, and manage an endless tonnage of coins, these slots were certainly not cost effective for the casinos. During the 90s, a new approach to slots was introduced – the Ticket In/Ticket Out (TITO) method. Now, payouts are printed on tickets, which can be exchanged for cash or simply fed into a new digital slot. This “money-free” method makes gambling faster, easier, and truly hassle-free. Players said goodbye to scooping coins into casino-branded plastic cups; goodbye to lugging around hundreds of coins; goodbye to fingers stained with coin residue but also, goodbye to that intoxicating sound of a coin payout!

We Want Coin Slots!

The TITO system was a win for casinos everywhere, and was generally embraced by most gamblers, but there still are vocal and vibrant subsections of gamblers and classic Vegas lovers who miss the nostalgia of dropping coins into a machine. Slots don’t feel quite like slots when feeding a paper ticket into a machine with an HD display and a Dolby soundtrack! Where are the spinning wheels, the beeps and ticks, and the metallic scent of coins? Where is the Vegas of Sinatra, the Rat Pack, and Bugsy Siegel? The solution? Come visit DTLV, a vibrant area of Vegas that shines with retro-charm and the flavor of classic Las Vegas.

Coin Slots at the Plaza Hotel and Casino

The Plaza Hotel and Casino, located on Fremont Street in the heart of DTLV, is a bastion of old-world Vegas blended with modern elegance. Committed to preserving the best of traditional Las Vegas, while also providing state-of-the-art modern conveniences, the Plaza Hotel and Casino is the jewel of downtown Las Vegas. Coin slot lovers flock to the downtown area and the Plaza Hotel and Casino to find all their favorite traditional slots.  Come play the rare and hugely popular Joker Wild Poker – one of only four machines in the Vegas area and renowned for having the loosest pay table in town. Other classics favorites include: Full pay Joker Poker, Deuces Wild, Catch the Heat Vintage Vegas, and a 777 slot tournament every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. You don’t want to miss all the action in downtown Las Vegas! Break open that coin jar… you finally have the perfect use for all those extra coins.  

The Beginners’ Guide to Pickleball

What exactly is Pickleball? Why is it called Pickleball? Does it have anything to do with pickles at all? The list of questions could go on and on for this oddly named sport. Don’t worry if you’ve never played or heard of Pickleball before. That’s why we’ve put together this helpful guide to explain this interesting game. Here are the basics you need to know about Pickleball.

What Is Pickleball?

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of badminton, tennis, and table tennis. The game is played on a badminton-sized court (20 x 44 feet) with the net lowered to 36 inches at the ends. Equipment includes wood or composite paddles and a plastic, perforated ball. Just like other paddle sports, Pickleball can be played in singles or doubles.

Where Did Pickleball Originate?

Pickleball originally started as two friends’ attempt to resolve their families’ summer boredom. During the summer of 1965, Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell wanted to set up a badminton game since Pritchard’s home had an old court. However, they couldn’t find a complete set of badminton rackets. Using some creativity, they improvised with ping-pong paddles and a perforated ball instead. At first, they played the game with the net set at badminton height of 60 inches. After finding out that the ball bounced well on the asphalt surface, they lowered the net to 36 inches. With their friend Barney McCallum, they established rules for the game and created Pickleball.

How Did Pickleball Get Its Name?

According to Pritchard’s family members, the unique name came from the family’s maritime pursuits. Joan Pritchard, Joel Pritchard’s wife, was a competitive rower on Bainbridge Island, WA. She told her husband that the game reminded her of the pickle boat in rowing. A pickle boat consists of oarsmen chosen from the leftovers of other boats. This is similar to how Pickleball includes many borrowed characteristics from other paddle sports. Over the years, many news stories reported that Pritchard named the game after his dog, Pickles. The most common story was Pickles would chase after the balls and then hide in the bushes. As a result, he would refer to “Pickles’ ball,” which was later shortened to Pickleball. The Pritchard family disproved this story since they didn’t get Pickles until years after the creation of Pickleball.

How Do You Play Pickleball?

The game starts with the right-hand court serving the ball diagonally to the opponent’s court. The server must serve the ball under two criteria: underhand with their paddle below the waist and both feet behind the baseline. The serve needs to clear the net and the non-volley zone. This non-volley zone is 7-feet behind both sides of the net and prohibits players from hitting the ball before it’s bounced (or volleying). Players on each side must make at least one groundstroke before volleys are allowed. After the double bounce rule, players can either volley the ball or play it off the bounce. Players can volley the ball so long as they’re not within the non-volley zone. Points are scored by the serving side only and occur when the opponent faults. A fault includes failure to clear the net, hitting the ball out of bounds, and volleying from the non-volley zone or before the double bounce. The server continues to serve and alternate service courts until they fault. The first side scoring 11 points and leading with at least a 2-point margin wins the game. Interested in learning more about Pickleball? Head over to Plaza Hotel & Casino to play the game on its newly added Pickleball courts. The Plaza is the only hotel and casino in Las Vegas with dedicated courts for Pickleball. Just recently, the Plaza hosted a Pickleball exhibition with players from the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA). According to Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza, about 1,000 players have already signed up to play in upcoming Pickleball tournaments at the Plaza. The Pickleball courts will be open to the public later this summer. Be sure to stop by the Plaza and try out this fast growing sport for yourself!

GET STARTED – RESERVE A PICKLEBALL COURT AT PLAZA!