For over a year now, we’ve been doing our best to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Now that vaccines are being made available to everyone over 16, many of us are wondering how we should celebrate our ability to safely enjoy public events again.
While we should still be wearing masks in public and keeping a safe distance from others, there are more opportunities opening up that will allow us to engage with our community once more! Read on to hear about some of the things we’re most looking forward to taking in as the year goes on.
First Friday
First Friday is a much-beloved tradition in the Las Vegas community. Featuring local pop-ups from a wide swath of local businesses, First Friday is a non-profit dedicated to uplifting local artisans and creators. This monthly event provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to treat yourself at a local food truck, buy some art from a local visionary, and socialize with other members of your community.
Supporting the First Friday Foundation also means supporting community engagement opportunities, enriching installations throughout the city, and efforts to support the city’s more vulnerable populations.
Currently, First Friday is limiting attendance through RSVPs, so be sure to plan ahead!
Farmer's Markets
We’ve gushed about why you should support your local farmer’s markets in a previous blog. Now, as public event capacity begins to widen once again, we’d encourage you to keep an eye on local markets (some have been offering drive-thru market experiences!) to see when you can go shopping in-person for some fresh produce.
Remember, these markets are constructed out of a genuine love and dedication to farming. They offer a great chance to learn and connect – on top of giving you some goodies to take home!
Live Shows, Performances, & Exhibits
Las Vegas is, of course, known as the entertainment capital of the world. As you probably know, with Vegas entertainment often comes extravagant shows and residences! Luckily, it’s expected that more and more of the city’s large attractions will continue opening back up to the public throughout the year.
Performances along the Strip aren’t the only ones returning, however. This could be a great chance to explore your community’s local theater programs. Oftentimes schools, libraries, and small theaters will host shows created with love by local troupes.
There are also venues like The Smith Center and The Bunkhouse Saloon to keep an eye on, where you can enjoy Broadway performances and small concerts, respectively. The events that arrive on The Smith Center’s calendar are often world-renowned, and The Bunkhouse Saloon is known to regularly have affordable showcases for local musicians.
If you enjoy contemplating artwork, take a stroll through AREA15, explore the Bellagio conservatory and art gallery, or keep an eye out for local exhibitions, like on school campuses. AREA15 in particular is full of pieces designed by local artists, with new exhibits expected to rotate in and out over time.
Sporting Events
If you’ve been in Las Vegas for a while, you know that sporting events can really bring a community together in a way that is unmatched. Take the Vegas Golden Knights, who in their inaugural season helped bring a sense of camaraderie and resilience to the city in what was an otherwise dark period of time. The T-Mobile Arena is host to many spectacular events, but none are quite like an evening in The Fortress.
Supporting UNLV teams through their seasons is also a local pastime, and more and more professional teams have entered the Las Vegas atmosphere (or should we say Stratosphere?) over the years. The Rebels, Rollers, Lights, Aces, Raiders, Aviators, Silver Knights, and Golden Knights all provide opportunities to come together and show our Vegas pride. It’s a no-brainer that sporting events are some of the most highly anticipated upcoming opportunities, as they have been sorely missed.
Eating & Drinking
Eating and drinking is an event in itself. There’s nothing quite like the simple pleasure of enjoying a meal out with someone you love. (That includes a meal with no one but yourself, by the way!) Treating ourselves to a good cocktail, some crunchy appetizers, and a filling meal made with love is one of the things we’re definitely looking forward to doing on the reg again.
We’ve written about loads of our favorite local restaurants before, like here, here, and here. Feel free to peruse our entire blog for even more recommendations!
What are you most looking forward to enjoying again? Let us know @zooorewards and @zooorewards_jp, and follow along to stay up-to-date on the development of our upcoming mobile app! You can also join our VIP list to receive important updates and earn a bonus reward when the app launches.
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