Las Vegas Welcomes Year of the Rooster with Festival Line Up
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Las Vegas is gearing up to welcome in the Year of the Rooster with a roster of 2017 Chinese New Year offerings in the areas of dining, entertainment and experiences. Additionally, to honor the rich culture and historic importance of the Year of the Rooster, which begins on Jan 28, the city will be done up in symbolic and colorful décor. Places to check out the special decorations include the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at Bellagio, where ding pots will burn incense for good luck, protecting guests against bad fortune, and the gardens will be lit with red rose lanterns. And The Palazzo, where the Waterfall Atrium and Gardens will feature a 15-foot-tal and 16-foot-long fire rooster crafted from steel and resin that is hand-painted and covered in approximately 60,000 crystals. The sculpture weighs in at 3,500lbs and will adorn the infinity pond in the middle of the Atrium. It’s an impressive site!
Special Festivals
A number of special festivals will also run for anywhere from two days to in the case of Las Vegas’ newest resort, Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino, a 15-day long event. The first resort in the city designed from the ground up to create an authentic Asian cultural experience, Lucky Dragon will kick off its Year of the Rooster celebration on Jan 28 with a traditional lion dance followed by giveaways.
The LINQ Promenade will also be celebrating the Year of the Rooster with a four-day festival running Jan. 27-30. During the event, professional dancers from Sichuan dance troupe and local Chinese communities will perform daily, with dragon dances held nightly at 6 p.m. on the Fountain Stage. The anchor of The LINQ Promenade, The High Roller, will be lit red and gold to mark the beginning of the festivities. The LINQ Theater also hosts the DragonFest Benefit Concert on Jan. 29 with a variety of local and international Chinese troupes.
While The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will host its annual ‘Dotting of the Eyes’ ceremony where performers will awaken a dragon and lions by dotting their eyes with red paint. Once awakened, the dragon leads participants on a parade through the property.
On Jan. 28, look for Sundance Helicopters Grand Canyon West terminal to come alive with Chinese lanterns, tangerine trees and other festive decorations for a weeklong celebration featuring Chinese lion dancers and drummers performing with the Grand Canyon as a stunning backdrop. Guests will also receive oranges—a symbol of happiness and prosperity.
Also on Jan. 28, in Downtown Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Spring Festival Parade is held. The parade begins at Fremont Street, and features local businesses, bands and dance groups along with extravagant floats. Immediately following the parade, revelers can head to an after-party at Downtown Container Park with live entertainment and free activities like building a traditional Chinese lantern.
Other lion and dragon dances, which are an important ritual of Chinese culture, symbolizing good luck and prosperity in the Lunar New Year, will take place at ARIA Resort & Casino, The Palazzo Las Vegas and The Venetian Las Vegas on Jan. 28, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Palms Casino Resort on Jan. 29, and the Bellagio and Palace Station on Jan. 30.
Entertainment
Additionally, Las Vegas is ushering in the Year of the Rooster with some big musical performances. On Jan. 28 Hong Kong musician, singer, songwriter and actor Sam Hui will perform at The Venetian. Hui is credited with popularizing Cantopop with an infusion of Western-style music and using popular street-Cantonese verbiage in his lyrics. Shannon Lee, daughter of famed martial artist Bruce Lee, will make a special appearance with Hui at the event.
Meanwhile, the Park Theater at Monte Carlo, will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a performance by Chinese pop-rock group Band of Brothers on Jan. 29. Each member of the band has a career spanning over two decades, releasing more than 80 albums combined.
Dining
There will also be Lunar New Year dining options. At Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino enjoy a prix fixe menu at Pearl Ocean, the resort’s live seafood and dim sum restaurant between Jan. 28-Feb. 5. The menu includes lotus root, black moss and pork tongue soup, stir fried sliced conch, Dungeness crab and more.
While at China Poblano from José Andrés at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas patrons can indulge in a special menu of dried oysters, delicacy fat choy, feng and a variety of other significant dishes in Chinese culture. In addition, China Poblano will serve Hardy Noces d’Or Cognac, a 50-year-old cognac in a rooster branded crystal bottle as a nod to the Year of the Rooster.
Finally, Chinese New Year Dim Sum Brunch returns to Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas. The award-winning restaurant offers dozens of traditional Asian delicacies served tableside, presented on extravagant buffets and carving stations. The holiday brunch is available Jan. 27-Feb. 5.