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Las Vegas Readies for ‘Takin’ It to the Streets’ New Year’s Eve Pyrotechnic Display and Live Entertainment

Officials from Las Vegas Events and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) joined city leaders and Fireworks by Grucci today at the Fashion Show Mall on the Las Vegas Strip to announce the details for America’s Party: Las Vegas New Year 2009, the citywide celebration planned for Dec. 31.

The fireworks extravaganza on the Las Vegas Strip and Fremont Street will ring in 2009 in classic Las Vegas style. The theme of the pyrotechnic display will be “Takin’ It to the Streets,” with a soundtrack featuring classic rock and dance favorites.

America’s Party is the official moniker coined by the LVCVA and Las Vegas Events to signify the annual citywide celebration. This year’s festivities include both the themed fireworks extravaganza on the Las Vegas Strip and the live concerts and fireworks under the canopy at the Fremont Street Experience. Themed as “TributePalooza,” the world’s best tribute bands will be performing fourteen hours of live music from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. (PT) on both the 1st Street and 3rd Street stages on Fremont Street Experience. Tribute bands will be performing as Billy Joel, Eagles, David Bowie, KISS, Rolling Stones, U2, Queen and Aerosmith.

The firing locations include (from the south, heading north):

• Mandalay Bay – Convention Center Lot (corner of Russell and Las Vegas Blvd.)
• Luxor – Parking Lot (across Las Vegas Blvd. on the corner of Mandalay Bay Road)
• MGM Grand – Parking Garage
• Caesars Palace – Parking Garage
• Treasure Island (TI)/Mirage – Valet Parking Garage
• Las Vegas Convention Center – Gold Parking Lot
• Stratosphere – Parking Garage
• Fremont Street Experience – Under the canopy

More than 30,000 effects will be fired from the eight locations during the 8 minute, 10 second program. Effects such as red, silver and orange comets, mines and peonies are all part of the core program. Special effects such as the colorful buzzing bees will be displayed for David Bowie and Mick Jagger’s “Dancing In The Streets” and red, silver, blue and green palm trees will be highlighted during The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets.” In addition, revelers can watch as waves of comets creating a rainbow of color will crisscross the Las Vegas landscape to Bob Sinclar’s “Rock This Party.” For the Grand Finale, the show will conclude with a thunderous roar of titanium salutes to “Xterminate” by Omega Attraktor.

“It gets no better than New Year’s in Las Vegas,” said Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “From the amazing fireworks that blast off along the world famous Las Vegas Strip to the great bands and the atmosphere under the canopy at the Fremont Street Experience downtown, Las Vegas is the place to ring in 2009.”

“America’s Party will evolve this year with the use of ground locations for the pyrotechnic display,” said Las Vegas Events President Pat Christenson. “This show will have a different look, and the best viewing areas will now be ground level on the Las Vegas Strip. We are literally ‘Takin’ It to the Streets,’ so we encourage local residents to take the firing locations into consideration for ideal viewing.”

According to the LVCVA, Las Vegas continues to be a top destination for thousands of visitors on New Year’s Eve. This year, visitors have even more reasons to celebrate with a variety of entertainment and celebrity-studded events.

“It’s no surprise that Las Vegas hosts the ultimate New Year’s Eve celebration,” said Vince Alberta, vice president of public affairs, LVCVA. “We’re making our visitors the center of the party this year by bringing the fireworks closer to them. Our visitors will be the guests of honor whether dining at one of our world-class restaurants, enjoying top entertainers in our showrooms or partying until dawn at nightlife venues – many of them featuring major celebrity hosts.”

Fireworks by Grucci of New York is world renowned for its pyrotechnic creations. The group recently created the spectacular Grand Opening of the Atlantis Hotel and The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai and has executed numerous presidential inaugurations and citywide celebrations. Locally, Fireworks by Grucci has produced many of Las Vegas’ largest special events and grand openings, including the official Las Vegas Centennial celebration.

“We are honored to be commissioned by Las Vegas Events to produce the America’s Party fireworks show for the fifth time,” said Vice President and CFO of Fireworks by Grucci Felix J. Grucci, Jr. “The entire team at Fireworks by Grucci has been working for months with Las Vegas Events on the design of the program as well as with all of the regulatory agencies to ensure that this year’s program will be second to none. America’s Party will be the largest New Year’s Eve fireworks display in the country, and it will be done in true Las Vegas style.”

For visitors and residents spending the evening downtown, gates will open at 6 p.m. and capacity is limited. Admission is only $20 but is free to local residents with Nevada I.D. For local residents, free admission wristbands will be distributed on New Year’s Eve only. Wristband distribution to local residents, with Nevada I.D., will begin at 10 a.m. on Dec. 31, in the storefront next to Walgreens on Fremont Street just east of 4th Street. For non-residents, admission wristbands will be sold on New Year’s Eve at the Fremont Street Experience access gates. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling Fremont Street Experience at (702) 678-5600 or (877) VEGAS4U. For New Year’s Eve, all access to Fremont Street Experience will be limited to persons at least 21 years old.

For more information on New Year’s Eve festivities throughout Las Vegas, go to http://www.visitlasvegas.com/.