Las Vegas commemorates the Chinese New Year with an array of culinary offerings and entertainment for visitors throughout January and February. Remembering the significance of the Spring Festival, The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority says the destination will extend good fortune and prosperity to all who revel in the destination’s cultural festivities.
The LVCVA continues to a promote Las Vegas as the premier tourism destination and has increased efforts directed toward the Chinese travel industry to promote the Entertainment and Meetings Capital of the World. Visitation from China has steadily increased over the past several years including a nearly 12 percent jump in 2017, making China the top Asian market for Las Vegas visitation. China recorded the most visitors in history with more than 260,000 guests traveling to Las Vegas in 2017. December 2, 2018 marked the second anniversary of Hainan Airlines' nonstop flight from Beijing Capital to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. This route connects mainland China to Las Vegas and introduces the destination to millions of prospective visitors. The service provides additional convenience and accessibility for Chinese guests for the holiday and throughout the year.
Décor
The annual celebratory dragon display returns for another year at The Forum Shops inside Caesars Palace. The 22-foot-long dragon is not only a photo opportunity for visitors, but is also a traditional symbol of power, strength and good luck. The decorative display is dressed in thousands of LED lights, designed to give the mythical creature a vibrant look and dynamic feel.
Following a ceremonial ribbon cutting, the world’s tallest observation wheel, The High Roller at The LINQ, will be illuminated in red and gold to mark the beginning of Chinese New Year, Wednesday, February 6. The Las Vegas skyline landmark will serve as the backdrop to nightly dance performances on the promenade’s fountain stage as well as prize drawings.
Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens celebrates the Year of the Pig with a display through the beginning of March. Four happy, golden pigs welcome guests as they enter the Conservatory through a pavilion made of jade stone, which signifies wisdom, bravery and honesty. Five pendants crown the top of the rotunda, each individually decorated with a gilded dragon intended to watch over guests on their journey through the Conservatory.
To commemorate the Year of the Pig, The Venetian and The Palazzo’s horticulture team consulted a fengshui master to transform the waterfall atrium with an installation of a golden pig sculpture. The feature sculpture is a 3,000-pound golden pig that stands 16 feet tall and is surrounded by tangerine trees, chrysanthemums, orchids, succulents and bromeliads. Additionally, nine smaller pigs are placed throughout the waterfall atrium and the resorts’ lobbies.
The main lobby of ARIA Resort and Casino will be adorned in celebratory décor to honor the beginning of the Lunar New Year starting Friday, January 25. Three Chinese Deities personifying happiness, wealth and longevity: Fuk, Luk and Sau, will greet guests upon check-in at ARIA’s front desk. A 196-foot dragon will hang from the lobby’s ceiling, weaving its way around a money tree made up of 88 golden coins symbolizing wealth and good fortune with pigs surrounding the base of the tree.
Entertainment
Fashion Show will host the 8th Annual CNY in the Desert Opening Ceremony and ring in the Year of the Pig with a special ribbon cutting and dinner Friday, February 8. To commemorate Chinese New Year, guests will be treated to a special ticketed VIP event, including lion blessings, traditional dances and a cultural fashion runway show. Following the ceremony, guests also have the option to experience a Lunar New Year family-style dinner and cocktails sponsored by Remy Martin.
Spreading wishes of prosperity throughout the valley, CNY in the Desert will also host celebrations in Downtown Las Vegas. Sponsored by the Vegas Golden Knights and now in its seventh year, the parade, featuring floats, costumes and dragons is becoming a Las Vegas tradition that entertains thousands who come to watch. Live stream coverage of the parade is available to view worldwide. The 7th Annual Las Vegas Spring Festival Parade will march through the heart of downtown, beginning at 11th and Fremont Streets, Saturday, February 9 at 11 a.m., followed by a parade after-party at Downtown Container Park. The family-friendly celebration will include lion dances, youth hockey clinic by Vegas Golden Knights, martial arts demonstrations, acrobats, traditional Chinese music performances and folk dances. Due to popular demand, the day of festivities with conclude with “Dance-4-for-a-Cause” benefiting the Las Vegas China Town Lions Club and the Las Vegas Vietnamese-American Lions Club.
The Grand Canal Shoppes inside The Venetian and The Palazzo will ring in the Year of the Pig with two traditional Chinese fan dances, as performers distribute more than 250 red envelopes filled with special gifts to guests February 5. From gift cards to chocolate gold coins, each envelope contains special offers available at participating Grand Canal Shoppes stores and restaurants.
Guests celebrating the Lunar New Year early in Las Vegas can kick off the Year of the Pig with special priced tickets to one of the most epic productions on the Strip, KÀ by Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand. The gravity-defying adventure is offering Lucky Circle tickets for $88.88 on performances January 15 – 30.
In celebration of the Lunar New Year, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas will host a dragon and lion dance, beginning at the Las Vegas Boulevard entrance on the first floor of the Boulevard Tower February 7 at 3 p.m.
Celebrating throughout February with casino games and events, Rampart Casino will celebrate the Chinese New Year with a traditional lion dance, February 9 at 9:30 p.m.
Honoring Chinese tradition, Caesars Entertainment resorts will host 13 lion dances designed to bring good luck across Las Vegas, including nightly performances at The LINQ Promenade from Wednesday, February 6 through Saturday, February 9. At each of the nine resorts, the lion dance performances will start at the porte-cochère and make their way through the casino from Friday, February 8 through Wednesday, February 13. Participating resorts include The Cromwell, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel & Casino, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas, Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and Caesars Palace.
Las Vegas South Premium Outlets will host the Las Vegas Kung Fu Academy for a dragon and lion dancing performance on Saturday, February 9 at 12 p.m. In addition to themed arts and crafts in the shopping center, the Outlets will be handing out red envelopes to shoppers that will contain special offers and discounts from select retailers.
Dragon and lion dances will commemorate the Year of the Pig at MGM Grand Las Vegas Tuesday, February 5 at 4 p.m., Bellagio Hotel & Casino Wednesday, February 6 at 4 p.m. and ARIA Resort & Casino Thursday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m. performed by Yau Kung Moon in a traditional Southern Shaolin Kung Fu system with a modern flair. Known for its trademark gold uniforms and innovative routines, Yau Kung Moon has been recognized internationally for being the first U.S. team to compete in the 1990 Invitational World Lion Dance Festival in Malaysia.
Cuisine
Patrons can head to China Poblano by José Andrés at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, with a 14-day celebratory menu beginning February 4. Specialty dishes include “The Chicken or the Egg,” “Goose Goose Duck” and a variety of Chinese fare. The dining hotspot will also offer a specialty cocktail, “Grass is Always Green,” featuring HK Baijiu, Bombay Sapphire East and Szechuan pepper.
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer at The Venetian will usher in the Chinese New Year with a signature shake to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Starting February 5, this Almond Cookie Shake starts with a vanilla frosted rim with gold and red sprinkles, topped with Almond Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich, a pig lollipop, red and gold sprinkles, whipped cream and caramel drizzle.
Guests will be treated to a special menu commemorating the Year of the Pig at TAO at The Venetian February 5. The exclusive menu features sesame scallion bread topped with glazed roast pork and roasted sesame dip, black truffle and spicy pork soup dumplings, crispy Cantonese pork belly and orange pork chow fun and “Chinese New Year Firecracker,” a Mandarin Cheesecake with Valrhona’s Illanka chocolate cremeux and Pop Rocks.
Additional Chinese restaurants in Las Vegas include:
- Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace
- Beijing Noodle No. 9 at Caesars Palace
- Blossom at ARIA Resort & Casino
- MR CHOW at Caesars Palace
- Mott32 at The Venetian
- Red Plate at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
- Red 8 at Wynn Las Vegas
For more information, visit https://www.lvcva.com/
Related Stories
Taking the Kids -- Calling All Chocolate Lovers
Vdara Hotel & Spa Opens Luxury Club Lounge