The fountain show in front of the Bellagio, which begins at 3 in the afternoon on weekdays and increases in frequency from every half hour to every 15 minutes after 8 p.m. (Photo courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau)
The golf course at the DragonRidge Country Club, located outside of Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev. The country club is just one of a number of courses in and around the city. (Photo courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau)
We all know the drill during market week: business, eat, sleep, repeat.
Of course, most of us pepper in some fun—there are endless events, cocktail parties and dinners to attend, and most take up residence in a hotel with a casino on the bottom floor so the card tables are never far.
Outside of all this, though, Las Vegas has other entertainment to offer. Here are 10 fun things to do and explore for those who want to step away from the usual market week soirées.
All the die-hard crime drama fans can play the role of crime scene investigator at CSI: The Experience at MGM Grand. Faced with murders, killers, suspects and lab stations, get the chance to examine bullet casings, match DNA and identify sources to complete the investigation process.
A long-standing Las Vegas go-to recommendation: See a show. There’s Blue Man Group at Monte Carlo, Le Rêve The Dream at Wynn Las Vegas and Mystère by Cirque du Soleil at Treasure Island, to name a few of the dozens available.
Check out the Grand Canyon via helicopter, ATV, airplane, raft or on horseback.
Get that NASCAR fix at the Richard Petty Driving Experience at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Visitors can get behind the wheel of a 600-horsepower race car. The experience includes round-trip transportation from the Las Vegas strip.
Take a break from the strip to visit Fremont Street, a five-block entertainment district that offers light shows, concerts, restaurants, retail kiosks and even a zip line.
Hit the links at one of Vegas’s many golf courses, among them the Badlands Golf Club, the Bali Hai Golf Club, the course at the Wynn Las Vegas and Bear’s Best, which was designed by golfer Jack Nicklaus and offers 18 replicas of holes found at courses from Montana to Mexico. There’s also the DragonRidge Country Club in Henderson, for those willing to venture a bit farther from the Strip.
Stroll over to the Mirage to check out Seigfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, where guests come face-to-face with bottlenose dolphins, white tigers, white lions and leopards.
Check out the Fountains at the Bellagio. This free show weaves together water, light and music from artists including Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston and, most recently, Dutch DJ Tiësto.
There’s a lot of eating and drinking associated with attending market week, so keep that waistline in check by participating in Jewelers for Children’s third annual Rings of Strength Tour on the morning of Thursday, May 28. Bike, walk or run to help the jewelry industry charity raise money for children in need.
Get dapper with a visit to the Fashion Show Mall, located across the street from the Wynn and Trump hotels. Print out the Shop Las Vegas Passport for discounts at this mall and other shopping destinations in the city. 