Memorial Day Events & Veterans Celebrations Las Vegas

In partnership with

Good morning, Las Vegas. If you are reading this you have not been blown away… yet. Prepare for the next wave of gusts.

In today’s Northwest Digest:

Nellis
A banner night
Remembering our veterans

Let’s get to it.

— Marlin Mack

Sound familiar?

Over 4 million people have had the same lightbulb moment.

Morning Brew is a free daily newsletter that breaks down what's happening in business, finance, and tech — clearly, quickly, and with enough personality to make it the best email in your inbox.

No yelling. No filler. Just the news, finally making sense.

Try it for free

COMMUNITY

Nellis Outpost

In this Memorial Day (week) issue we' continue the series of history lessons as we learn about Nellis Air Force Base and its predecessors in the valley.

In 1929, less than a decade after the first airfield in the valley opened, a second would join it, just 8 miles northwest of Downtown. The Las Vegas Airport would function as a western hub as normal until the Second World War.

Surveyors for the Army noted field for its year-round flying weather, open desert ranges, and distance from the Pacific. The City of Las Vegas leased the airfield to the Army in 1941 and by October it was dedicated as Las Vegas Army Air Field. That wide open space would prove useful as it trained nearly 60 thousand gunmen for B-17s and B-25s.

It lay Dorman for a few years before being reopened then renamed in 1950 in honor of 1st Lt. William H. Nellis, a P-47 pilot from the Las Vegas area who was killed near Bastogne, Belgium, during the Battle of the Bulge.

Various training programs continued at the base and in 1956 the 359th Air Demonstration Flight was assigned to Nellis or as we now know them, the Thunderbirds.

Today, Nellis is one of the most important military aviation training centers in the world. It hosts the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, the USAF Weapons School, Red Flag, Green Flag, Aggressor units, the Thunderbirds, and training across the Nevada Test and Training Range, which includes more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land.

Have you ever gone to the air show at Nellis?

If you made it this far what is or has been your favorite section?

ADD AN EVENT

EVENTS

Week Ahead

Tuesday

Is your teen out of school already? Have them spend the morning with the Teen Naturalists at Red Rock Canyon where they’ll be teaching about entomology. Check out the official site for more details!

Wednesday

In game 2 of their 6 game home spat with the Albuquerque Isotopes the Aviators invite you to bring your dog to the game. Bark in the Park is their special promotion on Wednesdays that let you sit with your pup in a designate berm area. Restrictions apply.

Thursday

We continue to honor those that serve the community leading up to to Memorial Day with the Southern Nevada Law enforcement Memorial Ceremony hosted by Mayor Shelley Berkley. Please begin arriving at 6:30 as the ceremony begins at 7.

Friday

Meet the newest captain of the Northwest Area Command at Coffee with a Cop. The event runs from 10:30 to noon and is an opportunity for the community to come together with those that serve it so that we can discuss issues and learn more about each other.

Saturday

Love Barbecue? Love Dogs? Then head to Tropical Tunes & Tail Wags, a fun beach-themed event supporting two amazing animal rescues: Raise the Bar-N Rescue and Path to Furever Home Rescue. All the money raised will help save animals, provide medical care, and give them new homes. This event is perfect for families and offers lots of exciting activities! Enjoy unlimited barbecue, take cute pet photos, visit the petting zoo, and play games, raffles, and water activities. Dance to live music from PanDiego and enjoy a day of fun while helping animals in need. Tickets are $45

It’s Banner Night for the Las Vegas Aces as they unveil their championship banner. The first 7,500 fans in attendance will receive a replica banner, so get there early! Tip off is at 5.

Basketball not your thing? Join the LV FC as they celebrate Ninth Island Night at Cashman Field. The first 1,000 fans in will receive a free aloha shirt, but you’re going to want to stick around all night as their will be performances throughout and fireworks show to top it all off.

The 7th Annual Patriotic Parade marches down Skye Canyon. The event supports Kline Veterans Fund and you can join with just a $10 donation and donning your car with red, white, and blue. After the parade families can enjoy face painting, a live dj, inflatables activities, and several food vendors!

Your final choice for this fine Saturday is Music on the Mountain at Mt. Charleston. This free concert series invites you to bring the fam, a lawn chair, and an appetite. Listen to Carlos Guerrero & Friends while you enjoy the beer garden or one of the many food and drink options

Sunday

The Golden Knights host the Avalanche for game 3 of the Western Conference Final. With any luck we’ll be one step closer to the cup, but do expect Colorado to put up a good fight.

Monday

Take a moment out of your day to honor the brave men and women that serve this country. One opportunity to do so is at the 24th annual Lakes Memorial Day with participation by the U.S. Navy Junior R.O.T.C, the U.S. Air Force Junior R.O.T.C and The American Legion members of Nevada.

To honor our heroes there is a Veterans Memorial Day Expo taking place at the Centennial Hills YMCA from 10 am to 1 pm. The event brings essential services and local organizations to veterans in doing so helping build meaningful relationships in the community.

There was a good chance that your Memorial Day plans already involved a frosty beverage, but even more reason to have one is that Abel Baker Brewing Company is opening up their Bomb shelter off of Centennial Center Boulevard.

Have Something to Promote?

Whether that’s an upcoming event, your business, real estate listing or something else we can help you reach a larger audience.

PARTNER WITH THE NORTHWEST DIGEST

In other news. . .

🏒 KNIGHTS ADVANCE: Once more the Golden Knights have advanced to the Western Conference Final, their 4th time since inception. Cheer on the Knights Wednesday as they travel to the Colorado Avalanche. Bit late in the season for snow, eh?

🤽 Pool closes for Memorial Day?: The City of Las Vegas has announced that the Pavilion Center Pool will be closed from 2pm on Friday all through all of Monday, May 25th, but other public pools remain open for families looking to escape the heat.

➕ Women’s Hockey Expansion: The PWHL announced Las Vegas as an expansion market. They will play games primarily in T-Mobile Arena and potentially some at the Lee's Family Forum. The league named Dominique DiDia as the first general manager. The team name is yet to be decided.

🚔 New Commander: Following the retirement of Captain Chris Valdez, the LVMPD Northwest Command will now be captained by Landon Reyes. We would like to thank Captain Valdez for his two decades of service and wish him a happy retirement.

Week Rewind …

Tracing back to last week’s second story, Colby Raha, the legendary multi-time X-games gold medalist did successfully land his vertical jump. In the process he cleared his previous record world record of 90 ft, but we don’t know if he reached his goal of 100 ft as official figures have not yet been released .

Adoptable Animal of the Week:

Heather Pines