About this time of year, everyone gets a hankering to throw out the old and bring in the new. Las Vegas is no different. Here, with giddy anticipation, are nine things to look forward to in Las Vegas as we roll into the new year.
1. FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals
Horses kick up their hooves when FEI World Cup Finals come to the Thomas & Mack Center, April 15-19. Equestrian show jumping and dressage, two Olympic-caliber events, attract competitors from 25 countries and the U.S.
Reba, Brooks & Dunn
2. Reba, Brooks & Dunn
Country music sweeps through Las Vegas, and Nashville stars Reba McEntire, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn kick off their own residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace starting in June. Cross your fingers that they’ll get onstage together for their popular collaboration “If You See Him, If You See Her.”
3. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar
One of the first new restaurants opening in 2015 arrives at The Palazzo by way of Miami. Yardbird brings a bit of Southern charm with its fried chicken, creative cocktail program with five types of ice and brunch on the weekends. Expect charred okra, buttermilk biscuits and a big cheddar waffle to make it on the menu.
4. Omnia
Out with the old and in with the Omnia. The 75,000-square-foot nightclub taking over the front of Caesars Palace is part sexy ultra-lounge, part mezzanine club and part rooftop garden. The name reflects the venue’s anticipation of being an experience for all to enjoy.
Rascal Flatts
5. Rascal Flatts
A three-week residency from country superstars Rascal Flatts comes to The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel, Feb. 25-March 14. Vegas Riot! brings road-warrior hits such as “Life Is a Highway,” “Bless the Broken Road” and their most recent hits like “Rewind.”
6. Golden Nugget’s 52 Fridays
Plan out your entire year with the Golden Nugget’s 52 Fridays, bringing a different Grammy Award-winning artist, tribute band, R&B songstress, classic rock act or comedian to kick off each weekend. The Ultimate Doo Wop Show is up the first Friday in January, with rockers Foghat, pop group Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, 1964 Beatles Tribute and country stars Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan to come.
7. Grand Bazaar Shops
One of the top reasons visitors come to Vegas? Shopping. The Grand Bazaar Shops in front of Bally’s plans to tackle that diversion with 150-plus shops laid out like the same-named district in Istanbul. A massive “Crystal Starburst” from Swarovski makes it New Year’s Eve every night when it opens in late February.
Bardot
8. Bardot Brasserie
Michael Mina tries his hand at French fare with a setting replete with low lighting, sexy shadows and the aura of a French noir film, all set within a cluster of restaurants located on the second level above Aria’s casino floor. Highlights include a 360-degree accessible bar and a roaming shellfish cart.
9. Searsucker
Top Chef finalist and former judge of The Taste Brian Malarkey teams up with Hakkasan Group to bring his contemporary take on American fare to Caesars Palace. Look for the 7,500-square-foot Searsucker opening this spring to reflect the Wild West, with cowboy icons throughout the space laid out like a roadside diner.
