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Vegas New Year’s Eve 2008 - The Basics

New Years Eve in Las Vegas [photo - Las Vegas News Bureau] Ok, so you’ve made your plans to be down on the Strip or nearby to be in the thick of it all. But as this is the biggest celebration of the year in Las Vegas, there are some basics you need to know to fully enjoy the experience.

Strip casinos close their doors around 9pm to the general public. This means after this time, you either need a room key, a verifiable restaurant reservation or an actual ticket to a nightclub event to get into the resort. They will not let you in to gamble or to use the restroom (especially to use the restroom) at all until after the midnight fireworks.

There is a strict curfew between 6pm December 31st and 5am January 1st for any person under 18. They must be accompanyied by a parent or legal guardian to be out on The Strip during these hours.

Glass, cans and backpacks/large bags are being banned for those choosing to be outside on The Strip for the NYE celebrations.

The Strip itself is closed to traffic between Russell Rd and Sahara Ave from about 5pm until 1am or so. This means not only can you not drive on The Strip, but there will be no Deuce Bus, taxis or any other means of transportation up and down The Strip itself until the road is reopened. The only way to get from one place to another is the monorail, the CAT buslines around The Strip or your own two feet.

Since The Strip is closed, several I-15 exits are also closed. These include both the on and off-ramps at Tropicana, Spring Mountain, Flamingo and Sahara Avenues.

If you’re staying downtown, at any of the Fremont St. hotels, you’ll need to enter and exit via the back entrances. All of the front doors that fall under the Fremont Street Experience canopy will be closed off for the FSE party, which requires a ticket for admission.

Designated Drivers is offering a free ride home or back to your hotel for anyone who has had too much to drink. Call 702-456-RIDE if you need it. They run on donations, so if you do use them, please consider making a donation at designateddriversfoundation.org.

We hope all of you have a happy and safe New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas, or wherever you’re choosing to celebrate. Thanks for reading us during 2008 and we look forward to bringing you more news and information on Sin City during 2009.