See Hear Do: Fun Fest

The United States’ most recent addition to the federal holiday calendar is Juneteenth, which, even before its official designation was considered “America’s Second Independence Day.” That’s because the holiday commemorates the end of slavery, as it finally occurred on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth events typically include a variety of activities, many of which will be available at the one produced (for the 23rd time) by the community organization Empowering People Igniting the Culture (E.P.I.C.). Specifically, food, live music, family activities, artisanal goods, and other Black cultural offerings will highlight the celebration

Two years ago, this latest addition to the Nevada festival calendar snuck in and the word of mouth afterward gave nonattending Silver State music fans serious FOMO. What did we miss? A multi-genre alternative music event that was comfortable, affordable, and brought music acts that don’t normally play these parts. The kicker: It takes place in the breathtaking Great Basin just a hair north of Ely, not in an old parking lot. This year, organizers doubled down on the lineup, snagging the likes of indie favorites Mercury Rev, Ladytron, Sinkane, We Are Scientists, and The Besnard Lakes, while also augmenting its camping options. No missing out this time, folks.

It’s more than two weeks long, but who's counting? Three Square surely is, hoping to use that time to raise some very critical dollars for feeding the food-insecure in Southern Nevada (which numbers one in eight residents). The concept is simple: Participating dining locations — more than 200 were on offer in 2023 — feature a separate prix fixe menu and a portion of your bill goes to Three Square, which then prepares meals for those who need them. The promotion provides the perfect excuse to return to some of your old favorite spots — or try some new ones.

This touring production is not the first Broadway musical to use the music of Bob Dylan, but it is the one critics and audiences actually liked. Which is somewhat remarkable, because Girl From the North Country doesn’t directly link Dylan’s lyrics to the narrative unfolding onstage, nor is it blatant nostalgia reverie (like most jukebox musicals). Instead, two families in a lakeside home (and others they encounter) in Depression-era Minnesota struggle to understand what life has thrown them — while belting out 25 songs spanning six decades of Dylan songcraft. So, how does it feeeeel? One critic said, “Piercingly beautiful,” but you should find out yourself. 

If you love opera, you know it, maybe by heart. If you don’t, you still know something about it. And if you’re a Broadway fan, you’re familiar with its rock opera equivalent, Rent. Giacomo Puccini’s enduring masterpiece has won over generation after generation since 1896 thanks to librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa’s inspired (and liberty-taking) adaptation of Henri Murger’s novel, Scènes de la Vie de Bohème. Singing in Italian (with English subtitles), a cast of seven will present the story of Parisian free-spirits Rodolfo and Mimi and their romance compromised — though not weakened — by poverty, envy, and illness. Surely there’s an update in the works involving private health insurance carriers and late-stage capitalism, but expect Opera Las Vegas’ interpretation to hew closely to the traditional presentation.