Family & Festivals | Music | Theater & Dance | Literature and Ideas | Visual Arts
As the sun sets on summer, the fall cultural season is just getting started. Plan your outings with our handpicked collection of great art, music, literature, theater, and festival events!
September 21-23
Block Party
The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire, and Travis Scott headline this year’s Life is Beautiful, the annual art/music/food festival that transforms Downtown Las Vegas into even more of a psychedelic playground than it already is. Comedians Hannibal Buress and Michelle Wolf will ensure it’s not just fun, but funny. (KT) Downtown, $135 and up, lifeisbeautiful.com
September 29
Nice Hooch!
Beer geeks and winos find common ground at the Grapes & Hops Festival. Tickets include food by El Segundo Sol, Stripburger, Mon Ami Gabi, Top of the World, TAO Asian Bistro, and Divine Cafe, and proceeds go toward breast cancer research. (KT) Springs Preserve, 5 p.m., $45 and up, springspreserve.com
October 5-6
Look Up
Whether it’s about hopes and dreams or letting go of something, the Rise Festival is a thing to behold. Thousands gather on a dry lake bed halfway to the state line to release self-inscribed paper lanterns at dusk. There’s music, art, food, and even luxury camping for those who want to make a weekend of it. (KT) Jean, $69-$129; risefestival.com
October 7
Fit for Royalty
Oktoberfest started out as a celebration for a Bavarian prince and princess who wed in October, but today it’s mostly known for beer. However, there’s plenty of dry fun to be had! Consider the entertainment: Cirque du Soleil accordionist Hubert Gall, knee-slapping Bavarian dancers, and a trio that plays alpenhorns, the 13-foot instruments you know from Ricola commercials. Or, you know, go for the lagers and get more pickled than sauerkraut. (KT) Historic Fifth Street School, 3-9 p.m., free, 702-649-8503
October 20-21
Bye, Summer
Summer’s over, and we can go outside again! Even so, head indoors for a family-friendly welcome of fall, with pumpkin decorating, autumnal science experiments, and art projects inspired by the season. (KT) Discovery Children’s Museum, discoverykidslv.org
October 20
Bottoms Up
Two hundred craft beers, 60 breweries, food from local culinary wizards, and music by Naked Elephant and Mike Xavier. What more do you need to know about the Downtown Brew Festival? (KT) Clark County Government Center, 5 p.m., $35 and up, downtownbrewfestival.com
November 2-4
Making Light of Death
Springs Preserve’s Garden is gorgeous, but it’s even more magical at night, when dotted by candlelight and festive Dia de Muertos ofrendas, or altars, paying homage to late loved ones with photos, incense, and favorite foods. Offerings for the living include theater, dance, face painting, and crafts like traditional sugar skulls. (KT) Springs Preserve, admission TBA, springspreserve.com
November 3
Geeks Unite
It’s Las Vegas Comic Book Festival time! Dust off your cosplay costume and head down to the library for this 11th annual celebration of all things comics. Artists, authors, and fans gather to celebrate the magic of the illustrated word, with panels, workshops, music, merch, and, of course lots of books. (KT) Clark County Library, 9:30 a.m., free, lvccld.org
November 3-16
Native Lesson
This month-long celebration teaches children about Nevada’s Native American heritage. They’ll watch native dance performances, learn about artifacts, and have the chance to make their own pictographs and petroglyphs — which they’ll also learn to tell apart. (KT) Discovery Children’s Museum, discoverykidslv.org
