Weekend best bets: Chinese New Year celebrations, Splendor in the Glass and Imagine Dragons

Corlene Byrd

Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds performs Wednesday night at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013 | 6 p.m.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and you can get in the spirit a little early at the Valentine's Day dance at the Charleston Heights Arts Center. If sports is more interesting to you, options include USA Sevens Rugby and UNLV men's basketball vs. New Mexico. Here are our best entertainment bets for the weekend:

Leila Navidi

Friday-Sunday: "Warhol Out West" at Bellagio

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art presents "Warhol Out West." The exhibit, organized in partnership with the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, will focus on Warhol’s depiction of all things Western. “Warhol Out West” will showcase 59 of the iconic artist’s works including paintings, sculptures, photographs, screen prints and wallpaper. Exhibits will include Warhol’s 1960s Pop paintings of celebrities and consumer products, the 1980s advertisement series, the beloved “Double Elvis” painting and his rarely seen “Cowboys and Indians” series. Admission is $11-$16 and free for those 12 and under. The gallery is open from 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. daily.
Sam Morris

Saturday: UNLV vs. New Mexico at the Thomas & Mack

The Rebels men’s basketball team will take on the New Mexico Lobos at the Thomas & Mack. Come cheer on the Rebels as they try to avenge the tough loss earlier in the season in Albuquerque. Tickets are $25-$35 and the game starts at 6 p.m.
Leila Navidi

Saturday: Splendor in the Glass at LVH

Southern Nevada Public Television will host its 24th Annual Splendor in the Glass Wine & Beer Tasting event at the LVH - Las Vegas Hotel. Nathan Tannenbaum will serve as Master of Ceremonies for this event, which benefits programming and community outreach initiatives for Vegas PBS.

Hubert Keller, renowned celebrity chef and star of “Hubert Keller: Secrets of a Chef,” a nationally-distributed program for public television, will make a guest appearance and demonstrate one of his signature recipes. Keller is the owner of Burger Bar at Mandalay Place and Fleur restaurant at Mandalay Bay.

Guests can enjoy 60 wines and beers courtesy of Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada, The event also features hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, a live wine auction, silent auction and the musical sounds of the Las Vegas Academy Jazz Band. Tickets are $75-$90 and the event begins at 3 p.m.
Saturday: Imagine Dragons at the Joint

Local favorites Imagine Dragons return home for a headlining gig at the Joint at the Hard Rock along with L.A. scene staple Nico Vega and Atlas Genius. Read more about Nico Vega in the Las Vegas Weekly's Q&A with lead singer Aja Volkman. Tickets are $21-$27 and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Leila Navidi

Friday-Sunday: Chinese New Year celebration at Fremont Street Experience

Celebrate the year of the water snake as Fremont Street Experience, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Golden Catalyst present the second annual Chinese New Year in the Desert festival in Downtown Las Vegas from Feb. 8 – 10.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman will kick-off the three-day festival during the opening ceremonies on Friday at 6 p.m. at the Third Street Stage with a live authentic dragon dance by the Las Vegas Lohan School of Shaolin.

Throughout the three-day festival, guests can enjoy Asian entertainers on the Third Street Stage and visit the International Vendor Village, located on Third Street between Fremont Street and Stewart Avenue, to taste the international flavors from renown food vendors. This is open on Friday from 5-10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon-9 p.m.

To commemorate the Lunar Lantern Festival, which officially ends the Chinese New Year celebrations, primary grade students of Clark County School District will be constructing paper lanterns marked with their wish for 2013. The lanterns will then be on display throughout Fremont Street Experience during the Chinese New Year in the Desert festival. Additionally, guests and passersby are invited to stop in at a booth located near the Third Street Stage to build their own lantern to display on Fremont Street Experience.

Throughout the three-day event, several women will compete in the Miss Asian American Pacific Islander USA Pageant. Contestants will participate in the Macy's Fashion Show, a talent show emceed by Ian Ziering from Beverly Hills 90210, and interview segment for the chance to be crowned Miss AAPI USA. Events run nightly Friday-Sunday at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, local businesses and organizations will come together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year during the McDonald’s Las Vegas Spring Festival Parade. Parade participants will showcase their talent and creativity with the most extravagant floats in vibrant colors to commemorate the rich history of the most important holiday of the Asian community. Starting at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Gass Avenue and Fourth Street, the McDonald’s Las Vegas Spring Festival Parade will travel up Fourth Street through the Fremont Street Experience and end at the intersection of Fourth Street and Ogden Avenue.
Steve Marcus

Thursday-Sunday: USA Sevens Rugby Tournament at Sam Boyd Stadium

Opening ceremonies for the USA Sevens International Rugby Tournament will be held Thursday, the evening before the tournament actually starts, at the Fremont Street Experience. This event is free.

The tournament is held at Sam Boyd Stadium and runs Friday through Sunday. The tentative list of teams scheduled to compete includes: Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Kenya, New Zealand, Portugal, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, United States and Wales. Ticket prices for individual games and tournament packages range from $10-$330. Tournament play begins at 4 p.m. Friday, 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday.
Friday-Sunday: Dam Short Film Festival

The Dam Short Film Festival returns to the Historic Boulder Theatre in Boulder City for another year bringing with it programs like the Found Footage Festival, horror films by women and best of the fest. Showings start at 10:45 a.m. Friday, 10:15 a.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday. The cost is $7 per screening or passes are $30-$60 at the Boulder Theatre.
Leila Navidi

Saturday: Valentine's Day Dance at Charleston Heights Arts Center

Dance the evening away with big band music at the Valentine’s Day dance with Boyd Coulter & the Good Times Band at Charleston Heights Arts Center. Step back in time with the tunes made famous by the bands of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and the dance starts at 7 p.m. Call 702-229-6383 for more information.