Vegas Golden Knights fans cheer during a pep rally in Toshiba Plaza before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena Saturday, June 3, 2023.
Published Friday, June 16, 2023 | 11:33 a.m.
Updated Friday, June 16, 2023 | 4:07 p.m.
A New Year’s Eve-sized crowd is expected on the Las Vegas Strip on Saturday for a parade celebrating the Golden Knights’ championship victory.
Vegas captured the Stanley Cup on its home ice Tuesday with a 9-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 5.
The parade will start at 7 p.m., following Las Vegas Boulevard from Flamingo Road to Tropicana Avenue. A rally will be held at Toshiba Plaza starting about 9 p.m.
Metro Police will start restricting items and access to certain areas along the parade route at 3 p.m. The restrictions will be lifted at 11 p.m.
Here is some information to prepare for the event.
What items are restricted?
- Any glass container intended for beverages
- Purses larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches.
- Coolers
- Briefcases, computer bags and camera bags
- Backpacks, fanny packs and cinch bags
- Any bag larger than the permissible size of a purse
- Strollers
- Carts
- Any vehicle propelled by human, electric or mechanical means
- Drones over the tourist corridor
- Backpacks or bags of any size except for small clutches 9” x 5” x 2”
- Weapons, firearms, knives, pepper spray or mace
- Illegal drugs or substances
- Coolers, ice chests, umbrellas or folding chairs
- Flammable liquids, aerosol cans, laser pointers, flares or fireworks
- Balls, projectiles or optical illusions
- Masks or chains with the exception of covid face masks
- Drones, tripods or monopods
- Animals or pets with the exception of trained, harnessed and housebroken service animals
- Unapproved pamphlets, handouts, ads or flyers
- Clothing, garments, or signs displaying explicit language, profanity, or derogatory characterizations toward any person(s)
- Unapproved mascots/street performers
- Signs, flags, or banners exceeding 11” x 17” or attached to a pole/stick. Signs must be relevant to the event. Signs may not contain or display obscene or offensive language and/or pictures as determined by T-Mobile Arena Management.
When will road closures start?
North and Southbound lanes on Las Vegas Boulevard between Flamingo and Tropicana Avenue will start at 4:30 p.m. and will reopen once the celebration has ended.
How to get there?
To avoid traffic hassles and having to find parking, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada will be running Game Day Express buses from six locations.
A roundtrip pass cost $4 in cash at pick-up locations, with 24-hour passes on sale for $5 on the rideRTC, Transit, Lyft and Uber apps.
Buses will leave at 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Return buses will depart every 30 minutes from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Excalibur Way.
Pickup and drop-off locations are:
- Route 605 Summerlin Game Day Express: Red Rock Casino, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas
- Route 606 Green Valley Game Day Express: Green Valley Ranch Resort, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway, Henderson
- Route 607 Centennial Hills Game Day Express: Santa Fe Station, 4949 N. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas
- Route 609 East Side Game Day Express: Sam’s Town, 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas
- Route 610 North Las Vegas Game Day Express: Aliante casino, 7300 N. Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas
- Route 612 West Henderson Game Day Express: M Resort, 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Henderson
The Deuce bus on the Strip will be detoured from about 3 to 10 p.m. while the Strip is closed. Other routes, such as Route 201 (Tropicana) and Route 202 (Flamingo) could also be delayed.
For more information visit rtcsnv.com/gamedayexpress.
What areas will be restricted?
Both sides of Las Vegas Boulevard along the parade route, from Flamingo Road to Tropicana Avenue, will be closed for the parade.
Pedestrian bridges on the parade route will be closed during the celebration.
Metro Police originally said all pedestrian bridges in the path of the parade will be closed off to all pedestrians during the celebration. It did not respond to a Las Vegas Sun question about when this closure would start. A later press release does not list a closure of the bridges but states no viewing will be allowed on pedestrian bridges. The Las Vegas Sun has asked for clarification and will update this when and if it is received.
What’s the weather forecast for the event?
The National Weather Service forecast for Saturday calls for a high of 98 degrees, meteorologist Ashley Nickerson said.
“There will be pockets of hotter spaces, especially on the Strip,” Nickerson said. “It might feel about 100 degrees.”
Nickerson said no rain or high winds are expected. The biggest concern will be the heat, especially for those arriving early, she said.
“Bring water, wear sunscreen, wear light-colored, lightweight clothing,” Nickerson said. “It will be a lot of sun.”
The hottest part of the day is typically between 2 and 5 p.m. Nickerson said.
“Once the sun goes down, it should cool off quite quickly,” she said.
Where to get water?
With no coolers or backpacks allowed, it could be difficult to bring enough water to last the entire event. Most resorts have water fountains by their bathrooms where water bottles can be refilled.
Some resorts offer water bottle refilling stations, such as Caesar's Palace at the bathrooms near the Cheesecake Factory and the the Venetian at the Grand Canal Shoppes.
MGM says water will be for sale around the plaza and fans will be able to request a complimentary cup of water at food and beverage stands. Water fountains and cooling stations will also be located throughout the plaza.
Where to Park?
MGM will be using its event parking rates at Aria, Park MGM, New York-New York, Excalibur and MGM Grand. Nevada resident rates don’t apply during event parking rates, MGM’s website states.
What deals or special events will businesses be offering?
Multiple businesses on and off the Strip will be holding events in conjunction with the parade.
- Hard Rock Cafe – Skip the sidewalk and watch the parade from the Hard Rock Cafe main balcony for $100 presale or $125 the day of the event. The tickets will include a three-hour open bar starting at 7 p.m. The balcony is standing-room only.
- Tailgate Social Sports Bar & Grill – The Palace Station sports bar will give a free beer to anyone wearing Knights apparel from 3 to 7 p.m. Additional drink specials will be available. The parade will be shown on 26 televisions throughout the bar. Reservations are suggested.
- PT’s Taverns – The sports bar, with locations throughout the valley, will offer 14 hours of specials from noon to 2 a.m. on Saturday.
- Minus5 ICEBAR — A replica of the NHL championship trophy sculpted from ice will be on display Saturday at the bar's Linq Promenade location. The bar opens at 11 a.m.
