2010 Fourth of July weekend guide

By Allison Duck

Thursday, July 1, 2010 | 6:21 p.m.

Fourth of July in Las Vegas is so much more than just fireworks. Catch top DJs such as Paul Van Dyk, Cosmic Gate and Markus Schulz and concerts by Sugar Ray, OneRepublic and Backstreet Boys. Also, Brock Lesnar will take on Shane Carwin at UFC 116 at MGM to unify the heavyweight belt. If that isn't enough, four-sevenths of The Jersey Shore cast will be in town, hosting at various venues. If you want to find out where to see them and other celebrity hosts and performers, here is your definitive Fourth of July Weekend guide.

Fireworks:

Fireworks at Primm Valley Casino Resorts: Celebrate with a $40,000 fireworks display over the desert that takes place at dusk.

The Night of Fire at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: The Bullring, Las Vegas Motor Speedway's NASCAR-sanctioned three-eighths-of-a-mile asphalt oval, presents its annual Independence Day Weekend spectacular. The event features a fireworks display, $1 hot dogs, sodas and beers, and plenty of vehicles to check out like NASCAR Chargers, SMRA Supermodifieds and Thunder Roadsters.

Henderson's Fourth of July celebration: The City of Henderson puts on a star-spangled evening with a variety of family-friendly events, live entertainment and a fireworks show Sunday at Basic High School's football field. Fireworks will begin at 9 p.m.

Station Casino's 4th of July Blast: Aliante Station, Green Valley Ranch, Fiesta Rancho and Texas Station and Red Rock Resort will celebrate Independence Day with a nine-minute fireworks show in celebration of the nation's 234th birthday. The fireworks show will be produced by Fireworks by the Gruccis of New York.

Fireworks at Las Vegas Hilton: The Las Vegas Hilton will celebrate on the 4th with a fireworks show beginning at 9:20 p.m.

Caesars Palace fireworks display: Caesars Palace will have a fireworks display beginning at 9 p.m. The best view will be from the hotel's Roman Plaza.

Fourth of July at The Village at Lake Las Vegas: The Village at Lake Las Vegas will host an Independence Day celebration including face painting, a balloon artist, coloring contest and much more. Volunteers from local charity-based program Action Sports United will assist with the activities. Guests also can enjoy stand-up paddle-boarding lessons and rentals from Paddle to the Core, a raffle and giveaways. Live entertainment will include a DJ and a performance by the Stinson Brothers. The first 3,000 guests will receive a complimentary miniature U.S. flag. Auld Dubliner, Sonrisa and Sunset & Vines will host barbecues throughout the evening. Fireworks will begin at 9 p.m.

Las Vegas 51s vs. Reno Aces at Cashman Field: The Las Vegas 51s will take on the Reno Aces, Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, at Cashman Field. There will be fireworks displays after the games on July 2 and July 3 in honor of Independence Day.

Thursday July 1:

Red, White and Booze at Rockhouse: As part of Budweiser SELECT's 55 Days of Summer, Rockhouse will kick off Fourth of July with the ultimate "Road Trip Weekend," Friday through Monday. However they get to Rockhouse, Road Trip revelers can enjoy complimentary cover, two-for-one beers and well drinks, and non-stop beer-pong competitions all weekend long. On the nation's birthday, Rockhouse will celebrate with "Red, White and Booze." The Independence Day bash will feature a delicious tailgate menu including mini corn dogs, chimichangas, hamburgers, chicken fingers and fries.

Rose's Pawn Shop at The Bunkhouse: LA folk and bluegrass band Rose's Pawn Shop will be performing live along with Quint and the Cowpunk Calamity at The Bunkhouse downtown. Check out Quint & The Cowpunk Calamity in Las Vegas Weekly's Local Band Guide.

sSaint Vitus at Wasted Space: LA-based "doom metal" band Saint Vitus has been making music together on and off for the past four decades. The pioneers of their genre will be performing live along with Stone Axe at Wasted Space.

Fourth of July celebration at McFadden's at the Rio: The three-day bash begins with a keg party on July 1. Revelers can tap the keg and take part in beer drinking with $2 keg stands and beer bongs all night long, along with a beer pong tournament starting at 10 p.m.

Vinyl DJ scratch battle at Revolution: Mr. Freeze presents round five of the hip-hop battle at The Beatles Revolution Lounge.

Cash'd Out at the Crown Theater at the Rio: The San Diego rockabilly group is touted as "the next best thing to Johnny Cash." Come hear for yourself at the Rio as the tribute band performs all your favorite Cash covers.

Pillow Fight Night at Tao: Worship Thursdays at Tao presents the city's largest pillow fight. Pillows will drop at 1 a.m., and be sure to wear sexy PJs to partake in the one hour open bar.

Soundbar at Ghostbar: Soundbar will feature Ron Trent from Chicago plus Soundbar residents Carlos Sanchez, Keith Evan, B. Minogue.

LA Riots at Godskitchen at Vanity: Along with LA electro group LA Riots, an open bar will be available from 10:30-11:30 p.m.

Tequila and Turntables at Liquid Pool at Aria: Features $2 Coronas, $5 Patron shots and $20 Corona buckets.

Friday July 2:

The 2010 World Series of Barbecue at the Golden Nugget: The 2010 World Series of Barbecue and Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament will be held at the Golden Nugget. Join Suzie and and poker pro Howard Lederer for a night of poker, barbecue, karaoke, and fireworks to support the Las Vegas Boys and Girls Club.

Flight to Athena at Goldmine Tavern: The San Diego-based pop-rock band will perform at this Henderson watering hole.

July First Friday: Join local artists and musicians in downtown Las Vegas, where galleries will be open in the evening for you to peruse local masterpieces and mingle with the artists. This month, Art Renegades presents LVSK8 IV — The Skate Deck Art Show in association with PLACE Gallery and Executive Producer Michael Todoran, where local artists will be painting skateboards.

Acoustic Soul at McFadden's: The Fourth of July weekend at McFadden's caries on with Acoustic Soul, an all-request band, playing from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m.

First Friday Afterparty at The Bunkhouse: Macro-Fi will host a First Friday Afterparty at The Bunkhouse featuring performances by The Core, Bee Movie the Band, Chimo25, Dubbler and Lipstick Killaz. Check out Chimo25 and Chimo25in Las Vegas Weekly's Local Band Guide.

Joe Rogan at the House of Blues: House of Comedy presents Rogan and special guest Sam Tripoli. Catch Rogan perform stand-up before his regular color-commentary gig at UFC 116 the following evening at the MGM Grand.

David Alan Grier at Mandalay Bay: Grier, or DAGs as his buddy Adam Carolla likes to call him is best known for his performances on In Living Color, Life with Bonnie and Thank God You're Here.

Backstreet Boys at Mandalay Beach: Hear hits like "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)," "As Long As You Love Me," Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and "All I Have To Give."

John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band at Red Rock: The Rhode Island rockers will perform live at the Red Rock Pool.

Bill Cosby at Treasure Island: The star of the The Cosby Show and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids gets back to his stand-up-comedy roots, performing at the Treasure Island Theatre.

Jenna Haze hosts at Crown Nighclub: Adult film star Haze hosts at this Rio hotspot. Guests can enjoy the sounds of DJ Mika Gold and DJ Crime.

Kenny Chesney at The Joint at the Hard Rock: Be sure to catch the country star who who can sell out stadiums but will be playing a more-intimate venue here in Las Vegas.

VJ Silence at Krave: Catch all your favorite pop music videos, and enjoy $2 Long Island Ice Teas until 1 a.m. by texting "KRAVE" to 313131 before you show up.

Z-Trip's Revolution at Rain: The legendary turntabilist presents his Friday night residency at Rain nightclub with his "party for the people."

Captains of Industry at Palms Pool: The CoI, aka Graham Funke and StoneRokk, will be having a release party for The Mixedtape at The Palms Pool & Bungalows.

Pittsburgh Slim at The Bank at Bellagio: The Pittsburgh (duh!) rapper is responsible for hits such as "Girls Kiss Girls" and "My B!+ch is Crazy."

Naughty by Nature at Wet Republic: Bring a new, unused toy for Toys for Tots for complimentary admission to the performance by Naughty by Nature.

Steve Aoki at Surrender: The new Surrender Nightclub's musical director and creator of the dance hit "I'm In the House," will take over the turntables for "Aoki's House."

Jersey Shore's Ronnie hosts at Jet: Just Ronnie. No, his show "Sweetheart," Sammi, won't be co-hosting.

Flavor Flav at the Hard Rock Café on the Strip: Catch Flav's Throwback Hall of Fame with DJs Quick and Yo-Yo.

Silver Star pre-UFC party at Studio 54: The pre-fight party will be hosted by Silver Star Clothing Company's Luke and Charis Burrett and their special guests, including Frank Trigg, Diego Sanchez, Wanderlei Silva, Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard and Bruce Buffer.

Saturday July 3:

OneRepublic at Mandalay Beach: After gaining massive popularity via MySpace, OneRepublic made its mainstream breakthrough in 2007 with the hit single "Apologize."

Wonder Girls at the House of Blues: Known for hits such as "Tell Me," "So Hot," and "Nobody," South Korean girl group Wonder Girls will perform with special guest Asian artist 2AM.

2 Live Crew's Mr. Mixx at Crown Nightclub: Mr. Mixx brings his scratching skills to Crown Nightclub for a special performance. DJ Crime also will be spinning live.

The Ditch Diggers at Goldmine Tavern: Enjoy $3 Stoli Bloody Marys and $5 Pitchers every Saturday and Sunday.

Beringer Great Steak Challenge at The Las Vegas Hilton: Gourmet chefs will go head to head with backyard grillers to see who can make the tastiest steak at the Las Vegas Regional Grill-Off.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at The Hard Rock Café: Fresh off of Bonnaroo and a tour of the Southwest, the indie band will be bringing some relaxed California grooves to The Strip.

Red, White & Tunes at Springs Preserve: It isn't Independence Day without the "1812 Overture" and patriotic favorites. The Springs Preserve amphitheater will present a rousing concert with the UNLV Community Band, plus a light show and views of the Vegas skyline. Food and beverages will be available at amphitheater concessions and the Springs Café by Wolfgang Puck.

DJ Irene at Krave: Irene and a special guest performer will take the decks on Independence Eve. Guests can get two free drinks before midnight by texting "KRAVE" to 313131. Stick around for afterhours with DJ PA.

Rendezvous: Night in Rio at Daydream Pool at the M Resort: Features a complimentary hosted bar for ladies from 10 p.m. until midnight.

Public Enemy at Jet: Catch the legendary group performing in a more intimate nightclub setting.

Big Boi at LAX at Luxor: Antwan "Big Boi" Patton, better known as one half of Georgia-based hip-hop group OutKast, will be performing live.

Shane Carwin after-fight party at Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay: Win or lose against Lesnar, Carwin will be partying.

Paul Van Dyk at Tao and Tao Beach: The Berlin-based DJ and producer will be spinning the best in techno, trance and electronica. Catch him Sunday poolside at the Tao Beach Beatport Beach Party.

Redfoo and Sky Blu at Tao Beach: Redfoo and Sky Blu of LMFAO will doing a DJ set poolside at Tao Beach where fans will be sure to down many "Shots" in their honor.

Kelly Rowland at Pure at Caesars: The former Destiny's Child member will be performing her own original tunes. Look forward to hits like "Commander" and "When Love Takes Over."

Bart B More at Liquid Pool at Aria: The Netherlands house DJ stops over during his United States tour. The ladies of Malibu Strings will host the event.

JWoww's Filthy Couture fashion event at Ghostbar: Jersey Shore's JWoww presents her new clothing line, followed by an afterparty at Moon.

Wanderlei Silva's birthday party at Studio 54: The UFC fighter will host his birthday party and the official UFC post-fight party at Studio 54, complete with a performance by Naughty by Nature.

Busta Rhymes at Eve: The Brooklyn-born rapper of Jamaican descent first broke onto the scene with "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" and has been cranking out the hits since.

Boulder City Damboree Celebration: The theme for the 62nd Annual celebration is "A Blast from the Past." Festivities will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday with a patriotic concert at Community College of Southern Nevada, Boulder City Campus. Saturday starts bright and early with a Rotary Pancake Breakfast at Bicentennial Park followed by a parade down 5th Street. Festivities continue at Broadbent Memorial Park throughout the day and conclude with another concert at CCSN. Sunday will feature activities at Veterans' Memorial Park from 6-11 p.m., including a fireworks display at 9 p.m.

Doyle Brunson's World Series of Poker Party at Blush: He may be pushing 77, but pro poker player Doyle Brunson knows how to party. Join him to kick off the WSOP main event. Ladies can enjoy an open champagne bar from 11 p.m. until midnight.

Red, White and Pauly at Palms Pool & Bungalos: Celebrate the birthday of Jersey Shore's DJ Pauly D. Don't forget to take advantage of the GTL (gym, tan, laundry) special package featuring a trip to Pauly D's namesake tanning bed at Sunset Tan at Palms Place.

Perfecto at Rain: Catch Perfecto resident DJ Paul Oakenfold, sets by John Askew and Blake Jarrell and a poolside session with Zen Freeman.

Patriotic bikini contest at McFadden's: Enjoy $2 PBR and Keystone cans. Ladies are invited to make their own red, white and blue bikinis and compete in McFadden's bar-top bikini contest. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

Sugar Ray at The Silverton: The So-Cal rockers made a name for themselves in the late '90s with hits like "Fly" and continued the string of smashes with "Every Morning," "Someday," and "When It's Over."

Dan Hardy autograph signing at Terrible's: XYIENCE, the makers of Xenergy, the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is offering fight fans a chance to meet Hardy, a British UFC welterweight. He will sign autographs for fans at the Terrible Herbst location at 6176 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

Summerlin Annual Patriotic Parade: Join the Summerlin community for the yearly parade, which begins at Hillpointe Road and Hills Center Drive and will travels south toward the Village Center Circle before heading west on Trailwood Drive.

Little River Band at the Fremont Street Experience: As part of the "Summer of the '70s" celebration, Little River Band will perform live. Don't miss the virtual fireworks all weekend on the Viva Vision canopy, either.

Ante Up for Africa at The Rio: Ante Up for Africa, the celebrity charity poker tournament sponsored by the WSOP, will bring together television and movie stars, professional athletes and pro poker players. Annie Duke and Don Cheadle will host the event.

Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers at The Cannery: From small Texas bars to the top of the country-music charts, Larry, Steven and Rudy Gatlin have been performing country music together for nearly 50 years.

The Scintas at the Suncoast Showroom: The Las Vegas favorites return to the Suncoast Showroom for a limited engagement. Enjoy the music, comedy and impersonations of this foursome.

Kendra Wilkinson at Moorea Beach Club at Mandalay Bay Beach: The Girls Next Door and Kendra star will host a holiday-weekend party.

CoCo Lee at Encore Theater: The Chinese pop star will perform Saturday and Sunday during her international tour after having topped the Chinese and American charts with songs like "Do You Want My Love."

Sunday, July 4:

Mystic Roots at Mandalay Beach: Enjoy this reggae band and a fireworks display under the stars.

Roller Boogie Industry Night at Crown Nightclub at Rio Enjoy a throwback '80s roller skating party with DJ Hollywood, DJ Frankie and special guests.

Mike Epps at the Joint: Be sure to catch the actor and Def Comedy Jam veteran.

The Adicts at Wasted Space at the Hard Rock: The English punk stalwarts The Adicts continue their international tour.

"Red, White and You" pool party at The Stratosphere: Come for the pool party; stay for the BBQ.

Comedian J. Reid's LMAO special: Celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and jokes as Las Vegas' own J. Reid, the winner of Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes? competition will be performing in his own comedy special, LMAO, airing at 9:30 p.m. Sunday on TV One.

Holly Madison at Wet Republic: The Playboy beauty and Peepshow star will be hosting, and DJs Echo and Nathan Scott will be spinning.

Pig roast at Dos Caminos at The Palazzo: Available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the lounge, the buffet will feature specialty menu items such as Mexican chopped salad, chipotle-barbecued ribs, Mexican red rice and a pig-carving station.

Fourth of July at Cabo Wabo Cantina: Cabo Wabo Cantina will celebrate America's Birthday with live rock 'n' roll karaoke and $1 American brews. Revelers can enjoy a selection of domestic drafts for just $1 from 3-8 p.m. and live rock music by local classic-rock cover band 3 Digit IQ at 9 p.m.

Fourth of July at The Village at Lake Las Vegas: Celebrate with face painting, a balloon artist, a coloring contest and much more. Volunteers from local charity-based program Action Sports United will assist with the activities. Guest can also enjoy stand-up paddle-boarding lessons and rentals from Paddle to the Core, a raffle and giveaways. Live entertainment will include a DJ and a performance by the Stinson Brothers. The first 3,000 guests will receive a complimentary miniature U.S. flag. Auld Dubliner, Sonrisa and Sunset & Vines will host barbecues throughout the evening. Fireworks will begin at 9 p.m.

Boulder City Damboree Celebration: The theme for the 62nd Annual celebration is "A Blast from the Past." Festivities will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday with a patriotic concert at Community College of Southern Nevada, Boulder City Campus. Saturday starts bright and early with a Rotary Pancake Breakfast at Bicentennial Park followed by a parade down 5th Street. Festivities continue at Broadbent Memorial Park throughout the day and conclude with another concert at CCSN. Sunday will feature activities at Veterans' Memorial Park from 6-11 p.m., including a fireworks display at 9 p.m.

The Situation hosts at Rehab at Hard Rock: Catch Jersey Shore's Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino (and his abs).

Red, White & VooDoo at VooDoo Lounge at the Rio: Playboy model Jesse Preston hosts the event, which features a patriotic performance by the Fire-N-Ice dancers.

Krave pool party at Mandalay Bay South Lagoon Pool: Enjoy the cool water and tunes from DJ Paul Goodyear.

Foam Party at Krave: Less is more at Krave Nightclub because it's just going to get covered in foam. Guests are encouraged to wear bathing suits or underwear to the foam party featuring music from DJ PA. There will be a coat check for clothing. If you text "KRAVE" to 313131, you can get $5 drinks all night.

Kim Zolciak hosts at Revolution: One of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Zolciak better not be "Tardy for the Party" because she's hosting Closet Sundays at Revolution Lounge.

The Funtastics at Las Vegas Country Saloon: The Funtastics will be performing live, featuring a Cash vs. King battle between tributes to both Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

Nelly at Jet: It's sure to get "Hot in Herre" at the Mirage hot spot.

All American Skam Jam at The Bank: The event features DJs Crooked, OB One, Cheapshot, Gusto and Fashen.

Fourth of July party at Vanity at Hard Rock: Ladies dressed in red, white and blue will get free champagne.

IndepenDANCE Day at the Palms Pool & Bungalows: Features a free performance by Cosmic Gate, Markus Schulz, Jordan Stevens and Scotty Boy.

Monday July 5:

All American Girl Industry Independence Day at Bare Pool: Features a nightlife pageant with a Bare Pool backyard BBQ with free burgers and beers for locals.

All American Girl Pageant at Jet: The AAG fun continues with the part two of the pageant, the afterparty from the festivities at Bare Pool.

Industry Mondays at Encore Beach Club: Ladies can get free admission before 3 p.m.

X Level Mondays at Tabu: Features music by DJs Ania & J Nice. Ladies can enjoy complimentary featured cocktails from 10-11 p.m.