Weekend happenings: Motorcycles, tattoos and the sport of kings

Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

The Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth.

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 | 2:10 p.m.

Last weekend brought the sounds and tastes of Greece to Las Vegas. This weekend you can continue your culinary travels with some Asian cuisine, as the Orleans hosts the first Asian Food Festival. Other festivals in town cater to motorcycle and tattoo enthusiasts. Meanwhile, two Strip properties are getting into the fall season with elaborate displays. Oh, and there are sports and dance performances.

Here is the breakdown of this weekend’s attractions:

Fall Displays

With weather peaking in the triple digits this week, it sure doesn’t feel like fall in Las Vegas. Luckily, tourists and locals alike can get into the spirit of the season at Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens and the Palazzo’s waterfall, atrium and garden displays. The Bellagio display includes a 20-foot-tall talking apple tree and a bed of pumpkins ranging from 300 to 1,000 pounds. Meanwhile, the Palazzo’s display includes more than 10,000 grape clusters and 1,000 pounds of cork donated from the resort’s restaurants.

Both displays are now open to the public.

/Justin M. Bowen
Las Vegas BikeFest

For 11 years, the Las Vegas BikeFest has brought together motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world for a weekend full of competitions, rides and exhibits. This year, organizers are promising even more activities and opportunities for riders of all ages. Events include a sport bike stunt show, a poker run and autograph sessions with world-renowned builders. A strongman competition, bikini contest and the annual Artistry in Iron competition recognizing innovative motorcycle design will also take place.

This year’s BikeFest events began Wednesday and run until Sunday. Times vary by day. For more information, click here or visit lasvegasbikefest.com.

Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth

Tattoos have gained a lot of acceptance in mainstream culture, so much so that last year’s Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth reportedly brought in 100,000 attendees. This year, organizers are hoping for even more. The expo features relevant seminars, on-site tattooing and plenty of information on everything from tattoo removal to the newest trends in body modification.

The Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth will be held Friday through Sunday at the Mirage. Times vary by day. Locals are granted free admission. For more information, click here or visit lasvegastattooshow.com.

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Polo Expo

Somebody yell Marco. Polo is coming to Las Vegas! The “sport of kings” is taking over the South Point Events Center this weekend. The three-day Polo American Expo will feature polo equipment, equestrian products and free seminars, but the real treat comes Saturday with the Polo America Arena Open.

Arena polo is played on a field the size of a single football field, versus outdoor polo, which is played on a field the size of 11 football fields. Players ride up to 30 mph, with plenty of quick turns, bumps and stops along the way.

The Polo Expo runs from Friday through Sunday and is free to the public. Polo America Arena Open games are on Saturday. Tickets are $15. For more information, click here.
Photo by Stephen Sylvanie/Special to the Sun
Frozen Fury XIV

The National Hockey League’s Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche face off Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena for their annual preseason matchup. The game should pump up fans for the upcoming hockey season, but, if nothing else, being around all that ice will remind spectators that cool weather is just around the corner.

The game begins at 6 p.m. Tickets range from $28 to $225. For more information, click here.
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Wine Walk

Entertainment options are not limited to sports, tattoos or vehicles that go vroom. This weekend Lake Las Vegas is holding the last of this season’s Wine Walks, in which guests visit 20 sampling stations, located throughout The Village. As with previous Wine Walks, proceeds benefit New Vista, a non-profit committed to providing intellectually challenged students equal opportunities.

The final Wine Walk of the season begins at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $30 per person, or two people for $50, at the door. For more information, click here.
Photo by April Corbin
Asian Food Festival

According to census data released earlier this summer, 8.7 percent of the Clark County population identifies itself as Asian American. That is up from 5.3 percent a decade ago. Tagalog, the native language of the Philippines, is the third-most spoken language in Clark County, behind English and Spanish, respectively.

It should be no surprise, then, that members of the local Asian/Pacific Islander community have banded together to create Las Vegas’ first Asian Food Festival to celebrate their heritage and culture. Along with food from more than 30 different vendors, live music and entertainment is scheduled throughout the two-day event.

The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Orleans. For more information, click here or visit lvasianfoodfestival.com.
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Love 2 Dance

Dancers are typically in character while on stage, but one show this weekend will allow audiences to see the personal side of several seasoned performers. “Love 2 Dance” features 18 dancers from prominent Strip

productions, including “The Lion King,” “O” and “Phantom — The Las Vegas Spectacular” performing routines inspired by their personal struggles and triumphs. Segments from prerecorded interviews will play on a big screen before the vignettes, which will span across several types of dance.

Part of the show’s proceeds will benefit the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to curing and preventing pediatric diseases. The show begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Showroom inside the South Point. Tickets are $25. For more information, click here.