Lots going on this week...a yacht launch at Bellagio, the RISE festival turns 10, Dolly Parton cancels her residency, and 3 restaurants close....and did we mention $5 live blackjack?
In this edition:
Bellagio Launches Yacht on Its Fountains!
🏮Rise Festival Turns 10 This Weekend w/ Star Power
$5 Blackjack Unicorn Spotted on the Strip
Dolly Cancels Vegas Run Citing Health Issues
Lionel Richie and Sebastian Maniscalco Team Up
😱Tunnel of Terror Car Wash Haunts Vegas
Morimoto at MGM Shuts Down for Makeover
Carlos ’n Charlie’s Closing After 13 Years
🍔Beloved Burger Joint Bites the Dust
Things to do
Bellagio Launches Yacht on Its Fountains
Because why just watch the Bellagio fountains when you could cruise right through them? Starting Oct. 3, a luxury Riva mini yacht will set sail on the resort’s famous lake, giving guests the splashiest new way to dine and flex in Vegas.
The 33-foot Italian powerboat is one of only 18 ever made.
It’s part of the rollout for CARBONE Riviera, the new restaurant replacing Picasso.
Guests will ride the yacht across “Lago di Como” with fountain views included.
The world’s biggest sky lantern festival is leveling up for its anniversary, adding headliner performances by John Mayer, Calvin Harris, and Rüfüs Du Sol alongside its glowing skies.
Runs Friday through Sunday at Jean Dry Lake Bed, gates open 2:30 pm
Beyond lanterns, expect massive art installations like wind sculptures and light-up monoliths
Ticket packages start at $239, so maybe make a wish for your bank account too
Sky lantern release still the festival’s jaw-dropping centerpiece
Turns out you don’t need to drive off-Strip to chase that mythical $5 blackjack game. Excalibur has been quietly dealing it by hand all summer, making it the only Strip casino with a true live-dealer low-limit table.
Excalibur advertises $5 blackjack “Dealt by hand” on billboards and the casino floor.
The game pays 6:5 for blackjack and dealers hit on soft 17.
Excalibur also has $3 digital versions of craps, roulette, and blackjack.
Circus Circus sometimes spreads $5 live-dealer blackjack, but $10 and $15 minimums dominate the Strip.
Off-Strip spots like Silverton, Ellis Island, and Palms also deal $5 blackjack depending on demand.
Dolly Parton’s holiday takeover at Caesars Palace just got postponed, with the country queen citing illness and doctor-ordered downtime before her six-show run this December.
All six Colosseum shows, originally Dec. 4–13, were instant sellouts
Dolly revealed she’s recovering from a kidney stone complication and infections
She joked it was just her “100,000-mile check-up” (and no, not the plastic surgeon kind)
Tickets remain valid for future dates, though fans may be waiting up to a year
Two Encore Theater headliners are sharing the mic this week, but don’t expect a duet. Lionel Richie and Sebastian Maniscalco are teaming up for a live chat about Richie’s new memoir, “Truly.”
Event is titled “Truly: An Evening of Lionel Richie with Friends”
Richie promises a no-holds-barred look at his life, from shy kid to Grammy and Oscar wins
Maniscalco plays moderator before returning to his own shows that weekend
Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s Strip hotspot is taking a breather, closing this week for a full-on design and menu refresh before reopening in late November.
Morimoto has been serving high-end Japanese eats at MGM Grand since 2016
The closure is temporary, billed as an “exciting refresh” instead of a farewell
Expect new dishes and a sleeker vibe when the doors reopen
Fans of sushi and sake will just have to be patient a few weeks
Carlos ’n Charlie’s at the Flamingo is calling it quits Nov. 18, leaving nearly 80 employees without jobs and Strip visitors without their oversized nachos and flair bartenders.
The restaurant opened in 2012 and was a party-heavy staple for Mexican food on the Strip
A landlord-driven lease change forced the closure, according to a WARN Act filing
Breakfast to late-night eats included chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and quesabirria
Bar Code Burgers, a longtime East Flamingo favorite and one of Vegas’ Top 100 restaurants, has closed after nearly a decade of serving up monstrous patties and sports-bar vibes.
The family-owned spot was known for towering, napkin-destroying burgers like “The King,” topped with peanut butter, honey, and caramelized bananas
Flaming Elote Fries with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were a fan favorite, glowing neon-orange like a Vegas sign
Owner Cody Tomboli called the decision to close “incredibly difficult,” though he hinted future projects aren’t off the table
Bar Code also scored points as a go-to hangout for catching the game with a beer in hand
🥺Farewell Hangover Burger!
WEEKEND
Your Upcoming Weekend Highlights
🍽️ Food & Drink
Joël Robuchon’s 20th Anniversary Dinner at | Oct 3-5 | Tickets $525
Dry-Aged Pop-Up Dinners at The Strat | Oct 3-4 | Tickets $360
Spellbinding Spirits: A Halloween Mixology Experience at Horseshoe | Oct 4 | Tickets $100
🎵 Music (Concerts)
Reggae Rise Up at DTLV Events Center | Oct 3-5 | Tickets $108
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