Back in 1905, a bunch of guys stood around in the scrub brush in the Nevada desert. One of them said, "Man, I sure could go for an all-you-can-eat buffet, a slot machine, a Celine Dion concert and a nice massage."

Maybe that's not the way it actually happened, but next year will mark the official 100th anniversary of Las Vegas. Specifically, it was in 1905 when the Salt Lake Railroad Company auctioned off a bunch of parcels of land more or less under what is now Fremont Street, thereby setting the groundwork for those modern-day attractions.

The city will celebrate in its own unique, over-the-top way. This is a good opportunity to highlight what's in store for the Centennial Celebration in 2005.

New Year's Eve Kickoff

The official start of the celebrations will come New Year's Eve, with a bigger, louder and more extreme version of the annual fireworks extravaganza.

Nearly 400,000 people are expected to jam the Strip to watch the display of lasers, music, an air show and, of course, lots of colorful explosions launched from the roofs of hotels up and down the Strip.

If you plan to attend, the best place to watch is nowhere near the Strip. In years past, the smoke from the fireworks has obscured a lot of the show for the masses directly underneath. You'll get a better view from the hotels, parking structures or even hills further away. Of course, that puts you away from the actual party with 400,000 of your closest friends, which a lot of people find more entertaining than the fireworks.

Rose Parade

As you're nursing that New Year's Day hangover, be sure to tune into the Tournament of Roses Parade to catch Mickey Mouse as the Grand Marshall.

Oh, and Vegas is going to have a float, too.

The float is being submitted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to celebrate the city's birthday. The last time Las Vegas was represented in the Rose Parade was in 1954, when Gen. William F. Dean was the Grand Marshall.

Centennial Records

EMI Music Marketing is creating and launching an official commemorative record label.

Las Vegas Centennial Records will present a new series of CDs culling top performances from the city's fabled nightspots, including the CD debut of classic concert albums such as Frank Sinatra: Live From The Golden Nugget, Dean Martin: Live From The Sands, and Bobby Darin: Live At The Flamingo.

It will also release High Rollers!, an all-star collection of classic Vegas showstoppers by the artists who made them famous, including previously unavailable tracks from Peggy Lee, Nelson Riddle and Sammy Davis Jr. Also on the release list is a compilation of live Vegas performances from the likes of Judy Garland and Louis Prima, many of which have never been officially released.

You can look for the recordings in a CD store near you starting in April of 2005.

Helldorado Days

OK, this takes a bit of explaining. From roughly 1934 through 1997, Las Vegas had this thing called Helldorado Days. It didn't involve fire and brimstone, but instead focused on the Western heritage of the town -- cowboys, rodeos, and a big parade.

The city is resurrecting the event in 2005 with a re-creation of old Las Vegas in the Main Street Station parking lot from May 10 through 15. You'll find a fully operating post office, a livery stable, a general store and much more in the Western village, along with daily entertainment and food vendors. They will even be contests, including something called the "Whiskerino Contest," encouraging men to let their moustaches and beards grow. Start now.

Other Fun Stuff

On the actual anniversary of the land auction, May 15, the city will host a big party on Fremont Street, including what is claimed to be the world's largest birthday cake, weighing in at 130,000 pounds. I want an end piece with lots of frosting.

Sometime around May, PBS will air what it hopes will be the definitive documentary on Las Vegas history. I mention this primarily because I'm very proud to have contributed some historical memorabilia from the Vegas4Visitors.com Museum that may get used in the documentary and accompanying book. I'll give you more details on this when the network sets an air date.

Also starting in early 2005, the city and Southwest airlines will sponsor a contest to find 100 couples to get married in a mass ceremony under the canopy on Fremont Street in June.

On the Fourth of July there's going to be another huge fireworks show and a big concert with big-name performers with names so big organizers can't even tell us who they are yet.

You can find out more about the Centennial Celebration on the official website at LasVegas2005.org.

The Full Story

Many Of Vegas' Top 10 Attractions Aren't On Strip
Vegas Q&A: Why Don't Older Hotels Clean Up Acts?
Vegas Prepares To Celebrate 100th Birthday

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

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