Memorial Day weekend crowds pack Las Vegas, seem smaller this year

Memorial Day weekend crowds began flowing into Las Vegas on Friday to do what they do best: have a good time.

Visitors entered Strip resorts in waves Friday afternoon with large groups jamming check-in lobbies around 3 p.m., the traditional time rooms begin opening up, followed by a lull prior to another wave of visitors making their way into town from Southern California.

By Friday night, the Strip was active with a mix of out-of-towners and locals spilling out from T-Mobile Arena to celebrate the Golden Knights’ Game 7 first-round playoff win over the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s my son’s 21st birthday, so we flew in yesterday and we’re here for four days,” said Matt Souza of Albany, Oregon. “We’re here to goof off, have some fun. He’s obviously never been here. So we probably walked 40 miles yesterday and stayed up until 3.”

Thousands of visitors are expected to be in Southern Nevada over the three-day weekend, the traditional kickoff to summer and the first big holiday since government and health leaders began lifting restrictions imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Weekend crowds have steadily increased lately in Las Vegas with more people feeling safer and more comfortable knowing millions of Americans have received vaccinations.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority had no forecast for the number of people expected to travel to Southern Nevada this weekend because past estimates have been based on data leading up to the weekend, and there aren’t many historical reference points that include emerging from a pandemic.

In past years, Memorial Day often saw more than 300,000 visitors.

AAA projected 37 million Americans would be traveling this weekend — a 60 percent increase over last year — with 34 million in cars and 3 million by airplane. AAA said Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida, are the top destinations this Memorial Day weekend.

Buzzing near T-Mobile

Near T-Mobile Arena, overflowing parking lots gave way to a packed Toshiba Plaza, as the Knights beat the Wild 6-2 to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

After the game, Park MGM was raucous, as Knights fans headed in for some postgame entertainment.

Souza and his family kept busy doing touristy things, taking a break as the sun was going down to see the Bellagio fountains.

“We’re going to go to Fremont Street tonight,” he said. “We hit the Strip all day yesterday. Who knows, we might end up back at Fremont tomorrow. We might be back here. Maybe do some zip lining. We hit the roller coaster at New York-New York. Whatever comes our way. As we’re walking, let it happen.

“If it’s scripted, it’s not a vacation, it’s a plan. If you don’t have a reservation, there’s always something else to do in Las Vegas.”

Another couple at Bellagio came for a celebration and to work.

“We’re shooting pictures at a wedding for a couple out of Seattle,” said Seattle resident Scott Williams, who was with his wife, Mistry. “We’re having a couple of nice dinners, but this is mostly a work trip for us. We’ve been to Vegas several times so we know what we’re getting into. We’re being really strategic the last two days; we’ve been planning out our spots for our bride and groom.”

Not too crowded

Williams said he was a little surprised that the Friday evening crowds they saw weren’t larger.

“In the past, we’ve been here on a Friday or Saturday night, you can’t find a piece of railing to watch the fountains,” he said. “We’ve been surprised that there haven’t been bigger crowds, but we’re grateful for that because it’s nice, but we’re not swimming in people.”

The casino at Bellagio was filling up where blackjack tables displayed $25 and $50 minimums. Bellagio personnel were still putting the finishing touches on a new display in the property’s flower-filled conservatory.

At Treasure Island, the parking garage began filling up later in the evening as visitors made their way to the casino with wagons filled with food, coolers and ice. Some of the wagons had trailers filled with baseball equipment for youth and adult softball tournaments this weekend.

At Wynn Las Vegas, Miami residents Henry Pelaez and Carolina Cortes were in town for a romantic getaway. Cortes said the couple planned their trip based on the dates of their second COVID-19 vaccinations, not realizing it coincided with Memorial Day. They already had been in Las Vegas seven days.

“A lot of the stores were closed but opened up on Tuesday,” Pelaez said. “We got here right before everything really, really opened up, but it was nice to see everything a little more relaxed.”

Cortes said some of the highlights of the trip so far were a ride on the High Roller and a dinner at Paris Las Vegas’ Eiffel Tower Restaurant.

“We got to see the whole Strip and got to go on right when the sun was setting, so the sky was beautiful. It was great,” she said.

Pelaez added: “There wasn’t a long line for almost anything. I imagine the High Roller has a massive line during peak hours at the perfect time when the sun is setting. The wait was only 15 or 20 minutes.”

Masks mostly gone

While most people on the Strip went without masks, about 10 percent still wore facial coverings. Signs at some of the resorts explained the honor system in place for wearing masks.

“While visiting our resort, you do not need to wear a face covering if you are fully vaccinated in accordance with Centers for Disease Control guidelines,” said a sign at the entrance of Wynn Las Vegas.

All of the guests interviewed said they felt safe and weren’t worried about COVID-19.

“I don’t worry about things like that,” Souza said. “I don’t worry about getting the flu, I don’t worry if you have a cold. I’d still hug you.”

Scott Williams said he’s “not nervous about COVID at all. It’s hopefully behind us for the most part.”

“Most people are vaccinated, and it’s less scary,” Pelaez said. “We showed up with our masks, but our Uber driver said, ‘Just a heads-up, some places it’s optional.’”

And everybody said they’re already looking forward to their next Vegas visit.

“I’d love to bring our friends and family with us,” Pelaez said. “This time it was just us, a little romantic getaway. But the next time, it will probably be with all our drunk friends.”

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter. Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.