Strip Tips: Happy hour, ice cream and bingo

July is National Ice Cream Month, just in time for Vegas' triple-digit temperatures. Here are a couple of ways to beat the heat on the Strip.

Happy hour

Lavo at The Palazzo offers the Beer, Bubbles & Balls happy hour from 4:30 to 7 p.m. daily. The specials include small plates of meatballs, rice balls, fried crab balls, brownie balls and more. Are you sensing a "ball" theme? Each plate costs $7; the bubbles and beer - Prosecco and Peroni beer - also cost $7. Happy hour is available in the lounge and on Lavo's terrace. For more information, call 791-1800 or go to www.lavolv.com.

Free scoops

To celebrate National Ice Cream Month, Trevi at Forum Shops in Caesars Palace will give away a scoop of gelato or sorbetto every day throughout July. For your chance to win, "like" Trevi's Facebook page and post a comment. You can also tweet @TreviLV. Two daily winners will be selected from these comments. You don't have to write anything detailed or literary; a short "s'up?" or "I like cold stuff" will do.

Pride bingo

Circus Circus will be the site of some unique bingo Wednesday. Pride Family Bingo kicks off its monthly event to raise money for the Las Vegas Pride Festival, which is scheduled for September at the Clark County Amphitheater. Pride bingo will be hosted by female impersonators Diana Prince and Norma Lee Aman. There will be drink specials and raffle prizes. Every month will feature a different theme; July's theme is the circus. Bingo packets (11 games) cost $10 at the door. Raffle tickets cost $5 for 10 tickets.

Question

Charles from Indiana wants to know: Was Vegas Vic ever paired with the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign? Charles has been visiting here since the 1970s and is almost certain he saw a neon sign featuring the famous downtown cowboy and the iconic "Welcome" symbol.

Danielle Kelly, executive director of the Neon Museum, knows neon signs. She has never heard of such a sign, Charles. According to Kelly, Vegas Vic was developed in 1946 or 1947 by an ad agency to promote Las Vegas as a destination. At some point, the Pioneer Club asked for permission to use Vegas Vic and his likeness, and Yesco built the neon sign. There has never been a connection between Vegas Vic and the "Welcome" sign, which was designed by Betty Willis of Western Neon and built in 1959.

Contact reporter Sonya Padgett at spadgett@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4564. Follow @StripSonya on Twitter.