What’s the story behind Vegas Vickie?
As the story goes, the iconic 40-foot Vegas Vic neon sign on Fremont Street was getting lonely, so it was only natural that he have a partner.
Michael Green, UNLV professor and chair of the history department said Vickie, a 25-foot neon kicking cowgirl was erected in 1980 for obvious reasons. Vegas Vic was first erected in 1951 outside of The Pioneer Club and Vickie was partially created to offer Vic a lady friend.
“Well poor Vic was getting lonely,” said Green. “And (she) was put above an establishment that was called Girls of Glitter Gultch, and there was a casino nearby named Sassy Sally so they sometimes called her Sassy Sally.”
It wasn’t until 1994 that Vickie “married” Vegas Vic, Fremont Street’s famous “Howdy Partner” cowboy who smokes, waves and at one point talked to tourists passing by.
According to Yesco, a Salt Lake City sign restoration company that restored Vickie in 2020, she was originally designed by sign designer Charles Barnard and then in 2016 Circa Resort & Casino owner Derek Stevens bought the sign and moved her inside their establishment.
Jeff Young, the executive vice president for Yesco said giving Vickie a touch up was a special project for them.
“The restoration work Yesco did with Vegas Vickie in 2020 was about more than just restoring her neon glow, it was about preserving an iconic piece of Las Vegas history,” he said. “Four years later, it’s still rewarding to see how she’s become a beloved fixture at Circa, continuing to connect generations of visitors with the essence of vintage Vegas.”
There is now a Vegas Vickie’s Cocktail Lounge in Circa where she resides and since she’s no longer located close to Vegas Vic, Green said he’s not sure if they’re still hitched.
“I don’t know if they are divorced or it’s a trial separation or a commuter relationship,” he said with a laugh. “So they’re both still around but certainly different now than their original intent.”
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at pblennerhassett@reviewjournal.com.