These are my top 10 free things to do in Vegas, and as my style (and as a local here)  these things have NOTHING to do with The Strip. 

This is part 1 (aka numbers 1 through 5).  I had to break this down into 2 parts cause it is long.  I feel the need to describe how awesome these free things to do are. 

Some of these things you need a car to get to.  Some are within walking distance of Fremont Street (aka: Downtown, aka where the overhead light show is).  Some of them I’ve mentioned before on my last Vegas post and may seem familiar.

If you want to know the Top 10 things to do ON THE STRIP, there are PLENTY of guides and lists for those already.  I’m going to tell you the non-strip, cooler, not promoted, non-casino ones!

1. FREMONT STREET PEOPLE WATCHING

Never mind the giant overhead LED screen lightshow, the cheap drinks, the old casinos, and touristy souvenirs…people watching in Fremont is AWESOME.  Fremont basically has all the crazy, weird shit with half the tourists.  There are artists, musicians and contortionists that line the walkway and perform for free.  We also have an abundance of people in costumes walking around that you can get photos with usually for ‘tips’ (think in front of the Chinese Theater in LA).  And the people that walk around are awesome to watch. 

Every age, race, and level of sobriety walk around here…and the mash-up makes for some interesting people watching.  Sit in one place long enough (usually a few minutes) and you are bound to be approached by some slightly, or not so slightly, inebriated person which can make for hours of fun trying to hold conversations with them while you are just making shit up to encourage their insanity.

People watching on Fremont is one of the most fun things to do.  Plus you can get great photos, the rooms are super cheap especially during the weekdays (usually around $30 with taxes and fees), so you can stay here too, and Fremont is within walking distance from many other great free things to do in Vegas.

Throughout Fremont there are also stages where bands (local, cover, non-local, etc.) people play music, perform acts, and you can dance your little heart out.  At the far west end of Fremont is a DJ stage where DJ’s play hip-hop and beats that you can really jam out to.  There are 2 brothers (8 and 14 I think) that are commonly seen on weekends and are some of the baddest break-dancers I’ve ever seen (see photo…they are amazing).  you can also see them sometimes at the VEGAS STREATS festival (see #4)

2. Burlesque Hall of Fame and Burlesque Shows

Vegas is home to much great Burlesque, many legends (older performers) still live in Vegas.  The Burlesque Hall of Fame is a great place to see photos of some of Vegas’s burlesque and to learn about the Burlesque culture.  You can also ask about upcoming Burlesque shows in Vegas (sometimes they are within walking distance form Fremont, sometimes you will need to hop a bus or take a car.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is run by volunteers who are quite knowledgeable and who also perform and work Burlesque shows all over town.  If you want to find out more, click the link to the Burlesque Hall of Fame to find out hours and information.

The Burlesque Hall of Fame is located inside Emergency Arts Café on the corner of Fremont and 6th street (in the East Fremont District, a block away from Fremont Street).

To learn more about Burlesque in Vegas check out ChaCha Velour’s,  Miss Karla Joy’s , or Goldie DeBlommer’s  pages. (In the photos above – top to bottom)  These lovely ladies are just a couple of the forerunners in Las Vegas’s burlesque scene.

3. FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK

This is a GIANT art event that happens in Vegas every…you guessed it…First Friday of the month.  Artists, vendors, musicians, and food trucks from all over Vegas (YES THERE IS ART IN VEGAS) take over the Art District and it becomes a giant party and all the art galleries open up and you can walk around in them and ITS ALL FREE!!! 

Yes, if you want food, drink, or artwork you will have to buy it, but you can also bring in your own drinks and stuff so no worries.  basically Main St closes down for 3 blocks and you just walk around.  There are ALWAYS crazy people in costumes, people holding ‘FREE HUGS’ signs (some cute teenagers, some creepy old men), other people promoting their art or events (like the Anonymity Ball was one)  and its almost 100% locals that go here.  You will see infants and toddlers to 80 year old couples walking around on First Friday, all enjoying themselves. 

This is a great event that has unfortunately been having funding problems in this economy, and is drastically downsizing lately.  Go to FIRST FRIDAY or 18 BLOCKS (what our art district is called) to learn more, or donate to help keep this amazing event going.

4. VEGAS STREATS

OK, this event, VegasStrEATs is across the street from the EL CORTEZ casino and behind the EMERGENCY ARTS building, in the EL CORTEZ plaza.  About 5 or 6 gourmet food trucks line the pavement (we have an abundance of delicious and cheap gourmet food trucks in Vegas…(see my other GUIDE TO VEGAS post to read more about the food trucks).

Artists and vendors and a couple sponsors  take over the walkway, and at the west end of the plaza (the plaza is only half a block long) there is a stage where all night there are musicians, bands, and DJs playing an array of musical styles.  And people come out and dance the night away, eat delicious food, and get to see artists creating pieces live.  

This event is usually the second Saturday of the month.  This month they are having it on the second Friday, but you can click on the links to see when its happening, who is playing, what food will be cooking, etc.  This is an awesome event!

5. RED ROCK CANYON

Red Rock Canyon is one of the MANY amazing outdoor places to get into nature around Vegas.  best part…its only a 15 min or so drive from the strip.  Located at the far west side of Charleston Street, past where the street lights end, the world opens up suddenly and you are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by beautiful rock formations, mountains, and tons of cacti (I still get wicked excited every time I see a cactus). 

There are 2 ways into Red Rock.

There is the official paid way, which is only like $7 per car and is a beautiful drive, there are official rock climbing trails, and is just wonderful. 

If you want to go for free and do it local’s style though, take the street on the right, right before the paid entrance (for non-locals, just drive till you see the paid entrance, then turn around and take the very first street – now on your left- that you come to).  This street is Calico Basin.  Drive down it, maybe a mile, past the gorgeous homes and horses, and you will see a parking lot on your left.  Its free to park there and this is the back way into Red Rock.  You should remember though, that you start to lose light on this side of Red Rock around 4pm because it goes behind the mountains.

You can walk the boardwalk and be in the grasses and trees (there is a natural spring here that feeds the ground and allows grass and trees to grow in a very small section), or you can walk up any of the paths…or make your own.. to the rocks a few hundred yards away and just start climbing around like a mountain goat.  You will often see small classes of people learning how to rock climb too.  You can take these classes through places like REI, but be warned…they are not cheap.  I prefer to go ‘bouldering’ (Las Vegas’s official term for pretending to be a mountain goat). 

Red Rock is huge, and in this back way, you can avoid the large crowds gathered at each designated parking spot.  There are always people here but never huge obnoxious groups, and there is always a way to be alone and take in the nature in peace if you want (and usually, if you do run into someone, they just nod, say hi, and keep going, respecting your desire to take in the breathtaking scenery.  If you do climb up towards the top, you get AMAZING overlooking views of Las Vegas city.

And this is all only 15 min or so away form the Strip. 

Ok, so I have just read ANOTHER guide to Vegas that pretty much doesn’t get off The Strip, besides one sentence about the Pinball museum, and another about the light show on Fremont Street, but THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO DO IN VEGAS!

I am writing a guide to the rest of Vegas, cause I am pissed off that everyone just knows about the casinos and the strip clubs.  F%^K THE STRIP! Locals do not go to The Strip unless they are getting paid.  So why should backpackers. The Strip is great for first timers, for a couple hours…but over 2 million people live in Vegas; and no, WE DON’T ALL LIVE IN THE CASINOS!!!!  Stop asking me which casino I live in every time I fly home!

Ok, here is things to do in Vegas that are not on the strip:

SPRING MOUNTAIN/CHINA TOWN/ASIA TOWN

Spring Mountain; which is just west of the strip on the other side of I-15, is our China Town.  But really, its every Asian country you can thin of here.  Want some REAL Asian food.  Pick ANY restaurant and you wont be disappointed. The first main plaza you come to is the pagoda plaza.  There is the 99Ranch Market – which I shop at because it has the freshest, cheapest fish and meat I’ve ever had (and I’ve lived near the ocean on the East Coast my whole life).  Surprisingly, for the desert, Vegas has the freshest fish I have ever had (the fact that it gets flown in everyday helps).  And every year we have a giant Chinese New Year celebration with entertainment, food, souvenirs, and flying people here on

Spring Mountain!

Seriously, this guy did almost a full 360 like this. When did the Chinese learn to fly, and why wont they share the knowledge?

EAST FREMONT

So yes, Fremont has the LED light show. Locals will actually go to Fremont.  It has all the crazy, weird people but with half the tourists, and drinks are cheap.  But to really see something cool (after the light show, cause honestly, everyone should see the light show at least once, head East to EAST FREMONT (there’s a sign telling you you are there.).  East Fremont; well the safe part of East Fremont, not the methhead, hooker graveyard part which is much further East, is only a block long.  BUT IT’S A BLOCK THAT PACKS A PUNCH!

Beauty Bar on East Fremont district in Las Vegas, at night

There is Beauty Bar, The Griffin, the Hookah Lounge, Emergency Arts (an art gallery/café/Burlesque Hall of Fame), and Insert Coins.  Insert Coins is the newest addition to this lot of amazingness.  It’s a bar slash arcade!  Yes, old school arcade games and pinball machines.  Get drunk, play Tetris.  Cant get too much more awesome!

The Griffin signpost in Eat Fremont in Las Vegas

BURLSEQUE

Vegas is home to many Legends of Burlesque and Burlesque shows! ChaCha Velour and MissKarla Joy run a burlesque class here in Vegas(if you go to http://www.chachavelour.com/instruct.php I’m in the photo of the Jan-March 2011 class).  Renea’ La Roux is one of my personal favorites to see.  There are so many burlesque shows and performers in Vegas its hard to name them all.  Look them up on Facebook.  But BOOMER’S BAR on Sirius (on west side of I-15, in a dark back alley of a road) hosts many burlesque shows.

The BURLESQUE HALL OF FAME is located inside of Emergency Arts at the corner of East Fremont and 6th St. Check online to find hours.

VEGAS STREATS FESTIVAL

The second Saturday of each month (SO TONIGHT!) is the Vegas Streats Festival in the El Cortez Plaza (directly behind Emergency Arts – across the street from the El Cortez Casino).  It’s a festival showcasing Vegas’s DELICIOUS gourmet food trucks, with music, artists, and beer… and sometimes surprises for those who stay there till 2am.  The festival runs from 8pm-2am, and IS AWESOME!

Vegas is FULL of amazing gourmet food trucks and very often they have impromptu food truck ralleys in parking lots all over Las Vegas.  if you sign up on Facebook or Twitter to follow them, they give daily updates to where and when they will be around town, and you can always ask them too.  Some of our food trucks

HanShikTaco  – located pretty much daily in Lee’s Discount Liquor parking lot on West Lake Mead Blvd (NW Vegas).  Korean and tacos.  There is NOTHING but awesomeness in my mouth here!

Tacos from Hanshiktaco food truck in Las Vegas

My favourite two Food Trucks (dont mind the dust in the photo)

SnOwOno – shaved ice, really does feel exactly like sticking your face in a pile of deliciously flavored fluffy snow.  The girls home make the flavored syrups; so unlike most ice things that are so sickly sweet you need to pound water after – SnOwOnO is REFRESHING!  And they have something like 50 flavors you can mix and match.  All delicious – but try the Tiger’s Blood…MMMMMM!

Ok, so those are my 2 favorite…but here is a list of more of Vegas’s (in?)famous gourmet food trucks:

Tasty Buns (oh they are too!), Sliding Thru, LBS Patty Wagon, Fukuburger, Haulin’ Balls, Fat Daddy Icecream, Muncheeze, Grouchy Johns, Food Slingers, Island Breeze, H&H BBQ, BBQBOYLV, Curbside Café, The Cheese Steak Truck, Sloppi Joes….and so many more I cant think of right now.

RED ROCK CANYON

looking down over red Rock Canyon and the Las Vegas desert

Red Rock Canyon is located west, way west, of the strip.  It has some of the best places to go bouldering (aka. jumping around the rocks like a mountain goat), and rock climbing. Take Charleston st past where the street lights end and you’ll come to Red Rock.  you can also take the street right before the actually entrance to Red Rock (Calico Basin), and get into Red Rock on the backside, and the Calico Basin entrance is FREE.  Its just a really cool place to climb, hike, picnic, see the whole valley, and basically have fun

VALLEY OF FIRE

Located about 20 min north of Vegas up I-15 is Valley of Fire.  You come into nowhere, then take the street at when you see the casino (you cant miss it; it’s the only casino in the middle of the desert there).  It’s a State Park, so it costs $6 (I think…it was less than $10 per car) to go…but there are some great rock formations, and you can climb everywhere.  Its definitely  a fun day to go out here.  just bring water.

Actually, you should bring lots; AND DRINK LOTS of water anywhere you go in Vegas.  It’s a desert. Especially in the summer, you can get severely dehydrated without knowing it.  Sweat evaporates instantly, so many people don’t realize how much water they’ve lost.

Anyway, back to Valley of Fire.  Im just going to show you its awesomeness in photos.:

entering Valley of Fire; just outside of Las Vegas, NV

Lizard camoflauging intot the desert floor and hidding under branches in Valley of Fire

Landscape in valley of Fire state park from atop rocks

White fuzzy plant growing out of the rocks in Valley of Fire, Nevada, USA

Landscape of Valley of Fire and Lake Mead in Nevada

looking down the rockface in Valley of Fire, NV

red rock landscape in Valley of Fire

SPRINGS PRESERVE

This park is located on Valley View and is a nature preserve showcasing Vegas’s abundance of wildlife.  They also host the RUN AWAY WITH CIRQUE DU SOLEIL event every year; which I had the opportunity to go to this past spring.  A mini run, Cirque Characters running around, activities for kids, and raffle prizes for the runners.  I’ve never actually been there besides that, but I can say, hanging out with Cirque people; in full costume, was wicked fun!

Costumed Cirque du Soleil character at Spring preserves, Las Vegas, NV charity event

Cirque character being silly for my camera

Ka girl plays with bubbles at the Springs Preserve in las Vegas

The cirque characters waited near the finish, cheering, supporting, and feeding racers

FIRST FRIDAY

This is one of Vegas’s biggest, monthly events, and no one but locals seem to go.  It’s the monthly art event held in Vegas’s Art District (YES VEGAS HAS AN ART DISTRICT!); which is about a mile south of Fremont St  (have you noticed that most of the cool stuff is located around Fremont Street yet?) Each month, on the first Friday of the month (hence the name), part of the art district, south of Charleston St, gets closed down to traffic and there is basically a giant party of music, local artists, food, and so on.  The galleries open up, and craftsman and artists line the streets.  If you are into art, and want to see just how big the local art community is here in Vegas, go to First Friday! (ps: we call our entire art district 18blocks.) FIRST FRIDAY WEBSITE

So these are just A FEW of the things Vegas has to offer, besides casinos, expensive tourist shi-ite, and strip clubs (yes, we do have a lot of those too; but seriously, they are not any better than any other town in America)

Cheers!

Also, the casinos on Fremont have cheaper rooms.  And weekday prices all over Vegas are significantly less than weekend.  You can easily stay for $30 a night in many casinos on weeknights; especially in Fremont District.