Bachelorette Parties and Posing Tourists: A Look at Las Vegas, Reopened – VICE

On Tuesday, at 12:01 a.m., Clark County, Nevada lifted almost all COVID-related restrictions. This moment marked an end to capacity limits, social distancing rules, and mandatory masks for fully vaccinated people (and people willing to lie about being vaccinated, presumably) in Las Vegas.

Its been a rough year-and-a-bit for Vegas, both on the Strip and off. Two of the major industries that the area relies on economicallytourism and conventionswere completely decimated by the pandemic. In April of last year, when the hotels and casinos were forced to temporarily close, the unemployment rate hit 34 percent. Though thats since improved, it remains one of the worst in the U.S.

Walking around the Strip and Fremont Street Tuesday night, things definitely felt different than the last time I visited, at the height of the pandemic. Almost nobody was wearing a mask, the sidewalks were crowded, and huge, tightly packed groups of people were dancing and drinking together.

But it didnt exactly feel normal. The crowds were lighter than when Ive visited in pre-pandemic Junes (when I walked past the Dennys that you can get married in around 8 p.m., there were less than ten customers inside), and some things were either still in a temporary COVID closure, or shuttered for good.

Here are some things I saw walking around Vegas during its first day and night post-restrictions.

A shirt in a gift shop on Fremont Street

A line outside M&Ms World

A bride to be and a newlywed couple on Fremont Street

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign on the Strip. There were approximately 50 people in line to take photos in front of it when I visited

A bachelorette party on the Strip

The canal at the Venetian Hotel; People watching the volcano show at the Mirage

Little Darlings strip club

The conservatory at the Bellagio

The check-in line at Caesars Palace

The Criss Angel Theater at the Planet Hollywood Hotel

Dicks Last Resort restaurant at the Excalibur Hotel

A line for cocktails at the Venetian hotel

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Bachelorette Parties and Posing Tourists: A Look at Las Vegas, Reopened - VICE