Downtown rumors abound as Y2K nears

Erin Neff

Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 | 11:17 a.m.

As if the Y2K rumors of failing air traffic control systems and 911 dispatch communications aren't enough, now the millennial gossip has descended on the New Year's Eve parties.

The increase in the cost of a ticket -- from $10 to $100 -- to the Fremont Street Experience party downtown has hiked the frenzy among conspiracy theorists and blue collar workers who consider the admission fee excessive.

During last week's Las Vegas City Council meeting, government gadfly Tom McGowan alleged that only hotel guests would be able to purchase the $100 tickets for the party.

Actually, the Fremont Street hotels have been given 3,000 tickets to sell for $90 and another unspecified amount for use in their own promotions, according to Mark Paris, president of the Fremont Street Experience.

"How they use those, we don't know," Paris said. "But that goes along with their paying for the Fremont Street Experience and the support they give."

But anyone can walk into a hotel now and buy a ticket for the $10 discount, he said. What's more, purchase of a discounted ticket comes with a commemorative T-shirt, Paris said.

"Those 3,000 tickets were set aside for anyone," Paris said. "Locals can come down and buy them and people from outside of Las Vegas are also entitled to them."

Once those 3,000 tickets are gone, people will have to pay the full $100. Ticketmaster has been given 10,000 tickets to pre-sell. Other tickets will be available on Dec. 31 at the gates.

The admission price does not include beverages or food. Creedence Clearwater Revisited, REO Speedwagon, Starship and the Guess Who will perform and guests will get plastic party favors.

"There must be some unannounced band to pay that amount," said Marleine Davidson, a tourist from St. Louis staying downtown this week. "I wouldn't pay that much for those bands."

Another rumor has surfaced about the crowd size. Although not as worrisome as whether your ATM will be able to spit out money when the calendar flips to 2000, it has also raised eyebrows.

Davidson said she believed the organizers would limit crowd sizes to make an "unannounced" performer's act more exclusive.

Actually, the Las Vegas Fire Department has limited the crowd size to 33,000 to 35,000 people. Anyone who purchased an advanced ticket will be allowed in, but sales of tickets at the gate will be stopped once the crowd reaches 35,000.

"We've had crowds larger than that on special events," Paris said.

For example, more than 60,000 people attended a Cinco de Mayo festival at the Fremont Street Experience.

But due to gates that will enclose the pedestrian mall on New Year's Eve, there is less room to move.

The crowd size limitations, increased cost and a recent ordinance banning sales of alcohol in glass or metal containers are all designed to make the party safer.

Or as Mayor Oscar Goodman put it recently: "Cut down on the riffraff."