Basketball tourney, St. Patrick’s Day team up for big Las Vegas weekend

Thursday, March 16, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

St.Patrick's Day

Activities planned this week for St. Patrick's Day include:

You don't need to be hit over the head with a shillelagh or blown over by a hurricane to know it's going to be a busy weekend in Las Vegas with both St. Patrick's Day and the start of the NCAA college basketball tournament on tap.

Certainly no one wants to be whacked with the traditional Irish big stick while enjoying the many activities this St. Patrick's Day weekend has to offer. And UNLV basketball fans are hoping the Rebels can weather a hurricane -- the Golden Hurricane of Tulsa -- and advance to the second round of March Madness.

But while hotel officials are saying they are booked for the weekend, and those associated with St. Paddy's Day and college hoop activities say crowds are expected to be bigger than normal, airport and convention officials say they expect a typically busy March weekend.

"Normally, we get 93,000 people in and out per day, and that is about what we are expecting this week," McCarran International Airport spokeswoman Debbie Millett said. "However, there may be a few more players and leprechauns than usual."

"March is always a strong month in Las Vegas, because people come here for the good weather," Kevin Bagger, a research analyst for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority, said.

LVCVA officials will not know whether this weekend was any busier than normal for the 120,000 local hotel/motel rooms until the resorts provide the agency with the hard numbers and they are tabulated in 40 to 45 days, Bagger said.

Still, those in charge of St. Pat's festivities, including Saturday's parade that begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Convention Center on Paradise Road, and local sports books know they will have their hands full.

"We have people coming in from Boston, Rhode Island, Chicago and Kansas City -- all over -- this week," said Ted Farrell, president of the Sons of Erin. "A lot of them also are basketball fans who are very interested in March Madness.

"Years ago, St. Patrick's Day was a one-day or a weekend event. Now for many it's a four- or five-day event. We spend five or six months preparing for it."

This year's parade will travel north on Paradise and end at the Sahara Hotel, the headquarters for St. Patrick's Day activities. It is a switch from the downtown area, which has long been the hub of the Irish celebration.

Among the 100 to 120 parade entrants will be the U.S. Marine Corps Band from California, which is making its second appearance in two years.

Irish-themed bars like Moose McGillycuddy's are expecting heavy business. McGillycuddy's figures to be especially busy since it is across the street from UNLV and normally attracts a good crowd when big sporting events are on TV.

"Events like St. Patrick's Day generally are just excuses to party," said Jon Jayne, bar manager of the Maryland Parkway watering hole. "We'll have people come in here to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, saying 'Wow, there's a game on TV too!' "

Jayne said he expects the crowd to be 50-50 Irish revelers and basketball fans. That could change, however, if UNLV does not survive its first-round game against Tulsa.

"Usually the basketball crowd we get is a little older than students when UNLV is not one of the participants in the game," Jayne said.

John Avello, director of the sports and race book for the Paris and Bally's hotels, says that sports book action aside, the converging of the two big attractions is good for the entire local tourism industry.

"I don't remember the two events being on the same weekend in the past -- I seem to remember the tournament usually starting around the 12th or the 13th," he said. "This is big for everything from the restaurants to the health spas to the casinos."

Avello said he does not expect Nevada sports books, which are forbidden by state law from taking any bets on games involving UNLV, will be hurt too much even if the Rebels survive deep into the tournament.

"It's only the one game and the wagers on who will win it all that are affected -- and that's no big deal," Avello said. "Let the Rebels go all the way. That will be just fine with us."

Some of the special promotions include an NCAA tournament contest entry for $50 and half-time betting lines on all games, Avello said.

"This is the big weekend for the tournament because we'll have 32 games (over four days)," Avello said. "After that, it slows down until the Final Four weekend."

For St. Pat's revelers, Avello said, green beer will be served in the sports book starting Friday.

Ed Koch is a reporter for the Sun. He can be reached at (702) 259-4090 or by e-mail at koch@lasvegassun.com