City plans to party to show itself off

Kris Hill

Friday, April 13, 2001 | 10:52 a.m.

North Las Vegas in June will play host to an event organizers say will not only showcase the city but could draw as many as 20,000 people.

The International Taste of North Las Vegas, organized by the North Las Vegas Community Steering Committee, is scheduled as a daylong event and will feature food, entertainment, an art exhibit, a youth carnival, pit stop demonstrations and a NASCAR display.

About 50 food vendors will sell food representing a variety of cultures, including Thai, Chinese, Hawaiian and Mexican.

Local musicians will perform on the main stage, which will be built on the front steps of City Hall. Big-name acts will appear in the evening, Laura Coleman, co-chairwoman of the steering committee, said.

She wouldn't reveal names of artists who have been booked, but the music will range from blues to jazz to Latin, she said.

In addition, performances by an American Indian dance group and other cultural presentations will occur on the children's area stage.

An arts exhibit will focus on the works of Southern Nevada artists.

Coleman said she hopes the event will draw people from throughout the Las Vegas Valley.

"It's important to the community for everyone to come out and meet their neighbors," she said.

She said she thinks the event is well-timed, because it would help people get out of their houses after the recent spate of gang violence.

"We need a big party. We need a breather," Coleman said.

Organizers also want to show that residents of the city are proud to live in North Las Vegas, Coleman said.

Planning for the festival began in September, when the steering committee hosted a community meeting to determine what residents wanted the group to do to improve North Las Vegas and its image.

Support for the event in the business community has been overwhelming, Coleman said.

"Nobody said no" to their requests for help, she said. More than $300,000 was raised to produce the festival.

More than half of the proceeds from the event will go toward University Medical Center's Children's Miracle Network efforts in Southern Nevada, Christine Johnston, chairwoman of the steering committee, said.

The remainder of the money raised will benefit community service and educational programs, such as the Boys and Girls Club in North Las Vegas.

Station Casinos, the city of North Las Vegas and the Community College of Southern Nevada have teamed up with the steering committee to plan, organize and produce the festival, which they plan to make an annual event.

The festival is also being sponsored by Lake Mead Hospital and Medical Center.

There will be no admission charge to the International Taste of North Las Vegas. Food vendors will be offering their items, which will range from $1 to $3.

Mayor Mike Montandon will play host to a press conference Wednesday to officially announce the details of the festival.