Entertainment

💘 V-Day extreme | Free crime | Film fest | Punk comic DJ | Subversive luv | Black history | Weed + D&D

Andrew Kiraly

12 Feb 2025 — 7 min read

Korea opportunity: Dream Asia Food Fest Feb. 14-16 at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center serves up a pan-Asian flavor explosion with 90+ vendors (including 30 NYC street food stars making their West Coast debut), plus K-pop beats, lion dances, even lovey bites for the Valentine's crowd.

WHAT'S LOVE GOT to do with it? This week, everything! From beer-powered speed dating to classy couples soirées to late-night leather vixen parties, let us count the ways to raise that heart rate. Flying solo this season? From film fests to Black history celebrations, you're sure to partner up with some enlightened fun. Cheers! – Andrew Kiraly 🤍

Dam Short Film Festival

See what the flick is happening at this six-day short film jam.

Feb. 12-17 ✦ Boulder City

➤ Also: Step Across the Tracks Feb. 13 and learn about the Historic Westside at Aliante Library ✦ Chill with creators at the East Fremont Winter Festival of Arts Feb. 15 at Container Park ✦ Keep film weird by celebrating David Lynch Feb. 15-23 at The Beverly Theater ✦ Frantic family comedy takes wing in Chicken & Biscuits Feb. 14-15 at West Las Vegas Library ✦ Night time is the rhyme time during Poetry After Dark Feb. 16 at The Composers Room ✦ Comedy, music, and mayhem make a splash at The Bucket Show Feb. 17 at Majestic Repertory Theatre.▼

Mob Museum Free Day

Round up the gang for a free crime day with bonus exhibits.

Feb. 14 ✦ The Mob Museum

➤ Also: Maggiano's serves murder mystery with a side of wedding drama in 'Til Death Do Us Part-y Feb. 13 ✦ Downtown Summerlin gets retro-groovy with their first outdoor roller rink Feb. 14 ✦ Red Rock Audubon leads early birds on a Springs Preserve birdwatching tour Feb. 14 ✦ Grammy winner Nicole Zuraitis brings vocal jazz magic Feb. 15 to Vic's ✦ 80's Things Feb. 15 throws it back with neon-soaked Valentine's vibes at The Composers Room ✦ Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble bring Mardi Gras heat Feb. 15 to Water Street Plaza.▼

Black History Month Festival

Celebrate Black heritage with music, dance, food, and crafts.

Feb. 15 ✦ Springs Preserve

➤ Also: Molodi brings body percussion to the extreme Feb. 12 at Windmill Library ✦ Libros & Chisme book club spills Latin American literary tea Feb. 13 at The Writer's Block ✦ Wiz Khalifa drops unreleased tracks at this intimate smoke session Feb. 14 at Dazed ✦ AfroSocaLove fest brings global vibes Feb. 15 to SDJ Plaza ✦ Vegas high schoolers swing with the pros at Essentially Ellington Feb. 15 at UNLV ✦ Grace City Opera honors Marian Anderson's legacy Feb. 16 at Windmill Library ✦ Michelle Marshall channels Tina Turner's vocal thunder Feb. 16 at Notoriety.▼

Chris Estrada

The comic, DJ, and This Fool star hosts two days of punk fun.

Feb. 14-15 ✦ The Punk Rock Museum

➤ Also: Dazed & Dragons Feb. 12 turns your D&D session into a cannabis quest ✦ TikTok jokester Che Durena brings viral rants to life Feb. 13 at Wiseguys Town Square ✦ Big Elvis spreads a hunka Valentine's love Feb. 14 at The Composers Room ✦ Fever Record Hop turns three with rockabilly royalty Feb. 14 at Sand Dollar ✦ Pinche Loco Pro serves up Heartbreaks and Headlocks Feb. 14 at The Nerd ✦ Beautiful Anarchy Feb. 14 mixes tassle-twirlin' with Texas Prison Rodeo at Jackpot Bar & Grill ✦ Sweet indie folk strummer Clovers Daughter sprouts a new single Feb. 15 at SPCKRFT ✦ Tune into 10 years of TV Party Feb. 15 at Double Down Saloon ✦ Italy's surf ambassador Surfer Joe rides the wave Feb. 15-16 at Fat Cat and Red Dwarf.▼

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THE CH33SE 🧀

🍫 The Dish List

Cabs and cocoa are a sweet pairing at Chocolates & Caymus Feb. 13 at DB Wine & Spirits ✦ Eve of Enchantment casts a four-course spell Feb. 14-15 at Ada's ✦ Pop bottles around the world at Delilah's Bubbles & Bites Feb. 14 ✦ Egg yourself on when Renaissance pairs caviar with Golden Eagle vodka Feb. 14 ✦ The Silver Stamp proves Lambic is for Lovers Feb. 14 with draft pours and dessert bites ✦ The flavors and fun at Asian Night Market Feb. 15-16 are over the moon at M Resort ✦ Toothsome street eats pop up at Love Bites Feb. 15 at Park on Fremont ✦ Four somms share their wine crushes Feb. 15 at Crush Pad ✦ Wine plays matchmaker with cheese and chocolate Feb. 16 at Crush Pad ✦ La Mona Rosa's Mezcal Motel checks you into agave heaven Feb. 16.▼

😻 Valternatives

Sure, you can bust out on V-Day with the usual storm of flowers and chocolates and Hallmark profusions, or you can twist it up at these alt-love events: Get yr (heart) throb on at Liquid Red's leathery, lacy, and lusty Naughty & Nice Valentine's Day Ball Feb. 14 at The Usual Place ✦ Livin' in a lonely world? Take a midnight train to this Journey/Frampton tribute double-header Feb. 14 at Vamp'd ✦ Take a chance on a different kind of screen time at Playing the Odds Feb. 14 at Voodoo Brewing Company, a speed date/comedy show/TV taping mashup ✦ The FU Valentine's Day Party Feb. 14 at The Nerd flips Cupid the bird with anti-love karaoke and drink specials ✦ Spackle on the Got2B hair glue for a night of chemical romance at The Emo Cabaret Feb. 14-15 at Notoriety ✦ Pinche Loco Pro's Not-So-Secret Show Feb. 15 brings tough love to The Nerd with Heartbreaks & Headlocks wrestling ✦ Witch, please! The Lupercalia Party Feb. 15 at Jackpot Bar & Grill conjures up a sultry spell of love and mischief for partying pagans ✦ Rock out with yr tassels out at the glitter-dusted, guitar-powered, vaguely Val-themed Rock & Roll Burlesque Show Feb. 15 at The Composers Room ✦ Dress to impress at the marriage-minded 2nd Annual Lovers Soirée Feb. 15 at Rainbow Gardens for a night of cocktails, cabaret, and Cupid-approved couple vibes.

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✊🏾 Swipe Left

If you've never read The Unbearable Lightness of Being, uh, maybe now's a good time. The title of Milan Kundera's 1984 novel is often confusingly and misleadingly invoked when people want to conjure up, I dunno, some impressive, mysterious pixie cloud of existential import or something I guess? Sure, there's some of that in it. But the novel is actually like 80 percent about how crushingly shitty everyday life is under an authoritarian power, how even all the "light" stuff – travel, romance, sex, art, ordinary pleasures – can become an unbearably soul-draining hassle in the shadow of autocratic regimes. See where I'm going here? This is a tiresome and laborious way of heaving my English degree into rare use to link love with resistance and tell you about Speed Activism Feb. 15 at Recycled Propaganda. It's speed dating, but instead of a would-be smash partner, you'll audition several activist organizations to help you smash odious kleptocrats. Truly a match made in unsustainable oligarchical late capitalism!

👟 Fresh Finds

Skye Canyon Fit Fest March 8 breaks a sweat with yoga, 5Ks, and plenty of post-run tacos ✦ The First Lady of BMF Feb. 25 at The Mob Museum explores the rise and fall of the Black Mafia Family ✦ Storybook rhymes come to life at the Dr. Seuss Celebration March 1 at Whitney Mesa Recreation Area ✦ Sidle up to Herbs & Rye's Barmania March 23 and take a shot against childhood cancer ✦ Female friendships flower against the odds in Steel Magnolias March 7 at Las Vegas Little Theatre.

☕ The Junk Drawer

I'm totally buzzing on this fascinating story about the UC Davis Coffee Center ✦ To all my FB frenz theatrically spamming resistance copium in the feed: You Can't Post Your Way Out of Fascism ✦ I will admit to my brainmeat feeling a little dazed, atrophied and unprepared after sinking into AI promptland for a spell ✦ No idea of whether the revolution will be streamed on YouTube, but there's plenty to munch on in The Snacks & Cereals of 2024 ✦ Buying Girl Scout cookies this year? Get 'em from a trans or nonbinary scout.