Things To Do In Spring Valley

On this week’s agenda: neo-soul and R & B from singers Dwele and Bilal, First Friday Art celebrations, open-mic night, a little doo-wop for the family, and selfies with parrots and flamingos. Have fun, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Las Vegas. Dwele and Special Guest Bilal The Strip | Saturday, July 26, 7 p.m. Singer, songwriter, and producer Dwele stops at the legendary House of Blues for a night of R & B and soul along with special guest star Bilal. Come early for dinner before the show at Crossroads at House of Blues, which features a menu of contemporary soul food from celebrity chef Aarón Sánchez. (3950 Las Vegas Blvd S; $49+; buy tickets here) WordUp! Poetry & Music University | Tuesday, July 29, 7 p.m. Right across from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus, The Freakin’ Frog hosts WordUp!, an ongoing, weekly open-mic for poetry and music. Known for its craft beers and whiskey selections, the bar has hundreds of options for liquid courage before taking a turn at the mic. (4700 S. Maryland Pkwy.; free) First Friday Art Celebration Downtown | Friday, August 1, 5 p.m.–11 p.m. At the Arts District’s monthly arts fest, local artisans get a platform to share and sell their work while networking with peers and community members. Each event features live music, visual and performing arts, food from local vendors, and a themed KidZone. This month’s festival pays homage to the work of Lewis Carroll with a Wonderland-themed art walk. (107 E. Charleston Blvd.; free) Flamingo Wildlife Habitat The Strip | Daily, 8 a.m. to dusk The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat makes for an idyllic escape off the busy Strip. Along with a huge flock of Chilean flamingos, the habitat is home to koi, swans, pelicans, parrots, and other exotic fauna. Snap a selfie with a parrot or photobomb a live pelican feeding (twice daily!). (Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S; free) Forever Doo Wop The Strip | Through December Through an eight-person ensemble of lead singers, Forever Doo Wop leads audiences through the history and genres of doo-wop music through a series of vignettes and mini concerts. The family-friendly show kicked off at the Riviera Hotel and Casino on July 23 and runs through December. (2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South; $39+; buy tickets here)

On this week’s agenda: an afternoon stroll through Springs Preserve’s gardens, kid-friendly walks with dinosaurs, an Australian version of the Bee Gees, and a night with Jay Leno. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Las Vegas. Botanical Gardens Guided Walk at Springs Preserve Westside | Every Saturday and Sunday Every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., Springs Preserve’s expert staff leads guests through a guided walk of their botanical gardens—which include 110 acres of display gardens, natural gardens, and wildlife habitats. The gardens are also home to the biggest collection of Mojave Desert cacti and succulents. (333 S. Valley View Blvd.; free) Jay Leno at the Mirage The Strip | Friday, August 8, at 10 p.m. Late-night funnyman Jay Leno stops at the Mirage as part of the Aces of Comedy series, continuing a post-retirement return to his standup roots. (3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South; $59.99+; buy tickets here) Walking With Dinosaurs at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum Downtown | Week of August 4, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kids walk in the steps of dinosaurs this week at the Las Vegas Natural History Museum. They’ll get to identify different dinosaur tracks and make their own footprints as part of the activity—and see which adult shrieks first when the 35-foot-long T. rex lowers its head and roars. (900 Las Vegas Blvd. N.; free with paid admission; buy tickets here) The Australian Bee Gees at Excalibur The Strip | Sundays–Thursdays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. During 75-minute multimedia tribute shows, the Australian Bee Gees recreate the sounds, styles, and moves of rock and disco legends the Bee Gees. While they play hits like “How Deep is Your Love” and “Staying Alive,” audience members can groove along, recreating (or creating) their own disco moves. (3850 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; $44.95+; buy tickets here) Sin City Comedy and Burlesque at Planet Hollywood The Strip | Nightly at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Comedy and burlesque have been bedfellows since the days of vaudeville. These days, they come together at Planet Hollywood’s nightly show, Sin City Comedy. Founded by longtime standup comedian John Padon, Sin City Comedy features a rotating lineup of top comedians who have appeared on everything from Comedy Central to VH1 and the Late Show with David Letterman. As for the burlesque element, we can’t so much as offer a tease—but that’s the point of the show. (3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; $42+; buy tickets here)

On this week’s agenda: shows both magical and murderous, plus a ghostly walking tour, a tribute to Nirvana, and a hot-air balloon ride at sunrise. Have fun, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Las Vegas. Sunrise Hot-Air Balloon Ride with Vegas Balloon Rides Paradise | Daily Sure, you’ll have to wake yourself up before dawn. But a view of the sunrise from the basket of a colorful balloon floating 1,000 feet up is well worth it. Watch the Red Rock mountains glow pink and the lights of the Strip start to fade before returning to earth, where a champagne toast awaits. (4390 Polaris Ave.; $149+ (a $275+ value); buy tickets here) Illusions Magic Show at Starlite Theatre at the Riviera Hotel Eastside | Saturdays–Thursdays at 7 p.m. With help from five glamorous assistants, magician Jan Rouven performs jaw-dropping stunts set to the tune of current pop hits. His feats include escaping a water tank while handcuffed and russian-roulette-inspired games with audience members. (2901 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; $29+; buy tickets here) Walking Haunted History Tour with Spirit Expeditions Downtown | Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Spirit Expeditions’ two-hour walking tour hits the most haunted spots on and off the Strip. Tour guides spin their spooky yarns outside of the Cortez Hotel & Casino, 4 Queens Casino, and other hotbeds of paranormal (or at least, morbid) activity. Ghost-hunting equipment is provided for the duration of the tour. (202 Fremont St; $25 for adults, $15 for kids 12 and younger; buy tickets here) Marriage Can Be Murder Murder-Mystery Dinner Show Downtown | Nightly at 6:15 p.m. Marriage Can Be Murder is a two-hour interactive dinner show inside the showroom at The D Las Vegas. It’s also the longest-running dinner show in Vegas. The mystery starts while you’re standing in line and continues throughout the three-course meal. You might even be seated next to one of the actors (don’t stare). (301 Fremont St.; $64.85+; buy tickets here) A Tribute to the Myth and Music of Nirvana The Strip | Thursdays–Sundays at 10 p.m. through September 29 The Rock ’N Roll Compendium Show is currently paying homage to grunge pioneers and popular T-shirt inspirers Nirvana. Along with live music from cover band Smells Like NIRVANA, the evening also revisits milestones in the band’s history, including MTV Unplugged and the MTV Video Music Awards. (3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S; $19+ (a $58.75+ value); buy tickets here)