Las Vegas Weekly

January 17, 2009 · 6 AM

Photo Galleries: It’s a day of pancakes, a water fountain debut and gondolas for Miss America contestants

By Robin Leach

Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

It was a nonstop full day of activities for the Miss America contestants now that they are calling the Strip home for 10 days. Their jam-packed day of festive personal appearances began with a pancake breakfast at IHOP in their Planet Hollywood headquarters to mark the partnership between the Children’s Miracle Network and the Miss America Organization.

Early afternoon, 10 of the contestants officially switched on the new multimillion-dollar waterfall special-effects eruption show in Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops near the V Theater. The waterfall includes lighted water effects and eruptions five stories high, color-changing fog, bursts of light and dramatic, original soundtracks broadcast via a state-of-the-art surround sound system, with the first show choreographed to the official Miss America theme song.

The night ended with a special performance of The Living Garden at the waterfall atrium in the Palazzo and a gondola ride along the Grand Canal of the adjoining Venetian hosted by lovely former Miss New Jersey Lynn Weidner, now wife of the resort’s chairman, Bill Weidner. The contestants enjoyed tea and desserts during the show.

Our contributing photographers kept pace with the glamour girls so you could enjoy these photo galleries. Tom Donoghue photographed the young ladies at IHOP, and Erik Kabik captured the premiere of the waterfall show and the contestants enjoying the gondola rides. Click through the Palazzo-Venetian gallery for photos of a surprise guest -- actor Joaquin Phoenix, nearly unrecognizable in sunglasses and a beard!

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