Las Vegas Weekly

March 13, 2009 · 8:21 AM

Photo Gallery: St. Patrick’s Day and summertime come early in Las Vegas

By Robin Leach

Waitresses watch the pool action at Bare in The Mirage.

Photo: TVT

It was 64 degrees with a light breeze yesterday, but that didn’t deter the bronzed, bikini beauties at Bare in The Mirage from throwing off their tops on the first day of summer pool party season. Many of the ladies were anxious to show off new nipple rings and body tattoos!

Yesterday, Bare, which is operated by The Light Group, said, “Winter is over!” -- and it became the first pool to open for the 2009 season. Even Mirage executives took off their suit jackets and ties to join the party crowd. The Light Group also owns Jet, the Bank, Diablo’s Cantina, Yellowtail, Caramel, Fix and Stack.

Handsome hunks and bountiful babes -- most of them tattooed -- stripped down and lazed in the waters as if we were in a 100-degree heat wave! Nobody expected the turnout to be as large as it was, but after being cooped up all winter long, everybody was ready for summer fun -- even if it meant some revelers were in sweaters!

Today, Wet Republic at MGM officially opens for another summer of nonstop parties ahead of the grand opening March 28, with Kim Kardashian handling hosting duties. The sexy, adults-only venue features a 53,000-square-foot pool venue with two saltwater play pools, six cascading waterfalls and a sultry, open-air ultra lounge with a 4,100-square-foot sundeck.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow for the open-air rock concerts at the Hard Rock Hotel pool. Nine acts have been confirmed to start as of May 1, including Rusted Root with Eek-A-Mouse, Sugar Ray, Gavin Rossdale and Gin Blossoms, wrapping up with Collective Soul on Sept. 11.

Pool partygoers still have plenty to choose from, including Venus at Caesars Palace, the Palms Pool and Bungalows, the Tao pool at The Venetian, and the new Hard Rock Hotel mega-pool. Vegas DeLuxe will have details each Friday as each one has its opening day.

A Strip St. Patrick’s Day

Meantime, with St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, everybody is off to an early start of celebrations this weekend. The Venetian was the first to mark the holiday by turning the waters of the quarter-mile Grand Canal Shoppes from blue to green, and it will remain green through Wednesday.

Liam the Leprechaun officially kicked off The Venetian’s celebration with an inaugural gondola ride leading a parade of gondoliers adorned in green sashes, scarves, ribbons and shamrocks. After one complete ride, Liam stopped the parade in St. Mark’s Square and spun his boat around in circles, throwing magical gold confetti into the air and officially opening the lucky green canal for riders. Musical entertainers and gondoliers sang “Tipperary,” a traditional Irish song.

It took 40 quarts of green food coloring to change the 184,000 gallons of water from blue to green! Liam will be back Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a second Irish-themed gondola’s parade, and guests will be able to reach into his pot o’ gold to collect prizes. Throughout the celebration, gondoliers will sing traditional Irish songs and tunes, including “My Wild Irish Rose,” “Up Among the Heather” and, of course, “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”

For guests at New York-New York, the party to celebrate the luck of the Irish gets underway for four consecutive days starting tomorrow. The four-leafed clover fun runs till 3 a.m. each morning at the Nine Fine Irishmen pub and the Brooklyn Bridge. The nonstop entertainment includes the Celtic Rockers, the all-female Killian’s Angels, musicians Mike Bowman and Frank Joseph and the ultimate U2 tribute band Rattle & Hum.

Vegas DeLuxe will have the full rundown of all the St. Paddy’s Day happenings Monday, so be certain to click back then. Meantime, put your Irish itinerary together! Begorrah!

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