We’re exactly one week away from Home + History Las Vegas, a series of tours and events by the Nevada Preservation Foundation that celebrate and promote the need to protect everyday history within our community.
“O ur mission is to preserve and revitalize historic buildings, neighborhoods, and cultural landscapes across Nevada,” says Dr. Paige Figanbaum, the nonprofit’s executive director. “And how we do that is through education and outreach.”
It’s also a lot of fun. The four-day festival kicks off on April 15 with a Bootleggers in the Garden reception inside a 1930s Tudor style home. The party takes inspiration from the wild days of the Prohibition era with live jazz, cocktails, and bites from local chefs James Trees and Tood Harrington.
Another new event this year: 1984: Revenge of the Yuppies, a sunset soirée at the Spanish Oaks Tennis Club, modeled after the preppy spirit of the “greed is good” decade.
But there’s something for every Vegas history buff. Take a bus tour that showcases places of worship with timeless architecture, a bike ride past old motels on Fremont Street and Lawyer’s Row, or a cocktail crawl through the Water Street District. In an annual tradition that dates back to the start, a home tour invites participants to step inside seven older, historic houses and learn about not only the properties, but the surrounding neighborhoods.
“People are really surprised how closely connected these historic neighborhoods are,” Figanbaum says. “You can be at John S. Park and drive 10 minutes to Beverly Green.”
Maybe you live in a home that might qualify as historic? Preservation 101 is the lunch for you. “Sometimes people get a little intimidated when thinking about what it takes for preservation and just having the conversation of ‘What is a historic designation?’ and ‘What does that mean when I'm living in an older home?’ We're able to answer all of those questions.”
The festival effectively kicks off the year for the Nevada Preservation Foundation, which continues to offer monthly programming and an interactive app that can be used anytime. Take a walking tour of historic Woodlawn Cemetery or a drive to see more of the great midcentury modern architecture that's throughout Southern Nevada.
- Dr. Figanbaum shares more insight with City Cast Las Vegas with discussions about the fate of vintage motels, Henderson’s hidden history, and the secret legacy of the Boulevard Mall. Think of these episodes as just a preview of what Home + History Las Vegas is all about. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]
