Set a few miles west of the Strip, the new Springs Preserve offers Vegas a park oasis in the middle of the city. It officially opens to the public today, June 8, but this weekend, June 9th and 10th, the Springs Preserve is hosting a grand opening weekend bash to introduce itself to the city.
Special demonstrations on gardening, cooking, landscaping and recycling will take place Saturday and Sunday. Magicians and face painting artists will be on hand for the kids, and visitors of all ages can enjoy the hiking tours and musical entertainment.
Likened to New York’s Central Park, Vegas’ version is an 180-acre park with hiking trails, gardens, children’s activities, and the Springs Café, run by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant group.
The park also offers two museums: the Origen Experience, which teaches the natural and cultural history of the preserve among three galleries; and the Desert Living Center, which offers exhibits on preserving the environment and living in a desert climate.
Practicing what they preach, the parking lot is said to feature solar-paneled carports that not only provide shade for 200 spaces, but will generate electricity for use by the complex. The park plans to use collected rainwater to help irrigate gardens and it will use bio-filtration ponds to reclaim wastewater on the site, which will then also be reused to irrigate, as well as flush toilets.
The 1,800-seat Springs Amphitheater, which will offer outdoor concerts, will be christened by multi-platinum selling pop songstress Jewel on Saturday (June 9). She is a vocal supporter of positive environmental efforts such as this park, and is co-founder of the charity Project Clean Water. The park will close at 6pm on Saturday and reopen at 7pm for concert attendees. Tickets for Jewel are $45 and are available via Ticketmaster.
The Springs Preserve is located at 333 S. Valley View Blvd., just south of I-95 and about 5-10 minutes west of the Strip. It is open daily from 10am to 10pm, though hiking trails will close at dusk. It will also be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For more information, visit www.springspreserve.org or call 702.822.8344.
