Members of the Olympic gold-winning USA women’s hockey team and other female Olympians will be honored with an abbreviated Strip parade this summer, kicking off Flavor Flav’s “She Got Game” weekend in Las Vegas.
The free to the public parade is planned to take place July 16 from 8-9 p.m., with the street closures related to the procession still to be determined, according to an event rundown set for approval at Tuesday’s Clark County Commission meeting.
The tentative route would have the parade start at a staging area on the north side of Park MGM, where the over 100 athletes, including the U.S. women’s hockey, bobsled and skeleton teams, would be transported down Las Vegas Boulevard southbound, then heading west on the newly minted Bruno Mars Way, leading to Toshiba Plaza, in front of T-Mobile Arena, where a celebration will be held, documents submitted to the county revealed.
Also participating in the parade with the Olympians will be the Raiders, Golden Knights, Aces and Junior Golden Knights.
The free public celebration and concert at Toshiba Plaza is scheduled to run from 8:30 to 10 p.m. and feature Flavor Flav’s rap group Public Enemy, musician Sheila E., blues musician Grace Bowers, and musician, DJ Blu DeTiger, in addition to Team USA athletes and surprise guests.
The parade route is estimated to have 6,000 fans cheering on the athletes, with an additional 4,000 fans celebrating the Olympians in Toshiba Plaza.
With July historically being the hottest month each year in Las Vegas, there will be water stations set up around the parade/celebration area.
The parade and concert will kick off “She Got Game” weekend, which runs through July 19.
Other highlights of the weekend include:
— The official party on July 17 at Marquee Nightclub at the Cosmopolitan, where all Olympians and Paralympians are invited;
— A pool party on July 18 at Palm Tree Beach Club at MGM Grand;
— A pool party on July 19 at The Reserve at Park MGM.
Shortly after this year’s Milan Winter Olympic Games ended, Flavor Flav began drumming up the idea for a Las Vegas celebration initially focused on the U.S. women’s hockey team, after its 2-1 win over Canada to win the gold medal. Flavor Flav eventually expanded that to include all female Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Notable figures in the community immediately backed the idea, leading to Flavor Flav and MGM Resorts International announcing the “She’s Got Game” weekend in late February. Delta Airlines is also a sponsor of the event.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
