America's Party at Fremont Street, Las Vegas in the New Year's Eve

The Fremont Street Experience in downtown Vegas will again to hose the New Year's Eve America's Party to ring in 2015. The adult-only (21+) party starts at 6:00 p.m. with 9-hour live concerts on three stages, performed by 13 tribute bands: Crimes of Passion (Pat Benatar Tribute), Doobies Inc. (Doobie Brothers Tribute), Rio (Duran Duran Tribute), Don't Look Back (Boston Tribute), Generation Idol (Billy Idol Tribute) Jumping Jack Flash (Rolling Stones Tribute), Led Zepagain (Led Zeppelin Tribute), No Duh (No Doubt Tribute), Queen Nation (Queen Tribute), Fan Halen (Van Halen Tribute), Aeromyth (Aerosmith Tribute), Bonfire (AC/DC Tribute) and Red Not Chili Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute),  as part of the “TributePalooza.” The giant Viva Vision screen will feature a spectacular light show and virtual fireworks at the count down.

Postcard US-2545733 to Czech Republic shows the light of the neon reflects off the cars parked along the Fremont Street, adding to the feeling that it was never dark in downtown Las Vegas, even in its early years. From neon circles under the Fremont Hotel to the Indian head atop the Hotel Apache sign, Fremont Street is a destination 24 hours a day. At the end of the street, the neon sign for the train depot can be seen.

Fremont Street, Las Vegas in 1930

May is National Historic Preservation Month. Postcard US-2545672 to Russia shows a historic photo of Fremont Street looking west around 1930. The train depot is at the end of the street. There was an Elks lodge, an ice cream and sweets store, a Western Union, and a hardware store. Doctors, dentists, and lawyers had their offices on the second floor of many of the buildings.

The Union Plaza Hotel was built at the location of the train depot in the early seventies. It continued to have the Union Pacific Railway Station attached until Amtrak discontinued passenger train services into Las Vegas in the late nineties. The area where the train station was has since been converted into additional casino space as part of the Plaza Hotel and Casino.