Christmas festival coming to Las Vegas mass shooting site

Live entertainment is returning to the former site of the Route 91 Harvest festival for the first time since the Oct. 1 tragedy that claimed 60 lives and injured hundreds more. The 15-acre site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history has remained empty and quiet until this weekend.

On Saturday, “Christmas On The Strip,” will open at the onetime Las Vegas Village, an event described as a “festive wonderland” featuring live performances, ice skating, a winter maze, lights shows and Santa Claus. Scheduled to run through Dec. 29, it is opening without the kind of splashy publicity typical of a new holiday festival on the Strip.

Organizers acknowledge the history of the site is inescapable, and a monument honoring the victims by name is displayed at the venue’s entrance. Some of the money raised will be donated to the Vegas Strong Fund, which is developing a separate memorial on two acres donated by former owner MGM Resorts International. They also hope to open a new chapter for the location with the event, which is planned to return annually.

Efforts to reach officials at the Vegas Strong Fund and the Resiliency & Justice Center Route 91 support organization Friday for comment were unsuccessful.

“I think every individual has a different feeling in regards to the energy that is being felt there,” said event manager Starr Stallings. “There was a tragedy there. “The biggest thing we are trying to do is bring back some happy energy. We’re letting those who lost their lives know we are not forgetting them, and we want their families and others to be able to pay their respects while continuing to live their lives.”

Stallings was hired by Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, which purchased the property across the street from Luxor Las Vegas four years ago. The tribe is also known as Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, which has indicated more development may be on the way at the site.

“We are in the current planning stages for the potential of full development of a casino, hotel, and resort,” MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox said Friday in an e-mail inquiring about the vision for the land.

Veteran Vegas entertainer Chris Phillips of Zowie Bowie will perform the first show in the site’s re-activation at 7 p.m. Saturday. The rest of the lineup features country acts including South of Graceland, Jimmie Allen and Vegas singer-songwriter Bryan Hopkins.

A few agents representing country artists said they declined to perform at the inaugural event, according to organizers. Several headliners said they would see how the first year played out before committing to 2025.

Phillips said when he was booked for the event, he was not aware of the exact location.

“I started thinking about it this morning, and I’m not sure how to approach this,” said Phillips, who has performed at several Las Vegas venues, including the Fremont Street Experience, since arriving in June 2006. “Everybody’s got an optimistic, positive mood. I know they’re wanting to get over and past, but by the same token, I think I should acknowledge the families that have been affected by what happened there.”

The event’s opening coincides with country star Jason Aldean’s return to Las Vegas next week. He will be in Las Vegas to open a new location of his namesake restaurant at 63 CityCenter, about 2½ miles from the Route 91 site. Aldean was performing onstage when the shooting began Oct. 1, and has said he feels an intense connection to the “Route 91 family” and the city. Neither he nor his crew were injured.

Hopkins attended Route 91 on Oct. 1, 2017, and was near the stage when shots were fired. The co-founder of the Vegas band Elvis Monroe helped several attendees to safety. He and his writing partner Ben Carey wrote “The Fight,” about the experience.

Hopkins was also the first performer ever at Route 91 in 2014. This event will mark his first time walking on the site since 1 October. Hopkins is part American Indian, of the Lakota tribe. “I’m bringing sage, my eagle feather, and I step across the gate, bless the grounds and then perform,” Hopkins said. “It will be a powerful experience.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.