LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Setting up and tearing down shows is nothing new in Las Vegas, but creating the NFL experience is a big undertaking.
As construction workers dodged camera crews and reporters on hand for a preview of Wednesday’s big event, it looked like it would take a miracle to finish in time for the crowds who will be there when the doors open Thursday at noon. It’s a free event, so you can be sure there will be a crowd.
The stages, LED signs, and a variety of vendor booths are still being pieced together as people stroll through the parking lot that sits directly behind the High Roller. Small fields for various activities – a 40-yard dash, a field goal kick, a vertical jump, youth flag football clinics, dances and the “FedEx Ground Challenge” – are already in place. The interactive events are sure to be a crowd pleaser.
But if the NFL Draft Theater is to be believed, the NFL’s “football theme park” will be a hit with fans. The theater is ready to rock, and that’s where all the action will take place as the draft picks are announced. And when the selections are finished for the day, artists such as Weezer, Ice Cube and Marshmello will take over. Yes, for free.
Football fans will have plenty to see, with memorabilia and exhibits celebrating football’s biggest stars. The focus is more on the Raiders, their past and their present.
So that’s it for the teams that will be working tonight and until the event opens… Las Vegas is ready for the NFL Experience to live up to the league’s reputation for quality events. Be careful out there and hope for light breezes instead of strong winds.
