Power from the Sky

The downtown casinos in Las Vegas were in deep trouble.

The time: the early 1990s. Eighty percent of the gaming revenues in the city was going to casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard, more commonly known as The Strip.

Downtown casinos were fighting back, offering discount rates on food and rooms. They were providing customers with free lounge shows. Their games were honest, the slots paid off at a decent rate, but they were still losing their customers to The Strip. Something had to be done.

Casino owners held a series of secret meetings to plan strategy. Something was needed to draw the public to the downtown area and to Fremont Street.

Somebody came up with the idea of building a fullsized replica of the Starship Enterprise. This suggestion met with the wholehearted approval of the casino owners. Paramount Pictures was contacted.

Stanley Jaffe, president of the corporation, flatly rejected the proposal.

Casino management went back to the drawing board. They consulted a highly respected architect named Jon Jerde. He came up with an idea that provided the foundation for what is now known as the Fremont Street Experience.

It was Jerde's idea to build a five-block long barrel vault canopy. Another architect, Mary Kozlowski, added to Jerde's original idea to create a sound and light show.

It took years of work and a lot of money -- Jerde's fee alone came to $900,000. But the planning turned into the Fremont Street Experience, a 24-hour attraction that must be seen to be believed.

Using lights, sounds and colors, the Fremont Street Experience creates everything from rock concerts to fireworks, tropical storms and other free shows for the public.

While power shoots down from the sky, three outdoor stages on Fremont Street provide free shows, ranging from local musicians to headline acts.

Clowns, jugglers, acrobats and other performers pull in the people. The downtown casino owners upgraded the Experience in 2004 by spending $17 million to improve the light display, add more color combinations, and build a zipline to further entertain the public.

All the casinos and other businesses on Fremont Street benefit from the Fremont Street Experience.

I was there the night Credence Clearwater performed a free concert. It was held at the end of the street and I remember wandering from Binion's Horseshoe, drink in hand, and following the crowd to the music. It was a spectacular evening I will long remember.

I had experienced street fairs on St. Maarten and St. Kitts in the Caribbean, but nothing like this. Thousands of people, adults as well as children, crowded the street. It was a boisterous but peaceful crowd. The air was permeated with the aroma of ganja smoke and everyone was in a happy mood, including the police.

The Zipline and Zoomline operate from 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. For $25, you can ride the Zipline and for $45, you can mount the Zoomline from a 10th story location and ride it to its breathtaking end.

The Fremont Street Experience opened on Dec. 14, 1995 in conjunction with the Nevada Symphony Orchestra. On Dec. 31, the first New Year's Eve Party was held. Both attracted big crowds and were hugely successful.

Today there are 2.1 million light bulbs controlled by 32 computers, operating 24 hours a day.

Downtown Las Vegas may not have a Starship Enterprise, but who needs outer space when you can enjoy the Fremont Street Experience. Let the games begin.