It’s hard to miss 18b, Las Vegas’ arts district, on First Friday. This monthly block party draws a crowd of approximately 5,000 to the neighborhood, where they come to enjoy the open galleries, street performances, live music, shopping, and the chance to mingle with other art lovers. However, despite the recent creation of a trendy ‘18b’ neon sign marking the district named for its original 18 blocks, the community faces challenges in keeping excitement and interest alive the rest of the month.

For this reason, The Arts Factory, an integral part of First Friday, kicked off an additional monthly gathering called Preview Thursday, featuring opening receptions and events at its many galleries and studios starting at 6:00pm. Arts district business owners are also  attracting people to the area by opening unique nightspots referred to as ‘urban lounges’. These venues have the ability to set themselves apart from other neighborhood bars by providing live entertainment and limited (if any) gaming.