Paul Szydelko
Often parodied, frequently misunderstood and never fully appreciated, Las Vegas' architecture, culture and design will be explored and celebrated in a citywide event Oct. 4 to 7.
The second annual Duck Duck Shed will feature lecturers, a look at historical artifacts and other opportunities to learn more about the city's iconic culture. The event's unique name comes from "Learning From Las Vegas," a 1972 book about Las Vegas architecture that classified buildings as "Ducks" and "Decorated Sheds."
Presented by the Neon Museum and sponsored in part by the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial, Duck Duck Shed will include a free exhibition illustrating actress Debbie Reynolds' impact on Las Vegas entertainment. The display, curated with the help of her son, Todd Fisher, contains her gowns, costumes, letters, photos and memorabilia (Las Vegas City Hall, Oct. 4 to 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
There will also be an opportunity to be among the first to experience "Postcard From Earth" at the Sphere ($225 plus tax and fees, 7 p.m. Oct. 6).
Other highlights include:
• A behind-the-scenes look at Cirque du Soleil's "O," which will celebrate 25 years on the Strip this fall (at the Bellagio, tickets $100, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m.).
• Dinner with Las Vegas legend Oscar Goodman, a former mayor who before that was a trial lawyer best known for representing a number of mob figures. Goodman will discuss his first meeting with his first client accused of organized crime activity (Oscar's, Golden Nugget, $200 to $250, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m.).
• A discussion with Christopher Hawthorne, an architectural critic and former chief design officer for Los Angeles. Hawthorne will reflect on the ongoing lessons of both "Learning From Las Vegas" and the Las Vegas it celebrated. He will consider the city's place in emerging debates over architecture and urban design, specifically labor, adaptive reuse and climate change (Golden Nugget, $25, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m.).
Historian Richard Hooker will lead a walking tour of Fremont Street as part of Duck Duck Shed in October. Photo Credit: Neon Museum
• A culinary experience with reinterpretations of cuisine from past Las Vegas restaurants (Main St. Provisions, $175, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.).
• A presentation focusing on how local architecture and design has evolved, including how and why newer casinos are using natural light. Panelists include Roger Thomas and Todd-Avery Lenahan, who helped create some of Las Vegas' most famous hotels and casinos. Gillian Wynn, daughter of Steve and Elaine Wynn, will moderate (Golden Nugget, $25, Oct. 4 and 6 at 3 p.m.).
• Author Stefan Al speaks about local design choices and the lessons learned from them (Golden Nugget, $25, Oct. 6 at 3 p.m.).
• A two-hour walking tour of Fremont Street with historian Richard Hooker that will include casinos, neon signs and artifacts of more than 100 years of city history ($45, Oct. 4 to 7 at 10 a.m.).
• A new guided tour at the Neon Museum that features Las Vegas in films, including "Casino," "Queen of Diamonds," "Viva Las Vegas" and "Back to the Future II" ($28, Oct. 4 to 7 at 9 p.m.).
More than 3,200 visitors attended Duck Duck Shed last year. They represented 27 states and countries including the Netherlands, England, Canada and Australia. Event officials reported a 50-50 split of locals and tourists.
For tickets and more information, go to DuckDuckShed.com.
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I interviewed Aaron Berger, the Neon Museum's executive director and the driving force behind Duck Duck Shed, for additional insights about the event. The conversation was edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Why is this such a unique opportunity to learn about Las Vegas?
A: This allows people to not only gain a greater understanding of Las Vegas as a destination, but they'll hear it not from museum staff but hear it from the people who actually created it.
Q: What can guests take away about the evolution of casino design?
A: Las Vegas was known for [having] these dark, low-ceilinged, smoke-filled environments with no clocks. And that was intentional: We didn't want you to know how long you've been sitting at that roulette wheel. And now we have plants, enormous atriums and multistory windows. Roger Thomas is going to explain not from a critique perspective but from his chair how he designed that, why he designed that. That's a once-in a-lifetime opportunity to hear those voices.
Q: How did 2022's inaugural event inform how you set up this year's schedule?
A: We are bringing in recognizable names to lecture, specifically on topics that are focused [on the work of] architects, designers and structural engineers. [They will speak] in lay terms. While there will be industry professionals in the audience, there are also people who just simply love Las Vegas or love architecture but may not be architects themselves. These lecturers are going to be able to speak at a level everyone can understand, which I think is something that we learned.
Architect and historian Alan Hess discusses the evolution of Flamingo Road and Las Vegas in Legacy Club atop Circa Resort & Casino during Duck Duck Shed in 2022. Photo Credit: Neon Museum
Q: What was your favorite event last year?
A: A session called "The Psychology of a Casino." We had four architects talking about how to design a space that is at best, a place you don't want to leave, and at worst, a place you can't figure out how to leave. ... That was such an enormous topic that it needs to be broken down into much greater detail. So we need to have a session on simply carpet, we need to have a session on casino design, a session on performance [space] and cuisine. So we're breaking that [down] a little bit more this year.
Q: How do you hope to grow the event?
A: Through our efforts with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, we are marketing this internationally and specifically into markets that have strong architectural schools and influence and areas obviously throughout the Southwest. ... We see this as something that continues to grow as funding provides and as audience-demand provides. I would love to see it become a weeklong offering. ... [It] gives people a reason to come to town and take a deep dive and begin to learn, and that doesn't preclude them from doing all the fun things that Las Vegas offers.