Mayor Shelley Berkley confirmed Thursday that the monthly First Friday arts festival in the downtown Arts District will not take place in November or December, with the goal of resuming in January. Speaking at a regular press conference, Berkley called the event a "tremendous asset for the city" as an economic driver but said public safety must come first.
"First Friday is not an opportunity for gangs to roam around the Arts District and brandish weapons and kill each other," Berkley said. The decision follows the Oct. 2 event, when 15-year-old Carth Onasi Jacobs-Rodgers was killed and two other teenagers were injured in a shooting at Charleston Boulevard and Main Street around 10:17 p.m. Police said the gunfire appeared to stem from a fight.
Berkley said there are no discussions about moving the festival to Fremont Street. She said plans remain "still very fluid" but that, "at very minimum," a curfew for attendees 18 and older could be implemented. The city is also discussing metal detectors and a larger presence from Las Vegas City Marshals and Metropolitan Police Department.
"We want to ensure that we don't want them to keep the peace after something happens," Berkley said. "We want to make sure that the people that are coming to First Friday are not disruptive or dangerous."
In the meantime, the 18b Arts District Association and Arts District Action Coalition have organized an Art Crawl for Nov. 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., featuring 23 businesses and 23 artists.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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