Members of Mirage Preservation Society reflect on fond memories ahead of closure
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - As Las Vegas prepares to say goodbye to the Mirage next week, hundreds of people from across the county and around the world are sharing memories made and their love for the iconic casino and resort.
A Facebook group, the Mirage Las Vegas Preservation Society, has grown to 600 plus members.
“March 2017 me and my wife eloped from Minnesota all the way to Las Vegas and had our own little special moment there for a week or so,” recounted Garrett Heller from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Mirage will forever be part of Heller’s life story.
“Got married in front of the volcano. Got to take pictures in front of certain areas of the casino,” Heller reminisced. Memories they looked to recreate with an anniversary trip when they learned the Mirage was closing.
“We said we had to go back this last week for one more stay at the Mirage. It was a little sad,” Heller admitted. Saying goodbye is never easy. Yaitana Valladares made a special trip from Inglewood, California bringing her children to Vegas as her father once brought her. The family wanted to see the Beatles Love Cirque du Soleil show once more before its final bow.
“It was a little emotional…that last show was a lot better. I am not sure how to prove it,” Valladares contended.
Valladares bought a program after that unforgettable performance and hopes one day the show will return elsewhere on the Strip.
“I find it a little sad that they are taking all that away...I would love to see it again,” shared Valladares. “I am this close to catching a flight back out there today,” exclaimed Arlinda Tray Jonhs from Haines City, Florida. Jonhs loved how the Mirage was a trailblazer as a family-friendly resort.
“Once upon a time it was Sin City. You are not supposed to bring your kids to Sin City but the Mirage made it a more welcoming place for families…I stayed there with my mom, my wife, and my sister...even though the guitar is fantastic and it’s amazing, you can’t take away that homey feeling that the Mirage gave you,” Johns asserted.
Joe Klamka from Fredericksburg, Virginia agrees there is an intangible something that make it unique. “This sort of vibe if you will, there is just something about it that is friendly and fun but also exciting too but whatever that combination is, it keeps bring people back,” Klamka reported. Klamka stayed at the resort ten times in the last ten years...spending a lot of time at his favorite spot the Rhumbar.
“Mirage...in this world of untold possibility, maybe someday in some form we will see each other again,” Klamka concluded. As the resort prepares to go dark it will forever live on as a bright spot in the memories of so many.
The Mirage will host a closing ceremony on Wednesday starting at 9 a.m. It is to honor the history and legacy of the first true mega-resort on the Strip. The property will then officially close at 11 a.m.
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