Episodes

  • Las Vegas locals notoriously love to hate visiting the Strip — especially as parking fees come and go. Luckily, neighborhood casinos serve multiple purposes within the community. From movie theaters to great restaurants to random giveaways, these off-Strip spots seem to have it all. But which ones truly cater to locals? Long-time Las Vegan Heather Collins (@raisedinvegas) joins co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler to debate what qualifies as a locals casino and where to find the best deals.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

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  • Episode Description: In this special bonus episode of City Cast Las Vegas, sponsored by the Nevada State Museum Las Vegas, co-host Dayvid Figler chats with Josef Diaz, the Curator of History and Material Culture, about their featured exhibit on the Old Spanish Trail — a 2,700-mile trade route that helped shape the American West. From the goods that moved between New Mexico and California to the hardships and hidden histories along the way, including Native American slavery, this conversation sheds light on a vital but often overlooked chapter in Las Vegas' history. The exhibit is on view now at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. 



    To learn about this episode sponsor visit the Nevada State Museum Las Vegas
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  • Destinations in Las Vegas often get slotted into one of two categories: It's either a spot for locals, or a spot for tourists. But one place stands out as a tourist attraction that's equally beloved by locals — and it just so happens to be co-host Dayvid Figler's favorite spot in Las Vegas. So today, Dayvid takes co-host Sarah Lohman on a tour of the Pinball Hall of Fame and explains how to make the most of your $10 in quarters, and why this unique, interactive museum is so special.

    If you enjoyed today's interview with Nevada State Museum's Curator of History and Material Culture, Josef Diaz, learn more here.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
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  • Unexpected news came out of a recent Gaming Commission Board meeting — the Fontainebleau is ⁠under investigation⁠ for possible anti-money laundering violations. Then, Wednesday, news broke that the casino ⁠laid off⁠ dozens of dealers. Is the Fontainebleau OK? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by Battle Born Progress press secretary Jacob Solis to discuss this and more: Why Las Vegas' population is growing at ⁠double the national rate⁠, and what's up with all those Cabbage Patch Doll ⁠billboards⁠ around town.

    Don't forget, Vegas is experiencing ⁠extreme heat⁠ today, so try to avoid the outdoors at peak daylight hours and look up your nearest ⁠cooling station⁠ just in case.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.
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  • June brings triple digits, so we've got the best tips in town for coping with our own special version of seasonal depression: Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are joined by Nevada Current reporter Michael MJ Lyle to talk about their favorite events, eats, and excursions to make your summer not just bearable, but delightful.

    We’ve updated this episode to remove an error: In the original version, we stated that entry to Nevada state parks is free on Juneteenth (June 19). While that’s true for our national parks, Nevada state parks are free on the second Saturday of June, which is June 14 this year. Apologies for any confusion, and thank you to listener Tyler K. for catching the error!

    If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Las Vegas community.

    For even more tips on how to make the most of June in Las Vegas, check out Hey Las Vegas’s take on what to do this month.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • When Mark Wahlberg moved to Las Vegas, the headlines quickly followed — Marky Mark has officially joined the pantheon of celebrities like Nic Cage and Celine Dion who call Vegas home. But what about the lower-profile celebs who aren't slinging tequila cocktails around town? Today, executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson quizzes our co-hosts, Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, about the celebrities you maybe didn't know live in Las Vegas. Play along and see if you can beat their score!

    The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum is offering 50% off tickets to City Cast Las Vegas listeners! Visit rdamuseum.org/tickets and use the code CITYCASTLV at checkout.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
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  • Circus Circus is officially on the market to the tune of $5 billion dollars. The hefty price tag for the aging property has raised some eyebrows along with speculation: Will Circus Circus find a buyer who will keep the casino intact, clowns and all? Today, we're bringing back a conversation that our co-hosts, Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler, had after visiting the newly-reopened annex to Circus Circus, Slots-A-Fun, and hear Dayvid's impassioned argument about why Circus Circus is actually amazing.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.
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  • This week in extremely 2025 content, county workers began a sweep of a homeless encampment in a wash near Flamingo & Maryland — but are also employing robots to scout out some of the more dangerous sections of the tunnels, where toxic fumes could put workers and the unhoused at risk. These "clean-ups" have long been a flashpoint for neighbors and advocates, so what's the bigger picture? Co-host Sarah Lohman talks with writer (and former Hey Las Vegas newsletter editor) Scott Dickensheets and Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus to discuss. They also talk about all the bills killed in this year's legislative session, and what it means when Bahama Breeze closes its doors for good.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 23rd episode:

    Southern Nevada Water Authority

    Barter Beer + Mall

    The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum is offering 50% off tickets to City Cast Las Vegas listeners! Visit rdamuseum.org/tickets and use the code CITYCASTLV at checkout.

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • It's May, which means that graduation season, summer visitors, and family reunions are in full swing — so where can you go out to eat with a giant crowd in Las Vegas? Co-host Dayvid Figler puts food influencer Phil Tzeng (AKA Las Vegas Fill) to the test with a series of tricky group dining scenarios, from dietary preferences to splitting the bill.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 22nd episode:

    Southern Nevada Water Authority

    Barter Beer + Mall

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • For a quarter century, schoolchildren across the valley have been learning about desert conservation from Mojave Max, our city's beloved tortoise mascot. But what if the Mojave Max program was actually … bad for the desert? Today on City Cast Las Vegas, co-host Dayvid Figler talks with Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin Director at the Center for Biological Diversity. Patrick has some serious beef with Mojave Max, and it all starts, he says, with how the program was funded by the real estate developers who destroyed Mojave Max's habitat.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 21st episode:

    Southern Nevada Water Authority

    Barter Beer + Mall

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • While the speakeasy trend has waxed and waned in other cities, Las Vegas keeps the spirit of the secret bar with Prohibition-era cocktails alive in at least a dozen busy venues — but are they even really speakeasies anymore? Are we over the gimmick? And as it turns out, our frontier city didn't have to do much hiding during Prohibition … so did we actually even have speakeasies at all? Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, a culinary historian, sit down with newsletter editor and bar enthusiast Rob Kachelriess to discuss.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 20th episode:

    Southern Nevada Water Authority

    Barter Beer + Mall

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • The GOP is making good on President Trump's spur-of-the-moment campaign promise to Nevadans by including a "no taxes on tips" provision in their budget bill — but it comes with a few strings attached. Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with Nevada Independent reporter Gabby Birenbaum to discuss how the provision will impact Southern Nevada and our unique tipping culture.

    If you enjoyed today's interview with Barter Beer + Mall's GM, Steve Sansonetti, learn more here.

    Learn more about the other sponsors of this May 19th episode:

    Southern Nevada Water Authority

    Barter Beer + Mall

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the RDA Museum on 5/22 HERE

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Two hotels on the Strip, the Luxor and Treasure Island, are getting sued after guests claimed they were "massacred" by bed bugs and left with scars. So, how bad can bed bug bites really get, and is this a frivolous lawsuit? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by Nevada Current reporter Michael MJ Lyle to talk bed bugs. They also tackle the recent safety upgrades in RTC buses and transit centers, and the doctors from UNLV School of Medicine's inaugural class who are opting to stay in Las Vegas.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 16th episode:

    Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

    Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the RDA Museum on 5/22 HERE

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • A TikTok influencer was recently trolled after ⁠posting a video⁠ of herself raving over a simple raw tomato at LPM in the Cosmo (she called it "iconic"). But did she maybe have a point? Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess (who has tried the tomato in question) to discuss this and other viral food scandals in Las Vegas, from Nachogate to the cotton candy burrito — and which ones actually deserve our outrage.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 15th episode:

    ⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

    ⁠Prolonlife.com/city ⁠- Use this link for 15% off

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the RDA Museum on 5/22 ⁠HERE⁠

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Another summer, another Lake Mead update: And this year, it's not looking great. Our snowpack gains this winter were pretty dismal, and the National Weather Service recently even lowered their projections for Lake Powell, whose upstream levels affect Lake Mead's. In light of all this, we're bringing back a conversation that co-host Dayvid Figler had with UNLV hydrology professor David Kreamer. The creation of Lake Mead was not without its costs — so was it worth it? And what happens if we use Lake Mead up?

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 14th episode:

    Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

    Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the RDA Museum on 5/22 HERE

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • City Cast Las Vegas co-host Sarah Lohman is coming up on four years of living in Las Vegas — so can she call herself a real Las Vegas local yet, or what? To help answer this question, she talks with co-host Dayvid Figler, lifelong Las Vegan, and artist Brent Holmes, who's clocked 24 years in this town, about the "merit badges" you have to earn before you can call yourself a real Las Vegan (and yes, surviving three summers here counts as one).

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 13th episode:

    Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

    Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the RDA Museum on 5/22 HERE

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • Northern Nevada U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei sparked backlash last week with a last-minute public lands amendment to a budget package — and that's because for three decades now, a special law called SNPLMA has sent a portion of federal land sales right back to Nevada's coffers. But Amodei's amendment would instead direct those funds straight to the U.S. Treasury, with nothing for Nevada. Co-host Dayvid Figler talks with Kristee Watson, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, about the controversy and what it could mean for the future of Southern Nevada’s landscape.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 12th  episode:

    Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

    Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum on 5/22 HERE

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • After the Sphere issued Beyoncé a cease and desist order (!) for using an image of the Sphere in her concert visuals, she's now replaced it with Allegiant Stadium. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are joined by Andrew Kiraly, creator of TheList.Vegas, to discuss whether or not the Sphere messed up — or if there's more to it. The trio also tackles the recent recall of Zoox robotaxis after an accident with a passenger vehicle, and what the gloomy outlook of the Legislature's Economic Forum could mean for Las Vegans.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 9th  episode:

    Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

    The Neon Museum

    Get tickets to our live episode recording at the RDA Museum on 5/22 HERE

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • With the opening of his latest establishments, Petite Bohème and Bar Bohème, we think it's safe to say that Chef James Trees has created a restaurant empire in Las Vegas — and transformed the Arts District in lasting ways. Today, co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Chef James to talk about his upbringing on the Eastside running with the "wrong crowd," how restaurants changed his life, what it was like returning to Las Vegas to start his flagship restaurant, Esther's, and where he thinks the dining scene in Las Vegas is headed. (And heads up: This conversation gets spicy!)

    As an added bonus: City Cast Las Vegas Neighbors get access to an extended cut of this conversation in their members-only feed. Find out how to join at membership.citycast.fm.

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 8th episode:

    Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  • When MGM recently announced that it was replacing the entire concierge staff at six of its Vegas properties with "digital guest services," the hospitality world took note — is this a death knell for the concierge profession? And what does it say about where Las Vegas hospitality is headed? Co-host Dayvid Figler interviews Tyra Bell, a veteran Las Vegas concierge who at one point ran the largest concierge program in the world. Tyra talks about the wildest and most meaningful requests she's fielded, and where she sees AI fitting into the Vegas hospitality industry.

    Get more from City Cast Las Vegas when you become a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events and more. Join now at membership.citycast.fm 

    Learn more about the sponsors of this May 7th episode:

    Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

    Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

    For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

    Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices