As First Friday Las Vegas approaches its nine year anniversary, new ownership will begin operations of the outdoor festival beginning Friday, Oct. 7.
The new ownership group, First Friday Las Vegas, LLC, includes Zappos.com executives Tony Hsieh, Fred Mossler and Steve Hill, as well as downtown developer Andrew Donner and Vanas. First Friday founder Cindy Funkhouser and Whirlygig Inc. will consult on the event for the next two months to ensure a smooth transition.
"This event has been very positive for the city of Las Vegas and First Friday's return in October is beyond exciting," said First Friday Las Vegas, LLC managing partner Joey Vanas. "We're committed to a continuing investment in Downtown and to supporting the community that backs the growth of such a culturally-active, and historical, area of Las Vegas."
The city of Las Vegas has been a longtime partner with the private sector for First Friday. The outdoor event is anchored around Casino Center and Charleston Boulevard and over the years has expanded to different areas of downtown. The new owners plan to bring the necessary resources and infrastructure to help the event grow into a larger, more diverse destination festival.