text: A collection of Art Music Food Drink and good timesFirst Friday is a monthly event held in the Downtown Las Vegas arts district I am not sure if you can call it a district but it is the closest thing Vegas has to what outsiders and new residents refer to as culture The streets are blocked off and food vendors art vendors galleries and music stages pepper the surrounding areathink of a massive block party or small festivalnnI enjoy coming down here with the family from time to time to check out the scene It gets really crowded so it is difficult to really appreciate the art if you are into a more quiet and calm setting like I am One First Friday I saw a guy smoking inside the Arts Factory gallerythat is crazy the smoke can ruin the artwork Of course nobody said anything to himand when I mentioned it he gave me a who the F are you look and walked away sigh Some people come to First Friday for the party and not the artthat is cool but not really my stylennTheres a lot of local musicians represented down here and a few stages where they performit is kind of cool to see local bands perform since there are not too many places in Vegas to listen to them There is usually a few food trucks and concession stands as well as restaurants down here We rarely eat at the event though as the lines can get very long and we do not really enjoy our meals when there is nowhere to sit and enjoy the food Definitely worth a trip if you have never been before thoughnnSome TIPSnn Parking is very difficult to find There is paid valet parking at the Arts Factory on the corner of Charleston Main St but it fills up quickly Street parking close to the event is sometimes hard to find toomy recommendation is to get there early or be patient to find a spotnn Wear comfortable shoes The First Friday event covers a few city blocks so if you want to get the full experience be prepared to walknn Bathrooms are a premium Because of the large crowds expect long waits at the restroom The Arts Factory has one some of the smaller galleries around the area will not let you use their private bathroomkeep that in mindnn If you bring your kids make sure you keep an eye on them It is easy to lose them in the crowd and remember that you are on the streets of Downtown Las Vegasnot a cool place to lose your kid at nightnnOverall it is a pretty cool experience if you know what to expectnnReturn Factor