The temperature drops below 40 degrees shortly after the doors open at Circa Resort & Casino for the first Winter Swim of the season. It’s hard to tell whether early attendees have donned the latest club fashions or furry outerwear covering board shorts and bikinis, but the pools are warmer than the air, and dry ice fog creates a steamy atmosphere as service team members finish preparing the cabanas and the opening DJ demonstrates what the outdoor sound system is capable of.
It’s a little colder on this Friday night than expected, but the elements are in place for an EDM party unparalleled by any other nightlife option in Downtown Las Vegas. The theme is après-ski, the six rectangular pools warmed to a range of 94 to 103 degrees. The cabanas are heated, too, providing the best opportunities for groups to share heaping plates of comfort food or indulge in drink menu offerings designed to ward off the chill and prepare for submergence.
Before the daring dip, there is a silent disco to discover, where dancing to the beat of DJs from the @wethebeat collective becomes possible via headphones. Adam Daudier wisely starts things off with a deep house set followed by CPR’s more frenetic beats that segue into party anthems as party people begin to fill up Stadium Swim.
It’s closer to 10 p.m. as the populi begin to join the pioneers in the pool. Laser beams pierce the sky while DJs Alex Parra and Evan Durant prepare the crowd for headliner TroyBoi. Platters of sliders, chicken fritters with garlic fries and lobster corn dogs have been sufficiently digested. Guests undress beneath the cover of plush, white Stadium Swim robes and pitchers of courage-enhancing cocktails such as tequila-based Once Upon a Time in Jalisco are finished off.
There are selfies to take before phones are hidden away and plunges are taken, but bodies fill the pool well before TroyBoi begins his set that must end by midnight when Downtown’s curfew is called and it’s time to get dry. There will be more tequila, more silent disco, and more winter swimming to indulge in next weekend (Feb. 3), as well as the Winter Swim Bikini Contest, where contestants are vying for a $10,000 first prize, a $3,000 second prize and a $2,000 third prize. It starts at noon, so get there early!
Circa Resort & Casino, 21+. circalasvegas.com
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