The roar of many engines will invade the whole town during the annual Laughlin River Run, April 26-30. Literally thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will converge on the city and activities will abound. There will be plenty of entertainment vendors, a poker run, displays, concerts, and most-of-all people and bike watching. The hotels will be catering to the town-wide event with special activities and entertainment.

The Flamingo will headline REO Speedwagon on April 28 and 29 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25, $30 and $35, call 1-800-435-8469.

The Riverside will have Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer performing concerts at 9 p.m. on April 28 and 29.

The Edgewater will highlight Cosmo, featuring Anthony and Fran Cosmo from the super group Boston, April 27-29. Tickets will be $15.

The Colorado Belle will showcase the "River Run Blues & Babes," April 26-30. There will be blues music featuring Michael Burks, John Earl and the Boogieman Band and The Nighthawks. The eye candy will be the Hawaiian Tropic contest with beautiful contestants.

Harrah's "Freewheeling Weekend - Three Days of Bikes, Bands & Bluffin'," will promote concerts and poker. Music will be by the Marshall Tucker Band on Thursday, $20; Cheap Trick on Friday, $30; and a Hotel California - tribute to The Eagles on Saturday, $15.

The Pioneer will hold the "Hell-in-a-Handbasket Carnivale," April 27-29, and feature concerts by rock bands Warrant and Firehouse; the Ses Carny sideshow; carnival games, "Gilley's Nightclub" with women's live mud wrestling; and Rhett Rotten's "Wall of Death" motorcycle daredevil show. Times vary all three days and events are free.

The Ramada Express will be providing laughter with the Darren Carter and Steve Trevino comedy show on April 28 and 29 at 8 p.m.

At the Avi, there will be vendors selling all manner of motorcycle related items in the South Parking Lot from April 26-30. The "Race Your Ride" motorcycle event on the Aha Macav Parkway will take place on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a $5 entry fee.

Drawings are held every day beginning at 11 a.m. at the Watch Man Store inside the Riverside and continue every hour on the hour until 10 p.m.

The prizes are watches of all description including Elgins and Seikos worth $250, souvenir mugs, caps, rings ands sunglasses. Each drawing winner gets to spin the "Wheel-Of-Watches" (WOW) to determine the prize. No purchase is necessary to enter. All participants must be present to win and over 18 years of age.

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Don Laughlin's Riverside has changed its Gourmet Room dining hours for the summer through Sept. 1. Hours are Sunday through Thursday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The bar opens at 5 p.m. and appetizers are available at that time.

The next big town-wide event in Laughlin will be Rockets Over The River with two free fireworks displays choreographed to music on Saturday and Tuesday, July 1 and 4, at 9 p.m. each night. Viewing will be ideal all along the Riverwalk.

The River Palms has new menus in its fine dining restaurant The Lodge, in the Italian eatery Pasta Cucina, and also the River Palms Café.

The Pioneer holds "Keno Korral Kash Tournaments" every Saturday at 5 p.m. There's no entry fee. Players just need to register in the Keno Lounge and they can earn "Keno Korral Kash" that's good for redemption within the Pioneer. "Kash" is earned based on level of win.

Tipping or "toking" is a way of life especially in the gaming world. Suggested dollar tips apply per drink for bartenders and cocktail waitresses, per bag for bellmen, for buffet workers, and for change persons paying out jackpots or cashiers in the booth cashing you out. For valet parking attendants, it's more like $2 and up.

Don Laughlin, owner of the Riverside Resort, led the way in discovering and building the town that was eventually named after him. He bought a boarded-up motel and 6 « acres of riverfront property for $250,000 back in the 1960s and proved that he was a visionary. Developers followed and began building hotel-casinos alongside the Colorado River. By 1972, there were three casinos in the young town, 32 condominiums, a trailer park, 10 private homes and nearly 100 permanent residents. By 1982, the population exploded to 5,000 and presently stands at more than 8,000 residents.

Today the destination is home to nine resorts along the river. In 1996, two master-planned communities comprised of 600 homes opened in the city. Shopping entered the scene when the Horizon Outlet Center opened in 1997 and today houses more than 55 merchants, an indoor food court, a nine-screen cinema and eight acres of indoor parking.

Last year, construction concluded on Nevada's first private marina. The Laughlin Bay Marina offers preferred vessel service and launch reservations, 110 boat slips in the lagoon, dry storage and maintenance facilities for an additional 120 boats and watercraft, a three-lane launch ramp, a lighted boardwalk, ship store, full-service restaurant and cocktail bar, and a sandy beach.

Also recently competed is the Laughlin Ranch Golf Club. The newest addition to the Laughlin golfing amenities was designed by golf course architect David Druzisky and is home to the Pinnacle Exceptional Driver Championship.

Nearly five million tourists visit Laughlin each year. To keep up with the pace, the Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport has undergone several remodels and expansion. In addition to doubling passenger capacity, the airport's most recent $2 million expansion allows for up to three simultaneous flights and provides a heightened security system.

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