The River Palms introduced a new show called "Viva Vaudeville" this month in the Bermuda Club. The show is a throw-back to the old variety show concept. Tickets are $19.95. Shows are nightly except Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. with an additional 9:30 p.m. show on Saturday.

The show will have a rotating cast of seasoned, award-winning entertainment veterans in the fields of magic, juggling and comedy. The thread holding the various acts together is "Uncle" Jimmy Celona, who acts as the host / emcee. Celona is a classic-style crooner who has performed at the River Palms for the past few months.

The initial cast of "Viva Vaudeville" includes Jonathan Neal Brown doing magic, the improv comedy team called The Stagebenders and Erick Buss a comedy, novelty, magic act.

Neal is a magician of the classical school. He's appeared on the CBS show "The World's Greatest Magician," on "The Tonight Show" and had an eight-week engagement at Caesar's Magical Empire in Las Vegas that turned into an 11-month run.

The Stagebenders are winners of the MTV Comedy Challenge. Their acts is described as a "hurricane of interactive comedy." They've appeared at comedy clubs all over the country, on numerous TV shows and in films including the Coen Brothers production "The Naked Man," and the soon-to-be-released "Trekkies 2."

Buss' one-man show features the classic magic props like top hats, wand and silk scarves and takes on more fanciful things like pogo sticks, wigs and Barbie dolls. He's won numerous awards including the International Magicians Society's "Cabaret Magician of the Year."

Award winning country music star Collin Raye will appear at Don Laughlin's Riverside Resort, March 8-13. Tickets are $30, call 1-800-227-3849.

Raye's family roots in country music extend back to the Texarkana area where he literally grew up on stage with his mother, Lois Wray, who performed with many soon to be famous artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis in the 1950s.

Raye and his brother formed the Wray Brothers Band in their teens and stayed together until Scott quit. Raye was eventually offered a recording contract with Epic Records Nashville in 1990. Ten years and nine albums later, the Raye / Epic Records association has proven to be a winning partnership.

"Country and Comedy" will feature country music, March 12-14, by up and coming star Derryl Perry and stand up comedy by talent to be announced. This show will be held in the Edgewater Event Center, call 702-298-2453.

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The Market Place Extravaganza being held at the Avi, March 4-19, will highlight a wide variety of vendors selling everything from crafts and jewelry to blown glass and pet suppies daily from 8 a.m. until dusk. This event is free and food and beverage vendors will be available. For information, call 1-866463-6284.

Tech inspection and contingency will be held on the top level of the River Palms parking garage, March 4-6, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m., for The Kawasaki Team Green Laughlin U.S. Hare Scramble Championship. For desert motorcycle racing, this is the third race in the "Best In The Desert 2005 Silver State Series" being held on a desert course north of Laughlin starting at 7:30 a.m. For information call 702-457-5775.

This month, Edgewater and Colorado Belle management made the decision to donate unclaimed Smith's grocery Christmas gift certificates to the Tsunami fundraising effort and invited Smith's to match the amount. When the money was matched, the donation totaled $15,000. The gift will become part of Tsunami relief donations sent overseas by the Red Cross.

The 14th Annual Charity Golf Classic put on by the Rotary Club of Laughlin is scheduled for Sunday, March 20 and will have a shotgun start at 7 a.m.

The tourney offers cash prizes for the first, second and third place teams in A and B flights plus a chance at $1 million for a hole-in-one on a designated a par-3 at Laughlin's Emerald River Golf Course.

Prizes for a hole-in-one on all the non-designated par-3 holes are also available. Tee shots closest to the pins on each of the par-3 holes earn an extra $50.

Utilizing a scramble format, each four-person team will be assigned to either A or B flight, depending on team handicaps. The first place team in each flight will split $800, second place earns $600, and third $400; based on a minimum of 30 teams participating.

The entry fee, which includes greens fees, the cart, range balls, "goodie" bag, consideration for the $1 million hole-in-one contest, entry into a no-host cocktail party on Saturday, a continental breakfast before tee-off on Sunday and a barbecue brunch after the tournament, is $125 and $500 for a team.

PGA professionals are not eligible. To register, contact Chuck Winn at 702-298-0055 or Sheri Smith at 702-299-0079.

Laughlin's second annual TownFest is set for March 10-13. This community event has activities that will include a carnival, parade, car show, ice cream social and an adult dance and beer garden with entertainment. It's $60 for a vendor permit on Saturday and Sunday, contact Terry Ursini at 702-298-6162.

TownFest will be holding one of its feature events, Moonlight in Laughlin, a progressive dinner held at various businesses on Thursday, March 10. This is the ninth year for this event that sells out each year. Advance tickets costing $10 are available at the Laughlin Post Office.

Advance tickets are $15 for the carnival and available at the KLBC-TV2 office and $19 at the gate. For more information, call Lin Clark at 702-208-2222.

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