LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada Brew Works bartender Alannah Billan had been used to working busy Saturdays in the Arts District for years, but she said she's never experienced anything like Saturday's blitz of music fans scattering through town trying to find back-up entertainment when high winds lead to the cancellation of the When We Were Young music festival day one.
"There were people everywhere," Billan said. "Like, the entire sidewalk. I had to shimmy my way into work."
The All American Rejects played a pop-up concert next door at Soul Belly BBQ jamming the Arts District with people.
"It was First Friday on steroids," Billan said.
Marissa Pretkus and Randy Rhode are small business owners down the street at Horse and Trailer Hideout and Abel Baker Brewing respectively.
"I get a text message from my bartender, a phone call from my mother, and then two text messages from my regulars saying you need help. Now," Pretkus said.
Pretkus said they had three times their usual sales numbers Saturday.
"We had beaten our record day by like 9:00 p.m.," she said.
Both Pretkus and Rhode said their teams banded together to make the evening a financial success by meeting the incredibly high demand.
They said it was a stress test that proved the blocks of locally owned businesses have been ready for whatever may come.
"I think it actually shows what we can do because we didn't know what our maximum potential could be," Rhode said. "And I think this was basically it."
