Aspiring country music artists will compete at for the 25th Annual Colgate Country Showdown at the Lightning Strikes within The Dance Club at the Riverside on June 15 at 7 p.m. Highway Country radio (KIXW/KIXF/KHWZ) is hosting one of the largest country music talent searches and radio promotions in the nation.

Acts will compete for prizes including a weekend trip to Laughlin and an opportunity to perform at the state competition in California at the LA County Fair in September. State winners vie for $1,000 cash prize and advance to a regional competition in the fall. The five regional winners are awarded an all expense paid trip to the National Final where they compete for the $100,000 Grand Prize and the National Title.

This year's contestants, consisting of five women, three men, one duo, and one band, promise to put on a good show, which is free to watch. Four hundred radio stations participate in the Showdown across the nation.

Harrah's "Rhythm & Flair" and "Strip!" production shows in the Fiesta Showroom have changed performance schedules for the summer. "Rhythm & Flair" performs at 9 p.m. on Tueday and Thursday and at 8 p.m. on Saturday. "Strip!" shows are at 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday and at 10 p.m. on Saturday. Both shows are dark weekly on Sunday and Monday.

"Rhythm & Flair" features a cast of talented dancers, aerialists and gymnasts performing to music highlighted by today's hip sound, power percussions, drums and enthralling rhythms. The adult revue "Strip!" is a sensual theatrical presentation featuring elements such as aerial rings, modern dance and comedy. Both shows will be featured through Sept. 2.

The Wild Girls of Comedy will bring three of the funniest women of the world famous Hollywood Comedy Store to the Riverside, July 5-9. The shows will star Shawn Pelofsky, Vicki Barbolak and Marilyn Martinez. Tickets are $25; call 1-800-227-3849.

Comedy Store favorite and weekend regular Pelofsky attended the University of Southern California and received a theater degree. She began her comedy career by performing sketches and doing improv with leading comedians like Will Ferrell. She has been featured in The Montreal "Just for Laughs" Comedy Festival and Comedy Central's "Laugh Riots."

After attending an "open mike" night and working regularly at local California clubs, Barbolak was chosen as one of six women to be featured as a Comedy Diva on the Jenny Jones Show in 1997. Two years later, Barbolak was invited to join the Hollywood Comedy Store, where she performs regularly on weekends. In 2003, she won California's Funniest Female Competition in Huntington Beach. She also won the Russian River Comedy Contest in Napa Valley in 2004.

After majoring in Theater Arts at the University of Colorado, Martinez began her professional career as part of a comedy duo called Martinez & Blair. In 1991, she began her solo career and has since performed in comedy clubs throughout the United States, including the Improvisation, The Laugh Factory, The Ice House and The Comedy Store. She regularly opens for Paul Rodriguez and is currently touring with the CHEECH Marin Show "Up in Jokes."

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The next big town-wide event will be the Saturday, July 1 and Tuesday, July 4, with Rockets Over The River fireworks displays choreographed to music and ideal viewing all along the Riverwalk. The free shows will start around 9 p.m. each night. For more information, contact the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce, 702-298-2214 or 1-800-227-5245.

The 2nd Annual Laughlin Half Marathon and 5K is already scheduled for March 31, 2007. The morning runs will again be held on the northwest side of the Avi Resort, behind the grandstands, along the river. A Health and Fitness Expo will also take place at the Avi Resort from 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. and will be open to the public. Online registration is now open at Active.com.

An additional category will be added, "The Valet 5K Challenge," which is open to all valet personnel to vie for first place and the title - fastest valet parker. For information, contact the Race Director: Karen Becker 702-298-5873, PO Box 32152, Laughlin, NV 89028.

The Dance Club at the Riverside will feature Tom & Sharon's Ballroom, Latin and Swing Dance Party from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the following Saturdays: June 24, July 1, 22, Aug 5 and 26. For details on parties, dance classes or upcoming events, call Tom and Sharon Craddock at 928-754-2097 or 702-298-2535, ext 5708.

The Cowboy Store at the Pioneer is holding its first Blow-Out Sale for the month of June with 25-percent off a large selection of shirts, boots, hats and gift items.

The largest free-roll (no entry fee) poker tournament ever hosted by the Colorado Belle will be held at 2 p.m. on Sept. 17. The $50,000 No Limit Texas Hold 'Em championship style tournament will feature a $10,000 first place prize, and the top 30 will finish in the money. A "Most Pots Won" format will be used to determine entry into the event. For each pot that a player wins with $10 or more in the pot, the player receives a special blue chip worth five points. The top 50 point-earners will qualify for the tournament. Players may win blue chips in all three poker games dealt in Colorado Belle's Poker Room: Seven Card Stud, Omaha, and Texas Hold 'Em. Players have all summer to earn points.

The tournament will use a championship style format. Each level will run 40 minutes, and there will be an hour-long dinner break. With this style of format, championship-style tournaments can last eight hours or longer.

Silver Rider Transit is expanding its route to provide transportation service from Laughlin to Primm at the California / Nevada state line. The new round trip service will cost $20 and will run the third Thursday of each month beginning June 15. The Stateline Express will leave the Laughlin yard at 8 a.m., make stops in Palm Gardens, Cal-Nev-Ari and Searchlight and arrive at Primm around 10 a.m. The returning service will depart around 5 p.m. and arrive back in Laughlin at 7 p.m. The service requires a 24-hour advance reservation; call Silver Rider at 702-298-4435.

Another existing service is the Las Vegas Express which operates on the second and fourth Thursday every month, running from Laughlin to the Sunset Station, Galleria Mall in Henderson, or the South Strip Transfer Terminal.

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