Ring in the Year of the Rooster with Dances, Culinary Specialties and More at MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts International is celebrating Lunar New Year 2017, the Year of the Rooster, with a line-up of festive entertainment, vibrant displays and authentic cuisine.

According to Chinese culture, the rooster occupies the 10th position in the Chinese Zodiac and is the sign of dawn and awakening and represents a blend of righteousness and justice. Individuals born in the Year of the Rooster tend to be observant, hardworking, resourceful, courageous and talented. They are talkative, honest and like to be the center of attention.

Dragon & Lion Dances

Dynamic and colorful dragon and lion dances will commemorate the Year of the Rooster at Bellagio, ARIA and MGM Grand:

• ARIA - Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4 p.m. at the main valet with a processional through the lobby
• MGM Grand - Sunday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. inside the main lobby with a processional through the casino
• Bellagio - Monday, Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the main porte cochere with a processional through the casino

Yau Kung Moon will perform the Chinese dragon and lion dances in a traditional Southern Shaolin Kung Fu system, a collection of martial arts with more than 1,000 years of history. Yau Kung Moon, which translates to "Style of Flexible Power," is one of the world's most respected martial arts, dragon and lion dance organizations. Known for its trademark gold uniforms and innovative routines, Yau Kung Moon has been recognized internationally for being the first U.S. team to compete in the 1990 Invitational World Lion Dance Festival in Malaysia.

Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Gardens celebrates the Year of the Rooster with a spirited display through March 4. Envisioned by renowned designer Ed Libby in collaboration with the Bellagio Horticulture team and Feng Shui Master George Yau, the gardens are brought to life by colorful flowers, silk-lantern chandeliers and a preview of the highly anticipated Bellagio by MGM Shanghai resort, set to open in summer 2017.

Upon entering the Conservatory, visitors will walk through a Moon Gate, serving as an inviting entrance into the gardens surrounded by sunflowers that stand for prosperity. Four ding pots, ancestral vessels that protect against bad fortune and burn incense from their peaks for good luck, line each corner of the East Bed from a shallow pond. The West Bed features a 10-foot-tall rooster perched on a mountain flapping its wings, ruffling its feathers and welcoming those from near and far with its signature crow.

The lush and vibrant display in the Conservatory flows into Bellagio's lobby with a dazzling mirrored horse from the Tang Dynasty and a colorful display of flowers and Chinese accents behind the front desk to welcome guests upon arrival.

The Conservatory is complimentary and open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ARIA

ARIA's main lobby delights visitors with celebratory décor in honor of the Year of the Rooster. Upon entrance to the lobby, guests are greeted by a 229-foot dragon weaving its way through clusters of Chinese lanterns and around the money tree made up of 88 golden coins. Roosters are found throughout the floral décor.

Three Chinese Deities: Fuk, Luk and Sau, each about five feet tall, greet guests upon check-in while standing on a platform behind ARIA's front desk. The deities personify the important aspirations of mankind: happiness, wealth and longevity. Throughout the resort, guests also encounter eight lions resembling attire worn during traditional lion dances.

MGM Grand

Beginning Thursday, Jan. 19, MGM Grand's main lobby will honor Lunar New Year with a vibrant display including more than 100 lanterns and a 14-foot-tall cherry blossom tree next to Leo the Lion who will be surrounded by three golden roosters and one rainbow rooster. Custom filigree arches with Year of the Rooster medallions will hang between the lobby's columns. Upon check-in, guests will be greeted by custom, ceramic children dressed in traditional Chinese garb on each side of the Front Desk along with floral décor.

Park Theater at Monte Carlo

The Strip's newest entertainment venue, Park Theater at Monte Carlo, will celebrate Lunar New Year with a performance by Chinese pop rock group Band of Brothers on Sunday, Jan. 29. Each member of the band, Edmund Leung, Richie Jen, William So and Steve Wong, has had a career spanning over two decades, releasing more than 80 albums combined. The group name was selected as a representation of the qualities each of the band members possesses as a true man - career, personal life and family life.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Band of Brothers' one-night-only performance range from $78 to $208, including applicable fees. For more show and ticket information, visit ParkTheaterLV.com.

Culinary Specialties

Honoring the Year of the Rooster, select MGM Resorts International restaurants are celebrating with specialty menus and authentic cuisine from the Far East.

Bellagio

• The Buffet will offer a Holiday Gourmet Brunch January 27-29, 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. for $35.88 per person and a Holiday Gourmet Dinner 3-10 p.m. for $45.99 per person. Menu items include a Caviar station, Teriyaki Salmon, Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb and Kalbi Beef Brisket.
• Jasmine will feature a Dim Sum Buffet January 28 - February 5, 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. for $68.88 per person.
• Noodles will offer a special menu Jan. 28-30, which will include Braised Pork Feet with Lettuce, Double Boiled Chicken Soup with Abalone & Herbs and Hua Tiao Crispy Chicken. The restaurant's hours will be extended to 11 a.m. - 4 a.m. January 28 - February 5 for the holiday and will offer its regular menu, including Dim Sum.

ARIA

• Blossom will welcome guests for lunch and dinner with a special Lunar New Year Lucky menu January 28 - February 5, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 - 10:30 p.m., featuring signature dishes such as Cantonese Style Fried Chicken, Chilled Braised DucK Wings and Pan Fried Shrimp.
• barMASA and Tetsu will offer holiday menu items during regular operating hours 5-10 p.m. January 28 - February 5, including Live Lobster Sashimi, Santa Barbara Live Prawn and Live Alaskan King Crab.
• Blossom, barMASA and Tetsu also will feature the popular spirit, Baijiu Colada, for the holiday. Baijiu Colada is made with Moutai Pure Joy, Coconut, Passion Fruit, Ginger and Lime. Baijiu, a distilled spirit from Sorghum with a rich, potent floral aroma, is a traditional beverage dating back 1,000 years with rich roots in culture and celebration.

MGM Grand

• The Grand Wok and Sushi Bar will offer a Lunar New Year menu, January 27 - February 5, featuring Pan Fried Filet Mignon, Braised Sea Bass, Broccoli with Crab Meat Gravy and more. Specialty cocktails, such as Remy VSOP and Remy 1738 will be offered during this time. The Grand Wok also will be adorned in festive Lunar New Year decor and will be one of the stops during the hotel's dragon and lion dance.
• Hakkasan restaurant will celebrate the Year of the Rooster with a limited edition menu for $128 per person plus exclusive cocktails and desserts January 13 - February 11. The menu will include a traditional Chinese prosperity salad that is tossed together at the table in front of guests featuring roasted chicken, jellyfish and mooli. Other menu items include Braised Chilean abalone with wind dried oyster and gold leaf, Steam Dover Sole with pumpkin, Braised abalone with fat choy and dried oyster, deep fried sesame balls and the Golden feather, an innovative dessert featuring a ginger panna cotta, mandarin and caramelizEd White chocolate. Guests also will receive the Waltzing Collins cocktail featuring Asian spirits such as baijiu and sake.
• Hakkasan will provide entertainment in the form of a lion dance on Saturday, Jan. 28. Lion troupes will make their way through the intimate lattice woodwork cages, offering symbolic expressions of luck, fortune, wisdom and joy.

Mandalay Bay

• Noodle Shop will offer special menu items January 27 - February 1 complete with Pork Medallion glazed in Sweet and Sour Sauce, General Tso Chicken, Ginger Beef and Crispy Prawns tossed in Pineapple Sauce.

The Mirage

• Cravings Buffet will offer Lunar New Year menu items January 28 - February 5, 11 a.m. to close.

Monte Carlo

• Dragon Noodle Co. & Sushi Bar will offer guests a three-course menu on Saturday, Jan. 28, for $28.88 per person. The menu will feature Gong Hei Fat Choy - Braised Dried Oyster and Black Moss with Oyster Sauce, Haha Smile - Maila Clam with Black Bean Sauce and Budda Delight - Chinese Napa, Bean Thread, Black Fungus, Black Moss, Snow Peas and Chinese Mushroom.

Luxor

• Rice & Company will offer diners a festive four-course menu January 27-29, for $45 per person. The menu will include Egg Drop Soup, Half Peking Duck, Honey Glazed Walnut with Shrimp and Pumpkin Crème Brulee.

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