Last Updated on October 9, 2026 by Cliche
Sin City certainly has had its hidden secrets, even to this day, but a four-day event is shedding some light on many of the little-known facts that helped to build the city into what it is today. From talking about escorts to what Elvis Presley wore while performing in Vegas to well known and loved Strip landmarks, Duck Duck Shed will not only educate visitors but also entertain them in a way only possible in Las Vegas.
The Blast chatted with a few involved in the four-day citywide event that takes place from October 23-26, 2026, including costume historian Karan Feder, who shares behind-the-scenes information about Elvis Presley’s closet, magician and author Lance Rich, designer and author Sean Adams, and many others.
From Showgirls To Casinos, Las Vegas History Comes Alive During This 4 Day Event
The fourth Duck Duck Shed is about to take over Las Vegas with fun panels, legendary wardrobes, and deep dives into some fascinating Sin City history from October 23 to 26, 2026.
This four-day citywide event hosted by The Neon Museum brings culture, arts, architecture, and history together for a fun and educational experience. This year’s series includes a peek at Elvis Presley’s legendary Las Vegas wardrobe, inside information from iconic Vegas showgirls, a deep dive into the evolution of the Strip, and much more.
Aaron Berger, executive director of The Neon Museum, shared exclusively with The Blast why this event is so important to the city’s history.
“Duck Duck Shed is dedicated to exploring Las Vegas’ architecture, design, and culture. Over five days, we’ll curate, produce, and present 40 individual programs that allow natives, locals, and visitors the chance to take a deeper dive into what makes Las Vegas one of the most identifiable and unique cities in the world,” Berger told The Blast. “What’s particularly special is that because the city is so young, we can still hear from the people whose fingerprints can be found throughout the city’s landscape.”
In previous years, Duck Duck Shed offered tours of Siegfried & Roy’s home, held panel discussions with Elaine Wynn and Roger Thomas, and explored the topic of casino carpeting. Last year’s events welcomed 5,000 people from four countries, 30 states, and large amounts of locals.
- Siegfried & Roy’s iconic sculpture calls The Neon Museum home.
- Explore vintage Vegas vibes at The Neon Museum.
- The Mob Museum shares insight into the hit movie “Casino” during the film’s anniversary year.
- The Mob Museum brings Vegas history to life.
‘Las Vegas Sells Dreams And Fantasies’
Jami Rodman, an author and former Las Vegas escort agency operator, feels there’s a chapter of Sin City’s history that’s often overlooked or has wild misconceptions swirling around it.
“There’s always been a double standard around companionship for hire in all its forms. The women have often been shunned for some of the same qualities people admire in other – independence, resourcefulness, and the ability to make a living on their own terms,” Rodman told The Blast. “I’ve seen that contradiction firsthand when I talk about Las Vegas history. When I talk about the mob, people are excited to share family stories. They speak a little louder and lean into the mythology. When I talk about madams and prostitutes, voices get quieter. People glance around before whispering that the family story was that grandma or aunt so-and-so ‘got by that way’ when she first came to America. It’s still hush-hush.”
Because of the stigma around the topic, numerous women’s stories have been lost. Many of the women lived “fascinating, complicated lives,” running businesses, surviving difficult circumstances, and helped to shape the communities they lived and worked in.
“Because of how they made a living, their history was never considered respectable enough to preserve,” she said. “I’m not sure that stigma will ever disappear completely. It takes courage to talk openly about this history, especially when you’ve lived it yourself. That’s one reason I share my story. If we leave these women out because their lives make us uncomfortable, we’re not telling the full history of Las Vegas.”
Ever Wonder What Was In Elvis Presley’s Closet?
If you’ve wanted to take a peek into what Elvis’ closet looked like, Karan Feder, costume historian and author of “Elvis: Dressed to Rock,” will be sharing newly uncovered stories from the Graceland archives and the history behind some of the King’s legendary stage wear.
Feder shared a peek at some surprising stories that she uncovered in the Graceland archives about Elvis’ style.
“In my study of Elvis’ stage wear between 1968 and 1977, it’s fascinating to correlate the fashionable trends of the era with specific design details that are seen on the entertainer’s costumes,” Feder told The Blast. “When asked about his inspiration, Elvis’ costume designer Bill Belew said, ‘A lot of the things I did for Elvis in the early days were things that I and other kids were wearing at that time.’ During the late 1960s and early 1970s, tunic suits, jumpsuits, and capes were trendy fashion catwalk offerings that featured decorative design details such as fringing and macrame. Belew incorporated these elements into his work for Elvis thus establishing Presley as a revitalized performer aligned with the fashion of youth culture.”
Feder shared that in January 1973, “a momentous development in the evolution of Elvis’ stage wear was revealed at Las Vegas’ International Hotel.” She said that this milestone “would effectively transform and define Elvis’ visual and cultural identity.”
When asked what piece in Elvis’ wardrobe best captured who he was, Feder said, “the seductive and edgy black leather suit” that he wore during the Comeback Special.
“Bill Belew’s design symbolized the visual direction for the next chapter of Elvis’ professional career – the Vegas era,” she said. “Most significantly, this striking black leather costume features the first of many proud Napoleonic collars that were a signature design element of the era’s Regency look in fashion.”
She added, “Graceland’s vice president of archives and exhibits exposed the importance of this costume with her statement, ‘This suit is insured for a million dollars!’”
Showgirls Helped Push Vegas From A Small Gambling Town Into The Entertainment Capital Of The World
While everyone always sees the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas showgirls, many aren’t aware of what it took to actually become one and perform in elaborate productions night after night. For some, the requirements alone are shocking.
Lou Anne Chessik, the founder and president of the Showgirl Legacy Foundation, told The Blast that the requirements to be a showgirl included being at least 5’8,” and trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance. You also had to work with props such as featured fans, capes, canes, and top has, as well as manage costumes that sometimes weighed up to 40 pounds.
“Make it through rigorous cattle calls of 100s of dancers auditioning and coming from all over the world, and the ability to pick up dance combinations,” she added. “We were the best of the best. It took great dedication and commitment to become a showgirl/dancer. Most of us started training at a very young age, I was 5, and grew up in the ballet studios and became too tall to be ballerinas.” Chessik added that she’s 6 feet tall, 6’6″ on pointe, and 6’3″ in heels.
Many showgirls worked six nights a week, with multiple shows some nights. They signed six month contracts with one week off every six months.
“We went to work while other people were sitting down to dinner, we worked weekends and holidays. During the day, we raised families, went to school, worked at conventions, in movies, and modeled,” she explained. “We celebrated birthdays backstage, played card games, and became family and friends forever.”
She shared that the costumes never left the showrooms. Many were made of Swarovski crystals, beads, exotic feathers, and fur.
“We were elusive, elegant, and classic. Went in and out the backstage door, past the elephants and Siegfried & Roy’s tigers, who started as a specialty act in the Stardust Lido de Paris, before they had their own show with dancers,” Chessik shared. “We dominated the Strip for five decades and set the standards for what and how the Cirque du Soleil shows are today.”
Many Other Duck Duck Shed Events In Las Vegas
With so many great events happening during Duck Duck Shed, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Steve Crupi, longtime TV journalist known as “The Implosion Guy,” will be speaking at “Boom-Town! Secrets from the Great Las Vegas Implosion Era.” Having witnessed and documented some of the city’s most famous implosions, he shared a behind-the-scenes story about Landmark exclusively with The Blast.
“The spaceship-like Landmark hotel was over engineered to be super sturdy, yet shockingly, there were no original blueprints of the tower available for implosion engineers to study,” he said. “After closely examining the top-heavy building, they were convinced the hotel would split vertically in two halves as it came down, but they were afraid the sections might fall in opposite directions, risking damage to nearby Paradise Road. Thus, they attached steel cables designed to make one side of the building ‘tug’ on the other as the implosion sequence unfolded, helping everything land safely in the optimal spot.”
Magician and author Lance Rich will be speaking at “NEON DREAMS: The Story of Las Vegas Magic.”
He shared a little insight into how Vegas went from being known for its casinos and big-name entertainers to becoming the “Magic Capital of the World.”
“The earliest days of entertainment in Vegas followed what I’d call a mid-century nightclub model; a chorus line of dancers would perform, followed by an opening act, and then the headliner. If the headliner was a singer, which they often were, those opening acts were often some sort of variety act.”
When asked about which magicians or illusionists played the biggest role in putting Vegas on the map as a magic destination, Rich named Doug Henning, David Copperfield, Penn & Teller, and David Blaine before bringing Siegfried and Roy into the chat.
“I may sound like a broken record here, but Siegfried and Roy changed the town,” he shared. “And they did it twice. The first time, they stepped out of a revue show into their own show. That’s a move Lance Burton would repeat a decade after Siegfried & Roy did it. But Siegfried and Roy’s opening at The Mirage was really a game changer for entertainment in Las Vegas, not just magic, but for all of entertainment.”
Carmen Beals, a curator focused on the history and legacy of Black Las Vegas, will be hosting “Curating Rhythm & Resilience: History, Art and Legacy in Black Las Vegas,” where she will be discussing the people, places, and cultural milestones that helped to shape the Historic Westside.
“What amazes me about Black Las Vegas is how a community facing segregation built such a vibrant cultural world of its own,” she said. “The Historic Westside had its own ‘Black Strip’ along Jackson Street, where entertainers who performed at Strip resorts gathered and performed, while boarding houses such as Genevieve Harrison’s Guest House, included as a safe haven for the Negro Motorist Guide, also known as the Green Brook, provided the accommodation those resorts denied them.”
She also shared that in 1955, the Moulin Rouge opened as the city’s first integrated hotel and casino. Heavyweight champion Joe Louis was a minority owner and host.
The Historic Westside was once a thriving center of Black culture, entertainment, and business, but its significance extended far and wide.
“During an era of segregation and limited opportunity, the Westside became an inspirational safe haven where African Americans could build lives, pursue employment and education, establish businesses, workship, socialize, and support one another,” she added. “Although segregation played a role in shaping the community’s development, the people of the Westside transformed those restrictions into a foundation for opportunity and self-determination. They created a community rooted in resilience, entrepreneurship, and collective advancement, lifting one another up despite the surrounding circumstances.”
But Wait…There’s More
Author, speaker, and international authority on architecture and the Las Vegas Strip, Stefan Al, will be hosting “From The Mirage to Sphere: The Evolution of the Las Vegas Strip and What’s Next.”
“Since its beginnings in the 1940s, the Las Vegas Strip has been one of America’s most consequential laboratories of architectural experimentation,” he told The Blast. “Driven by relentless competition and vast budgets, developers have outdone one another with even more ambitious resorts – each striving to be the biggest, boldest, and most immersive.”
He explained that no other resort marked a “sharper turn in the Strip’s trajectory than The Mirage.” The $630 million resort opened in 1989. The eight-story volcano spewing pina colada scented flames sat in front of the most expensive casino-resort.
“Inside, Wynn also built an interior jungle, underneath a 90-foot-high glass dome,” he said. “He was breaking the taboos against bringing natural light and calm into a casino. From then on, casinos no longer fought for car traffic, but for pedestrians. To everyone’s surprise, The Mirage turned out to be highly successful and profitable.”
Al shared that The Mirage kickstarted what came to be called the “Mirage phase,” drawing a new demographic to Sin City.
“From The Mirage to the Sphere, the Las Vegas Strip has engineered spectacle and world-building at a scale unmatched anywhere else,” he added. “It remains the proving ground for where hospitality and entertainment go next.”
Sean Adams, internationally recognized designer and author, will be hosting “How Design Makes Us Think: Las Vegas.”
He shared some insight into how architecture, lighting, color, and graphic design work together to shape the way visitors experience Sin City.
“Most cities are made of concrete, glass, and steel in a neutral grey palette. Las Vegas is the opposite, a magnificent spectacle of color, light, material, and shapes,” he said. “There are so many reasons this appeals to visitors beyond the uniqueness. First, as human beings, we are drawn to movement, bright colors, and pleasing shapes. These evolutionary traits kept us alive when looking for the movement of a lion in the brush, identifying the ripe berries and fruit, and making aesthetic judgments to attract mates or improve life.”
He added that “bigger is more than better in Vegas,” saying that the “sense of largeness, bigger than life, encourages the visitor to engage, think big, do more, and spend.”
When asked his thoughts on the design choices that work particularly well in Vegas, he started with The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and moved onto Caesars Palace, calling it “genius.” He also mentioned The Venetian and Paris Las Vegas as “amazing examples of fiction and reality.”
For more information on Duck Duck Shed, visit the website.
The Why A Former Madam And Showgirl Are Gathering To Expose Las Vegas’ Darkest Secrets first appeared on The Blast
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