This is a guest article by Darryl D. McEwen, publisher of the Seven Stars Insider.
August is the last full month of “the season” in Atlantic City and there’s still lots to see and do.
- Jimmy Buffet and his Coral Reefer Band will headline a concert on the beach Aug. 13. The concert, which begins at 4 p.m., also will feature G. Love & Special Sauce. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
- Four days later on Aug. 17, the annual Atlantic City Air Show, “Thunder Over the Boardwalk,” takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event is free. Tip: Avoid some of the crowds and watch the show’s rehearsal the day before.
- If you’re looking for an indoor activity, the National Sports Collectors Convention is Aug. 3-7. For complete information, visit nsccshow.com.
- The Atlantic City Cider Social takes place at 6 p.m. Aug. 6 at Steel Pier Beach. For more information visit CiderSocial.com.
Some of these events could have a big impact on traffic and accommodations, so think about this when planning a visit.
Here are some “insider” tips about what’s happening at Atlantic City’s casinos:
Bally’s Atlantic City
Entertainment – While Bally’s no longer has a showroom, its Wild Wild West casino has bands every Friday and Saturday, and Bally’s Beach Bar has either a DJ or band every day.
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Entertainment – Artie Lange (Aug. 5), The Four Phantoms (Aug. 6 and 7), Kool & The Gang and Chaka Khan (Aug. 7), Leslie Odom Jr. (Aug. 13), Lady Antebellum (Aug. 14), Earth, Wind & Fire (Aug. 19 and 20), Kristin Chenowith (Aug. 19 and 20), Gladys Knight & The O’Jays (Aug. 21), ZZ Top & Gregg Allman Band (Aug. 26), Jim Gaffigan (Aug. 27), Hannibal Buress (Aug. 28). Every Thursday through Oct. 30 a new production of The Burlesque Show entertains guests in The Music Box. Tickets available at TheBorgata.com or call (866) 900-4TIX (4849).
Caesars Atlantic City
Entertainment – Recycled Percussion (Aug. 20 and 21). Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.
Golden Nugget Atlantic City
Entertainment – Aaron Neville (Aug. 6), Rick Springfield (Aug. 20), Andrew Dice Clay (Aug. 26).
Special Events – Wine & Jazz Reception Under the Stars (Aug. 26), International Winefest Grand Tasting (Aug. 27). Save $10 with code WIN01.
For show and event tickets visit the Golden Nugget box office, Ticketmaster.com or call (800) 736-1420.
Promotions – Earn entries daily through Sept. 4 to win a 2016 Tesla Model S. Five other finalists at the Grand Finale event that day will walk away with $1,000 in free play. Every Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. one winner will be selected every 30 minutes for a chance to win an automatic entry in the Grand Finale, cash or free play, multiple times entries for that day, or a gas card.
Harrah’s Resort
Promotions – Win your share of $250,000 in free play and cash Sept. 10. Earn entries into Harrah’s $250,000 Summer of Jackpots through 8 p.m. Sept. 10, but they must be activated between 11 a.m. and 8:45 p.m. Sept. 10. Drawings will take place hourly between 1 and 9 p.m. in the Diamond Cove.
Resorts Casino Hotel
Entertainment – Vinnie Talarico (Aug. 2, 14, 16, 17, 25, 28-31), ABBA The Concert (Aug.13), Lucy Arnaz (Aug. 20), Village People (Aug. 27). Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com.
Promotions – Earn entries through Aug. 28 for guaranteed sweepstakes to win a 2016 Mustang at 4 p.m. Aug. 28. On Mondays through Sept. 5 from 2 and 10 p.m. two winners every hour will enter the Cash Dash Money Machine and grab as much slot cash as they can. Every Tuesday through Aug. 30 there are slot tournaments from 2 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. Winners share $5,000 in cash and prizes each week. Every Thursday through Aug. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Bar One race rubber ducks to win gift certificates and show tickets. (There are similar races at Hard Rock Café on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. at Steel Pier’s Ocean Reef Bar.)
Finals will be held Aug. 20, with the grand finale Aug. 27. Every Friday through Sept. 2 from 2 to 10 p.m. play Explosions of Cash Zoom Ball to win slot play or $100,000 in cash. A $1 Million Beachball Bounce offers the chance to win $1 million daily through Sept. 24. Additional prizes and cash will be awarded, as well. Play free one time each day and play a second time after earning five tier points.
Tropicana Atlantic City
Entertainment – Creedence Clearwater Revisited (Aug. 5), KC and the Sunshine Band (Aug. 27). The family-friendly “Magique: Remixed” plays through Sept. 9 in the Tropicana Showroom. The show features large-scale illusions, close-up magic and elaborately, but modestly, costumed dancing showgirls.
Events – The Ninth Annual Taste of the Quarter takes place Aug. 22. Five new free Multimedia Sound & Light Shows on the Boardwalk are on view from 8:30 to 11 p.m. nightly through Sept. 10, followed on Saturdays by fireworks at 10 p.m.
Promotions – Earn five chances to win Tropicana’s $1 Million Big Spin Lotto every day through Sept. 18. Six Big Spin Lotto numbers will be chosen each day and announced every two hours between 1 and 9 p.m. in Palm Walk. Additional 11 p.m. announcements will be made on Fridays and Saturdays. Players who match all six numbers win $10,000 instantly plus a free spin on the Big Wheel for a shot at the $1 million top prize. Those matching fewer numbers will win between $25 and $1,000 in free play, in addition to a spin on the wheel.
Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort
Entertainment – Boston (Aug. 13), Rod Stewart (Aug. 27). Nik Wallenda’s Zircus performs through Sept. 2 in the Xanadu Theater. Described as a “thrilling variety show starring celebrated wire walker Nik Wallenda and an international troupe of circus performers,” the show combines “suspense, amazement and laughter.” Each show closes with a re-creation of the seven-person pyramid made famous by the Wallenda family. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.com.
Promotions – Select the winning ticket and win $1 million. Through Sept. 18 Trump One cardholders have five chances daily, with an additional drawing on Fridays and Saturdays. If you don’t win the million, other prizes include from $25 to $1,000 in slot play.
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Events September
The final summer beach concerts will feature the Zac Brown Band Sept. 1, Florida Georgia Line on Sept. 3, and Blink 182 with A Day To Remember and All Time Low on Sept. 5 (Labor Day). All concerts start at 4 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com.
The big event of the month is the Miss America Competition Sept. 11 at Boardwalk Hall. The finale is preceded by three nights of preliminaries Sept. 6, 7 and 8. The Miss America “Show Us Your Shoes Parade” takes place Sept. 10, rain or shine, on the Boardwalk. Step off is at 5 p.m. starting at New Jersey Avenue and ending at Albany Avenue. Tickets to the preliminaries, the parade and the final competition are available at Ticketmaster.com.
The Miss’d America Pageant, created as a spoof of the Miss America Pageant to raise funds for a local charity, takes place Sept. 24 at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. For more information visit www.acglbt.org.
That same day Big Brothers Big Sisters of Atlantic and Cape May Counties takes fundraising to new heights with Over the Edge, a unique fundraising event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 24. Over The Edge offers participants the opportunity to rappel down the 15-story Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel. Registration is limited to the first 90 participants who raise $1,000 or more. For more information visit OverTheEdge.com. There’s no charge to watch.
More from Seven Stars Insider:
How To Spend Your Summer In Atlantic City
Caesars Total Rewards | Seven Stars Insider: Here’s What You Can Learn
Darryl also writes a bi-weekly column, Mr. AC Casino, for the Atlantic City Weekly. A former professional journalist, based in Wilmington, Delaware, Darryl is president of his own consulting firm that manages several small national and international trade associations, and provides public relations and fundraising services for a number of charitable organizations.