Bourbon Parade Closes at Grand Bazaar Shops After One Month

By Scott Roeben, on November 21 2023
2 min read 6 comments
Las Vegas

“Cue the sad trombone” has rarely been more appropriate or more of an understatement.

Bourbon Parade (formerly Bourbon Street Parade), a New Orleans-inspired bar in Grand Bazaar Shops is closing after operating for slightly more than a month.

The bar opened Oct. 19, 2023 and will close Nov. 21, 2023.

Somebody please do a wellness check on that woman.

A question springs to mind: Who opens a venue in Las Vegas without at least six months of operating capital?

In layperson’s terms: “WTF were they thinking?”

The lack of marketing budget and acumen, coupled with terrible P.R., doomed the venue from the start.

Bourbon Parade had big dreams, hiring 50 New Orleans-style musicians out of the gate.

Dibs on these shaker things!

Here’s how the venue was described, “The first-of-its-kind destination will feature all-day, every-day live New Orleans music, a cocktail program deeply rooted in NOLA heritage and a lively, ‘come-as-you-are’ atmosphere celebrating New Orleans’ beloved traditions.”

In other words, the concept seemed a perfect fit for Las Vegas. Live music and copious booze.

The opening felt forced and awkward, with more employees joining the “second line” parade than guests.

Ultimately, a strong concept does not a successful bar make. Especially in the Grand Bazaar Shops. Just ask Redneck Riviera. Here’s where the place sat.

And we’re pretty sure Bourbon Parade was built in the space formerly home to the only Starbucks in North America to have ever closed.

Grand Bazaar Shops are, of course, sort of a mutant third leg extending from the Horseshoe casino.

We’re told exclusively Caesars Entertainment tried to buy out the Grand Bazaar Shops lease to make the ugliness stop, but to no avail.

There is some hope, such as it is, as Ole Red and Bottled Blonde are being built along the Las Vegas Strip at the flea-market-style shopping mall.

It remains to be seen if those new venues can give Grand Bazaar Shops a lift.

Fun fact: It took longer to build the Bourbon Parade Web site than the place was open. Agreed, “fun” might not be the appropriate term.

There’s no word yet on what might replace Bourbon Parade, but we trust it will involve someone with money to burn.