By james art As the story goes, the iconic 40-foot Vegas Vic neon sign on Fremont Street was getting lonely, so it was only natural that it would have a partner.
Michael Green, UNLV professor and chair of the history department, said Vicki, a 25-foot neon kicking cowgirl was erected in 1980 for obvious reasons. Vegas Vic was first erected in 1951 outside The Pioneer Club and Vickie was partially created to offer Vic a girlfriend.
“Well poor Vic was getting lonely,” Green said. “And (she) was put over a place called Girls of Glitter Gultch, and there was a casino nearby called Sassy Sally, so sometimes she was called Sassy Sally.”
It wasn’t until 1994 that Vicki “married” Vegas Vic, Fremont Street’s famous “Howdy Partner” cowboy who smoked, waved and at one point talked to passing tourists.
According to Jesko, a Salt Lake City sign restoration company that restored the Vicky in 2020, it was originally designed by sign designer Charles Barnard, and then in 2016 Circa Resort & Casino owner Derek Stevens bought the sign and moved her to their facility.
Jeff Young, executive vice president of Yesco said giving Vickie a touch-up was a special project for them.
“The restoration work Yesko did to the Vegas Vicky in 2020 was about more than just restoring her neon glow, it was about preserving an iconic piece of Las Vegas history,” he said. “Four years later, it’s still rewarding to see how it has become a beloved Circa venue, continuing to connect generations of visitors to the essence of vintage Vegas.”
There’s already a Vegas Vicky cocktail lounge at Circa, where she lives, and since she’s no longer located near Vegas Vic, Green said he’s not sure if they’re still connected.
“I don’t know if they’re divorced or if it’s a trial breakup or a traveling relationship,” he said with a laugh. “So they’re both still around, but certainly now different from their original intentions.”
Contact Patrick Blennerhassett at [email protected].