When it comes to a holiday weekend, Vegas pulls out all the stops. The three-day Memorial Day weekend is no exception. New pools, hot entertainment, bouts between UFC fighters and nightlife abound. Take your pick of these exciting events taking place all over Sin City this weekend.

When you’re dealt cards adding up to 11 in blackjack, you should double down. When you’re the Hard Rock Hotel, you double down by upping the ante in the pool area. The new HRH Beach Club nearly doubles the pool area to five acres. The upgrade is all part of a $750 million expansion the resort completed in December.

Get out of the house and into the garden while you can still stand the heat. While Vegas may be in the middle of the desert, it contains oases of lush gardens filled with native plants that create a visual feast. Here’s a look at the Haute 5 parks and gardens in Las Vegas.

Maybe your Memorial Day weekend plans don’t involve a trip to Italy, but you can still sample a taste of the foods and wines of Umbria. Panevino Ristorante plans to highlight the region this Thursday, May 27, during its monthly wine dinner.

Architect Frank Gehry has a habit of taking his designs and turning them into works of art. This past weekend, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health opened its doors to the public near downtown Las Vegas, and paired with the gridlike design of the building comes a collection of jewelry at Tiffany & Co. inspired by the structure.

A project that originally started back in 2006 is finally getting its legs under it and plans to open by March 2011. Tivoli Village at Queensridge, a mixed-use urban lifestyle development on the corner of Rampart Boulevard and Alta Drive, announced some of its planned tenants, including several restaurants, a boutique, a spa and a children’s play area.

Get your best jump shots ready to go head-to-head with the coaches of the Mountain West Conference when the American Cancer Society comes to the Palms May 23. Since 1993, Coaches vs. Cancer, founded by the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, has generated more the $25 million for the American Cancer Society.

Small plates get a rock and roll vibe now that Johnny Smalls has opened at the Hard Rock Hotel. Consider it your no-hassle approach to dining with no reservations, no sequence of service, no entrees and naturally no problems.

Best in Show has become a tradition here in Vegas. But this American Kennel Club-style dog show isn’t the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden with its purebreds. This version benefits the Animal Foundation’s Lied Animal Shelter and the stars of the show are some 60 dogs from the shelter hoping to find new homes.