LAS VEGAS -- Las Vegas is welcoming in the New Year the only way the city knows how -- with a bang. 2011 began in the skies with a fireworks display called Party -- Las Vegas. Fireworks were shot off the rooftops of seven Las Vegas Strip resorts.
The Las Vegas Strip closed to traffic to accommodate the big party.
"I think it's going to be the greatest year in Las Vegas history and we're going to have fireworks that's going to be the introduction to prosperity in southern Nevada," said Mayor Oscar Goodman.
Downtown, Mayor Goodman led a countdown underneath the giant video canopy of the Fremont Street Experience, touching off a combined display of live and video fireworks.
The eight minute, six second program was put on by Grucci and consisted of more than 49,000 effects that lit up the first minutes of the New Year.
The pyrotechnics combined with glittering flash bulbs and bright neon to light up the cold night sky as the joyous crowd welcomed the first moments of the new year early Saturday.
The only damper on the night was the weather. Temperatures fell below freezing around midnight.
Tourism officials expected 320,000 to celebrate the new year in Sin City.
Las Vegas police reported a quiet night with only a handful of arrests for DUI.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
