On Thursday, July 16, a vibrant parade honored over 100 female Winter Olympians and Paralympians, momentarily halting traffic on the Strip. The pinnacle of “SHE Weekend,” this event was orchestrated by rapper and long-time Las Vegas resident Flavor Flav in tribute to the U.S. women’s hockey team, which clinched gold.
The initiative sparked from a social media post by Flavor Flav in February. After President Donald Trump made a dismissive remark regarding the invitation for the gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team to the White House, Flav took to X, advocating for “a true celebration” for the team, who triumphed against Canada 2-1 in an exhilarating overtime match in Milan.
With the generous backing of MGM Resorts, the Palms, StubHub, Delta and Alaska airlines, among others, the event transformed into a weekend full of activities at various resorts, marking a jubilant occasion that caused Las Vegas Boulevard to be temporarily closed.
“I want young girls to see these athletes achieving their dreams, and I want them to understand that if these accomplished athletes can succeed, then they can too,” Flav expressed to the media prior to the celebrations. “I hope every little girl becomes a fighter. Never give up, because if you do, failure is guaranteed.”
Leading the parade on foot, Flav walked down the Strip from just north of Park MGM to Bruno Mars Way, where a celebratory parade took place in April 2026 for its renaming. The Raiders, Golden Knights, and Aces joined the procession, reflecting the city’s growing support for women’s sports.
Attendance was estimated at around 10,000, with nearly 6,000 spectators along the parade route.
Ending at a stage set up at Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena, Clark County officials awarded the Olympians ceremonial keys to the Strip, while attendees enjoyed a free concert headlined by Flavor Flav’s rap group, Public Enemy.
Hayley Scamurra, a player for the U.S. women’s hockey team who recently joined Las Vegas’ Professional Women’s Hockey League, expressed her gratitude to Flav, stating: “I don’t think you could have ever anticipated this, honestly, because we’ve never witnessed anything like it, and it’s about time women receive the recognition they merit.”
Although Team USA captain Hillary Knight, who recently became the record holder for the most Olympic goals in U.S. women’s ice hockey history with 15, was unable to attend, as she was at the Time100 Sports Gala in New York.