Art-Wrapped Double-Decker Bus Launches Chinatown Art Crawl in Las Vegas

Clark County and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) unveiled a custom art-wrapped double-decker bus at Chinatown Plaza on Thursday, marking the start of the official Chinatown Art Crawl.

The 9:30 a.m. ceremony took place along Spring Mountain Road. The bus is a mobile public art piece designed by local artist Loisse Ledres, and its wrap includes visual elements that point to the public art installations already completed across the corridor. Organizers said the project is meant to promote cultural tourism in the district.

County Commissioner Justin Jones attended the dedication along with representatives of the Clark County Redevelopment Agency, the Clark County Public Arts Office and the Department of Community and Economic Development. Angela Castro, the RTC's deputy chief executive officer, and Ledres also took part, together with community partners.

Jones said public art is central to making the area welcoming. "We want to make sure that this has a look and feel that is inviting, and artwork, public art is really a huge part of that," he said, adding that it helps both visitors and locals who are in Chinatown daily "really feel the experience that is Las Vegas Chinatown."

After the unveiling, a guided tour of the open-air art along the Spring Mountain corridor was scheduled, according to event organizers. The tour highlights the work of 13 Las Vegas-based Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander artists. They were tasked with connecting residents and visitors to the art and stories of the AANHPI communities that have helped shape Southern Nevada. All of the pieces are on Spring Mountain between Torrey Pines Drive and Decatur Boulevard.

Ledres's bus design is titled Chinatown Day and Night. It draws on the time she spends in the district from sunup to sundown, with snacks and claw machines by day and ramen and karaoke by night.

An immigrant from the Philippines, Ledres said the project gave her a chance to share her own story. "It's honestly a full circle moment," she said, recalling that she moved to the United States at age 11 and experienced significant culture shock. She said Chinatown districts in cities across the country felt like "a second home," and that contributing to the community of people like her in Las Vegas, for locals and visitors alike, "feels really special."

The tour route covers more than 60 public murals and decorated utility boxes created through the Chinatown Mural Art Project and the ZAP! Spring Mountain initiative. Both are part of the county's Inspiring Spring Mountain Redevelopment Plan.

Transportation officials said public boarding for the guided bus tour after the ceremony was subject to limited capacity.