Welcome to The Happy Hours

A Different Kind of Las Vegas Night Out

By Chanelle Hayes-Sessions
Photography courtesy of Heather McHardy

Las Vegas local Heather McHardy felt there wasn’t a place for people her age to go out, dance, enjoy the music and have fun without the usual nightclub chaos.

So she created one herself.

McHardy is the founder of The Happy Hours, a monthly event launched in 2025 that’s built around throwback hits, earlier hours (7 to 11 p.m.) and a more relaxed nightlife atmosphere.

“I wanted somewhere to go,” McHardy told Chic Compass. “The only place where I felt like people actually wanted to dance instead of standing around on their phones was a country bar. And I’m not a country girl.”

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, McHardy worked as a professional dancer in Switzerland and Portugal before joining Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. She moved to Las Vegas nearly 20 years ago and now works in real estate, fitness instruction and entrepreneurship.

The idea for The Happy Hours came after a frustrating night out in Las Vegas shortly after the pandemic. “It was so packed that when I was crossing from one bar to the other, my feet literally left the floor,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘What am I doing in here?’ I couldn’t even see the DJ, let alone know what he was playing.”

That experience pushed her to rethink what a perfect night out could look like. “We needed a 35-and-up club,” she said. “Lower the volume a little, don’t pack the place and play music we all know and can sing along to.”

When McHardy first launched The Happy Hours, she experimented with different spaces around the city, including Electric Playhouse at Caesars Palace. “During the day, it was used for kids’ birthday parties, but the entire venue was a digital screen,” she said. “I told the manager, ‘We could turn this into a nightclub and make it whatever we want.’ That’s when I really started thinking bigger.”

Today, it rotates between venues, including Grey Witch in Henderson and Notoriety downtown, with DJs playing everything from Janet Jackson and Madonna to Bon Jovi and Green Day, along with hip-hop classics. McHardy, who is a Xennial (someone who falls between Generation X and millennials), said the playlists reflect the generation the events are built for. “We grew up listening to everything,” she said.

She added that the concept remains a pop-up for now, though she eventually hopes to open a permanent venue designed specifically for the events.

Upcoming events include June 12 at Grey Witch, July 11 at Notoriety, Aug. 8 back at Grey Witch and Sept. 26 at Notoriety.

For more information, visit thehappyhourslv.com.