Natalie M. from California was the winner of the Propeller experience to "Win a VIP Trip To A Big Beautiful Block Party in Las Vegas" that took place in September 2024. Below are some of Natalie's highlights from the experience.
I was so excited when a friend introduced me to Propeller- what a great idea to combine donations and activism with prizes to stir up community support on a single website. I set up a recurring donation to the Human Rights Campaign in order to enter the sweepstakes for A Big Beautiful Block Party in Las Vegas and honestly had a hard time believing the email was real when I won. Two VIP tickets to the concert as well as airfare, lodging, and a rideshare credit for myself and a guest.
We were in for an amazing weekend! I had gotten married a few months earlier and, in a completely random full-circle moment, my husband and I had actually started dating shortly after attending Life is Beautiful in 2017. With him as my obvious plus one, we packed our bags and set out for Vegas.
This year, the Big Beautiful Block Party was in the Arts District of Las Vegas. We stayed in a super cute hotel and discovered that the Arts District has a very active food scene. Before the festival on Friday and Saturday, we tried some great restaurants and I had a lychee cocktail that was a highlight of the weekend.
And because we were in Vegas, we had to hit at least one casino! No big wins overall (we lost $40 and called it quits), but I did win $17 at one slot machine and that felt like sort of a victory.
The festival itself was great: with our VIP wristbands we never waited in line to get in, and had access to a special viewing area that gave us up-close access to the stage. Even up front, there was plenty of space so, 90 degree weather aside, we danced our hearts out. On Saturday, Justice and Jamie XX put on an amazing performance. By the end of the night, I was exhausted, sweaty, and so happy to return to our super comfy hotel room.
Saturday was the night for live instruments. Thundercat, Jungle, and BadBadNotGood blew us away. Another night of no lines and easy access to the stage. There was also an area in the VIP section with grass, so when our legs finally got tired during headliner LCD Soundsystem, we were able to sit back, take a little break, and still soak in the performance. It was the perfect time to recharge so we were ready to dance again when Peggy Gou came out to wrap up the weekend.
We had such an awesome weekend and are so grateful to Propeller for organizing everything and bringing together the community in support of so many important causes!
- Natalie M.
