Thanks to the 100-year-old Salt Lake City-headquartered company YESCO, known for creating, repairing and maintaining internationally recognizable signs, the iconic Vegas Vickie sign has been restored, and can now be seen as the centerpiece of the brand-new, in downtown Las Vegas.
The 25-foot neon kicking cowgirl made her grand return on Oct. 28 in Circa’s lobby at her namesake bar, debuting a sparkling fresh makeover carried out by YESCO’s sign fabricating experts at their Las Vegas shop. The brightly colored sign went through an extensive restoration including new paint, new neon glass tubing and replacement of the motor that allows her to kick one leg up and down. Prior to restoration, the original sign was extremely faded. Because the client was adamant the sign appear as close as possible to the original version, YESCO initially created a painted, scale model so the client could approve the colors prior to restoration.
Vegas Vickie was designed by famous sign designer Charles Barnard and debuted in 1980 as a component of Fremont Street’s Glitter Gulch casino. In 1994, the sign made major headlines when she “married†her neon counterpart, Vegas Vic—Fremont Street’s famous “Howdy Pardner†cowboy.
With the goal of uniting old and new Vegas in never-before-seen ways at Circa Resort & Casino, owner Derek Stevens acquired the sign in 2016 with the intent to give Vickie a new home at the resort.
“We cannot be more excited about being a part of the restoration of Vegas Vickie and watching her kick her leg once again,†said Jeff Young, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, YESCO. “It’s gratifying to know our work will be viewed by visitors for years to come.â€
In addition to restoring Vegas Vickie, YESCO fabricated the new resort’s monumental exterior “Circa†signage and two large, curved “clamshell†canopies at the resort’s entrances.
More About YESCO
Celebrating its 100th anniversary, YESCO specializes in the manufacture of custom electric signs, sign maintenance, and out-of-home advertising. Additionally, the company has sign and lighting service franchises throughout North America and operates a sign financing business. Thomas Young founded the company in Ogden, Utah in 1920 after borrowing $300 from his father. YESCO began by offering wall painted advertisements, gold-leaf window lettering and coffin plates. Shortly after with the advent of the neon tube YESCO grew rapidly and was soon manufacturing, installing and servicing signs in Utah, Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, YESCO has locations throughout the United States and Canada. Experts at the company have designed, manufactured and installed some of the world’s most creative and iconic displays. From dazzling spectaculars on the Las Vegas Strip, to simple but elegant signage for corporate office buildings, YESCO creates award-winning displays for some of the most prestigious brands. Today, the second, third and fourth generations of the founder’s family continue the work of leading the company forward, maintaining the legacy of light that began 100 years ago. Follow on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. #YESCO100YEARS
