Image: Neon Museum, Paris
The Neon Museum has announced that its annual Duck Duck Shed citywide conference will run October 23 to 26, 2026, with a Friday program focused on Las Vegas magic history and illusion making. The conference, which is presented by the museum and unfolds across multiple locations around Las Vegas, is built around talks, tours, panels, and behind-the-scenes access rather than a single-venue format.
According to the program materials, Duck Duck Shed is centered on Las Vegas architecture, design, and the city’s evolving built environment. The event’s website describes it as an annual cultural experience that uses museums, casinos, galleries, and entertainment venues as part of a broader look at the city itself. The 2026 edition includes a Friday lineup at the California Hotel & Casino’s Pikake Room, plus other events at sites including The Neon Museum, the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, and Main Street Station.
The opening day’s ‘Magic in Las Vegas’ sessions place the city’s long relationship with spectacle front and center. Magician and author Lance Rich will present ‘Neon Dreams: The Story of Las Vegas Magic’, a multimedia talk that explores how Las Vegas became associated with magical performance, from early nightclub acts and Parisian revues to headliner shows. The program notes that Rich’s book, ‘Neon Dreams: The Story of Las Vegas Magic’, will be available for sale at the event through the author, and that a signing will take place immediately after the discussion.
Also on Friday, the conference will feature ‘The Man Behind the Magic: Bill Smith on Five Decades of Illusion Building’. The session spotlights Bill Smith, identified in the program as a Las Vegas illusion designer who has spent more than 50 years helping create stage illusions. The description says Smith turned his interest in wonder, mechanics, and showbiz secrets into Bill Smith’s Magic Ventures, a workshop in Las Vegas, and that since 1979 he has built custom magic for a wide range of performers, including David Copperfield, Harry Blackstone, Lance Burton, Penn and Teller, and Doug Henning.
The broader 2026 program underscores Duck Duck Shed’s mix of scholarship and access. The website says attendees can expect expert panels, author talks, behind-the-scenes access, public art exploration, walking tours, and culinary events. It also frames the conference as “citywide,” with programming intended to turn Las Vegas into the classroom by connecting architecture, entertainment, and lived experience through site visits and first-person storytelling.
Beyond the magic-focused talks, Friday’s schedule also includes an UNLV Architectural Collage Competition at the California Hotel & Casino, a walking tour titled ‘Curating the City: A Walking Tour of the Aria Fine Art Collection’ with Michele C Quinn, and ‘Elvis: Dressed to Rock – The Hidden History of the King’s Closet’ with costume historian Karan Feder at Westgate. Later that evening, Duck Duck Shed will open with a kickoff party at Main Street Station’s Pullman Room, while The Neon Museum will host ‘Movie Night at The Neon Museum’ as part of the conference offerings.
The Neon Museum describes itself as a nonprofit founded in 1996 and says its mission is to illuminate the cultural essence of Las Vegas through iconic signage, diverse collections, and stories that define the city’s past, present, and future. Duck Duck Shed 2026 is scheduled for October 23-26, with the program listing venues across Las Vegas.
