Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel in North Carolina Opens Dynamic New State-of-the-Art Event Center

CHEROKEE, N.C., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel unveils the Labor Day 2010 Weekend opening of its spectacular 3,000-plus seat Event Center making it the leading concert, events and entertainment venue in the region.

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Kicking-off the Opening Celebrations are performances by Hank Williams, Jr., on Friday, September 3, and Grammy and Academy of Country Music award-winning group Lady Antebellum on Saturday, September 4.  

Harrah's Cherokee management and executives, Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation Tribal leaders, VIP guests, dignitaries and media are in attendance for official ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

Hosting top-tier talent across all genres, including Country, Rock, Oldies, Pop, Comedy, as well as sporting events and production shows, the Event Center debuts as the preeminent site in the region for world-class entertainment.

Among the tri-level Events Center's assets are a banquet kitchen, VIP suites, box seating and balcony seats.  Modular seating may be used for VIP banquets, expos, conferences, sports programming and special events.  

The massive stage is framed by 32' HD resolution screens and boasts a top-of-the-line speaker system and the highest quality theatrical lighting available. 

Scheduled performances through 2010 include:  Crosby, Stills, and Nash (September 18); Paula Deen (September 25); Jason Aldean (October 3); Cirque Shanghai (October 9 & 10); Josh Turner (October 16); Larry the Cable Guy/2 shows (November 6); Dierks Bentley (November 27); and Gary Allan (December 11).

The $633 million expansion of Harrah's Cherokee is currently the largest hospitality development project underway in the Southeast and one of the largest in the U.S.. Upon completion in 2012, the 56-acre property will have added a third hotel tower, 3,000-plus seat Events Center, entertainment and VIP lounges, 18,000-square-foot spa, state-of-the-art digital poker room, Asian gaming room, retail outlets and new restaurants (Paula Deen's Kitchen, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, BRIO Tuscan Grille).  Sequoyah National Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 championship course offering privileged hotel guest access.  The property is also doubling the size of its casino floor to 195,000 square feet while increasing video and table game capacity.  

Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel is an enterprise of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, located 50 miles west of Asheville at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  

For information: (828) 497-7777, www.harrahscherokee.com.

SOURCE Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel