"We're all very excited," said Caley, a bartender at Nevada Palace for 24 years. "Hope there is a big crowd."

The second hotel-casino for Cannery Casino Resorts, the $250 million Eastside Cannery is replacing the demolished Nevada Palace, which stood south of Sam's Town since 1977.

On Wednesday afternoon she was one of hundreds of employees -- the hotel-casino has hired 1,100 employees -- throughout the property arranging inventory, checking slot machines, preparing hotel rooms or working in the kitchen in anticipation of tonight's opening.

Caley, who is one of 250 former Nevada Palace employees who made the transition to the new property, was arranging the extensive liquor inventory for the main casino bar, Pin-Up Bar.

"I've spent the past couple week training on the new programs," Caley said. "Now, we're just arranging the inventory, getting ready."

The public opening gets under way with live music from a band of impersonators of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., in the Marilyn's Lounge.

At 10 p.m., disco band Super Boogie will take the stage to entertain the crowd.

The hotel-casino is forgoing a fireworks show, instead focusing on keeping the crowd inside the casino entertained.

The Eastside Cannery features a 16-story hotel tower with 307 rooms, a 65,000-square-foot casino with 2,187 slot machines and 26 table games, and a 20-square-foot ballroom with meeting spaces. The hotel-casino also will have a 450-seat bingo hall, six restaurants, and a pool, spa and sports book.

Contact reporter Arnold M. Knightly at aknightly@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893.