DALLAS -- The sheer star power headed to Dallas for Super Bowl week should help thaw some of the ice that has blanketed the area.
Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are expected. Garth Brooks is slated to participate in a football camp for kids. Pamela Anderson is putting on a party with Playboy models. Prince, Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, Duran Duran and Kid Rock are among those performing at events leading up to the big game. Diddy is having a big bash. Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora is having a fashion show featuring the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.
Even the Black Eyed Peas will play party hosts before performing at halftime Sunday.
And that's just for starters.
"I must say, it will probably be quite a festive occasion for those who are die-hard fans for either team," said Grammy nominee Cee Lo Green, who will be performing Saturday at the Axe Lounge. "I myself am going down for a different capacity. I'm going to perform, be a star and be sexy.
"I'm not necessarily going down as a sports fan, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it, because I'll be safe and secure in a skybox somewhere, checking out the game."
Usually temperate Dallas was hit by a massive storm blanketing much of the country this week. Temperatures were hovering in the 20s and 30s but were expected to warm to at least the 50s for Sunday's game.
It's a far cry from the balmy weather in Miami, where the Super Bowl was held last year. But Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio from MTV's reality phenomenon "Jersey Shore" said he expects the party situation to be just as hot in Dallas as it was in South Beach.
"I've been to Texas before, and they party just as hard as Miami, and they know how to have a good time, so I'm looking forward to partying in Dallas," he said.
He plans to hit a few parties as well, which will make his famous "T-shirt time" a challenge.
"It's tough, it's tough!" he said. "So what you do you switch up your T-shirts in between events, so you have a T-shirt time in between each party."
Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran said he's always enjoyed Dallas, too, but the icy weather that greeted him when he arrived Tuesday night from London was a bit of a surprise.
"I've been to Dallas so many times, and it's only ever been sweltering hot," he said. "It was quite a shock when we landed."
Rhodes will perform Thursday at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, just outside of Dallas, along with Kid Rock and Jason Derulo as part of the NFL's Fan Jam concert.
The cold is not expected to impact the scantily clad outfits expected at some of the more adult-oriented parties, like those sponsored by Maxim and Playboy. Former Playboy models and "Girls Next Door" stars Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt will also be in town, hosting a "Leather & Laces" bash Saturday night.
Said Madison: "Super Bowl parties are just always fun."
Maxim's expected guest list includes Chord Overstreet and Mark Salling of "Glee," Chris Brown, members of Maroon 5 (who also will be playing the Super Bowl pre-party Sunday), Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and Wyclef Jean.
Maxim editor-in-chief Joe Levy said the Super Bowl, being the "world's biggest man's event," fits right in with the men's magazine.
He said the party at Fair Park, where the Texas State Fair is held, will have not only its signature Ferris wheel and bumper cars, but also lots of gadgets from sponsor Motorola.
"I'm told everything is bigger in Texas, so we needed to go to the State Fair to have a party this big," he said.
While many of the parties are exclusive, invite-only soirees for A-list guests, some events are open to the public for a price -- often a high one. Prince will be performing Friday night for a fundraiser to benefit the Goss-Michael Foundation, founded in Dallas by British pop star George Michael and his partner, Texan Kenny Goss; tickets start at $1,500.
There also are plenty of opportunities for commercial branding. Express is setting up a gifting suite, and the Audi Forum Dallas will stage three events, with expected celebrities including Moore and Kutcher, Matthew Morrison of "Glee," Chace Crawford of "Gossip Girl," Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and his fiance, Candice Crawford -- a local TV reporter and Chace's sister.
Anderson will be the host of a Super Bowl party put on by Dallas-based Willis & Woy Sports Group, with several Playboy models set to attend the event.
"I'll probably run into a lot of friends," she said. "Everybody's there."
Pete Wentz, of on-hiatus rock band Fall Out Boy, is returning to the Super Bowl this year as part of the "Tweet Race" for Mercedes-Benz, in which he, Serena Williams, New York Yankee Nick Swisher and Rev. Run are coaching two-person teams trying to generate the most tweets for a charity.
Like many celebrities, he was not focused on Sunday's game (which is between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, by the way).
"To me, it's like everything around the game, because I don't know that much about sports," he laughed.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
