Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?
Alice: I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.
― Tim Burton
If you’re not into sports and you’re still looking for madness, we’ve got you covered 365 days a year — even more so this March. There is SO much going on, it’s crazy pants. And the upcoming months are going to be jam-packed as well, so let’s get it started, uh-huh, oh yeah…
Recurring events
These will be here every month. Some of them will change their lineups, but make no mistake, they are always 100% worth your time.
Mondays: 7 p.m., Bella da Ball calls Bingo at King’s Highway followed by trivia at 9 p.m. At 6’4”, Bella is not only the most visible drag queen in Palm Springs, but she’s (arguably) our first lady (although no one will argue with you on that).
Oscar’s — A myriad of different entertainers, including a couple of fun plays this month on Thursdays and Fridays.
The Purple Room — Free shows Tuesday-Thursday, ticketed on weekends. Sundays: THE JUDY SHOW IS BACK!!!!!!
PS Air Bar — Dressed up like the inside of an airplane, they have good food and entertainment to boot. It’s an experience.
Drink up at PS Air. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs
PS Underground — This is unlike anything you will ever find anywhere. From the wickedly creative mind of producer Michael Fietsam and the culinary genius of Dave Horgan, you will never be disappointed.
Cascade Lounge at the Agua Caliente Casino in downtown Palm Springs. Terrific space, great spot for comedy and our very own Jazzville.
PS Art Museum — Thursdays are free from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Thursday’s Village Fest — It’s like the tram. You gotta go at least once.
V Wine Lounge — The second Sunday of every month is the ladies T Dance. This began in February, and at the time of this typing is the only consistent lesbian party in Palm Springs. V Wine Bar is absolutely gorgeous inside, and also has a HUGE patio. A great place to start or end an evening in Palm Springs.
Historical Tours at Palm Springs Historical Society — SO many to choose from and absolutely worth the price.
MOGO Silent Disco — Use code “pspsh10” at checkout for a 10 percent discount!
Desert Tasty Tours — Full disclosure, I am one of the tour guides on the five-stop food tasting historical tour. It’s hella fun, especially for me.
Limited events
March 1: Dezart Performs: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecological Oncology Unit at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City
March 1-5: Palm Canyon Theatre: The Scarlet Pimpernel
March 1-5: CVRep: Once
March 3-5: LGBTQ Days Cathedral City including LGBTQ Days Cathedral City Bed Race
March 5: Palm Springs Vintage Market
You never know what you’ll find at the Palm Springs Vintage Market. Photo by Katy Carrier
March 17-28: Palm Canyon Theatre: Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got The Will
March 17-23: Fashion Week El Paseo
March 18: Red Dress Party at Palm Springs Air Museum (it’s a cool place during the day too!)
March 19: Alohana: A Palm Springs Celebration of Tiki Culture
March 24-25: Palm Desert Food & Wine Festival
March 4-May 7: Desert X 2023
March 26: South Palm Canyon Art Collective Sunday Soiree
Upcoming events alert!
April 14-16 and April 21-23: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. If you need a room, we’ve got you.
Sept. 20-24: The Dinah. For party details, click here.
Palm Springs Cultural Center (This is also known as the Camelot Theatres)
The state-of-the-art theater was built in 1967, with the original screen fabricated in England and specially designed for the Camelot — with a curvilinear width of 68*4 feet, installed on a 120-degree arc, you’re not going to miss a thing. But wait, there’s more. They not only play current releases (blockbuster and niche) and films that are often LGBTQ+ forward, but they get creative with their programming as well. Don’t go anywhere, I’m not done.
There is a restaurant called Mildred’s (named after the character Mildred Pierce), two theater companies (Desert Ensemble Theatre and The Bent), name acts on the main stage, and local favorites in the upstairs lounge. If they had a hotel you wouldn’t have to go anywhere. And I didn’t even mention the farmer’s market and vintage fair! There’s so much going on, I’m dedicating the last bit of this month’s blog to their calendar.
Sundays: Keisha D, Soulful Sundays, Relive the heyday and hits of Motown with soul and jazz legend Keisha D.
Mondays: Mon Petit Salon. Tour the world with violin virtuoso Jeremie Levi Samson and guests.
Tuesdays: Jazz on the Second Floor. Join Leanna and the Jazz Collective for Latin and straight-ahead jazz.
Wednesdays: The Mod Squad. Join Francesca Amari, Jeff Stewart, and Wayne Abravanel for Mod Pop.
Leanna & The Jazz Collective. Photo courtesy of the Palm Springs Cultural Center
Film
March 2: PS Rewinds: Terry Gilliam — Brazil
March 3: Fellini Retrospective — Juliet of the Spirits
March 4: Desert Film Society — Carol of the Bells (Ukraine/Poland)
March 5: Screwball Sundays — It Happened One Night
March 8: Movies In The Park — Gigi
March 11: Desert Film Society — The Night of the 12th (France/Belgium)
March 11-12: The Rocky Horror Picture Show — Coachella Valley Shadow Cast Auditions
March 12: Screwball Sundays — Bringing Up Baby
March 17: PS Rewinds: Terry Gilliam — The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
March 19: Screwball Sundays — The Thin Man
March 21: Among Friends Interactive — Sister Act
March 22: Movies In The Park — How to Marry a Millionaire
March 24: New York Dog Film Festival + Benefit
March 25: Desert Film Society — More Than a Roll With a Hole
March 26-29: Jewish Film Festival
March 30-April 3: American Documentary Film Festival
Note: Screwball Sundays is a new film retrospective series featuring classic screwball comedies shown as Sunday matinees, March 5 through June 18.
“The Thin Man” is part of the new Screwball Sundays series. Photo courtesy of the Palm Springs Cultural Center
Live music
March 6: Sand, Stars, and Guitars — Special Consensus
March 9: Razzle Dazzle: A Broadway Revue
March 13: Glenn Miller Orchestra
March 21: CV Philharmonic Society Chamber Series: Early Music
March 23: Razzle Dazzle: A Broadway Revue
Outdoor markets
Saturdays: Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market
Sundays: Palm Desert Certified Farmers’ Market
Theatre
March 10-12, 17-19: Desert Ensemble Theatre Company: Kafka’s Joke
March 2-4: The Bent: Gently Down the Stream
March 7 and 14: The Bent: The Lincoln Debate
March 24: PS Dance Project — Communities’ Finest
March 26: L-Fund Grant Comedy Series: Robin Tyler
That’s it for March! Don’t forget to shop and stay local. See you for more madness next month!
