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Modernism, Bikes, And Romance: February Events In Palm Springs

You guys!! We’ve got so much going on this month, it’s nuts! Modernism Week is happening, the Tour de Palm Springs is rolling in, Cupid’s priming their bow and arrow, and we are brimming with fun. It’s such a short month it’s beyond me how we’re going to fit all this in. So, let’s chat later, like in another post, or this will be TL;DR.

February events in Palm Springs

A red double-decker bus takes visitors around Palm Springs, California, during Modernism Week

One way to get around during Modernism Week is by double-decker bus. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

Feb. 2-4: Cinema Francais at Palm Springs Cultural Center

Feb. 3: PS Chapter February Monthly Paint Out, 8 a.m. to noon

Feb. 3 and 4: Twelve O’Clock Tales with Ava Gardner at the Revolution Stage Company 

Feb. 7 (recurring Wednesdays): Hunters —  Battle of the Houses, Drag Family vs. Drag Family, battling it out over eight weeks for $2,500 in cash, plus prizes and paid bookings.

Feb. 8 and 11: Intersect Palm Springs Art and Design Fair, Palm Springs Convention Center

Feb. 9 and 10: Vendor Expo, Tour de Palm Springs (see below)

Feb. 10: Tour de Palm Springs — The Tour de Palm Springs is one of the largest and most festive cycling charity events of its kind in the U.S., entertaining up to 10,000 cyclists from 46 different states and four countries. Since 1998, the Tour de Palm Springs has distributed nearly $4,000,000 to more than 150 local nonprofit organizations. Registration, routes

Feb. 10: Peter Bowen — Sand Stars & Guitars, Palm Springs Cultural Center

Feb. 10: Tribe Band — ’90s music at Palm Canyon Roadhouse, 535 South Palm Canyon Dr. (their website is a mess)

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day! Art Experience at Sunnylands: Leonore’s Roses, Stupid Cupid, Palm Springs Underground, Valentine’s Dinner at Copley’s, Valentine’s Dinner at Trio 

Feb. 15-25: Modernism Week — It’s a very big deal here in Palm Springs. So many events it’ll make your head spin. And it can be pricey. Wanna see if it’s your jam without paying the big $$? I got you. Free events here. 

Feb. 16-18: Palm Springs ’60s & ’80s Music and Scooter Show, Impala Bar & Grill

Feb. 17: Desert Drolleries — 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Palm Canyon Theatre. An interactive variety show, infused with dumb games, smothered with chill party vibes, resulting in one juicy, flavorful comedy show! 

Feb. 17: Rhythm and Jokes — Coachella Valley Green Dragon (Dispensary). Music, jokes, and smokes. Food too!

Feb. 17: Cheyenne Jackson at the Palm Springs Cultural Center

Feb. 24: Palm Springs Animal Shelter’s Desert Pet Walk. Starts in the Demuth Park area and ends at the shelter.

 Feb. 24: MegaWoof America — The Bear Fest at Reforma

Something new

Divas in the Dust — At The Sonoran. These are all drag shows, and it looks like they’re from P-Town. The venue is an event space, and it is stunning. Mountains, pool, tons of outdoor space. 

Play Lounge — They’re not new new. They’re kinda new. But their game night events are new!

Alice B — This is a unique dining destination from James Beard and Julia Child award-winning chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, located near downtown Palm Springs. The restaurant and bar are tucked inside the lobby of Living Out, a luxury resort-style LGBTQ+ community surrounded by spectacular desert and mountain views.

Entertainment venues

The front marquee at the Palm Springs Cultural Center

Welcome to the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Photo courtesy of the Palm Springs Cultural Center

Revolution Stage Company: Witchland (pre-Broadway run)

Palm Springs Cultural Center — Everything under one roof with plenty of free parking. Drinks, food, music, cinema, entertainment, and outdoor markets (on particular days)

Desert Ensemble Theatre — The Lifespan of a Fact

The Bent — The New Century

Palm Springs Underground — There’s nothing about the venue that isn’t creative. The food, the entertainment, the concept. Nothing else like it.

Dezart Performs — A Case for the Existence of God

Reforma — Great drag brunches.

Impala — They’re really stepping up their game with some fun events

Palm Canyon Roadhouse — It’s a rocker joint that goes a little country sometimes

The Purple Room — Ticketed shows (including The Judy Show) and nightly music with one of the best happy hours in town!

V Wine Lounge — Great entertainment, great food, fantastic venue. All mid-century modern. (Just a note before you go: she’s not real. You’ll get it when you get there.)

Tours

White windmills in front of a blue sky in Palm Springs, California

An iconic Palm Springs windmill farm. Photo by Nadine Conger

Desert Tasty Tours — A three-hour walking tour in the heart of downtown Palm Springs. Six restaurants. It’s a great time.

Palm Springs Historical Society — So many tours!! So many choices of how to tour!!

Five Star Adventure Tours — Do NOT click on the brochure. You’ll get a headache. But the tours are hella fun.

Windmill Tour — Get up close with a turbine from the safety of a vehicle (could be yours…)

Coming up!

Get your tickets for the Red Dress Party, which go on sale Feb. 14. The always sold-out Red Dress/Dress Red event is Saturday, March 16 at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Sponsored by the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.

In memoriam: RIP (maybe?) Surf Park, we hardly knew ye. 

 See you in March!

/by

November Events Guide: Welcome To Season In Palm Springs!

Season is officially here! We always kick off with a Halloween Party on Arenas, and then bang on into Pride, the biggest party of the year. 

The temperatures haven’t cracked 100 in a few weeks, and we’re about to dip into the 70s during the daytime and 40s or 50s at night. It’s the sweet spot of the fall. If you can, come experience the wonderful weather, and the great events that Palm Springs has to offer.

We try to keep everything local, just like our hotels. So by enjoying one of our hotels, eating in local restaurants, drinking in local bars, and purchasing goods from local shopkeepers, you’ll help keep their doors open for the next time you want to enjoy our little town.

A LOT is going on, so let’s get to it!

Recurring events you shouldn’t miss

People look at items for sale as night falls over the Village Fest street fair in Palm Springs

VillageFest vendors sell everything from handcrafted items to food. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

Thursdays — VillageFest from 6 to 10 p.m. (link has map). Parking might be tough, but not if you stay in one of downtown’s small resorts or hotels. You’re always within walking distance!

Purple Room — Live entertainment Monday through Thursday, no cover. Home to Sunday’s The Judy Show, Friday and Saturday are also ticketed events. Your delicious meal is on you. Last season (thanks to a friend) I saw the fabulous Liz Calloway (who I didn’t know was fabulous until I saw her) and had dinner; both were five stars. This used to be one of Frank’s favorite hot spots (that’s Sinatra). While they’ve leaned toward jazz and cabaret in the past, they’ve been bringing in some unique offerings. You know what? Just check the calendar.

V Wine Lounge and Martini Bar — Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday is live entertainment with a $10 cover to help keep the music alive. Wednesday is karaoke night. I think we have great local entertainers here, and I was heavily involved in the entertainment scene in Chicago and Los Angeles — not a brag, I’ve just been around a lot and a long time. V Wine Lounge and Martini Bar is located in the historic Kaptur Plaza, next to the mid-town Koffi, and is the largest intimate space I have ever seen. It’s basically divided into three rooms, but the concept is open, including the wraparound bar. The drinks are well poured and everything I’ve had on the bites menu was delish! 

Oscar’s is back and better than ever. Renovated inside and out, it’s home to the Sunday Tea Dance and The Bitchiest Brunch. Last season they debuted a new chef whose food inspired finger kisses. The entertainment has always been top-notch, bringing in inspired acts from Los Angeles and around the world. Check out the schedule for their fall shows.

Revolution Stage Company — Just over a year old, this theatre company not only has a season of plays, their stage is always busy in between with shows from all over the country. You never know what’s coming, but go in knowing that the sound system is one of the best, if not the best, in Palm Springs, and is a contender for the whole Coachella Valley. There’s a full bar, and some crazy fun good times to be had here. Last year’s Avenue Q was fantastic.

Dezart Performs — Consistently turning out terrific productions of plays with a message, don’t sleep on an opportunity to see any show this company produces. If “plays with a message” scares you off, please allow me to tell you they are delightful productions with a great deal of heart, and generally cast to perfection. 

Palm Springs Cultural Center — Formerly the Camelot Theatres, the new name might sound stuffy, however it’s everything except stuffy. The first cineplex in the Coachella Valley, the building has been transformed into an entertainment center. You’ll find many film festivals here, as well as plays, traveling acts, and during the week, upstairs, happy hour entertainment. 

Drift — Although this hotel is new-ish in town, it’s showing itself to be a great spot for gathering. Pool side hangs, Savasana on Saturdays, Jueves de Drift, Tacos y Tunes, sound baths, and happy hours at the house restaurant. 

Canopy Wine Lounge — Current November events are listed by date below, however if you are a connoisseur of fine wines, and caviar, this is your spot. Beautifully decorated, and the patio has a view of Marilyn and the mountains (although that will be gone when the new hotel is built at Graffiti Park).

Quadz — Making its first appearance on this list because I was talking to a gay friend of mine about Arenas. I said I didn’t go because I’m a girl, and I didn’t want to be a disruption. He told me that Quadz is the answer. It’s a video bar with fun games and a very welcoming atmosphere. Not that the others aren’t, but many are where gays meet other gays. It’s a party for sure, but bridal squads have been doing takeovers. 100 percent not cool unless you ask first, so I’ve been respectful. This is not the case for Quadz, I’m told. So go have fun! I’ll see you there.  

Retro Room — The only bar dedicated solely to karaoke. It’s small, but that makes it more intimate and less scary to take the stage.

Melvyn’s at The Ingleside Estate — Sundays are swinging at Melvyn’s with an ongoing lineup of the Valley’s best musicians. Programming varies with special guests joining regularly. One of the oldest properties in Palm Springs, Frank Sinatra’s favorite dish was Steak Diane, so don’t skip on the dinner. But definitely go for the Sunday Jams, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Be prepared, sometimes well-known celebrities stop in and perform. In the past, Neil Sedaka and James Marsden entertained the crowd on a whim. $25 F&B minimum, seating is first come, first served.

Events by date

Palm Springs Vintage Market visitors peruse through retro items on a sunny day in Palm Springs

You never know what you might find while wandering the Palm Springs Vintage Market

Nov. 1: Boozehounds Bow Wow Ball

Nov. 1: Alumination at PS Art Museum

Nov. 1: Mid-Century Moderns long running jukebox musical at Revolution Stage Company

Nov. 1: Palm Springs Scavenger Hunt Adventure

Nov. 2: VELVET MARTINI at PS Underground

Nov. 2: Free Weekend Psychic / Healing Arts Fair (recurring)

Nov. 3: Grateful Goats Paint & Sip at Laster Ranch

Nov. 3: Palm Springs Vintage Market 

Nov. 5: Tomahawk Tuesdays at Kaiser Grille

Nov. 7: NoirCon 2024

Nov. 7: Sip & Savor Italy: An Evening with Paul Feinstein (book signing)

Nov. 8: The Palm Springs Sunset Music & Comedy Festival at Oscar’s

Nov. 9: Amanda Perez and NB RIDAZ at Oscar’s

Nov. 9: No Llores Comedy at Four Twenty Bank (dispensary and party lounge)

Nov. 9-10: PS Women’s Jazz Festival at Annenberg

Nov.10: Amazing Sundays Drag Brunch at Chill Bar

Nov. 10: Divas of the Desert. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., the music starts at noon. Celebrating the music of Roberta Flack and Anita Baker. Some of the hottest female jazz and blues singers in the area. 

Nov. 11: 27th Annual Palm Springs Veterans Day Parade

Nov. 13: Joni Mitchell — The Reckless Daughter at PS Underground

Nov. 15-16: Thorgy Does Christmas at Palm Springs Cultural Center. Famed for her charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent, from RuPaul’s Drag Race to concert halls, the Queen of Classical Music Thorgy Thor performs for two nights only during a fabulous musical holiday extravaganza! Tickets: $49-$79

Nov. 15: Desert Air Music Festival at the Palm Springs Air Museum. These events always slay.

Nov. 16: TASTE x The Shag House hosted by On the Mark. The Shag House is a fun visit — with noshes by On The Mark, it should be pretty special.

Nov. 22: 10th Annual Cathedral City International Hot Air Balloon Festival presented by Agua Caliente Casinos. This is not in Palm Springs, but I HAD to tell you about it.

Nov. 22: MOTOWN at PS Underground

Nov. 22: McCormick’s Palm Springs Exotic Car Auction

Nov. 23: 2024 Props and Hops Craft Beer Festival at Palm Springs Air Museum

I’ll clue you in about Pride in another post, same with Thanksgiving, so look for those. In the meantime, pop on over to the PSPSH website and book your stay. It’s the best thing you can do for an authentic Palm Springs experience.

See you in December!

/by

What’s Blooming In Palm Springs: April Events

While the rest of the world is just experiencing spring, Palm Springs is well into it. The mountains are as green as they were in 2019, which means there’s likely a super bloom coming. The weather is in the high 50s at night and can go into the 80s during the day. It’s really swell right now.

Of course, April is a big month musically in the Coachella Valley, and there’s a little bit in here about the big events, but there’s still plenty to do and see in Palm Springs proper.

Along the way sipping, dining, and divining, don’t forget to stop and enjoy the flowers. The bougainvilleas are shameless, so the cacti said hold our beer, we’ve got this. It is one of the most colorful springs a desert could ever hope for!

Events of note

April 12-14: Coachella Week One

April 19-21: Week Two — lineup by artist here

April 13-14 and 20-21: Goldenvoice presents The Palm Springs Surf Club — I’m not quite sure what’s going on here, trying to find out if it’s permanently open or if it’s just for Coachella, but hey — take advantage of this. The place looks gorgeous. They have their own playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.

April 26-28: Stagecoach — Looking for a place to stay? Check here.

Alphabet Mafia touchstone events

April 4: Where my gays at? Kathy Griffin at The McCallum

April 5: The Desert Legends Golf Tournament — This women’s tournament at Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort is hosted by Envy Records and Promotions to benefit the LGBTQ Center of the Desert. Your $150 covers 18 holes, a scramble with shotgun start, green fee, golf cart, breakfast burrito, and award ceremony lunch. Non-pros welcome.

There will also be games: the 5-Iron Only Hole, Longest Drive, and Closest To The Pin. Sign up as an individual, twosome, threesome, or foursome, just enter the name of your partners when you sign up. Luncheon honors Caroline Haines, founder and creator of the Lina Shore Golf Tournament, with the annual Desert Legend Award. 

April 6: It’s not Sunday with Brenda, but Saturday with Fortune Feimster at The Show

April 12: Patti Lupone at The McCallum — I do not need to say more.

Dezart Presents Mr. Parker: Consistently producing top-notch work, this company presents a story about a 54-year-old man who finds himself suddenly single and unable to adjust to a world that has moved on without him. After a night of heavy drinking, he wakes up with a 28-year-old bartender/Uber driver. These two very different people begin a tentative relationship, and what starts out as a one-night stand becomes a journey of self-discovery for a man trying to let go of the past and move forward.

The Bent presents The Lincoln Debate: An original piece of work that premiered to sold out audiences last spring, this play explores whether or not Abraham Lincoln’s very close friendship with another man was more than that. 

Where to stay gay in Palm Springs — just for the boys, ladies.

Everything else

Village Fest: Every Thursday, walk through the heart of downtown Palm Springs for a leisurely stroll with buskers and vendors galore, something for everyone. Come early and visit the Palm Springs Art Museum, free on Thursdays.

Canopy Lounge: Enjoy fine wine, a meticulously curated bites menu, and entertainment. Sundays from noon to 3 p.m., New Orleans Nouveau brings the heat, playing the latest sounds of New Orleans and West Coast jazz.

Purple Room: Check out their ticketed weekend entertainment and try to nab a ticket to The Judy Show. Weekdays are great entertainment too, Tuesday-Thursday.

Palm Springs Cultural Center: Early evening happy hour drinks, yummy snacks (the fries!), and entertainment at the VIP Lounge upstairs. Different night, different entertainer. Great way to kick off your evening before heading to dinner. 

PS Underground: Many shows to choose from, but Light comes back for one show. Sells out quick, so book in advance.

The Revolution: Special events, cabaret shows, $10 piano shows and sing-a-longs, extravaganzas, boy band shows, and comedy. There’s something going on almost every day. 

V Wine Bar: Nightly entertainment in a space that’s a throwback to the 1960s. Great wine, adult-er beverages, and a few tasty mocktails. Did I mention the food? It’s a great menu, and delicious to boot!

PS Air: Whether it’s an in-flight movie or a full-on Broadway brunch, you’ll have a great time in this intimate airplane. Located in Bouschet Wines, same mall as Revivals, Revolution, and Palm Greens Cafe. Boarding is usually around five or six, check the website.

Reforma: It’s a nightclub and a restaurant with creative drag brunches. It’s actually in a class one historic building — that entire part of Palm Canyon to Ramon is from that era, but Reforma is the only one where you dine and dance…except for maybe…

…Impala, right next to Reforma. Food and fun. 

Theatre

Desert Ensemble Theatre presents Sherlock Holmes Confidential: Original work produced by a terrific little theatre company that consistently does interesting work at Palm Springs Cultural Center.

The Revolution Stage Company presents The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee: This company recently did such a bang up job with Avenue Q even the extension sold out. I saw it twice. Spelling Bee is under the same direction, so expect great things.

Tours 

Palm Springs Historical Society: Three different types of tours, over 30 actual tours.

The Best of the Best Tours: I think this might be a new company. I’ve never heard of them before, but their tours look like a lot of fun. 

Celebrity Tours: Private tours to around 10 celebrity-studded Palm Springs neighborhoods

The Legends and Icons Tour: One of the tours provided by Five Star Celebrity Tours. Don’t go to their website (it’s a mess and it’s not secure), but the link I provided looks good.

Covered Wagon Adventure: Just what it sounds like. Solid five-star reviews.

Red Jeep Tour: For adventurers that love the great outdoors. Trips to the San Andreas Fault with other amenities.

Desert Tasty Tours: The only food tour in town, and it’s a good one! Three hours walking and tasting, negating the need for dinner. Along the way, learn some history of Palm Springs, visit Marilyn (and other great art installations), enjoy a few adult drinks and eat a lot of delicious food. There’s a date shake, too!

I’m going to leave you now, but not without sharing something that a wise man once said. The fact that the wise man is actually a “wiseacre” named Jim Carrey is irrelevant. 

“Flowers don’t worry about how they’re going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.”

See you beautiful people around town.

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