You may think things slow down in Palm Springs when the temperature gets hot. While that may have been true, now we keep the party going all year round. Even when temperatures reach 100+ degrees, visitors and locals alike enjoy a fabulous mix of restaurants and bars, unique shopping, world-class arts, theater, pool parties, and breathtaking natural beauty. LGBTQ+ folx from around the world come here to live, work and play. Search our digital GayDesertGuide.LGBT for the insider’s guide to our oasis.
The first two weeks in June bring Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week, followed by the launch of the Summer Eats Pass. This free mobile app, available from June 12th-September 4th, features exclusive summer deals with weekly prize drawings. Speaking of food, on June 24th, enjoy delicious BBQ, beverages, and great music with friends on Arena Road for a Fabulous Big Gay BBQ (just like regular BBQ but way more fun).
When it is hot outside, pool parties are the place to be. In both June and August, Splash House, the can’t-miss summer pool party, showcases DJs, dance parties, and after-hours festivities at three different resorts across the city.
This summer, we see the return of the legendary Friday afternoon Happy Hour Boyz Night Out with DJ Galaxy at Hotel Zoso every Friday (4-8); DJ Modgirl is spinning at the Paloma Pool on Saturdays (12-4). You can also hear DJ Modgirl every Thursday (7-10) and Friday (4-6) at the Rowan Hotel’s Window Bar.
If sitting inside an air-conditioned movie theater is more your speed, the internationally acclaimed Palm Springs ShortFest brings together filmmakers and film lovers at the end of June.
Temperatures return to the normal range in late Autumn, although Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, September 20-24, the world’s largest women’s music festival, keeps things HOT. In early October, you can cool off up the mountain in Idyllwild with Pride Under the Pines. Then the end of October and early November, get busy in #ILoveGayPalmSprings, with Leather Pride, Halloween on Areas, and cumulating with Palm Springs Pride, the final Pride Celebration of the year, the first week in November!
The new Acrisure Arena has top-selling entertainment like Tears for Fears, Cirque du Soleil: and next January, the Queen herself, Madonna!! New acts are being added to the calendar at every turn.
Just want to relax; the new Spa at Séc-he, offers state-of-the-art treatments, cutting-edge therapies as well as the natural healing waters that Palm Springs are named for. If you need a bite while relaxing at the Spa Pál Bar and Málmal Café provide healthy Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
A variety of new restaurants are now open for you to check out. Brunch 101 in Cathedral City features the gayest meal of the week every day. A new location of the world-famous Nobu restaurant is now open all year at the Indian Wells Tennis Club. Penny & Parlour at The Desert Island Country Club in Rancho Mirage offers casual fine dining in a beautiful setting.
Do you feel like shopping? Check out the Sizzling Summer Sale on July 7th and 8th at the Hilton Hotel. Many downtown retailers gather together in air-conditioned comfort, with a no-host bar and summer savings of up to 70% off.
Find all this and more in our Summer 2023 Visitor Map & Guide. Pick one up around town or click to download: http://bit.ly/2ItEWy1
With so much happening around the Coachella Valley, you can always find something new to Do, Eat, and See. Bookmark GayDesertGuide.lgbt on your smartphone, follow us on social media @GayDesertGuide and listen to KGAY 106.5 or KGAYPalmSprings.com for all the latest happenings. @coachella-valley-independent