Our weather has not been “fit for man nor beast”. So this coming weekend’s “Big Bear Romp” will be a reprieve for both species. It’s just one of the two big out-of-town events taking place: The other being “Out on the Mountain”.
I’m on the Vacaya cruise to Croatia, and seeing many Palm Springs peeps here and on social media in various places around the globe. Unfortunately, no place is safe from the extremes of climate change.
No more obvious an example than Hawaii. I’ve been seeing posts from friends who lived through that hell on Maui. We thought places like Mykonos, Hawaii, even Idyllwild as safe havens from fires. But these last few years have proved that to be dead wrong.
And our summer of discontent with extreme temperatures are not unique to the desert. It’s painful to see our planet put to the test by mostly man-made circumstances. I’d like to be optimistic that we’ll be able to save Planet Earth, but with each passing year my optimism wanes.
One bright spot: “Zero Gravity Urbanism: Principles for a New Livability” which I happened across in Venice. There are some great minds thinking our way into a new future, and those ideas may just help save the planet.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Big Bear Romp
Bears, Cubs and a diverse group of men will convene starting Thursday of this week, for Big Bear Romp, an amazing 4 days in the mountain resort town of Big Bear Lake from August 17–20. This weekend of fun and adventure starts with a mixer and bowling night on Thursday, a pool party, welcome party, and Wild Things dance on Friday, and the weekend continues with more pool parties, trivia, comedy with Taylor Williamson, a leather and gear dance, bitchy bingo with Chiklet, cruising and more…it’s “Mountains of Men & Mischief!” Get passes
Out on the Mountain
Out on the Mountain takes place this Friday, August 18 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. This is the annual party for the LGBTQ community where you can get your gay thrills on with lots of rides, dance music, and entertainment, while also raising funds for local LGBTQ organizations and charities. Enjoy a full park private party of inclusive fun for 5,000+ LGBTQ guests and friends from 6 pm–12 am, as well as admission along with the general public from 10:30 am–6 pm. Featuring performances by Salina Estitties, hosted by Delta Work, with dance music from DJ Ray Rhodes on the Full Throttle Stage, DJ SRO at the Metro Park Pub, and DJ Les Ortiz spinning Latin Dance. Get tickets
Drive to Survive! The Race Against Hunger
The Greater Palm Springs Realtors summer food drive, Drive To Survive! The Race Against Hunger, benefiting the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert’s Community Food Bank, is happening now thru September 15. Food insecurity is real, and together we can help ease the burden on our hungry neighbors. You are invited to drop food items off at the Greater Palm Springs Realtors office from 9 am–5 pm on Mondays and 8 am–5 pm Tuesdays–Fridays. They’re accepting nonperishable food items, or you can also make monetary donations to support the critical services that the food bank provides. More info
Eso es la Vida/This is Life: Graphic Design from Mexico
The Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center: Edwards Harris Pavilion presents Eso es la vida/This is life: Graphic Design from Mexico just opened on Saturday, August 12 and runs through November 27. The exhibit assembles examples of graphic design from Mexico’s past and present to examine the field’s development over the past century and its role in popular culture, including examples of posters, typography, and sign painting, as well as video and digital media that reveal visual communication as a vital facet of everyday life. More info
Country Dance Fridays
Dance Ranch Palm Springs presents Country Dance Fridays, a great night of country western dancing, including two-step, waltz, shadow, East and West Coast swing and line dances, every Friday from 7–9:30 pm at Step by Step. The dance lesson is at 7 pm with dancing from 7:30–9:30 pm. Dance Ranch Palm Springs is a country western dance group serving the LGBTQ+ community and its friends. Country dancers of all levels are welcome. More info
Indio Food Truck Fridays
The City of Indio presents a weekly Food Truck Fridays event, from 5–10 pm at Towne Street and Bliss Avenue. Check out the array of food served by the finest food trucks in the area, including 760 Teppanyaki, Outside the Masa, Fatboy Tacos, Nick’s Pizza, Luigis, Los Kekas, Tacos El Javi, El Sonorennse Taco, and many more! Regardless of what you are craving, Food Truck Fridays has you covered. More info
Visitor Map & Guide Summer Edition
The Summer 2023 edition of our Gay Desert Guide Visitor Map & Guide (great for locals too) is available now around town and online! We help you find everything you need to know while visiting or living in the Coachella Valley, featuring the top places for Food & Drink, Nightlife, Shopping, Attractions, Gay Resorts with passes, Dispensaries and other services. You can also view it online, and download the PDF [here].
THIS WEEKEND
Splash House August Weekend 2
Splash House is celebrating 10 years of dancing in the desert with their final weekend of festivities for this year, Splash House August Weekend 2, from Friday, August 18–Sunday, August 20. Splash House is a summer festival series that takes place across multiple weekends at three hotel resorts in Palm Springs: the Renaissance, the Saguaro and Margaritaville. Each resort is a full takeover hosting a poolside stage, rooms, and balconies that are all part of the fun. Artists appearing on August Weekend 2 include DRAMA, Flight Facilities, Matroda, SIDEPIECE, Skream, Tchami and many more. Desert days continue into the night for the After Hours series, with dancing aside the planes and under the stars at the Palm Springs Air Museum, with Chris Lake, a DJ Set by Channel Tres, plus Kream and more. Get tickets
Beneath the Desert Sky: Mojave Lords and Friends
The Joshua Tree National Park Association presents Beneath the Desert Sky on Saturday, August 19 from 7–10 pm at Pappy + Harriet’s in Pioneertown. This unforgettable night of music will feature performances by Mojave Lords, Flames of Durga, and C’est Claire Music. The renowned Pappy + Harriet’s is a legendary venue known for its intimate and electrifying performances. Get tickets
Plunge After Dark
The Palm Springs Leather Order of the Desert presents Plunge After Dark on Saturday, August 19 from 4–10 pm at CCBC Resort. This is not your ordinary pool party. They’re taking it to a whole new level with jaw-dropping hot-bodied men and sexy gentlemen. Make new, and rekindle old friendships, while you play, frolic and have plenty of fun. Dive into the refreshing pool and let the music take over as talented DJ Peter Barona spins the hottest beats. A variety of mouthwatering food options and cocktails are available at Runway Bar & Restaurant, on-premise. Get tickets
Broadway to the BIG SCREEN – Mamma Mia! – Here We Go Again
Every Saturday this summer, the Palm Springs Cultural Center presents the great musicals that made it from Broadway to the BIG SCREEN (and sometimes back again). On Saturday, August 19 at 4 pm, the featured film is Mamma Mia! – Here We Go Again, taking us back to the Greek Isles for some flashbacks from Donna’s youth and then to the present day. Donna has passed away, her pregnant daughter Sophie has returned to Kalokairi with dreams of reopening her mother’s business, and gathering all her friends and family. She also finds that she wants to know more about her mother. Hilarity, surprises, tears, and even Cher ensue (along with lots of great ABBA music!) MeTV 103.1 fm is a proud media sponsor of the Broadway to the BIG SCREEN Film Series! Get tickets
Sing Along With Us – Kiss Me Kate
The Palm Springs Cultural Center presents classic movie musicals in the Sing Along With Us Film Series all summer long, on the largest screen in the valley at the Historic Camelot Theatre. The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus will lead the singing. On Sunday, August 20 at 3 pm, come sing along to Kiss Me Kate. An ex-husband and wife team star in a musical version of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’; off-stage, the production is troublesome with ex-lovers’ quarrels and two gangsters looking for some money. Gay Desert Guide and KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs are proud media sponsors of the Sing Along With Us This Summer Film Series! Get tickets
🙌 You can enter to win tickets to Sing Along With Us on the KGAY Contest Page! 🙌
LOOKING AHEAD
The Center Social at Hunters
Join the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert on the 4th Wednesday of each month for The Center Social, a mixer of fun, community, and happy hour! This month, the August Center Social is on Wednesday, August 23, from 5:30–7 pm at Hunters Nightclub Palm Springs. We can’t wait to celebrate Gay Desert’s Guide ‘s 10th Anniversary, Hunters’ 25th Anniversary and Mike Thompson’s return to The Center! Spread the word—everyone is invited. Gay Desert Guide is happy to be this month’s media sponsor! More info
Click below to sign up for our Gay Desert Guide Oasis Insiders Newsletter to get our Weekly Blog, Top 3 Events for the weekend, Hot Deals and Cool Events all delivered to your inbox every Friday!
On the Air: KGAY 106.5
Win Tickets to Gay Days Anaheim
KGAY 106.5 & Gay Desert Guide welcomes Gay Days Anaheim back September 22–24, and you can win VIP GOLD tickets to join all the handsome princes and the evil queens at Gay Days at Disneyland, a three-day weekend of parties, shows and events that make the happiest place on earth the gayest every year! VIP GOLD tickets get you special admission to shows, meet and greet with performers Zach Zimmerman, Daya Betty, Lady Camden, and Varla Jean Merman, Plunge pool party admission, exclusive VIP cocktail party, gift bag, commemorative pin and more! Enter to win on the KGAY Contest Page!
Vacaya Resort Sweepstakes
You can WIN 7 nights at an all-inclusive resort vacation for 2 during VACAYA’s Mexico Resort Takeover! The complimentary room includes: Beautiful accommodations for 7 nights at Hilton Vallarta Riviera, unlimited standard drinks for length of stay, delicious food in 7 restaurants, including a bountiful buffet open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a fitness center, pool and beach volleyball, kayaking & snorkeling on site, yoga classes, and of course, all the VACAYA signature activities, parties, and entertainment! SIGN UP TO WIN
Win Summer Sing Along Tickets
Musicals are back on the big screen this summer at the Palm Springs Cultural Center and you can WIN tickets from KGAY 106.5 & Gay Desert Guide! Your favorite Broadway musicals that made it on the big screen are on the biggest screen in the valley (with hot buttered popcorn and your favorite beverage) on Sundays at 3 pm, with the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus leading the Sing Along. More information on the series here and you can enter to win tickets on the KGAY Contest Page!
The KGAY 106.5 Retro Lunch airs Monday through Friday at noon, with DJ Galaxy (Vincent Corrales) and DJ Eric Ornelas playing an hour of their high-energy throwback mixes. On Sundays, we put all five hours together for the Retro Sunday Brunch from 11 am–4 pm. Perfect party music! Listen Online.
The KGAY Sunday Tea Dance with DJ Modgirl airs every Sunday from 4–6 pm (right after the Retro Brunch). DJ Modgirl (AKA Kellee McQuinn) is all about “Music! Dancing! Fashion! Fun!” and she throws down the most irresistible, uplifting beats each week! Listen online. She’s also appearing at The Rowan Window Bar on Thursday from 7–10 pm.
On the Air: 103.1 MeTV fm
103.1 MeTV fm is KGAY’s sister station, featuring a unique mix of timeless and memorable music incorporating a wide variety of classic hits, deep tracks and softer sounds spanning several decades of popular music, including the ‘60s and ‘70s with a touch of the ‘50s and ‘80s. Listen online
- Big Bear Romp 2023
Aug 17–20 at The Lodge at Big Bear Lake - Out on the Mountain 2023
Fri. Aug 18 from 6 pm–12 am at Six Flags Magic Mountain - The Center Social – August
Wed. Aug 23 from 5:30–7 pm at Hunters Nightclub - Debby Boone – A Song For You
Fri. & Sat. Sep 1 & 2 at The Purple Room Supper Club - Gay Days Anaheim 2023
Sep. 16–18 at Disneyland Resort - Odesza -The Last Goodbye Tour
Wed. Sep 20 at 6:30 pm at Acrisure Arena - Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend
Sep 20–24 at Margaritaville Resort - Pride Under the Pines 2023
Sat. Oct 7 from 12–9 pm in Idyllwild - Palm Springs Modernism Fall Show
Fri.–Sun. Oct 20–22 at the Palm Springs Convention Center - Maximum Thrust – Palm Springs Leather Pride 2023
Oct. 26–29 at various locations around Palm Springs - Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival
Sat. & Sun. Nov 11 & 12 at the Palm Springs Stadium Pavilion - Madonna -The Celebration Tour
Wed. Mar 13 at 8:30 pm at Acrisure Arena
Welcome New Partner!
Estate Greens is Coachella Valley’s premier landscaping and synthetic turf company, perfecting the art of synthetic turf and environmentally conscious landscaping since 1997. Their dedication and longevity has kept clients recommending them to friends, family, and coworkers. Their state-of-the-art synthetic lawns have a 10-15 year lifespan, will never fade, never brown, and never need watering. With Palm Springs now offering four dollars per square foot rebates for artificial lawn installations, Estate Greens can help you with a free consultation on water rebates and artificial turf ideas. Learn more
- Gayming Awards Reveals Palm Springs as Host City for 2024
- A Hedonistic Guide To Palm Springs – America’s Rule-Breaking Desert Town
- 14 LGBTQ+ TV Shows and Movies to Watch in August 2023
- Who Are the Steamy Stars of Red, White, & Royal Blue, the R-Rated Gay Rom-Com?
- Drag Race Mexico: An Evolutionary Leap Beyond Machismo
LGBT-owned and operated, Papa Dan’s Pizza and Pasta in Palm Desert maintains their consistent deliciousness by not compromising and only buying the same high quality ingredients they bought when they first opened 40 years ago. They are open for lunch and dinner with pizza, pasta, seafood, hot and cold subs, and over 2 dozen salads with vegan and gluten free options available! With our HOT DEAL, you get a $25 gift certificate to Papa Dan’s for only $17.50! Get Your Deal
We also have Hot Deals at Boozehounds, Destination PSP, Rick’s Desert Grill, Hunters Nightclub, Trevor Wayne Pop Art, Kitchen 86, Coachella Valley Coffee Co., Palm Springs Fine Men’s Salon, Men’s Grooming Spot, The Purple Room, Jolene’s Bar & Lounge, Zin American Bistro and more! See All Deals
Find out what’s happening on any given day by browsing our Gay Desert Guide Online Event Listing Calendar, and for the big picture, take a look at major upcoming events in our 2023 Coachella Valley Calendar of Events.
Listen to KGAY 106.5 over the air, stream it [here], or listen on TuneIn Radio with Alexa or Siri by saying “Play K-GAY 1065 from Tune In Radio.” John Taylor is on mornings 6–10 am and program director Chris Shebel is on afternoons. Our Retro Lunch with DJ Galaxy and DJ Eric Ornelas is now heard on Sundays as the Retro Lunch & Sunday Brunch from 11 am–4 pm, followed by DJ Modgirl spinning the KGAY Sunday Tea Dance from 4–6 pm.
Don’t miss “This Way Out,” Sundays at 6:30 a.m. on KGAY 106.5. “This Way Out” is the only internationally distributed weekly LGBTQ radio program, currently airing on some 200 local community radio stations around the world. Listen to the latest episode as a podcast on our streaming page (click “Podcasts” in the upper right hand corner)