Pride season is winding down with a last California hoorah this weekend in Laguna Beach. I recently got a first-hand tour of the area from a friend who recounted many stories of the famed bars, beaches and boys who graced the coastal town. That’s a faded memory now, but Pride is still alive and well.
We in the Coachella Valley have the honor of first and last Pride celebrations of the year. The last being Palm Springs Pride in November and the first Cathedral City in March. I’m just wrapping up my time at Amsterdam Pride, where an August celebration along the canals was in full swing all week.
The city truly embraces Pride with every city vehicle, every block having a welcoming expanded Rainbow flag. We just updated and are distributing our window poster with “You Are Welcome Here!” If you’d like one for your business, just email us here. By the way, the yellow on the left is a 2021 Intersex-inclusive redesign of the Progress Pride Flag by Valentino Vecchietti.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Caliente Comedy Presents Jason Stuart
Jason Stuart Headlines Caliente Comedy on Friday, August 11, along with Felicia Michaels & Brandon Johnson from 8–9:30 pm at the Cascade Lounge inside Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs. Stuart is a prolific character actor & stand-up comic. Born in the Bronx and raised in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles, he now resides in Palm Springs, next door to his 85 year old Jewish mother Gloria. Tickets include FREE and early admission to Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs “Cascade Nights” nightclub beginning at 10 pm inside the Cascade Lounge after the show. Get tickets
Trans and Nonbinary Tuesday & Thursday
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center presents a Barbie-themed Trans and Nonbinary Tuesday this week on August 8 at 6 pm at Trixie Motel, with free food and a themed raffle prize drawing. In Riverside, it’s Trans and Nonbinary Thursday Hobby Night on August 10 at 6 pm at the Back to the Grind Cafe. RSVP to info@trans.health and visit their website for more info.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Annual Maintenance Closure
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will close for annual maintenance beginning Monday, August 7, with a tentative reopening date of Friday, September 1. This is a time for the Tramway to perform annual State-permit testing, as well as updating control systems, rebuilding the gearbox and testing the cables. More Tram Info
CVRep Summer Cabaret Series: Lisa Vroman
CVRep presents the final installment in their Summer Cabaret Series, starring Lisa Vroman on Thursday, August 10 at 7 pm. From Broadway to classics, on stage and in concert, Lisa Vroman has established herself as one of America’s most versatile voices. She starred on Broadway, Los Angeles and San Francisco as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera and garnered theater critics’ awards for her portrayal. Her Broadway debut was in Aspects of Love and she was the first to play both Fantine and Cosette in Les Misérables. Get tickets
Modernism Week October Tickets on Sale Now
Tickets are on sale now for Modernism Week – October, the Fall Edition of Modernism Week, the annual festival that highlights midcentury modern architecture, art, interior and landscape design. This mini-Modernism Week event runs October 19–22, offering nearly 50 events over four days, including many free and low-cost programs. In addition to beloved returning favorites, there are many new events slated for the October festival, including: “Legendary Palm Springs Commercial Architecture Bus Tour,” “Desert Glamour: The Crockett Residence Tour,” “Celebrate the Restoration of the Iconic Plaza Theatre,” and more! Get tickets
Taste of Summer Rancho Mirage Final Week
Taste of Summer Rancho Mirage 2023 is going on now through this Sunday, August 13. For just $10, your event wristband opens up a world of exclusive summer specials at participating Rancho Mirage restaurants so you can savor the best of the Rancho Mirage culinary scene, such as Willie’s Modern Fare, Krispy Kreme, Mission Hills Country Club, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Haus of Poke, Pastry Swan, Waters Cafe, Si Bon, and many more. See our event listing for a link to the full list of participating restaurants and their exclusive Taste of Summer offers. Wristbands can be picked up at a variety of local non-profits. More info
Dive-In Movie: Surf’s Up
Palm Desert Aquatic Center (PDAC) continues their popular Dive-In Movie Series, sponsored by Family YMCA of the Desert, with Surf’s Up on Friday, August 11 at 7:30 pm. Bring a towel for grassy area seating under the stars or in the pool, plus enjoy the many amenities including the water slides, rock climbing wall, rope swing and more. More info
DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint Thursday
The Palm Springs Police Department will hold a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Thursday, Aug 10 from 7 pm–1 am at an undisclosed location within the city limits of Palm Springs. During the checkpoint, officers will look for signs that drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Palm Springs Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just from alcohol. Some prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license.
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 Mariscos El Berrinche, Tacos al 100, Nick’s Pizza, Krazy Daisy, Pupuseria 503, Cool Cactus Candles, the Green Truck, and many more! Regardless of what you are craving, Food Truck Fridays has you covered. More info
THIS WEEKEND
Splash House August Weekend 1
Splash House is celebrating 10 years of dancing in the desert with Splash House August Weekend 1, from Friday, August 11–Sunday, August 13. 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. Headliners include CID, J. Worra, LP Giobbi, Vintage Culture, and Wax Motif. 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 a DJ set by ODESZA, plus Maya Jane Coles and more. Get tickets
Clear the Shelters
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter presents a Clear The Shelters event on Saturday and Sunday, August 12 & 13 from 10 am–5 pm on Saturday and 11 am–5 pm on Sunday. The Shelter is packed to the gills, with many of the kennels doubled and tripled up. To help drive more adoptions, Boozehounds Palm Springs has agreed to cover the adoption fees for the entire weekend. The goal for the weekend will be to adopt out as many animals as possible. KGAY‘s morning personality, John Taylor, will make a live appearance on Saturday, August 12, from 10 am–12 pm. More info
Dick’s Bacchanalia Customer Appreciation Toga Party
Hot Men? Togas? Yes, please! Dick’s presents a Bacchanalia Customer Appreciation Day this Saturday, August 12 all day long, with overflowing drink specials, food, prize giveaways, togas and GoGo Gods. Strap on your own toga and get a free drink! Dick’s in-house DJ’s will be spinning all day and into the night. Plus: John Taylor of the KGAY Morning Show will be doing a live appearance from 4–6 pm. More info
Laguna Beach Pride
Laguna Beach Pride 365 presents the Laguna Beach Pride Festival on Saturday, August 12 from 3–10 pm at Lang Park. This is their main pride event with live entertainment provided by Corday and KINGQUEEN, DJ Eduardo spinning and over 20 vendor booth, a kids and family zone, and an interactive fun zone for everyone. Get tickets
Dirty Disco with DJ Matt Consola
Just in time for the dog days of summer, it’s “iced tea” with a Dirty Disco Afternoon Disco Tea on Saturday, August 12 from 3–7 pm at Reforma. With music by #1 Billboard DJ Producer Matt Consola at the turntables, there will be happy hour drink specials all party long, and Coachella Valley residents get in free from 3–4 pm with ID. 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 opening Saturday, August 12 and running 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
Broadway to the BIG SCREEN – Mamma Mia!
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 12 at 4 pm, the featured film is Mamma Mia!, filled with the music of ABBA. The tale revolves around Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, who is busy planning her daughter’s wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie, the spirited bride, has a plan of her own. She secretly invites three men from her mother’s past to the wedding, hoping one of them may turn out to be her real father. It’s a lighthearted and joyous tale, and it’s filled with ABBA music! Did we say that already? MeTV 103.1 fm is a proud media sponsor of the Broadway to the BIG SCREEN Film Series! Get tickets
Sing Along With Us – Hello Dolly!
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 13 at 3 pm, come sing along to Hello Dolly! In 1890s New York City, the bold and enchanting widow Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is a socialite-turned-matchmaker. Her latest clients seeking assistance are the cantankerous “half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) and a young artist named Ambrose (Tommy Tune), who is in love with Horace’s niece, Ermengarde (Joyce Ames). Dolly’s scheming soon involves Horace’s employees as well as a New York hat maker, as she tries to cover up her own secret romantic designs. 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! 🙌
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].
LOOKING AHEAD
Planning for Fall Performances
While we are still in the dog days of summer here in the desert, it’s a great time to plan ahead: local theatre companies and performance venues are gearing up for a spectacular season to come! The Purple Room opens Labor Day Weekend with Debby Boone and continues with a stacked schedule of performers all month. Dezart Performs kicks off their season with The Thanksgiving Play on November 3, Desert Theatreworks opens with Lend Me a Tenor starting Oct. 6, Desert Ensemble Theatre Company presents Singing with the Desert Stars on Oct. 6 and their first production of the season is Collective Rage, opening Nov. 10. CV Rep presents The Fantasticks (re-imagined and re-gendered), opening November 1, and the McCallum Theatre‘s 2023-2024 season is on sale now as well, with events starting in October and November, and more being added all the time. Check out the Gay Desert Guide Events Channel for the full season of performances, plus information on season tickets and packages. Get planning!
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 see The Chainsmokers
THE PARTY NEVER ENDS! 🔥 This summer, The Chainsmokers are bringing two friends, ARMNHMR & NOTD to LA State Historic Park on Saturday, August 19 for a timeless day in the park! ☀️ KGAY 106.5 has your tickets to see THE CHAINSMOKERS: The Party Never Ends! Enter to win tickets 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
- Clear the Shelters
Sat. & Sun Aug 12 & 13 at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter - Dick’s Bacchanalia Customer Appreciation Toga Party
Sat. Aug 12 at Dick’s on Arenas - 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 - Debby Boone – A Song For You
Fri. & Sat. Sep 1 & 2 at The Purple Room Supper Club - 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 - Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival
Sat. & Sun. Nov 11 & 12 at the Palm Springs Stadium Pavilion - Madonna -The Celebration Tour
Thu. Jan 11 at 8:30 pm at Acrisure Arena
Welcome New Partners!
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Luchador Brewing Company has 20 rotating taps featuring a wide selection of ice-cold beers & seltzers, with an in-house food truck serving up delicious Mexican tapas-style street food. Now serving brunch Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 am–12:30 pm, come Indulge in their craft beer cocktails and a special menu featuring huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, and mouthwatering Yucatan French Toast, stuffed with marscapone cheese, coconut & pineapple. ¡Salud! Learn more
- Dave Catching Talks About the Return of the Beneath the Desert Sky Concert Series, and 30 Years of Rancho de la Luna
- ‘One of the Best Shows We’ve Played” – DJs Reminisce About the Magic of Splash House
- Ibis Group Institute Announces Its Formation, Bringing a New Paradigm in LGBTQ+ Political Campaigns
- CV History: Before the Tribe-Owned Casinos, Illegal Gambling Operations Brought Crowds to Cathedral City
- The 20 Best Songs of 2023 From LGBTQ+ Artists (So Far)
The Purple Room is a destination for foodies and music lovers alike. The 2023-24 season opens Labor Day weekend with Debby Boone and continues with Brenna Whitaker, Jonathan Karrant, Debby Holiday, Meghan Murphy, Sharon McKnight, Lorna Luft, Black Market Trust and so much more, including perennial favorite The Judy Show! You can visit Palm Springs’ premier supper club for great weeknight entertainment too. Save at The Purple Room with our HOT DEAL: Get a $75 gift card for only $60. That’s 20% Off! 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, Papa Dan’s Pizza and Pasta, Men’s Grooming Spot, V Wine Lounge & Martini Bar, 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)