I took a little break from the heat over the weekend and escaped to the coast – San Diego. It felt like half of Palm Springs was also there. Jimmy Boegle from the CV Independent, Ron Celona from CV Rep and Halloween on Arenas producer Jeff Hocker were among those with the same idea. I mention it because the Rady Shell – the junior equivalent of the Hollywood Bowl – opened and we had the opportunity to see some great music.
Not that Palm Springs doesn’t have lots going on now and all Fall. See below for the week and weeks ahead. And wear that mask!
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide & KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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DBA Mixer at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter
Join the Desert Business Association (DBA) as they return to one of our community’s most treasured resources, the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, for an in-person mixer (masks required) on Monday, August 9 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. This is not only a time to network with other business people, but also an opportunity to support the PS Animal Shelter by bringing and donating much-needed supplies to support the animals and the shelter staff (Towels, linens, bowls, food, and more). More info
Taste of Summer Rancho Mirage: Final Week
The heat is ON and that means Taste of Summer Rancho Mirage is back, now through Sunday, August 15. Here’s how it works: Purchase your $10 wristband online or in person at various locations, then visit participating restaurants to enjoy their Taste of Summer offers and deals on appetizers, drinks or desserts. Not only do you benefit from the savings, the proceeds from the sale of wristbands go to help the Chamber of Commerce, the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory Foundation, and the charity you choose from the list. It’s a win/win all the way around! More info
Tickets on Sale for October Events: Leather Pride and Modernism Fall Preview
Palm Springs Leather Pride is back October 28–31, unleashing a scorching hot weekend of bar and dance events, pool parties, cruising and social favorites, as well as The Mister Palm Springs Leather Contest. After over a year of lockdown, the jailhouse doors swing wide open with Unlocked: Full Release. – Package Tickets for Palm Springs Leather Pride 2021 are on sale as of Monday, August 2 at 8:00 a.m., with tickets to individual events going on sale Monday, August 9. More info
Modernism Fall Preview Tickets Go Fast
Tickets are on sale now (As of Sunday, August 1) for Modernism Week Fall Preview, taking place October 14–17, 2021. The Fall Preview is a four-day long “mini-Modernism Week” featuring more than 50 events, including tours, talks, and parties in unique locations not regularly open to the public. Spaces fill up quickly, so make sure to reserve your tickets soon. Fall Preview also includes the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale Fall Edition. More info
Arenas Bars Band Together: Proof of Vaccination Required
Effective Friday, August 6, the bars on Arenas Road in downtown Palm Springs are taking steps to protect their customers and staff from COVID-19 in light of the recent surge of the Delta variant. Because their businesses encourage social interaction among unmasked individuals, proof of vaccination or a negative test result within the last 72 hours will be required for entry to: Streetbar, Quadz, Hunters, Blackbook, Eagle 501, Chill Bar, and Stacy’s.
The City of Palm Springs is backing up businesses by approving new safety requirements: Effective immediately, masks are required in indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status. And by Thursday, August 26, proof of vaccination (or negative COVID-19 test) will be required indoors at restaurants and bars. The same will also be required of city-permitted large events such as Splash House and The Dinah. Learn more
How to Get Your Digital Proof of Vaccination
You can carry around your vaccination card, but it’s not wallet-sized, and better kept in a safe place while you take your very own uniquely generated QR code which contains a digital copy of your vaccination record! Just go to the State of California’s Digital COVID-19 Vaccine Record portal at myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov and enter your First and Last Name, Date of Birth, and provide a cell phone or email that would be associated with your record when you got vaccinated. You’ll choose a 4-digit pin and then receive a link to retrieve your COVID-19 vaccine record code. Get yours
Jazzville Palm Springs: Pino Noir Quartet
Jazzville, the live jazz scene presented by Barry Martin/DJ Baz and Take Five Entertainment, presents the Pino Noir Quartet on Thursday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the vibrant Cascade Lounge inside Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs. Incredible gypsy-swing guitarist Luca Pino returns to Jazzville with his own quartet. The artistry and precision of Luca’s playing is mesmerizing, joyful, and heartfelt. If you love that Django sound then pick your seats today and come swing with the Pino Noir Quartet. Joining Luca will be Gareth Price on drums, Nate Ketner on clarinet, and Sam Rocha on upright bass. Cocktails, wine and delicious small bites will be available to order and enjoy while bopping to the tunes of the evening. More info
Virtual Events at The Center
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert continues to connect people, using the technology of group-meeting platform Zoom, which you can use on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Here’s just a taste of their programs:
Social Caring in the Face of Quarantine with Ortega – Mondays at 11:00 a.m.
Zumba for Beginners with Shaun Samaro – Mondays at 10:00 a.m.
Managing Emotions During a Pandemic with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Prostate Cancer Support Group – 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m.
Trans Tuesdays with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Women’s Chat with Kim Kieler – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Men’s Chat with Stuart Huggins – Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
LGBTQ+ Youth Virtual Hangout with Miguel Navarro – Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
Who Cares: Caregiver Support Group with Perry Wiggins – Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
Full list of The Center’s Zoom programs [here]
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Greater Palm Springs Summer Eats Pass
Want to save on the best of Greater Palm Springs restaurants with a free and easy-to-use passport that lives on your phone and doesn’t even require a special app? The Summer Eats Pass helps you save and discover new ways to savor summer as you explore the deals offered by participating restaurants, from special prix fixe menus to free items with purchase and more. And just by using it to check in, you are automatically entered in a weekly drawing for a $50 gift card! Get yours
Registration Now Open for Desert AIDS Walk 2021
Registration is now open for the 2021 Desert AIDS Walk, presented by Desert Care Network, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 30. This annual event represents our community’s largest gathering of HIV advocates, walking toward ending the HIV and AIDS epidemics in the Coachella Valley. This year we will be all together in-person again, beginning at Ruth Hardy Park and following a route through downtown Palm Springs. The family and pet-friendly event includes a Health and Wellness Village presented by Walgreens. Proceeds fund the vital work of DAP Health, previously Desert AIDS Project, an advocacy-based healthcare organization that provides service to more than 10,000 individuals. More info
RuPaul Recaps by Dante: All-Stars Season 6
Our Special Drag Correspondent Dante Noto is faithfully watching and reporting on all the weekly victories and defeats in the world of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6. Read all of Dante’s recaps back to the season premiere [here] and check out his recap of the latest episode, “Snatch Game of Love,” where the queens do celebrity impersonations including Phyllis Diller, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Kim Cattrall, Divine, LaToya Jackson and more. Read it!
LOOKING AHEAD
Splash House is back, taking place across the next two weekends, Aug.13–15 and Aug. 20–22, at the Renaissance Hotel, Margaritaville Resort and Saguaro Palm Springs. Each resort is a full takeover hosting a poolside stage, rooms, and balconies that are all part of the fun. Weekend one features Dom Dolla, Get Real, Mark Night and more, and Weekend Two features Bob Moses, Camelphat, Gorgon City and more! After-hours programming at the Palm Springs Air Museum will also return. Following the requirements set forth by the City of Palm Springs, all attendees will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or proof of full vaccination. Get tickets
Saturday Summerific Sing-A-Long: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
The Palm Springs Cultural Center and The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus present The All Summer Long Snazzy Sassy Songsational Summerific Sing-A-Long. This week, on Saturday, August 14, the evening’s movie musical is “Bohemian Rhapsody,” starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. At 6:00 p.m., come for social hour in the VIP Lounge upstairs, to mingle with your fellow movie musical enthusiasts and enjoy cocktails, mocktails & soda; spontaneous singing encouraged! Dress for the songsational occasion, and at 7:00 p.m. join host Rosemary Galore and songleaders from the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus for an evening filled with film, fun, and song. The Summerific Sing-A-Long series is a joint fundraiser for Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus and Palm Springs Cultural Center and continues with a different film every Saturday through September 11. Get tickets
Hotel California: A Salute to The Eagles
The Show at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage presents Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles on Saturday, August 14 at 8:00 p.m. For more than three decades, Hotel California has touched the hearts of fans all over the world by faithfully and accurately reproducing the Grammy Award-winning sounds of the Eagles. This dynamic, highly acclaimed show incorporates their very own world-renowned vocal harmony and authentic instrumentation, including all specialty instruments in a stage spectacle that presents an exciting showcase of the Eagles’ megahits such as “Take It Easy,” “Heartache Tonight,” and, of course, “Hotel California.” Upon arrival you will receive your assigned seats to keep everyone at a safe social distance. Get tickets
Mark Your Calendar: Aging Positively Conference
Reunion Project, the annual Coachella Valley conference aimed at providing practical information and inspiration for those aging with HIV, will bring together community leaders to improve the lives of older adults living with HIV for a virtual conference on Saturday, September 18 from 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. The conference will feature an HIV research panel of top experts discussing HIV and aging issues in our community, and a presentation from Keynote Speaker Andy Bell of Erasure. Free conference, registration requested. More info
Gay Days Anaheim – Get Your Discount Now
On September 17–19, Gay Days Anaheim returns to the Disney parks and these are the final days they are able to offer guests the opportunity to stay at the Disney property hotels with a discount better than any rate you’ll find elsewhere (Deadline for the discount is Monday, August 16). Also be sure to plan to have proof of vaccination and mask-wearing at all indoor spaces within the parks as well as at Gay Days shows and parties, including shows with Chita Rivera, Audra McDonald, Jackie Cox, Nina West Jan Sport and the Kingdom dance party. More info