This week in #ILoveGayPalmSprings – New Year’s Eve celebrations are on  Monday night this year and we’ve got the rundown of the many options for revelry and celebration of the new year! It’s also the dawn of a new era in LGTBQ radio for the Coachella Valley with the launch of 106.5 KGAY, are you listening? Robolights and The Living Desert’s Holiday Lights are in their final days of the season, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival is just getting started. We also have an Outbook Club Mixer and Yappy Hour, plus an announcement from Zach & Evan!

New Year’s Eve Party Roundup

New Year’s Eve is Monday, December 31 and if you’re looking for a place to ring in 2019, we have no shortage of options here in the Greater Palm Springs Area! From Mildly Wild and Glow Karaoke to Jazzville and Drag Superstars, we’ve got a roundup of New Year’s Eve parties for you to choose from! Read more

Here’s a couple of highlights:
Rockin’ 80s – New Year’s Eve at Spa Resort Casino
8:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. – Enjoy the ultimate outdoor New Year’s Eve Party at Spa Resort Casino! Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band performs at 10:30 p.m. with Rock Stars from the original cast of “Broadway’s Rock of Ages Band” live in concert. Concert admission includes entry into Rockin’ 80s New Year’s Eve Party.

Jazzville New Year’s Eve Extravaganza at Hotel Zoso
Doors 4:30 p.m., dinner 5:00 p.m, live music 6:00 p.m. – In the tradition of Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Frank Sinatra, this award-winning Latin jazz group is highly entertaining and perform both classic and “Latin-ized” standards with an energetic verve. Tickets include a delicious three-course plated dinner, party favors, 2 glasses of bubbly, NYE photo op, and complimentary valet parking.

Click here for the full list of NYE Parties! 

106.5 KGAY – Now Playing!

The all-new 106.5 FM KGAY Radio – “The Pride of the Valley” has just launched in the Coachella Valley, serving the LGBTQ community!
It’s a different kind of radio station because it is run by a non-profit organization: Qchella Media Corporation. Qchella Media is committed to strengthening and affirming the LGBTQ community in the Coachella Valley, providing a platform for the “Q-munity” to access the airwaves and on-demand programming. This new station is also powered by Gay Desert Guide for all the listings of gay-friendly businesses, events, and attractions in the desert! You can listen now on 106.5 FM or 1270 AM, stream KGAY 106.5 online, and be sure to “Like” Qchella Media on Facebook!

See 106.5 FM KGAY profiled by Vince Marino on NBC Palm Springs here.

 

Also check out the new CV 104.3 FM, Coachella Valley’s new home for smooth favorites, all day with a no-repeat workday from 9 to 5, featuring Fitz in the Morning and Patrick Evans (CBS Local 2 Chief Meteorologist and Host of Eye on the Desert) hosting afternoons. Listen on 104.3 FM, visit CV 104.3 online and “Like” CV 104.3 on Facebook too!

The Living Desert: Holiday Lights End Dec 31

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is giving guests a few more hours to enjoy the sights sounds and lights of the zoo. Through Monday, December 31, The Living Desert will be open 9 am to 7 pm. During the extended hours, guests will be able to explore many of the African animals of the zoo including giraffe, cheetahs, zebras and warthogs. And although Santa has gone back to the North Pole, guests can enjoy the holiday lights and light displays. More info

Robolights End Wednesday Jan 2

Robolights is a massive, colorful display of sculptures and structures artist Kenny Irwin created from recycled materials and draped in 9 million Christmas lights. He began building the display when he was 12 and it now attracts visitors year-round, but especially around the holidays. It has been featured in a number of stories and reports by the national and international media. Robolights is open daily (including Christmas Eve and Day) 4:00–9:30 p.m. through Wednesday, January 2. More info

Palm Springs International Film Fest Tickets Now on Sale

The Palm Springs International Film Festival is just around the corner, running January 3–14, 2019 and recently announced that Mary Poppins Returns will be presented the Ensemble Performance Award at its annual Film Awards Gala on Thursday, January 3.  Individual film and event tickets, including Opening & Closing Night, are available to the general public for purchase now. The entire festival schedule is also now available three ways: viewable online, downloadable as a PDF, and in print form. Get tickets and more info

Outbook Club + Mixer

On Wednesday, January 2 from 6:00–8:30 p.m., the Palm Springs Cultural Center and the Palm Springs Library present their monthly Outbook Club + Mixer. To join simply pick up and read this month’s selection.  Local book critic and columnist J. Corbett Holmes leads discussions around each month’s selection. This month’s book is “The Stranger Game” by Peter Gadol. Get more info on this and future dates

Palm Springs Yappy Hour

Animal Samaritans, along with The Riviera Palm Springs Hotel and Spa present Palm Springs Yappy Hour, a pet-friendly happy hour for dog lovers and their friends, on Thursday, January 3 from 5:00–7:00 p.m. Held in the private Chiki Pool area at the Riviera, admission includes complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine; speciality cocktail and mocktail cash bar benefits Animal Samaritans too. Well-behaved dogs welcome, as well as dog-loving humans! More info

Zach & Evan Announce Palm Springs Wedding Venue

YouTube celebrities and friends of Gay Desert Guide, Zach & Evan are getting married in Palm Springs, and they recently made the big announcement of their choice of venue! Watch their video to find out here.

Palm Desert’s 3rd Annual LiveWell Festival

Palm Desert’s LiveWell Festival is an all-inclusive mind-body-spirit wellness festival which highlights the desert’s health and wellness service community. This event will be held on Saturday, January 5, from 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park. The LiveWell Festival strives to create an energetic environment providing interactive events and demonstrations the whole family can enjoy. Festivities include Acoustic Music Performances, Massages, Group Fitness / Yoga, and Clean Eating Demos. More info