DBA Business and Community Service Awards Dinner, Grease Interactive Singalong and Carnival, Vacaya Cruise Giveaway, Harvey Milk Day, Center Social at Grand Central, Joint Chamber Mixer, Fabulous Bingo, and a weekend preview!
DBA Business and Community Service Awards Dinner
The Desert Business Association presents their 2019 Business and Community Awards Dinner on Monday, May 20 from 6:00–9:00 p.m. at The Saguaro in Palm Springs. Honorees this year:
Business of the Year – Compass Rose Financial Planning
Compass Rose is an independent fee-only financial planning firm founded by Bob Machado, providing services in the Coachella Valley for 12 years. Clients only pay for analyzing their specific financial situations, formulating and being educated about recommendations, and helping them implement changes.
Business Person of the Year – Mark Duebner, Mark Duebner Design
Mark Duebner’s passion for storytelling via visual media drew him to a career in graphic design, and today, he’s one of Palm Springs’ most in-demand graphic designers. Mark strives to bring his clients’ stories to life through visual originality. “When you hire Mark Duebner, you collaborate with Mark Duebner,” he says. “Along with my strategic and creative thinking, I believe my time management skills and response time to clients’ needs set me apart.”
Outstanding Community Service Organization – Coachella Valley Repertory
Community service has always been part of CVRep’s mission, and its biggest effort is its annual Youth Outreach Production. Each fall for the last decade, CVRep has hosted more than 2,000 local students at a free age-appropriate theater production. The last two have dealt with the issue of bullying. Ron Celona is CVRep’s founding artistic director.
Outstanding Community Service Leader – Lynn Hammond
Hammond is the woman (mostly) behind the scenes providing the food and drink at numerous valley events—and if it’s a charity event, there’s a good chance she’s providing it all at cost, if she’s not reaching into her own pocket to pay for it herself. It’s this generosity, as well as her tireless advocacy on behalf of the LGBT community, that has earned her this year’s Community Service Leader Award.
Legacy Award Recipient – Kate Ullman
After 7 years of dedicated service, Kate Ullman will retire her seat on the Board of Directors of the L-Fund, a non-profit organization that provides resources to lesbians in crisis, to empower lesbians through education, and to celebrate lesbians in the community. “It is with great pride that I am a co-founder of the L-Fund.”, Kate said. “We have come so much further than any of us imagined.”
DBA will also recognize three Student Education Recipients. Get tickets
Grease Interactive Singalong and Carnival with Among Friends
Join the Among Friends group for a wild cocktail party in the form of a high school carnival, GREASE-style, at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Play the classic games, win silly prizes, meet the community and enjoy a mini Antique Car Show & a Sock Hop with DJ Galaxy. As always a special dress-up award goes to best costume. Doors Open at 7:30 p.m. for the screening of Grease Interactive Singalong at 8:00 p.m. Get tickets
Vacaya Cruise Giveaway at Grease Singalong
Gay Desert Guide, along with KGAY 106.5, is proud to be a media sponsor for this event, and we will be there with our booth and an opportunity for people to meet the staff with morning DJ John Taylor and enter their names for a chance to become a finalist to win a VACAYA Cruise trip! There’s a new LGBTQ+ travel company on the scene, and it’s called VACAYA. Their inaugural Cruise to PTown will take place August 11–18, featuring 7 nights aboard the 5-star Celebrity Summit with an overnight in Provincetown for the Carnival kick-off, plus activities and all-star entertainment including Palm Springs’ own Shann Carr! You can ENTER TO WIN at www.KGAY1065.com, or come to GREASE Interactive Singalong and put your name into the mix for a drawing at the end of the broadcast: one lucky ticket will be selected as a finalist! Grand Prize drawing takes place June 14.
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Harvey Milk Day is Wednesday, May 22
While the official Harvey Milk Day is Wednesday, May 22, Palm Springs hosted the largest Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast in the U.S. on Wednesday May 15. This year we had 1200 attendees including 350 kids and their advisors from Gay/Straight Alliances throughout the Coachella Valley. Learn more
Center Social at Grand Central
The next Center Social from the LGBT Center of the Desert will be Wednesday, May 22 from 5:30–7:00 p.m. at Grand Central Palm Springs. When it’s time to meet new people or reconnect with friends, it’s time for Center Social! See you soon Vibrant Community! More info
Joint Chamber Mixer
The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce will hold a joint mixer on Tuesday, May 21 from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at Bernie’s Lounge and Supper Club in Rancho Mirage. Complimentary appetizers and happy hour drinks will be served. Free to all Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage Chamber members. $15.00 for guests. More info
Fabulous Bingo with Bella da Ball
Every Monday night since time immemorial, a captivated crowd at Ace Hotel & Swim Club have followed the bouncing bingo balls on a fantastic ride — a flamboyant night of sass, song and showbiz razzle-dazzle. It’s called Fabulous Bingo, in memory of the night’s longtime host and PSP patron saint, the legendary Linda “Fabulous” Gerard. The festivities are now presented by Palm Springs’ own Bella da Ball.More info
THIS WEEKEND
It’s Memorial Day Weekend…
…and a great time to visit Palm Springs. Welcome visitors! If you’re looking to unwind in style on this holiday weekend, check out our Gay Desert GuideHappy Hour Finder, Dine & Sip Channel, and Nightlife Channel!
Memorial Day is a very special day at the Palm Springs Air Museum, where every year they hold a Memorial Day Flower Drop and Air Fair, which runs from 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 27. The memorial service is dedicated to all our fallen comrades who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms and features a fly-by and flower drop from a World War II B-25 Mitchell Bomber of over 3,000 red and white carnations. Flight exhibitions and activities, food and music are scheduled all day long with the Memorial Ceremony and Flower Drop scheduled for 1:00 PM. Get tickets
RINSE at The Saguaro
The Saguaro Palm Springs presents RINSE Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday May 25 from 12:00 p.m.–Sundown. RINSE is the desert’s wettest pool party oasis that pushes the boundaries of your conventional day-time social gathering, with special guests Subsuelo, a global bass crew based in Los Angeles that experiments with futuristic dance parties and old-school tropical music. Get tickets
Jo Anne Worley at The Purple Room
Jo Anne Worley brings her crazy brand of humor to the Purple Room Supper Club for two performances, Friday and Saturday, May 24 & 25, at 6:00 p.m. Well-known for her four-year stint on the highly successful, innovative, television series Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, her instinctive comedy timing and irrepressible laugh made her a favorite with audiences. She has appeared in numerous Broadway productions and national tours, has been in TV and movies, including the voice of the wardrobe in the Academy Award winning Beauty and the Beast. Get Tickets
Hot Mess in a Dress
Hot Mess in a Dress, taking place Saturday, May 25 at 6:00 p.m. at Neon Oasis, is a fundraiser benefiting The Trevor Project and Palms Springs’ QChella Media, an LGBTQ+ founded, directed, and managed non-profit media corporation bringing you KGAY 106.5 and serving the needs of the community. This will be a night of false lashes + true hilarity… high hair + even higher spirits… stiff drinks + stiff, stubbled upper lips…think tragic pageant. For entry, guests should wear dresses (for men) and women should come as either as Drag Kings (aka, boy drag) or as Drag Queens (aka, exaggerated femme). You know those events where guys look great in drag, this ain’t it! Get tickets
Book Signings at Just Fabulous
Join Just Fabulous for two fabulous book signings this weekend! On Saturday, May 25 from 12:00–2:00 p.m., learn about that elusive quality, that X factor, that makes some people wildly successful with a signing of Success Factor by Jill Liberman and Sean Kanan (More info). Then on Sunday, May 26 from 12:00–3:00 p.m., get inspired by Splash, a glamorous photo book that celebrates the style, design, and joy that pools bring to us, from beautifully landscaped backyards to dramatic beaches and tropical paradise surroundings (More info).
LOOKING AHEAD
Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week
Visitors and residents of Greater Palm Springs are in for a TREAT during Restaurant Week, running May 31 through June 9. More than 100 participating new and local favorites are offering specially priced menus with 2-item lunches ($15, $20 and $25) and 3-item dinners ($29, $39 and $49), making it the perfect time to TREAT out — for less. Bon appéTREAT! Visit our link to view a list of participating restaurants: More info
6th Annual Queen of the Desert
The 6th Annual Queen of the Desert lip-synch competition takes place on Friday, May 31 from 5:30–10:00 p.m. at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. This event shines a spotlight on local drag performers and sells out quickly. Participants compete in bathing costume, evening gown and performance categories as they vie for the coveted title of ‘Queen of the Desert 2019’ while raising funds for Desert AIDS Project via fan favorite voting. More info
