Flex Alert! We’re starting the week with more high temps and a huge drain on the power grid. Try to watch your power use so you’re not keeping us in the black!
Out on the Mountain is this weekend and DJ Ray Rhodes is also signed on for our KGAY Arenas Road Dance Stage. Plenty more to view and do below as we look at the short week post-Labor Day!
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide & KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Best of Coachella Valley Nominations Close Tuesday Night
“One Night Only” Tickets on Sale Wed Sept. 7
Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center presents the return of “One Night Only” for the 16th year on November 9 at the McCallum Theatre, and tickets to the popular sell-out event will go on sale Wednesday, September 7. Produced by Michael Childers with returning director Scott Coulter and music director Todd Schroeder, this year’s theme is “New York / New York” in all its glory from Harlem and the Cotton Club to Broadway and 42nd Street to Studio 54. Plan ahead and secure your seats! Get tickets
The Purple Room is Back
The Purple Room Supper Club has re-opened for the season! On weeknights, the gin will be cold and the jazz will be hot as the legendary Rose Mallett performs on Tuesdays & Thursdays, with Darci Daniels & Charles Herrera serving up classic Rat Pack Era stylings on Wednesdays. The weekend entertainment for September is now posted on our event listing, and tickets are on sale now. Special performances in September include Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, Brenna Whitaker, Clint Holmes, Scot Bruce, Chadwick Johnson, Lady Bunny and more! Get tickets
Chamber Series: Dr. Vanessa Fountain, Harpist
The CV Philharmonic Society Chamber Series presents a rare opportunity to hear harpist Dr. Vanessa Fountain on Tuesday, September 6 at 7 pm at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Come an hour early to enjoy light passed hors d’ouvres and mingle with fellow classical music enthusiasts! Get tickets
Positive Life Series – Addiction & Long Term Survivors
The HIV+ Aging Research Project Palm Springs presents the Positive Life Series on Tuesday, September 6 at 6 pm as a hybrid presentation, in person at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, and on Zoom. This month, the topic is Addiction and Long Term HIV Survivors with guest speakers Terry Gatewood & Gaetano Vaccaro from Blue Tiger Recovery. More info
GCVCC Morning Mixer
On behalf of Pro VR USA, the Greater Coachella Valley Chamber of Commerce (GCVCC) presents a Morning Mixer on Wednesday, September 7 from 7:30–9:30 am. The GCVCC mixers are coordinated to allow leading professionals, entrepreneurs, and executives an opportunity to learn about local Coachella Valley businesses and to build meaningful connections. Pro VR USA is a Virtual Reality Entertainment Arcade/Venue located in Palm Springs. More info
Veterans University – PACT Act Edition
The Honoring our PACT Act, historic legislation to help veterans who have been exposed to burn pits and other toxins, is now law, and if you or a veteran you know would like to learn more about how the PACT Act can help you and your family, join Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz for a virtual information session on Wednesday, September 7 at 9:00 am. More info
Community Police Academy Application Period
The Palm Springs Police Department Community Police Academy is a free interactive course designed to acquaint individuals with the activities of the Police Department. The next Academy starts September 20 and runs through December 6 and is open to adults who live or work in the Greater Palm Springs community. The deadline for getting in your application for this Academy is Friday, September 9. Learn more about the program and how to apply on our detailed event listing: More info
Cowboy Songs with John Stanley King
Join the Palm Springs Cultural Center in the Theatre 3 Playhouse on Wednesday, September 7 from 5–7:30 pm for Cowboy Songs with John Stanley King and the Cowboy Songs Band, an evening of cowboy tunes, bluegrass, newgrass, and a hint of gypsy jazz! Cowboy songs existed before country music and became popular with a wider public in the 30s and 40s because of their use in western movies. Marty Robbins, Sons of the Pioneers and others continued to record them but they gradually faded into obscurity. This project revives the old tunes and has found a renewed public interest in them. Get tickets
Palm Springs Single Guys Mixer
Palm Springs Single Guys returns with a social mixer on Thursday, September 8 from 5:30–7:30 pm in the VIP Lounge at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. This free event is, according to organizers, “nothing too complicated, just a great group of single guys who are looking for connection.” Take a chance, step out of your comfort zone, and chat with some wonderful guys. Future monthly mixers are scheduled for October 13, November 10, and December 15. More info
Creative Writing with David Wallace
Mizell Center presents Creative Writing with David Wallace, an 8-week course starting this Saturday, September 10 and running through October 29, on Saturdays from 1–3 pm. David Wallace is a nationally published author of nine non-fiction books, including A City Comes Out, a landmark history of Palm Springs, and I Called Him Uncle Harry, a memoir of growing up with his aunt and uncle, Harry and Bess Truman. Here’s your opportunity to learn from the best, in-person. Wallace creates a comfortable environment of mutual respect for everyone’s work – whether that is a family history, a play, poetry, a novel, or continuing a previously started work. More info
Desert Blues Revival: Bill Grisolia Band
Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs presents the Desert Blues Revival every Wednesday at 8 pm in the Cascade Lounge. On Wednesday, September 7, The Bill Grisolia Band takes the stage. Each week, come enjoy great bands playing Authentic Blues, Soul, R&B, and Rock from all over the globe right here in your backyard. Get tickets
Jazzville: Judy Wexler Quintet
Jazzville, the live jazz scene presented by Barry Martin/DJ Baz and Take Five, takes place at the vibrant Cascade Lounge inside Agua Caliente Casino in Palm Springs. Experience the hottest acts in jazz and step back in time to when all the cool cats came to play and put Palm Springs on the map! On Thursday, September 8 from 7–8:30 pm, Jazzville presents Judy Wexler Quintet. Vocalist Judy Wexler is a touring and recording jazz singer that has headlined at festivals, performing arts centers and major jazz clubs both nationally and internationally. Cocktails, wine and delicious small bites will be available while bopping to the tunes of the evening. Get tickets
Oasis of Art Campaign
Visit Greater Palm Springs has launched their new Oasis of Art campaign, drawing attention to the many art-and-cultural treasures available here in the Greater Palm Springs area. The campaign includes an Art & Sol artist video series, highlighting local artists and what inspires them, and the relaunch of the artsGPS app, a free resource to find public art, events, things to do, and places to stay in Greater Palm Springs. Use the app to take a self-guided tour of more than 100 outdoor public art installations scattered throughout our nine cities. You’ll see everything from whimsical and thought-provoking sculptures to colorful wall murals! More info
THIS WEEKEND
Out on the Mountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain’s annual Out on the Mountain LGBTQ/Gay Night returns on Friday, September 9 from 6 pm–midnight. The entire park goes gay for the night, which provides a safe and inclusive environment of fun for the LGBTQ community, with rides, dance parties, and performers, including Heidi N Closet from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The entertainment also includes three dance parties: Ray Rhodes (Full Thottle Stage DJ), DJ SRO (Metro Park Pub DJ), and DJ Les Ortiz (Latin Dance DJ). Host is Tiffany Vogue (featured on HBO Max’s Craftopia). Over 5,000 people are expected to attend, and your ticket also gets you daytime admission to the park along with the general public before the special event begins. More info
Day of Advocacy
In preparation for the upcoming political season, Brothers of the Desert (BOD) is collaborating with the Desert Stonewall Democrats to host A Day of Advocacy on Saturday, September 10 from 11 am–3 pm to highlight the political issues of Black voter suppression and anti-gay legislation. The educational forum will feature California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Director of External Relations for Equality California, Sam Garrett-Pate. This FREE information and education forum will be held at the Mizell Center, and BOD is encouraging members, friends and allies to participate. More info
Brothers of the Desert Newlywed Game
Brothers of the Desert present the Newlywed Game hosted by Patty Cakes on Friday, September 9 from 6–9 pm at Oscar’s. Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a fun night as Patty and audience members get to ask questions of the three celebrity newlywed couples. Just like the 70’s hit TV show, there will be lots of malarkey, she-nanigans, and laughs along the road to finding out which couple knows each other best. Contestants feature Palm Springs First Responders. Funds raised will support the Brothers’ Membership Support Fund. More info
Marconi Calindas: Life in Color Art Exhibition & Film Screening
On Saturday, September 10 at 6 pm, join the opening night reception for Marconi Calindas‘ new exhibit, Life in Color, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. At 7 pm, the short film “Princesa (2014),” featuring Calindas’ award-winning art direction, will be screened, followed by a Q&A with the artist. Life in Color will remain on display throughout the upcoming LGBTQ Film Festival, Cinema Diverse, as well as Palm Springs Pride in early November. More info
Summer Reading Series: Iced
Desert Ensemble Theatre invites you to join a reading of the play Iced, written and directed by Patricia West-Del Ruth on Friday, September 9 from 6–9 pm at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Fleeing Honduras in fear for their lives, an undocumented grandfather is suspected of being a terrorist or possibly a sex trafficker when he swims across the Rio Grande River and arrives in McAllen, Texas with his teenage granddaughter. Placed in harsh conditions at a detention center, the grandfather pleads for asylum and discovers his granddaughter has mysteriously gone missing. Admission is free, reservations recommended. There will be a full bar with happy hour menu, 2 drink minimum. More info
Southern Fried Nuptials at Desert Theatreworks
Desert Theatreworks opens its new season with Southern Fried Nuptials, from September 9–25. Going to the chapel and they’re gonna get married. Or are they? It’s been a rough year for Attie VanLeer and Harline Frye. Their engagement has been on and off more times than a drunk frat boy on a mechanical bull. Half the town has been invited, dress is fitted, the flowers have been ordered, and the gifts are piling up in the living room. So why does Harline still have cold feet? Will they or won’t they? That’s the big question this hysterical sequel to Osborne and Eppler’s hit comedy Southern Fried Funeral. Get tickets
Biloxi Blues at Palm Canyon Theatre
Palm Canyon Theatre presents Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues, playing through Sunday, September 11. This play is the second chapter in what is known as the “Eugene trilogy,” following Brighton Beach Memoirs and preceding Broadway Bound. Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical story is told through the eyes of 18-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome, who is drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II. During basic training, Eugene meets a diverse assortment of soldiers, including the gentle and intelligent Arnold Epstein and the hard-drinking platoon leader Sergeant Merwin J. Toomey. Get tickets
Tramway to Close for Annual Maintenance
This week is your last chance to ride the tramway before they take their annual time-out for refurbishment. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will close for its annual maintenance routine, starting Monday, September 12 with a tentative reopening date of Monday, October 10, assuming all goes according to schedule. This year, they will be replacing track sheaves and refurbishing both cabins, including the replacement of the dome windows, along with the usual testing and service upgrades. Safety first, especially when you’re ascending two-and-a-half miles up the cliffs of Chino Canyon, in a tram car supported by cables running from the desert floor to the wilderness of Mt. San Jacinto State Park!
College of the Desert Street Fair is Back
For over 36 years, The Street Fair at College of the Desert is considered one of the top things to do in the Palm Springs area, where locals and visitors alike can spend their day with an open-air shaded shopping experience second to none. It is now reopened for the season, every Saturday and Sunday from 8 am–Noon through the month of September, and then 8 am –2 pm once the weather cools off a bit more from October–May. With merchandise and services for all ages and any budget, the Street Fair offers over a thousand items for sale from artisans, home goods, fashion, furniture, vintage cars, a farmer’s market, live entertainment, gourmet food and much more. More info
LOOKING AHEAD
The Dinah is Two Weeks Away – and Hiring!
Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, the largest Queer/Lesbian/Non-Binary Event in the world, takes place September 21–25 and they are looking for a few energetic, friendly, and detailed-oriented folks to work The Dinah’s Will-Call at Margaritaville in Palm Springs. Shifts are either AM or PM, 5-6 hours long, $18.50/hour. If interested, please send an email to Arabella Barkow at: bella@bellabproductions.com. For all the details on The Dinah, check out our event listing: More info
Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
The “sensory extravaganza” of Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is coming to The Forum at Empire Polo Club from September 30–November 27 and tickets are on sale now! The tour of this show has sold over 3 million tickets globally making it one of the most popular current traveling exhibitions. Imagine being completely immersed in more than 300 of the greatest works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent Van Gogh. Now imagine experiencing all of this art liberated from its two-dimensional limitations into a three-dimensional experience that exhilarates every sense and brings to life one of the most influential artists the world has known. Get tickets
On the Air at KGAY 106.5
WIN Tickets to Cinema Diverse
Cinema Diverse – The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival, takes place September 15–25 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, and KGAY 106.5 and Gay Desert Guide have your chance to WIN a pair of “Six pack of passes” to this 15th Anniversary edition of the festival! Enter to win on the KGAY Contest Page. Tickets and passes are available for purchase now, come see LGBTQ+ cinema from around the world, screening for 10 days. More info
WIN Tickets to Pride Under the Pines
Pride Under the Pines, the Idyllwild Pride Festival, is set for Saturday, October 1, for a great day filled with fun, laughter, celebration and love, and KGAY 106.5 and Gay Desert Guide have your chance to WIN a pair of General Admission tickets! Winners will have access to the festival grounds to enjoy a day of food, bars and entertainment hosted by Sabryna Williams, Transgender singer/songwriter Alexa Abraxas and Thea Austin from Snap! Enter to win on the KGAY Contest Page. You can also purchase tickets now, with the option to join the KGAY Party Bus and movie screening of The Birdcage. More info
KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs is “The Pride of the Valley,” and you can show your Pride by proudly wearing our rainbow logo! Check out our selection of apparel and other items emblazoned with the best radio station call letters: KGAY! Shop now
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 pool party music! Listen Online
- Out on the Mountain
Fri. Sep 9 from 6 pm–midnight at Six Flags Magic Mountain - Southern Fried Nuptials presented by Desert Theatreworks
Sep 9–25 - Fahrenheit – An Outdoor Fitness Class
Tue/Wed/Thu mornings at 7 am at Frances Stevens Park - Cinema Diverse – The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival
Sep 15–25 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center and Streaming - Positively Aging Project
Sat. Sep 17 from 10 am–3 pm at Joslyn Center - Gay Days Anaheim
Sep 16–18 at Disneyland Resort - Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend
Sep 21–25 at Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs - Pride Under the Pines
Sat. Oct 1 from 12–9 pm in Idyllwild - Modernism Week – October
Oct 13–16 at Various Locations around Palm Springs - Palm Springs Leather Pride
Oct 27–30 at Hotel Zoso and various locations around Palm Springs
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 2022 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.
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)