It’s Palm Springs Women’s Week, plus Cat City Drag Race at The Roost, NAGLREP Conference, Positive Life Series, National Night Out with PS Police, Artwalk at Backstreet Art District, Marvyn’s Magic Theater, Concerts in the Park, and a preview of the weekend!
Palm Springs Women’s Week runs September 29 through October 6, bringing women from around the country to the Coachella Valley to participate in a week of events designed to celebrate Lesbian culture and elevate the status of women. It will cast a bright light on talented local women and explore the issues and attitudes that define women’s experiences everywhere. See our Women’s Week Event Page for a full day-by-day rundown of all the activities, including a June Mazer Archives exhibit, Food & Wine Tasting with Female Chefs, Rose Mallett tribute to Sarah Vaughan, a Jazz Party at the Rowan, Dance with BrockusRed, a Tribute to Lesbian Poets, the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz festival, and many other events. More info
Cat City Drag Race Continues at The Roost, Trunks
Help the Cathedral City Gay Bars find the “Royal Highness of Cat City” during the Cathedral City Drag Race, running through October 7. Nine contestants will be scored by local celebrity judges on originality, themed outfit, personality, and performance. With weekly prizes and audience favorites, the contestant with the most points at the finish line wins the title! Hosted by Anita Treadmill with music by DJ Galaxy from KGAY 106.5. – The competition continues at The Roost Lounge on Monday, September 30 from 6:00–9:00 p.m., and moves next week for the final night of competition at Trunks Bar on Monday, October 7, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. More info
Positive Life Series: How Stigma Affects People Aging with HIV
The Positive Life Series is a monthly community HIV/AIDS seminar series presented by HIV+ Aging Research Project Palm Springs (H+ARP), and the topic for Tuesday, October 1 is “How Stigma Affects People Aging with HIV” Light supper is served at 6:00 with program beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Sinatra Auditorium at Desert Regional Medical Center. Future program topics include: HIV & the Law, Gut Health, and Aging Strong. More info
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Palm Springs Police Department National Night Out
Join the Palm Springs Police Department for their 3rd annual National Night Out on Tuesday, October 1 from 5:00–8:00 p.m. at the Palm Springs Stadium (1901 E. Baristo Rd). Check out static displays, demonstrations and enjoy an evening with personnel from your police department. More info
Welcome NAGLREP 2019
The National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, known as NAGLREP, holds their annual conference from Tuesday, October 1 through Thursday, October 3 at The Riviera Palm Springs Hotel & Spa. Over 700 LGBT and allied industry leaders are gathering for three power packed days of learning and networking. More info
Palm Springs City Council Candidate Forums: Districts 2 & 3
ONE-PS, The Palm Springs Neighborhood Association, along with leaders and members of local neighborhood organizations, is sponsoring a series of four candidate forums for Palm Springs City Council candidates in September and October. The dates and times for the remaining forums are:
District 3: Saturday, October 5 (click here for details)
District 2: Sunday, October 6 (click here for details)
Learn more
Artwalk at Backstreet Art District
On the first Wednesday of every month, (Wednesday, October 2 this month) Maxson Art and the other galleries at Backstreet Art District open their doors from 5:00–8:00 pm. for an evening of art, community, refreshments and fun! Come see the latest creations from the Backstreet Art District artists! More info
Marvyn’s Magic Theater
Catch magic, comedy, and variety acts with new shows weekly featuring world-class performers at Marvyn’s Magic Theater, a luxury, intimate, 127-seat theater in La Quinta. Amenities include mystical curio shop with special effects and a modern lobby bar with piano music and close-up magic. Performances run Wednesday through Sunday. This week, Marvyn’s Magic Theater features Kalin & Jinger in concert, with upcoming performances by: Tony Clark and Jeff Hobson, Paul Draper and Armando Lucero, Nick Lewin and Romano Frediani, and more. Get tickets
Palm Desert Concerts in the Park are Every Thursday in October
Residents and visitors alike flock to the Palm Desert Civic Center Park every Thursday evening in October for the City’s free Concerts in the Park. Held on the terraced lawn of the Civic Center Park Amphitheater, music lovers can look forward to diverse musical offerings that may range from reggae to R&B, and from country to indie. The lineup includes:
- Oct 3 – L.A. Sound Machine (Gloria Estefan tribute band)
- Oct 10 – Amanda Castro Jazz Band (cover band)
- Oct 17 – 90s Rock Show (90s music tribute/cover band)
- Oct 24 – The Pack (Rat Pack tribute band)
- Oct 31 – Dead Man’s Party (Oingo Boingo tribute band)
Food trucks will be onsite. More info
Reminder: Center Stage is Just Three Weeks Away
The Center Stage fundraiser is turning 10, and to celebrate, The LGBT Community Center of the Desert is turning back the clock to throw a big 80s party on Friday, October 25! Presented by Eisenhower Medical Center, come to Center Stage for cocktails, silent auction, sit-down dinner, and a freakin’ righteous Big 80’s party! The Center will be honoring their outgoing board chair, Brian Rix, for his rad 9 years of service on The Center’s Board of Directors. This event will sell out, so get yours ASAP! Get tickets
Reminder: Palm Spring Equality Awards is Just Two Weeks Away
Equality California’s Palm Springs Equality Awards take place this year on Saturday, October 19 at The Riviera. Celebrate EQCA’s 20th Anniversary at one of the desert’s most stylish venues and honor the inspirational leaders and organizations whose selfless work helps create a world that is healthy, just and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. This year Harold Matzner is being honored with the Humanitarian Award and Alexis Ortega is being honored with the Community Leadership Award. The Hon. Geoff Kors, the Hon. Lisa Middleton, Greg Rodriguez and Jackie Thomas are this year’s co-chairs. Get tickets
Aging 2.0 Comes to the Coachella Valley
The Launch of the Coachella Valley Chapter of Aging 2.0 is Monday, October 28 from 5:00–7:00 p.m. at Mizell Senior Center. Aging 2.0 is a San Francisco-based organization that strives to accelerate innovation to address the biggest challenges and opportunities in aging. Established in 2012, its international, interdisciplinary and intergenerational community has grown to 40k+ innovators across 20+ countries. Learn more
THIS WEEKEND
Gay Days Anaheim
With the brand-new land Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge now open, Disneyland is a hotter ticket than ever, and what’s more fun than going with your red shirt for the “Unofficial Gay Days at Disneyland!” from Friday, October 4 through Sunday, October 6. With nighttime parties and cocktail mixers, a scavenger hunt within the park, a massive group photo and much more, you can get Gay Days rates for the Disney hotels or Disney park admission. Get tickets
Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival
The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival returns for its sixth year with two evenings devoted to a stellar line-up of music and performances by leading female jazz musicians featuring Maysa & Jazz in Pink on Friday, October 5 and Judith Hill & Jazz Antiqua will headline the fest on Saturday, October 6. Get tickets
Dance with BrockusRed
Dance with BrockusRed, a special Women’s Week program on Friday, October 4 from 12:30–2:00 p.m., provides a space for women to assemble, break bread together with a home-made Mexican buffet lunch at the Palm Springs Women’s club, followed by a moving program of dance with BrockusRed, whose choreographic style blurs the line between modern dance and jazz techniques. Get tickets
Saturday Sisterhood of Cinema
On the first Saturday of the month–Saturday, October 5 this month–the Saturday Sisterhood of Cinema movie social club meets at 10:00 a.m. at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Grab a bite upstairs and enjoy social time with your sisters after the movie! Get tickets
L-Fund Women’s Golf Scramble
The L-Fund’s second annual Women’s Golf Scramble is on Saturday, October 5, starting with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Scramble tournaments emphasize the fun of the game without the pressure of keeping individual scores. Here’s your chance to play the LPGA’s tournament course at Mission Hills Country Club while supporting the L-Fund’s mission of empowering and celebrating Lesbians in the community! (The L-Fund is also a co-sponsor of Palm Springs Women’s Week). More info
Los Angeles Best in Drag Show 2019
On Sunday, October 6, the legendary fundraiser Best in Drag Show takes place from 5:30–10:00 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown L.A.. This “Battle for the Tiara” is produced every year by an army of extraordinary talented volunteers and a small staff from Alliance for Housing and Healing to support the work of the nonprofit Alliance for Housing and Healing, including its flagship program known as Aid for AIDS. Get tickets
Upcoming Theatre
Die, Mommie, Die!
The Desert Rose Playhouse presents Die, Mommie, Die!, opening Friday, October 4 and running through Sunday, October 27. Ex-cabaret siren Angela Arden is no longer in love with her husband, and is disconnected from her children. In an attempt to escape her marriage so that she can be with a hunky layabout, she poisons her husband. But when she begins to suspect that her daughter and gay son are also sleeping with her paramour — and they in turn begin to suspect their mother had a role in their father’s death — everything begins to fall apart. Directed by Robbie Wayne and starring Loren Freeman. Get tickets
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Palm Canyon Theatre: “Crucible” and “Priscilla”
Having just finished a two-week run of Peter Pan, Palm Canyon Theatre will next present Arthur Miller’s The Crucible (October 10–13), which explores what happens when a group of young girls dancing in the woods causes a community to be torn by suspicion. Then, starting October 25 and running through November 17, the musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert takes things in a much more heartwarming direction: a group of “girls” dancing (and lip-syncing) in the desert and finding love, friendship, and a whole lot of fun along the way. This production is also an official event of Palm Springs Pride 2019! More info