White Party weekend is finally here! After two years on hiatus and with new leadership, the event that helped put #ILoveGayPalmSprings on the map is back! The city has been abuzz all week with men from all over the world converging here. (If they’re wearing cowboy hats, it’s a safe bet they are here for Stagecoach, not WP!)
The Sunday Tea Dance with Paula Abdul will be the highlight. KGAY 106.5 and GayDesertGuide will be on hand for all the fun, and we look forward to celebrating with you!
May is heating up with the Desert Oasis Music Festival, Palm Springs Hot Rodeo and the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast. Find everything to do when you place GayDesertGuide.LGBT on the home screen of your mobile phone for quick access to events, happy hours and attractions.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide & KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
For the latest, follow our socials @GayDesertGuide and @KGAY1065 and listen to KGAY Palm Springs wherever you may be!
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White Party Palm Springs
White Party Palm Springs is back this weekend, April 29–May 1, at the Hilton Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Convention Center. This is the largest gay circuit party in the United States and typically attracts more than 30,000 attendees for daily pool parties and nightly themed parties with a roster of world-class DJs and dazzling live performances. Paula Abdul headlines this year’s Big Top Circus T-Dance on Sunday. Also scheduled to perform this weekend: Raye, Netta, Karina Raye, Amannda & Nikki, and Beverly Johnson will be crowned “Queen of White Party” on the white carpet. Even if you can’t attend, look up in the direction of the Convention Center at 9:45 pm on Sunday, May 1 for a 10-minute fireworks display! Get tickets
Listen to Paula Abdul on the air with John Taylor on the KGAY 106.5 Morning Show:
Stagecoach Festival
Stagecoach, the highest-grossing festival centered on country music in the world, takes place April 29–May 1 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio (on the heels of the Coachella Festival, which wrapped up last weekend). Headliners this year are Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Combs. Various artists attend, whether they be mainstream or relatively unknown, ranging from folk, mainstream country, bluegrass, roots rock, and alternative country. Maren Morris, Midland, Brandi Carlile, Jordan Davis, Tanya Tucker, Brothers Osborne, Lee Brice, The Black Crowes, Cody Johnson and many more are scheduled to perform. Get tickets
Desert Winds Freedom Band FREE Pops Concert
The Desert Winds Freedom Band will present a free Pops Concert on Sunday, May 1 at 2 pm at Temple Isaiah. This concert is a celebration of their 20th season as well as a thank you to the community, and it’s a great way to check out the group and spend an enjoyable Sunday afternoon. The concert will be an eclectic mix of music from popular Disney Movies, the movie Exodus, standards like “Harlem Nocturne” and “You Raise Me Up,” Beach Boys Greatest Hits, Gershwin’s “Embraceable You,” a few Jewish selections like “Nonantum Bulgar.” “Hatikva,” and a beautiful Yiddish Lullaby as well as a fun “Italian Holiday” medley. More info
Blatino Oasis: Reunion at CCBC
Blatino Oasis takes place April 28–May 1 at CCBC Resort. This retreat for gay and bisexual men of color is a weekend full of pool parties, dancing, brunches and hot guys, far from urban life. It attracts over a thousand men from around the world, and we’ve got the info you need for events, hotel options, and passes: Get tickets
Palm Springs Animal Shelter Yard Sale
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter’s Annual Yard Sale is taking place this Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 from 7 am–5 pm at the shelter. They literally have hundreds of donated items, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the shelter. Come and check out what they have – you never know what treasure you might find! More info
International Jazz Day
The Palm Springs Women’s Jazz and Blues Association presents the International Jazz Day on Saturday, April 30, from 2–4 pm at Vickie’s of Santa Fe. This donors party celebrates International Jazz Day with Artistic Director Sweet Baby J’ai, and features Yve Evans. Guests will also connect via Zoom with other parties around the country. Limited seating available. More info
Coachella Valley Symphony: It’s a Schuur Thing!
The Coachella Valley Symphony will be joined for a special performance by Grammy® Award winning vocalist in contemporary jazz, Diane Schuur on Sunday, May 1 from 3–5 pm at the Annenberg Theater. Ms. Schuur, nicknamed “Deedles”, has released over 20 albums, and has extended her jazz repertoire to include essences of Latin, gospel, pop, and country music. The Symphony will also perform Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, Richard Wagner’s Overture to Rienzi, themes from the 1942 film Casablanca, and music from the television series Hawaii Five-0. Get tickets
MTU Presents a Musical Theatre Weekend
Musical Theatre University presents A Musical Theatre Weekend at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater. On Friday, April 29 and Sunday May 1 at 7pm, MTU students are joined by Broadway Veteran Daniel May for Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical comedy-drama that brings together favorite fairy tale characters Cinderella, Jack (of Beanstalk Fame), Little Red Riding Hood, The Baker and his Wife and more. On Saturday, April 30 at 7 pm it’s Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz (composer of Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) with a cast of twenty Musical Theatre University students joined by Broadway Veterans Eric Kunze, Alix Korey, and Teri Ralston. Get tickets
Country Thunder from Down Under
The Show at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage presents Country Thunder From Down Under on Friday and Saturday, April 29 and 30 at 8 pm. Australia’s Thunder From Down Under is the number one male revue in the world! This isn’t the type of show you just sit and watch – Thunder is a fully interactive experience. With chiseled bodies, seductive dance routines, cheeky humor and boy-next-door charm, Thunder From Down Under is a show that you won’t be able to resist. Get tickets
Fly Away Fridays: Destination Italy
Bouschet’s PS Air presents Fly Away Fridays – Destination: Italy on this last Friday of April, the 29th, at 7 pm. This is an immersive travel experience of music, food and entertainment. This event takes place every Friday, with the destination shifting to Mexico for May. Your journey begins with a glass of Champagne and hors d’ oeuvres followed by first class in-air service of your choice of meal – served airplane style, of course. Choose your Italian meal: chicken cacciatore, beef lasagna, or eggplant parmigiana. Get tickets
LOCAL THEATRE
Mid-Century Moderns the Musical
The Desert Rose Playhouse presents Mid-Century Moderns – A New Musical, running through May 8. The fabulous hits of ’66 come to life in this delightful tale of a plucky Wisconsin widow who transforms from frump to fabulous when she finds herself at the center of modernity in Palm Springs. Featuring the music of Tom Jones, Petula Clark, Lesley Gore, Frank & Nancy Sinatra, The Association, The Monkees and many more! Get tickets
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Desert Theatreworks presents Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, running through May 8. It is 1967 in San Francisco, California. Joanna is surprising her parents with a visit home and a fiancé. Making that first introduction to the parents is never easy, and even more so when the whirlwind romance is set against the backdrop of the ’60s and involves a young mixed-race couple. Both families are forced to reckon with their ideas and prejudices in the face of pending nuptials. Get tickets
Monty Python’s Spamalot
Palm Canyon Theatre presents the final weekend of performances of Monty Python’s Spamalot, running through May 1. King Arthur is traveling around England recruiting his Knights of the Round Table. When he and his band of misfit knights finally gather in Camelot, they receive a charge from God to find the Holy Grail. The quest brings King Arthur and the Knights to strange places and into the company of strange characters, challenging them to keep their heads on straight or die terribly weird deaths. Get tickets
J-LO Tribute Performance
Jennifer Lopez Tribute Artist Connie Peña will perform at the Agave Caliente Terraza inside of Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City on Saturday April 30, at 8 pm. The show, called “Let’s Get Loud!” will include Jennifer Lopez’s a.k.a. “J-LO’s” greatest hits, with costume changes, dance routines, and duet segments, all showcasing J-LO’s illustrious career as the ultimate crossover Latin pop diva. More info
2022 LGBTQ Community Survey Now Open
Please take part in the Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) 16th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey! Participation in this survey gives important feedback to our LGBTQ community media and organizations, and provides data to companies interested in serving our community, sponsoring our charities, and supporting their LGBTQ employees. The survey should take about 12 to 15 minutes to complete. Make your voice heard!
[Click here to take the survey]
RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: Season 14 Grand Finale
Gay Desert Guide Drag Correspondent Dante Noto has wrapped up his recaps of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 with the Grand Finale, and it’s a Showgirl Showdown to the very end. The finalist queens take it to the runway in front of a live audience in Sin City. Viva Drag Vegas! As Dante says, the winner displayed “…sheer inventiveness and creativity. And some strategy helped too!” Find out who won and how it all went down: Read Dante’s full recap of Episode 16: Grand Finale [here].
LOOKING AHEAD
Rock the Park Concert: Debby Holiday Tina Turner Tribute
KGAY Palm Springs 106.5 and Gay Desert Guide welcome Debby Holiday with her Tina Turner Tribute performance on Wednesday, May 4 at 7 pm, and KGAY will be there, broadcasting live from 5:30 to 7 pm! Debby Holiday is a singer/songwriter with over a dozen Top Billboard dance hits including “Dive,” “Half a Mile Away,” “Bring it On,” “Piece of My Love,” and “Surrender Me.” Performing across the country, her powerful voice and electric stage presence bring the legend of Tina Turner to life on stage. This concert is part of The Palm Springs Chamber’s free monthly tribute concerts. More info
Update on LGBTQ Asylum at the Border
The LGBTQ Center of the Desert presents LGBTQ Asylum at the Border: An Update on Monday, May 2 from 6–7 pm. Join Troy Elder, a local attorney with the Transgender Law Center & Border Butterflies Project, to learn about what is happening with LGBTQ asylum-seekers at the U.S.- Mexico border and how you can get involved. More info
Sing Out for Ukraine Benefit Concert
Robin Miller presents Sing Out for Ukraine – A Benefit Concert on Monday, May 2 at The Purple Room Supper Club, with dinner at 6 pm, show at 7 pm. A silent auction will be offered, and over a dozen of the desert’s favorite performers will sing, including Keisha D’, Darci Daniels, Charles Herrera, Leanna Rodgers, and many more! Get tickets
Palm Springs State of the City and Awards Ceremony
The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce State of the City & Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 3 from 5–7 pm at the Plaza Theatre. Join the Chamber and city leaders for a food and wine reception hosted by Il Corso Palm Springs from 5–6 pm. Then from 6–7 pm the City Council will share new ideas and celebrate recent accomplishments. Get tickets
Call for Volunteers: Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast
The Harvey Milk Coachella Valley Diversity Breakfast takes place on Wednesday, May 11 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. This inspiring event brings together all who support equality and justice in celebration of this influential civil rights activist. YOU can help make it happen by volunteering with Gay4Good Palm Springs! You can be a part of the setup crew on the day before, or help during the event. Sign up to volunteer today!
Another way to help: You can buy a “Send a Student” ticket to the Breakfast and donate it so that a local student may attend, and you can count it for a 100% charitable contribution! Get tickets
On the Air at KGAY 106.5
YOU CAN WIN 2 nights in Prague and then 7 nights on board the Amadeus III cruising the Danube River brought to you by Brand g Vacations, plus $2,500 airfare credit provided to fly from Palm Springs International Airport. Listen to KGAY 106.5 EVERY WEEKDAY at 8:20 am and 4:20 pm for the KGAY Danube River Cruise Keyword of the Day, enter that word on the KGAY Contest Page and you’ve got an entry! The more days you listen, the more chances to win! BONUS: You can get an extra Keyword every Friday in our Gay Desert Guide Oasis Insiders e-newsletter, so subscribe today!
KGAY 106.5 and Gay Desert Guide have your chance to win 2 VIP Passes to Out in the Vineyard’s “Gay Wine Weekend,” July 15–17 in beautiful, pastoral Sonoma County. This is a full weekend of wine & celebration with winemaker dinners, winery tours and events benefiting Face To Face, Sonoma County HIV/AIDS Network. Enter to win on the KGAY 106.5 Contest Page
- Stagecoach Country Music Festival
Apr. 29–May 1 at the Empire Polo Club, Indio - Blatino Oasis: Reunion
Apr. 28– May 1 at CCBC Resort - Desert Winds Freedom Band’s FREE Pops Concert
Sun. May 1 at 2 pm at the Jewish Community Center - John LLoyd Young at The Purple Room Supper Club
Fri. & Sat., April 29–30 - Mid-Century Moderns – The Musical from Desert Rose Playhouse
Apr. 20–May 8 - Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? from Desert Theatreworks
Apr. 22–May 8 - Rock the Park Concert: Debby Holiday Tina Turner Tribute
Wed. May 4 at 7 pm (KGAY 106.5 broadcasting LIVE from 5:30–7 pm) - White Party Palm Springs
Apr. 29–May 1 at the Hilton Palm Springs and Palm Springs Convention Center - Oasis Music Festival
May 11–15 at various locations throughout the Coachella Valley - Ceremony Pool Party and Unity Closing Party
May 29 at AsiaSF and The Sonoran
Welcome New Partners!
Desert Esthetica in Palm Springs offers one-on-one individualized services, including all types of facials, manicures, pedicures, women’s waxing & men’s grooming services (waxing & clipping, “Manzilians” are a specialty!). Recently relocated from the Northeast to the Coachella Valley, David Gerard is a veteran of the industry, with 30 years of experience in skin & body care. Learn more
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- 5 Extraordinary Museum Exhibits to Visit in Greater Palm Springs
El Patio is a family-run restaurant that started from Felipe’s in Palm Springs and because of their loyal customers, they continue to grow! From shrimp tacos to tasty nachos and fun drinks like an orange basil margarita or the Yarda Loca with souvenir cup, there’s plenty to enjoy, eat, and drink. Save 30% with our HOT DEAL and enjoy a $25 gift card to El Patio for just $15! Get Your Deal
We have Hot Deals at Men’s Grooming Spot, Zin American Bistro, Revel Public House, Kitchen 86, Desert Mischief, Il Giardino, 1501 Uptown Gastropub, Trevor Wayne Gallery, Oscar’s, Lulu California Bistro, The Purple Room, Bear Wear, Boozehounds, and more! See All Deals
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.