Gay Desert Guide Weekend: Aug 17–19, 2018 - Gay Desert Guide Palm Springs

This Weekend in #ILoveGayPalmSprings
August 17–19, 2018

Let us be your Gay Desert Guide to the weekend! We've got some great suggestions for how to get relief from the heat here in the desert and find entertainment even in the Dog Days of Summer. The Desert Theatre League has announced their Desert Star Award noms, and we are gearing up to announce more details for our Dip Into Pride pool party, coming in early November! As for this weekend, Big Bear Romp is here, Club Mod is groovin' at the Tonga Hut, and Comic Con and the Palm Springs International Animation Festival are right around the corner, along with the return of the Purple Room Supper Club with season opener Lainie Kazan sharing her life in song. All this plus HOT DEALS, Happy Hours and more!

Dip Into Pride Pool Party

Gay Desert Guide and Hotel Zoso are finalizing for an official Palm Springs Pride 2018 Pool Party on Friday, November 2! As a kickoff to Pride weekend, “Dip Into Pride” will feature top LA DJs, an Andrew Christian Wear & Model Swimsuit contest (where YOU keep the goods) and a live performance by a special guest. Mark your calendars and watch this space for more info. Tickets will go on sale soon!

Dog Days of Summer

Woof! The “dog days of summer” are here and activity in the desert definitely slows a bit, but that doesn't mean there isn't still plenty to do! It's the perfect time to take in a movie in a comfortable, air-conditioned theater like Mary Pickford Theater – D'Place Entertainment, and the much-anticipated Crazy Rich Asians opens this weekend!

If live entertainment is what you seek, there's always something new coming to The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, from Steve Martin and Martin Short to WFC Championship Boxing to the Purple Reign Prince Tribute show all within the next couple of weeks! Mark your calendars and get tickets now for what's sure to be a popular visit from The Price is Right Live! with Guest Host Jerry Springer, later this year.

All seats and all shows are on sale now for the exciting 2018-19 season at the McCallum Theatre! There are too many great shows to mention them all here, but the lineup includes Broadway shows Jersey Boys, The Wizard of Oz, Spamalot, Something Rotten and Rent. A variety of colorful holiday shows will light up the season, and comedians like Bob Newhart, Rita Rudner, and Lily Tomlin will light up your funny bone. Learn more

Here at Gay Desert Guide we are especially excited to announce our media sponsorship of Orange is the New Black star Lea DeLaria, for her one-of-a-kind performance of comedy and jazz vocals at McCallum on Thursday, November 8! We will be providing tickets to a VIP Meet-and-Greet Experience with Lea to many of our LGBT organizations who will raffle them off this fall (Center Stage, HRC Garden Party, EQCA Equality Awards, and more…). Plus we will also give away a pair to our Oasis Insiders who are subscribed to our newsletter–watch for details!

Queer Women, Lesbians and Their Allies Celebrate Pride

Mark your calendars: Queer Women, Lesbians and Their Allies Celebrate Pride will take place over two days during Palm Springs Pride On Saturday, November 3, 2018 from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Ruth Hardy Park MC Shann Carr will start the festivities for the Pride/Rally/March with a catered picnic ($5.00), DJ Ginger, Dancing, a Drum Circle, a Kids Area, a Raffle and Outdoor Games, Speakers and a Pride March which steps off at 4:00 PM.

On Saturday night, November 3 from 7:00 pm–midnight, the L-Fund presents the Annual Women's Pride Dance at Hotel Zoso, featuring DJ TLA Storm for the third year. If you were at their dance last year, you already know she rocked the house! There will be a no-host bar and light snacks. This is one of the L-Fund's annual fundraisers benefiting Lesbians in financial crisis in the Coachella Valley. More info

Then on Sunday, November 4, 2018 from 12:00 PM – 4:00 p.m. at 369 N Palm Canyon Drive (formerly Azul) the Launch Party for Lesbo Expo 2019 will feature MC Comedian Marga Gomez for a fun buffet, a free keg of beer (while it lasts) and an awards program at 1:00 PM presented by Candice Nichols, with music provided by Sweet Baby J'ai and her All Star Women's Band.

Desert Theatre League Nominations Announced

The Desert Star Award nominations have been announced by the Desert Theatre League, and winners will be honored at a ceremony held on Saturday, October 14 in Sun City Palm Desert. These annual awards honor theatrical performers in the Coachella Valley and High Desert communities for the 2017-2018 season. Notable nominated theater companies and shows include:

Dezart Performs: The Legend of Georgia McBride, Motherhood Out Loud, Rabbit Hole

Desert Theatreworks: On Golden Pond, The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The 39 Steps, The Woman in Black

Desert Rose Productions, Inc: Times Square Angel, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Women Behind Bars

Coachella Valley Repertory: Romance/Romance, Venus in Fur, The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?, 2 Across

Coyote StageWorks: The Abraham & Larry Show, Dirty Blonde, The Cocktail Hour

Congratulations to all the nominees! The full list can be viewed here.

Big Bear Romp is Here

Big Bear Romp 2018 is taking place this weekend, August 16–19 at Big Bear Lake!

Gay Desert Guide will be there, as well as our business partner Bear Wear! This year's Big Bear Romp entertainment includes headliner Amber, plus a Mountains of Laughs Comedy Night featuring Shawn Pelofsky, Leather Dance Party, Pool Parties, Beer Bust BBQ, Bitchy Bingo Brunch with self-proclaimed sass-hole Mariam T, and more! More info

Desert Soul Club Mod Soul Party

Desert Soul Club's monthly residency continues on Saturday, August 18 at 9:00 p.m. at Tonga Hut with DJs Bobby and Lee, and this month celebrating DJ Bobby’s birthday. The Desert Soul Club is Palm Springs’ monthly mod / soul / funk party, bringing the True Sounds of Mod to the low desert. Created by DJ Bobby California (Bob Deck) and DJ Lee (Lee Joseph), the heart and soul of the Club is based on irresistible dance grooves from a universe of wonderful hit and unknown records produced during the r&b, beat, mod, Motown, -heyday of the early to mid-60s, extending through the funk era of the late 60s and early 70s up to the dawn of disco. More info

Purple Room Season Opener Announced

Michael Holmes' Purple Room Supper Club returns on Tuesday, August 28, with the Judy Show Season Kick-Off on Friday, August 31 and featured entertainer Lainie Kazan in Concert on Saturday, September 1. Visit the newly-redesigned purpleroompalmsprings.com to see the lineup of live entertainment for the entire month of September! More info

Animation Festival and Comic Con Next Week

The Palm Springs International Animation Festival and Expo, taking place August 22–25 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center/Camelot Theatre, is a global competition in animation and exhibition of the most talented artists in animation styles including 2D, 3D, Hand Drawn, Painted, Watercolor, Sand, Paper, Experimental, Stop-Motions, VFX, and more. Get tickets

The original and biggest Comics Convention in Palm Springs is back for the 3rd year from August 24–26 at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Don’t miss the definitive comic experience at CCPS, bringing together all your favorite artists, creators, celebrities, and cosplayers to one explosive annual event. Get tickets

CalComMen's “GRADUATE” Community Camp

California Community of Men presents “Graduate” Community Camp from Friday, August 31–Monday, Sep 3, 2018. What can you do at “Graduate?”:
— Graduate from boy to man
— Graduate to be an even better man
— Graduate to a better place in your life
— Graduate to less fear & anxiety
— Graduate to more meaningful connections
— Graduate to a more engaged life
Like-minded, heart-centered men 18-91+ of all colors, sizes, shapes & differing abilities will gather to enjoy a safe, supportive and drug, alcohol, smoke and electronics-free space…4500 feet up in the San Jacinto Mountains. More info

Gay Wedding Institute Survey

Would you mind completing this
quick nationwide survey about LGBTQ weddings?
It's now 3 years post-marriage equality in the U.S. and it's time for a new survey of LGBTQ wedding trends. The data collected from this survey is used to educate wedding and travel professionals on how to effectively and respectfully serve LGBTQ couples. Thank you!

Pinocchio in the Desert is a favorite among visitors and locals alike! Check out Sunday Brunch and their famous (infamous) bottomless mimosas! Grab this HOT DEAL and get $25 of food and drink at Pinocchio in the Desert for just $17.50! Use it before they take a late summer break starting Sept 4, or save it for when they re-open on October 12, 2018! Get Your Deal

Ristretto is for coffee lovers! Located within The Five Hundred building, meet friends or conduct business in upscale comfort at Ristretto complete with free Wi-Fi and your choice of indoor or pet-friendly patio seating. Inside, flat screen televisions keep customers in the know. Save 30% with this HOT DEAL when you get a $20.00 gift card for only $14.00! Get Your Deal

Hunters Nightclub
At Hunters, you'll find the ultimate in quality and service, with cocktails in a 12 oz glass (33% larger than the industry standard), skillful, friendly bartenders, courteous and genial door staff, top-notch management and innovative DJs who inspire you to dance all night. And their Size Matters Happy Hour (it's big!) happens daily from 10:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m.! In the spirit of Comic Con, they've brought back their Hunters “Avengers” logo t-shirts for just $20! Get Happy at Hunters

Toucans Tiki Lounge
Consistently voted Palm Springs' “Best Gay Bar”, “Best Dive Bar”, and “Best Dance Club,” Toucans Tiki Lounge features nightly events, dancing, DJ's, GoGo Boys, Drink Specials, and Bottle Service for parties of 6 or more! Happy Hours include extended Fridays (till 10:00 p.m.), Happy Hour till 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays and till 7:00 p.m. on Sundays, All Day Monday, and 1/2 price drinks till midnight Tuesdays and Thursdays! While Sunday drag nights at Toucans are legendary, Toucan's Tiki Lounge is mixing things up with its Friday night dance party, putting Babes and Bears on pedestals with go-go dancers of the female and husky male persuasion. Get Happy at Toucans

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