Gay Desert Guide Weekend: May 21-23, 2021

Recovery happens!  New this week, Ross Mathews’ Dragtastic Bubbly Brunch has found a new home at V Wine Lounge.  The first performance, featuring Morgan McMichaels and Ross himself, sold out in minutes.  Watch our events calendar for June dates to be released soon.
We have updates on reopening two of our LGBTQ bars and clubs.  Trunks is tentatively looking at mid-June.  Toucans is also hoping for a mid-June return to operations.
Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. is keeping you entertained with a second show added for “An Evening on the Lanai: Remembering the Golden Girls”.  Tickets for the June 24th date go on sale Saturday. Season One writer Stan Zimmerman has some special surprises up his sleeve for the next show at Oscar’s.
ShortFest is coming up next month and tickets are now on sale.  There are a number of LGBTQ themed films on the roster this year.
Finally, we talked about missing the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast this year. Here’s another way to support his legacy. Stoli® Vodka and The Harvey Milk Foundation are continuing their partnership with the launch of the limited stock Stoli® Harvey Milk Global Collector’s Edition Bottle, featuring art from Paraguayan artist Oz Montania. Stoli has worked with The Harvey Milk Foundation in this capacity before, having launched the first Harvey Milk Bottle in 2018, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Milk taking office in 1978 as the first openly gay elected official in California.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide 
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I Love Gay Palm Springs Podcast – Episode 98

In this week’s podcast: John Taylor, comedian Shann Carr, and Gay Desert Guide Brad Fuhr welcome special guests Jeff Witthuhn of Peepa’s, arts and culture reporter Brian Blueskye from The Desert Sun, Dr. Laura Rush, food blogger Charles Drabkin, and Scot Howard from the NAGAAA Cup Softball tournament.
The #ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast is broadcast on Facebook Live, Fridays at 11:00 a.m. The#ILoveGayPalmSprings Podcast is also available on Apple TV, Roku TV, Amazon, FireTV and Android devices via OutAt.tv. Tune in Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. (or later on-demand) to stream us to your TV. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and more!

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Harvey Milk Day

Saturday, May 22 is Harvey Milk Day, honoring the civil rights leader and first openly gay politician in California, who served as City Supervisor in San Francisco until assassination cut his life, and service, short in 1978. He spoke of the importance of “Hope” in his most famous speech, which is definitely worth a read [here]. Hope is essential to maintain the fight for equality, he said, and that fight continues today. You can fly a rainbow flag in his honor, support the Harvey Milk Foundation, and learn more about the holiday [here].

Women’s Brown Bag Breakfast

The LGBTQ Center of the Desert presents the Women’s Brown Bag Breakfast monthly hosted by Kim, Gail and Gwendolyn. On Sunday, May 23 from 8:00–9:00 a.m., join the women for Bagels in the Park at Ruth Hardy Park. Enjoy easy conversations and good laughs, catch up with old friends and meet new friends! More info

Joshua Tree Music Festival Spring Concerts

The Joshua Tree Music Festival is taking first steps on the journey back toward the festival as we know and love it, presenting Diggin Dirt (Funk/rock/reggae groove music created behind the redwood curtain in Humboldt County, CA) this Friday and Saturday, May 21 & 22, at 8:00 p.m. Enjoy these amazing artists in a safe and spacious outdoor setting in the main music bowl, with tickets sold by the pod, with each pod accommodating up to four people. Get tickets

ShortFest Passes On Sale Now

ShortFest 2021 passes are on sale as of May 17 with schedule and tickets available the first week of June. The 27th Palm Springs International ShortFest is returning for in-person screenings at the Palm Springs Cultural Center’s Camelot Theatres on June 22–28, and will be the first film festival in California to hold all of its screenings in-theatre in 2021! Theatergoers will be required wear masks to enter venues, and stringent cleaning protocols will be followed. The ShortFest Forum returns with virtual classes and panels to make it more available to all, including international filmmakers unable to attend.  More info

Remembering the Golden Girls: Sold Out and Second Show Added!

The Fun & Games Dept of Gay Desert Guide presents An Evening on the Lanai: Remembering the Golden Girls on Thursday, May 27 at 7:00 p.m. at Oscar’s, with season one writer Stan Zimmerman and fun trivia, clips from favorite episodes, prize giveaways, sing-alongs, and Q&A. Hosted by on-air personality Alexander Rodriguez from On the Rocks with Alexander and a regular guest on the #ILoveGayPalmSprings podcast. SOLD OUT
This Just In! – A second show of Evening on the Lanai: Remembering the Golden Girls will be added on  June 24 at 7:00 p.m. – Stay tuned to GayDesertGuide.com and our social media channels for ticket info! 

Paris Cafés: Their Stories and Histories

Gay Desert Guide’s Fun & Games Dept. and TheMenEvent.com present Paris Cafés—Their Stories and Histories on Saturday, May 22 at 11:00 a.m. on Zoom. Come find out about Paris’ soul—its cafés—and the amazing stories and history (plus literature and art) that have taken place there. Come to the Cafe Procope, the oldest cafe in Paris, to celebrate Voltaire’s literary successes. Congratulate Ben Franklin on finalizing the Treaty of Paris, which he edited at a corner table. Let Oscar Wilde amuse you as you drink an elegant hot chocolate at the Café de la Paix. Your guides will be two ultimate devotees, Professor Andrew Lear and Parisian native Edith de Belleville. Get tickets

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Cinema Under the Stars: “Wigstock”

The nights are getting warmer and while the pleasant evenings last, The Palm Springs Cultural Center continues to run their Outdoor Cinema Under the Stars program. No longer a drive-in, you can still camp-out in your own chairs or reserve one of the available picnic tables. You may also pre-order a boxed dinner from Mildred’s Chicken & Waffle Dinners! On Saturday, May 22 the film will be the drag documentary/concert film from 1995,  “Wigstock: The Movie.” Get tickets

15th Annual LGBTQ Community Survey

Please take part in the Community Marketing & Insights (CMI) 15th 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]

Gay Desert Guide After Dark

With nightlife heating up again, visit our Gay Desert Guide After Dark page for all the Happy Hours and other bar-related events in the Palm Springs area and remember to designate a driver or call a rideshare if you have a bit too much to drink! Happy Hours

The Palm Springs Police Department will hold a DUI Checkpoint on Friday, May 21 from 9:00 p.m.–2:00 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city limits. Checkpoint locations are chosen based on a history of DUI crashes and arrests. Drivers charged with DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties, as well as a suspended license. So yeah, don’t even risk it.

Rancho Mirage Markets

The Atrium in Rancho Mirage plays host to the Rancho Mirage Certified Farmers’ Market, every Friday through the end of May from 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Shoppers can expect about 40 vendors with a variety of options including fresh fruits and vegetables, floral, baked goods, artisan clothing and gifts, meats, poultry and fish, coffee and teas, soups, pizza, tamales and more. Mask-wearing and social distancing required. More info
The River in Rancho Mirage will be hosting an open air “Market at The River” every Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (through May), featuring fresh produce, hand crafted jewelry/items, clothing, golf apparel, and more from local businesses around the Coachella Valley. More info

LOOKING AHEAD

Desert Theatricals Live Cabaret Series: “Doris & Me”

The City of Rancho Mirage presents Desert Theatricals Live Cabaret Series as dinner theater, featuring Scott Dreier’s tribute to Doris Day, “Doris and Me” on Saturday, May 29 at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater. Purchase a table for 4 to include a meal and glass of wine per attendee and complimentary valet parking. Gates open at 6:15 p.m., dinner is served at 7:00 p.m. and show begins at 8:00 p.m. Get tickets

Next Week: Virtual Events at The Center

Looking for connection in this time of self-isolation? The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert continues to connect people, using the technology of group-meeting platform Zoom, which you can use on your computer, tablet, or smartphone. Here’s just a taste of the programs they are hosting:
Social Caring in the Face of Quarantine with Alexis Ortega – Mondays at 11:00 a.m.
Zumba for Beginners with Shaun Samaro – Mondays at 10:00 a.m.
Managing Emotions During a Pandemic with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Fifty+ Fit with Lynn Simonson – Tuesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Prostate Cancer Support Group – 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 4:00 p .m.
Trans Tuesdays with Jill Hingston, Ph.D – Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Seated Wellness with Lynn Simonson – Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.
Women’s Chat with Kim Kieler – Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.
Men’s Chat with Stuart Huggins – Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
LGBTQ+ Youth Virtual Hangout with Miguel Navarro – Fridays at 2:00 p.m.
Who Cares: Caregiver Support Group with Perry Wiggins – Fridays at 3:00 p.m.
Full list of The Center’s Zoom programs [here]

 
1501 Uptown Gastropub occupies the handsome pub designed by famed Architect Chris Pardo. Your hosts Willie Rhine of Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge and Chad Gardner of 533 Viet Fusion and Roly China Fusion bring their combined successful track records to this new culinary venture offering a range of seasonal freshly prepared food and a comprehensive drink selection along with first class service. Learn more
 

Barracks is the Coachella Valley’s host to many of the most popular leather/kink events, in a sprawling warehouse complex and expansive outdoor cruising patio that earned its notoriety for hosting the world’s most-attended Sunday Beer Bust. They are proud to offer a fine selection of spirits and amenities guaranteed to satisfy even the most discerning leather cruise bar aficionados. Learn more
 
Walk on the alternative and edgy side at Eagle 501, where you’ll find leather, fetish, kink, Levis, muscle bears, grunge, grit, and Country. Their “crew” is packed with a punch to get you rowdy, going, and off to where and what you want. A leather bar in the vintage sense, a Levi bar in a modern way, and a cruise bar the way it was done when the notion of the EAGLE meant the place to go and be yourself. Learn more