With I-10 closed and the Coachella Valley literally marooned on a desert island, our first advice is to stay put early week. As of early Monday morning, 911 was down in Palm Springs and many roads are impassible. Our team is working remotely and I’m just returning from vacation to be greeted by Hurricane Hillary’s impact. I rode out the storm at SFO as flights get back to normal.
We’re still planning on a big 10th anniversary celebration of Gay Desert Guide’s startup Wednesday as part of The Center’s monthly social at Hunters. We’re also commemorating the start of their 25th year on Arenas. Stop by 5:30-??? (we plan on celebrating well past the typical 7 pm end time!)
And I’d be remiss not to also highlight the 32nd anniversary of Streetbar, one of the first supporters of mine when I launched Gay Desert Guide. Dick Haskamp founded the bar and was a huge supporter of the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert. He didn’t “need” to advertise Streetbar on an upstart website, but chose to do so because of my commitment to our community. Both Gay Desert Guide and KGAY 106.5 pride ourselves on community service and providing a conduit for everyone to connect and stay informed. I will always be grateful for his and many other business owners’ early belief in my vision.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on 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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The Center Social at Hunters
Join the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert on the 4th Wednesday of each month for The Center Social, a mixer of fun, community, and happy hour! This month, the August Center Social is on Wednesday, August 23, from 5:30–7 pm at Hunters Nightclub Palm Springs. We can’t wait to celebrate Gay Desert’s Guide ‘s 10th Anniversary, Hunters’ 25th Anniversary and Mike Thompson’s return to The Center! Spread the word—everyone is invited. Gay Desert Guide is happy to be this month’s media sponsor! More info
Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce Summer Speaker Series
In the fourth and final installment of the Summer Speaker Series for 2023, the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce presents a Housing Update with Lift to Rise on Thursday, August 24 from 11:30 am–1:30 pm at Mission Hills Country Club. Lift to Rise has brought together more than 70 community partners in a multi-year effort to radically increase housing stability and economic mobility for everyone who calls the Coachella Valley home. More info
Donna MacMillan Exhibit Closing Soon
The Palm Springs Art Museum exhibit, So Many Songs We Have Yet To Play: Gifts of Donna MacMillan, is on display just two more weeks, through September 3, in the main museum. This exhibition celebrates Donna MacMillan’s numerous contributions to the museum over the years and especially recognizes her recent donation of 68 objects. Characterized by incredible breadth, her donations span a wide range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, prints, photographs, video, and electronic art. She has gifted objects by both established art icons and emerging artists, works of simple beauty as well as those both thought-provoking and challenging. The museum is open 10 am–5 pm on Sunday, Friday and Saturday. On Thursday the museum is open from noon–8 pm. (Free admission on Thursdays from 5–8 pm – funded by the City of Palm Springs). Get tickets
The Coachella Valley Independent‘s annual Best of Coachella Valley reader’s poll is now accepting nominations, a fill-in-the-blank round that is open through Tuesday, September 5. We would love a repeat of our wins last year! Write-in your nominations for Best Local DJ under the “Arts” section: KGAY 106.5 Retro Lunch Djs: DJ Eric Ornelas and DJ Galaxy, and DJ Modgirl of the KGAY Sunday Tea Dance! Then, under the “Life in the Valley” section, for Best Local Radio Personality please consider John Taylor of the KGAY 106.5 Morning Show, and finally, also under “Life in the Valley,” for Best Radio Station, please nominate KGAY 106.5 of course! Nominate Today
Feed a Giraffe for Free
Now through Labor Day, The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens will be giving all full-price ticketed guests a FREE giraffe feeding encounter. Create an unforgettable memory while visiting The Living Desert, voted one of the 10 Best Zoos in the U.S. by Conde Nast Traveler. Do you live here and not visit the Zoo? You’re missing out! And a yearly membership will pay for itself in two or three visits! More info
🦒WIN Labor Day Weekend tickets to The Living Desert on the KGAY Contest Page!🦒
Country Dance Fridays
Dance Ranch Palm Springs presents Country Dance Fridays, a great night of country western dancing, including two-step, waltz, shadow, East and West Coast swing and line dances, every Friday from 7–9:30 pm at Step by Step. The dance lesson is at 7 pm with dancing from 7:30–9:30 pm. Dance Ranch Palm Springs is a country western dance group serving the LGBTQ+ community and its friends. Country dancers of all levels are welcome. More info
Drive to Survive! The Race Against Hunger
The Greater Palm Springs Realtors summer food drive, Drive To Survive! The Race Against Hunger, benefiting the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert’s Community Food Bank, is happening now thru September 15. Food insecurity is real, and together we can help ease the burden on our hungry neighbors. You are invited to drop food items off at the Greater Palm Springs Realtors office from 9 am–5 pm on Mondays and 8 am–5 pm Tuesdays–Fridays. They’re accepting nonperishable food items, or you can also make monetary donations to support the critical services that the food bank provides. More info
Visitor Map & Guide Summer Edition
The Summer 2023 edition of our Gay Desert Guide Visitor Map & Guide (great for locals too) is available now around town and online! We help you find everything you need to know while visiting or living in the Coachella Valley, featuring the top places for Food & Drink, Nightlife, Shopping, Attractions, Gay Resorts with passes, Dispensaries and other services. You can also view it online, and down
