I serve on the LGBTQ+ Archives of the Desert board and you may have seen our projects to preserve the history of our community around Palm Springs Pride or the recent 85th anniversary celebration of Palm Springs. Capturing history used to be done with a camera and printed photos, a magazine, flyer or newspaper clipping.
As the advent of video came along, it brought with it both accidental and intentional ways to document our movement. Nicholas Snow’s ‘Tinseltown’s Queer’ is a bit of both. His ground-breaking public access show will be brought to the big screen Friday night at its 30th anniversary celebration.
Snow continues his work with social media documentation of events such as ‘Drag4Drag’ which will live on in the ether for generations to come. We salute him for the work he has done and will do in being an historian for the LGBTQ+ movement.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide on KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Desert X + National Park Week
Desert X is nearing the end of its fourth biennial exhibition around the Coachella Valley, running now through Sunday, May 7. It also happens to be National Park Week, so you can visit Joshua Tree National Park and while you’re out, stop by one or more Desert X sites to take in some outdoor art too! The site-specific installations by acclaimed international artists examines social and environmental themes. Check out our bookmarks for a closer look at Desert X from Wallpaper.com and AFAR.com. Free and open to the public, stop in at the Desert X hub at the Ace Hotel or download the app for information on artists, a map to find the installations, and interactive content. More info
The Prom
Musical Theatre University presents The Prom this Friday–Sunday, April 28–30, at the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center at Rancho Mirage High School. It all starts when girl asks girl to her high school prom. The PTA says “no gay prom” and cancels the whole thing! Can four self-absorbed, narcissistic fading broadway stars save the day? The musical follows those four Broadway actors lamenting their days of fame, as they travel to the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana, to help a lesbian student banned from bringing her girlfriend to high school prom. Get tickets
Tinseltown’s Queer 30th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, April 28 is the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Nicholas Snow’s historic public access television show Tinseltown’s Queer, celebrating from 6–9 pm at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Be part of Queer media history in this celebratory evening of iconic archival television clips featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, as well as champions of the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement. Get tickets
Coachella Valley Firebirds in the Playoffs
It has already been a successful inaugural season for our local ice hockey expansion team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, as they began play in the 2022-23 American Hockey League season with the brand-new Acrisure Arena as their home ice. This weekend, the Firebirds are playing Round 2 of the playoffs, taking on the Colorado Eagles on home ice Sunday.
Stagecoach Country Music Festival
Coachella Fest’s country cousin, Stagecoach, takes place this weekend, April 28–30 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. Headliners are Luke Bryan on Friday, Kane Brown on Saturday, and Chris Stapleton on Sunday. Plus, there will be performances by: ZZ Top, Elle King, Melissa Etheridge, Riley Green, Old Dominion, Bryan Adams, Brooks & Dunn, Diplo and many, many more. See our event listing for the full rundown and schedule across all six stages and three days of music! Get tickets
Notorious! The Leading Ladies Who Rock Our World
The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus present Notorious! The Leading Ladies Who Rock Our World with special guest Sharon McNight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 28–30. From Eva Perón to Agatha Hannigan to Dolly Levi, Annie Oakley to the Baker’s Wife to Ursula from The Little Mermaid, you’ll enjoy songs from Into the Woods, Chicago, Company, Wicked, and much, much more! Theatre queens and geeks alike, unite! New this season is Nickerson-Rossi Dance as the official choreographer for PSGMC. Get tickets
Caturday Breakfast
Calling all Cat Lovers! Animal Samaritans present the 2nd Annual Caturday Breakfast at The Rowan in Palm Springs on Saturday, April 29 from 9–11 am. Make a $20 donation when you arrive and enjoy free mimosas, breakfast bites, and a chance to win fabulous prizes! All proceeds benefit Animal Samaritans’ life-saving programs. There will also be kittens available for adoption at the event! If you dine at Rowan’s Juniper Table during the event, 10% of your meal purchase will be donated to Animal Samaritans. More info
The Play that Goes Wrong
Desert Theatreworks presents The Play That Goes Wrong now through April 30. Welcome to opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. This 1920s whodunit has everything you never wanted in a show – an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Get tickets
The Boys in the Band
The BENT in association with Palm Springs Cultural Center present The Boys in the Band from April 28–May 7 as the grand finale of their first season as Palm Springs new LGBTQ+ theater. Written by Mart Crowley, this is “the” play that defined gay theater when it premiered Off-Broadway in 1968. It is a ground-breaking portrayal of gay life in New York City during that era as a group of friends gather for a funny, but volatile birthday party that tests the boundaries of friendship. These iconic characters don’t always cast a pretty image of gay life in the 1960s, but they do skillfully reflect the pain, struggle and humanity of our past—much of which is still all too relevant today. Get tickets
Ladies T-Dance “Sass & Sizzle Sunday”
Palm Springs Crave presents Ladies T-Dance “Sass & Sizzle Sunday” on Sunday, April 30 from 5–9 pm at Impala. Get on out on the dance floor and boogie on down with DJ Tina Turntables in the swanky and cool Impala, with sassy cocktails, sizzling food, and a fantastic sound system in this open, airy, great place to dance! Door proceeds donated to the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival – in honor of Gail Christian. More info.
