Look! Up on the sky! It’s a bird, no it’s a plane, no it’s… The Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Fest. Visually stunning and this year encompassing the city’s new pavilion, too.
Or stay grounded at the McCormick’s Exotic Car auction which is free on Friday. See the stars in Del Shores’ “This Side of Crazy”, at the Westin with “Grooves” and much more.
Thanksgiving is almost upon us and we’re keeping you updated with all the top events, LGBTQ+ news and more below!
Don’t miss Ross Mathews’ show on KGAY 106.5 again this Saturday morning at 10 a.m. We’re so excited to have our new “Satur-Gays with Ross” and hope you’ll tune in.
Brad Fuhr, your Gay Desert Guide & KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs
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Ross Mathews Radio Show Saturdays in November on KGAY!
Longtime Coachella Valley resident Ross Mathews joins KGAY 106.5 all month long with his new show airing Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. Ross is seen nationally on RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Drew Barrymore Show, and more. Ross plans to focus his show on what he knows best: show biz, current events and the Coachella Valley. As Ross puts it “KGAY is celebrating Palm Springs Pride month by giving the gayest person in history his own radio show…Me!” Saturdays with Ross Mathews runs through the month of November on KGAY 106.5, on the air in the Coachella Valley and streaming worldwide online!
Transgender Awareness Week
This is Transgender Awareness Week, and if you weren’t aware, the LGBTQ Center of the Desert holds a weekly confidential, HIPAA-compliant Trans Tuesday meeting on Zoom, every Tuesday from 6:30–7:30 p.m. [More info]. Transgender Awareness Week culminates with the Transgender Day of Remembrance on Saturday, November 20. The 7th Annual Official Transgender Day of Remembrance for Palm Springs takes place at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall [More info]. Directly following this will be the Transgender Equality Event with the Transgender Health and Wellness Center (TH&WC) at 7:00 p.m. at V Wine Lounge with entertainment by singer Sean Taylor Jackson and remarks by Joey Soloway (creator of the series “Transparent”) honoring the transgender community [More info]. At 5:30 p.m, The Coachella Valley Transgender Day of Remembrance will be observed at Oscar’s. The program will include light refreshments, a welcome from Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton, a keynote from Miss Nevada USA Kataluna Enriquez, and the traditional reading of the names, with a canned goods and socks drive for homeless transgender and nonbinary individuals [More info]. Meanwhile, the 4th Annual East Valley Transgender Day of Remembrance will be taking place at the new LGBTQ Center of the Desert Coachella, from 5:00–7:00 p.m. [More info]
Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival & Food Truck Fiesta
Agua Caliente Casinos present the 7th Annual Cathedral City Hot Air Balloon Festival and Food Truck Fiesta this Friday through Sunday, November 19–21, featuring nearly 30 hot air balloons, balloon rides, two balloon glows, and three morning balloon launches seen throughout the Coachella Valley. Other activities happening at the balloon festival include the amazing Art Affaire at Town Square art show, the best food trucks in SoCal, beer and wine gardens, Kid Zone, Banana Balloon Candy Drop, and LIVE musical entertainment at both the Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City and the new Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. More info
McCormick’s 71st Palm Springs Exotic Car Auction
McCormick’s 71st Palm Springs Exotic Car Auction is this Friday through Sunday, November 19–21 on the grounds of the Palm Springs Convention Center. This is a live, in person auction of classic, vintage and muscle cars in the usual outdoor setting, operating under all CDC guidelines to protect guests and staff alike. Prices range from just $3,000 to over $250,000 and the general public as well as dealers are welcome. Friday admission is FREE, Saturday & Sunday $15 each or $25 for both days. More info
Desert Winds Freedom Band: A Night on Broadway
Join the Desert Winds Freedom Band in kicking-off their 20th anniversary season on Saturday, November 20 at 7:00 p.m. for “A Night on Broadway.” There’s something for everyone! The Symphonic Band will be performing music from “Wicked”, “Phantom of the Opera”, “Jekyll and Hyde”, “Moulin Rouge:, “West Side Story”, “Les Miserables”, “Hamilton”, ” The Prince of Egypt”, and “Frozen” . The Jazz band will also be performing, “All that Jazz” From “Chicago”, “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity, “the Lullaby of Broadway” from 42nd Street and more. Baritone soloist Todd Murray and soprano Laurel Bollard will be featured. Get tickets
Grooves at the Westin: Balloon Glow Concert
Grooves at The Westin continues into its 9th season with five spectacular concerts featuring world class smooth jazz, pop and R&B, kicking off this Friday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa with the Balloon Glow Concert featuring Patrice Rushen, DW3, Michael Paulo & Paul Jackson Jr. The annual Balloon Glow concert is one of the most favorite events in Palm Springs, with world-class entertainment against the backdrop of hot air Balloons lit up in the night sky. This is also a celebration of the grand opening of the Westin’s new spectacular backyard concert venue. Get tickets
Ludacris at The Show
Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage present Ludacris on Saturday, November 20 at 8:00 p.m. Turn up & get down when the award-winning, world-wide Rap superstar in the ever-changing hip-hop game, Ludacris, brings his lively & quick-witted delivery to the stage at The Show. Get tickets
THEATRE
It’s the final weekend of performances for two of our local productions, plus one had to be postponed, and this is the one-and-only weekend to catch Del Shores’ This Side of Crazy!
Del Shores’ This Side of Crazy
Palm Canyon Theatre presents This Side of Crazy by Del Shores (You may have heard him chatting with John Taylor recently on the KGAY morning show). The show plays one weekend only, Thursday–Sunday, November 18–21. “Little superstars for Jesus,” the singing Blaylock Sisters, are all grown up and kind of a mess. When their overbearing mother, Ditty, “volunteers” them for a star-studded reunion performance, all hell breaks loose. More info
Murder at the Howard Johnson’s
Desert Theatreworks presents Murder at the Howard Johnson’s by Sam Bobrick and Ron Clark, running through Sunday, November 21. Murder at the Howard Johnson’s is a laugh-out-loud riot featuring a woman, her husband and her lover hatching hilarious murder schemes…unsuccessfully. Set in a Howard Johnson’s hotel room in the 1970s, this comedic love triangle is filled with plot twists and surprises that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is one ridiculous situation and extravagant sight gag after another in this rapid-fire comedy. Get tickets
