If Palm Springs is synonymous with modern architecture, then Modernism Week is the celebration of Modern Palm Springs. Several boutique hotels, including The Triangle Inn Palm Springs, L’Horizon Palm Springs, and The Monkey Tree offer stellar examples of the mid-century aesthetic. Nicole Anderson’s piece for Modern Magazine, beautifully summarizes the appeal of Palm Springs mid-century architecture.
March is one of the best times to visit Palm Springs. The weather is balmy, lots of flowers are in bloom, and activities abound. Whatever your interest may be — hiking, biking, culture, art, shopping, history, entertainment, eating or drinking — there is so much going on. Here are some ideas about what to do in Palm Springs in March.
Month of March: Photographs from celebrated photographer, Michael Childers, will be featured in an exhibit titled “Rockin’ Hollywood,” which opens February 29 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. The exhibit features portraits of such Hollywood greats as Elton John, Cher, John Travolta, Rod Stewart, and Ringo Starr and includes the fascinating history behind the celebrities portrayed.
March 4: First Wednesday Art Walk at the Backstreet Art District, 2600 Cherokee Way, from 7 to 10 p.m. Art galleries and artists’ studios are open for art lovers to enjoy original art by local, national, and international artists. This is an amazing opportunity to interact with artists and to view their paintings, sculpture, photography, ceramics and jewelry, while savoring refreshments and vibrant camaraderie.
March 5, 12, 19, 26: Palm Springs Villagefest is a street fair held every Thursday along Palm Canyon Drive (between Baristo and Amado roads) in downtown Palm Springs, 6 to 10 p.m. More than 180 vendors feature food, art, crafts, and entertainment. This is always a wonderful time for sampling some great food, mingling, and shopping.
March 6: Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward will be speaking about his career and current issues. Woodward is best known for uncovering the Watergate scandal with Carl Bernstein in 1973. Celebrated for his investigative skills and fair, objective approach, Woodward should be a fascinating speaker. He will offer a knowledgeable perspective on what’s happening in politics today. Richards Center for the Arts, 2248 Ramon Road, 7:30 to 9:30. Tickets $30 to $150 can be purchased online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palm-springs-speaks-presents-bob-woodward-tickets-67044334409
March 7 & 8; March 21 & 22: Desert Art Festival will be held at Frances Stevens Park, 555 N. Palm Canyon Drive, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artists present their works in all media for visitors to view and purchase. This beautiful setting in Uptown Palm Springs is an idyllic spot for a leisurely weekend stroll. Admission is free.
March 7: Wildflower 5K Fun Run/Walk at the Civic Center, 43900 San Pablo, Palm Desert. This is a family friendly event with strollers and dogs welcomed. Registration opens at 7 a.m. and RSVPs are required. Registration fee is $30 and includes a t-shirt. RSVP at https://www.desertmountains.org/calendar/2020wf-5k-ccpark
March 9-11: Max Von Essen is performing at the Annenberg Theatre at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive, 6 p.m. Max has won many awards, including a Grammy. He has starred in the Lincoln Center’s revival of Falsettos and has appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and Les Miserables. This should be a truly inspiring and entertaining performance. To purchase tickets, go to the Annenberg website (link above).
March 11: Let’s Talk: Walk a Mile in My Shoes. Anthony Purnel, a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, discusses the many challenges he faced during his inspiring 132-day hike from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest Trail. Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 East Baristo Road, 6 p.m. $10 for members of the Cultural Center and $20 for non-members.
March 13-15; March 20-22: How to Survive an Apocalypse is a surprisingly delightful romantic comedy (despite the title) about a young, stylish couple who are convinced that their chic, partying lifestyle is coming to an end. They become hoarders and hunters and learn a lot about their relationship. At the Palm Springs Woman’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Rd. Tickets available via website (link above).
March 7, 14, 21 & 28: The Certified Farmers Market is held every Saturday morning at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 Baristo Road, from 8 to 12:30. This bustling outdoor market features a seasonal variety of fresh food products, craft items, and chef demonstrations.
March 27: Palm Springs Community Drum Circle. This unique, inspiring experience is led by sound healer, Scott Meredith, and held at the Gallery at Crystal Fantasy, 268 N. Palm Canyon Drive, downtown Palm Springs. Free event.
March 29: Slim Man Rat Pack Big Band Show. Award-winning jazz vocalist, Slim Man, leads a 17-piece big band with favorite songs from the 60s, recreating the era of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and Nat King Cole. At the Annenberg Theatre at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive, 5-8 p.m. Tickets available at www.slimman.com
Also keep in mind that the Palm Springs Historical Society offers a wide variety of walking and biking tours throughout March, such as tours focusing on such topics as Architecture & Glamour, Rat Pack Playground, Frank Sinatra’s Neighborhood, Modernist Treasures, Uptown Design District and many more. To see what is available and sign up, go to the society’s website (link above).
April is packed with goings on, and with all the rain (now called a hydrologic event on my weather app) we had in March that means color — aka March showers bring April wildflowers!
No superbloom, they say, but the mountains have been celebrating St. Paddy’s Day the entire month of March by turning green! I have lived here for nine years and this is only the second time this has happened. The last time was 2019 and that year we were lousy with wildflowers. We also flooded, but that’s so 2019. Those rains that brought the superbloom came in February. This year they came in March so April should be bursting with color. And pollen. But they have pills for that ish.
Let’s get started on the rest, shall we?
The main events
April 1: Palm Springs Cruisin Association Car Show
April 1: AmDocs Festival at Palm Springs Cultural Center
April 1: Palm Springs International Dance Festival Nickerson Rossi Dance Studio
April 1 – May 7: Desert X. That link describes and shows photos. This link gives you options for a map and an app. (Learn more about a few of the art installations here on our blog.)
April 1: Desert Mountains Art Show. It is art in the mountains, what more can I tell you?
April 2: Palm Springs Vintage Market. Great market for vintage everything. You’d think they’d have run out of clothes by now, but not so much.
April 14-17: Coachella (Weekend 1). Waitlisted. Listen, if you don’t know what Coachella is, you’re never going to go. But here is my favorite YouTube clip from Coachella.
April 21-24: Coachella Weekend 2. Tickets still available at the time I am writing this.
April 23: South Palm Canyon Art Collective Sunday Soirée, 1500 South Palm Canyon. Work on display from five resident artists and several guest artists. The soirée is free.
April 28-30: Stagecoach. The country version of Coachella. Less drugs, more booze.
Saturdays and Sundays: College of the Desert Street Fair. If you’re down valley for Desert X or a music festival you have to stop here. It’s huge. I accidentally drove past it one weekend and was blown away by the size of it. I just made a plan to go.
This year’s Coachella lineup.
Repeat contenders
Hockey games and big name performers at Acrisure. April has Reba McIntyre and John Mayer. Concerts are pricey, but the hockey games are affordable.
Dinner and a show
Ticketed
Come On Up at the Palm Springs Cultural Center (Mildred’s small menu)
Come on up to Come On Up!
Reservations
Melvyn’s – Piano man.
Yaas Queen
Mondays: Bella da Ball, Palm Springs’ 6’4” Drag Mother at King’s Highway for Bingo, followed by Trivia in the Amigo Room.
Drag me to brunch
Great drag roundup article here
PS Air – Mile High Boozy Brunch
Reforma (Saturdays) Different date, different show. And in You Need To Calm Down news, the last one was a Taylor Swift drag brunch.
Nightclubs
Reforma (nightlife and dinner)
Cascade Lounge — Mixed entertainment, all A+, and home of Jazzville.
Sammy G’s Upstairs Bar — Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, The Evaro Brothers. Great pop dance music you can sing along to while dancing.
Theater
Dezart Performs — The Garbologists
CVRep — Hand to God
Desert Ensemble Theater — Future Thinking
Desert Theatricals – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Musicals Under the Stars). Act fast and you can snag a dinner seat too.
An iconic Palm Springs windmill farm. Photo: Nadine Conger
Just for fun
Windmill Tour — You’re driving, someone else is talking, but they aren’t in your car. How do they do that?
Desert Tasty Tours — Eat your way through Palm Springs history on a walking food tour.
Red Jeep Tours – San Andreas Fault, Jeep-y stuff
Cannabis Express Tours – April is National Cannabis Awareness Month. Get yourself educated on everything cannabis. It’s fun and educational too.
PS Historical Society Walking & Biking Tours — There are 14 to choose from.
MOGO Silent Disco — Their tagline? “Shut up and dance.”
Pro VR — Virtual reality gaming, including escape rooms.
Escape Room — Actual escape rooms.
Movies in the Park — Old-timey movies under the stars.
Hiking: Indian Canyons is closed April 1-8; Tahquitz still open. Here’s a great article from Visit Palm Springs on where to go. Keep in mind numbers 1 and 6 are part of Indian Canyons.
That’s it for me this month. As always, please shop and stay local. And that includes cannabis because it’s National Cannabis Awareness Month. I might have said that already. I’m hungry…
See you next time!
“I try not to limit my madness to March.” — Maxine (a.k.a. John Wagner for Shoebox Cards)
For most of the world, March is a tempestuous mistress. Cold and blustery, then cold and sunshine-y. She’s a whole lot of brrrrrrrrr.
In Palm Springs, March is more of a minx: flirty and fun. Her daytimes are generally in the 80s and sometimes 90s, however she can give you the cold shoulder, too. Especially at night. The solution is to bring your swimsuit and a bunch of layers because in Palm Springs, March is a swinger. She gets a bit chilly at night but bounces back by 10 a.m.
Without further ado, we will now continue our fun streak of delightful Palm Springs activities, with one event that’s so cool I might have just peed a little reading about it. Read on while I change me undies:
New restaurant alert:
Dinner and a show:
March 3, 4, and 5: Lucie Arnaz: I Got The Job
March 6, 13, 20, 27: The Judy Show
If you’ve read this blog before, you know it’s my favorite show in town.
March 11 and 12: John Lloyd Young
March 17, 18, and 19: Marvelous Marilyn Maye
March 25 and 26: Joe Pasa as Joan Rivers
Dinner and a lip sync show! The costumes are outstanding! Same producers as the one in San Francisco.
Pop 80s — Featuring The Gand Band
Gospel Brunch with Keisha D
Laurel Canyon — a tribute to those artists of the area, like Linda Rondstadt, Joni Mitchell, and The Doors (with music from The Gand Band).
The Mod Squad Variety Show — Another personal favorite, this one’s a brunch.
Ovation — A jazz-inspired Sunday brunch.
Light — I have always wanted to see this show! Described as an “unparalleled multi-sensory journey” that offers an “unprecedented dining experience through culinary art and technological innovation.”
Broadway Blind – A musical Sunday brunch.
A Night at the Chi Chi — Mark your calendars, this one’s on April 1 and 2.
Courtesy of PS Underground
The Women Of Knots (that’s Knots Landing, people!)
Drinks and entertainment:
Cascade Lounge at Agua Caliente in downtown Palm Springs
Jazzville — Every Thursday
Caliente Comedy — Every Friday
Latin Nights — Every Sunday
Theater:
Palm Canyon Theater
Palm Springs Getaway! Runs until March 13.
Desert Rose Playhouse
Electricity
Brian Justin Crum
Palm Springs The Musical: Born To Sparkle — World premiere!
Courtesy of Palm Springs The Musical
The Annenberg
The Anniversary — A full-length dance film event.
Coachella Valley Symphony Concerto Concert
Lilias White — White has appeared in cabarets and concert halls around the world, including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and Lincoln Center. Her debut solo studio album, Get Yourself Some Happy!, was released in July.
Desert Ensemble Theatre
All This Intimacy — Described as a sex comedy gone wrong.
Dezart Performs
The Mountaintop — A reimagining of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last day at the Lorraine Hotel and his encounter with a young maid. There’s a huge twist in this play, something you can expect to be handled brilliantly by Dezart.
All the rest:
Palm Springs Chalk Art Festival
OMG!! I LOVE chalk art, especially from artists with a sense of whimsy. One of my favorite creators on TikTok is chalk artist David Zinn. This is a free event.
MOGO Silent Disco Tour
If anyone wants to do this, please include me!
Photo courtesy of MOGO Silent Disco Tour
Palm Springs Vintage Market
This Palm Springs staple will run on March 6 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
French Cooking Classes
In the chef’s private home — all reviews are spectacular!
Of course the old “musts” are still available, and if you haven’t, well…you must!
Hiking at Indian Canyons — Please note: closed on March 11 for the Legacy Hike.
Happy Palm Springs everyone! See you in April.
