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Give Dad A Father’s Day To Remember

One day, when I was a kid, we forgot Father’s Day. He never attended church with us, and I don’t even know why we went that particular Sunday — our attendance was pretty sporadic, so maybe Mom had enough of Dad and decided to get away to church. Who knows. But at church they reminded us that it was Father’s Day. Whoops. 

It was the mid-1960s and nothing was open on a Sunday except the 7/11 and they didn’t sell cards back then – nor booze on Sunday, nor milk (for some ridiculous reason). When we arrived home empty handed, Dad was mowing the lawn and while we apologized profusely, he was quite the sad sack for the rest of the day. And no one was happy when Dad wasn’t happy.

Do not let your dad be an unhappy sad sack on Father’s Day. You can show up for him in a big way by bringing him to Palm Springs. That’s right. Palm Springs has something for everyone: young and old, straight and gay. Lots of specials going on at the small boutique hotels, so check those out for a great deal. Use the drop down to sort amenities that fit your dad to a T.

If Dad is gay, he’ll already know where to go for fun; the Arenas District is our fabulous gayborhood with great options for the three Ds: Dining, Drinking and Dancing (what, you think I meant something else?).

I can’t give you something specific for your dad because I don’t know him. I mean, I might, used to get around, but your dad likely did not. 

Here we go:

Fun things to do in Palm Springs

Power Baseball — Summer baseball is a thing here in Palm Springs. It is held at our stadium behind Sunrise Park, on Ramon and Sunrise. And according to statistics, they are a pretty good team. Here’s what I found out: They have won 10 outright league championships in their history, including back-to-back wins in the California Premier Collegiate League (CPCL). As of the end of the 2024 season, their all-time record is 678-153, which translates to a winning percentage of 81.6%, making them one of the best summer collegiate teams in the country. 

BMW Performance Center — It is a bit of a drive to get to Thermal, but your dad won’t mind if he’s a bit of a speed demon or gearhead. This is the ultimate experience in driving.

The Spa at Sec-he — Some dads are gearheads, and some are in touch with their inner selves and like a nice relaxing day at the spa. Hey, maybe he’s both? Sec-he is 20 stars. And seriously, you can and will want to spend the whole day with a treatment or two and lunch, etc. It’s gorgeous!

Gambling at the casino — Slots, tables, food, and entertainment can be found at Agua Caliente, our local casino.

Comedy: Rock Gallery — This club has been around for about a year. It’s cozy, and it’s quite fun. Great list of up-and-coming comedians.

Drag 

Brunch — There are quite a few drag brunches, including Oscar’s. But I am going to let you Google that because sometimes they pop up unexpectedly. Bring singles, even Dad will get in on the fun. 

Drag and Fly — Great little tour of Palm Springs in a very cool ride with amazing access to visuals. It’s like no tour bus you’ve ever seen, with unusual guides for anywhere else except Palm Springs 

Dad Bars

Palm Canyon Roadhouse

Hair of the Dog

Mickey’s Irish Pub

Tiki Bars

Bootlegger Tiki

Tonga Hut 

Local Breweries

Las Palmas

La Quinta Brewing Co

Coachella Valley Brewing Co Tap Room 

Dinner

Churrasco Brazilian Steakhouse — If dad is a fan of the meats, this is his Mecca.

Johnny Costas — Old school Italian, dark wood walls, bright white table cloths, and waiters that know what they’re doing.

Zin American Bistro — Right on the strip. Good food, good people watching. Wine specials too.

Lulu — Fun, buzzy place with great happy hour specials on food and drinks at the bar area. A Palm Springs favorite. 

Trio — Nice balance of comfy and upscale. It can be a bit loud in the dining room, but the food and drinks are great. 

Spencer’s — When my uncle was alive, we used to go to this gorgeous place for dinner on special occasions. I actually enjoy their breakfast and lunch menu quite a bit, and the ambiance is unparalleled.  

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! 

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Ba De Ya! September Events In Palm Springs

“Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya

Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya

Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya!

Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya

Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya

Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya!” — “September,” Earth, Wind & Fire

It’s not quite the end of summer yet, but almost every venue in Palm Springs is back and in the swing of things, a.k.a. there is plenty to do. So as someone once said, “Ain’t nothin’ to it, but to get down to it.”

Sweepstakes!

Locale and Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels (that’s us!) are partnering for the Ultimate Palm Springs Boutique Hotel Giveaway. Five different packages at five very cool and very different boutique hotels: A Place In The Sun, Azure Sky, Alcazar, Los Arboles, and Old Ranch Inn. Enter here by Sept. 19, 2022.

The pool area of Azure Sky. Photo courtesy of Azure Sky

New spots

The Flannery Exchange at 750 N. Palm Canyon Drive is a mixed-use property that includes offices, retail and food. Two new hot spots have opened here in an already very cool space:

Bar Chingona — Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 6-10 p.m. It’s in an Airstream trailer! You must try the cocktail made with fresh pureed watermelon, tequila, basil, and serrano with lemon juice. I love this quote, so here it is: “The concept is a Palm Springs take on Mexico City’s craft cocktail culture, born from Flannery Exchange owner Mike Flannery’s oddly specific longtime dream of having a bar in an Airstream trailer.”

Hoja Blanca — Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 6-10 p.m. A sort of pop-up, according to the website, serving reimagined Mexican food by locally-raised brothers Omar and Arnold Limon. Man, that makes them sound like produce or livestock. My apologies — they’re not farm-raised, but were cage-free.

Luchows — Hours: Thursday to Sunday, but call. Luchows was open for a hot Palm Springs second this spring, then it perma-closed — until an angel swooped in and brought it back from the dead. It’s like Lazarus! I hear it’s great, and that is splendid because we do not have many good choices for traditional Chinese food. One of the things I have missed about Chicago since I left 27 years ago. 4771 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in the Vons shopping plaza (they have a great gas station there too, a buck off if you pay cash).

PRO VR — Brand new virtual reality gaming. This is on Crossley Road, bordering Cathedral City, about 10 minutes from downtown Palm Springs. If you like escape games, this is that, but with heightened reality. Am I going? Does the sun shine 360 days a year in Palm Springs? (It does, so that’s a yes.)

Live shows

Oscar’s — LGBTQ or LGBTQ-adjacent shows.

Purple Room — Great acts, home of The Judy Show.

PS Underground — One of the most creative shows you’ll ever see, and the food matches that description too.

PS Cultural Center — Live music weekdays upstairs, blockbusters, indie films, and film festivals. They’ve even got a restaurant! This month is Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival — make sure to check it out.

Jazzville — All the best jazz from all over the world, every Thursday night.

V Wine Lounge — A mixed bag of entertainment including karaoke, and some of the best wine selections in town.

Cascade Lounge — Themed nights of comedy, Latin, and more.

The Alibi — Their line up is baffling but looks oh so fun.

Cheers to good times in Palm Springs. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

LGBTQ

The Dinah — You can explore the website yourself, but I’m also going to tell you about the biggest lesbian party under the sun in an upcoming post.

Cinema Diverse — September 15-25. Now in its 15th year, this festival of international films from and about the LGBTQ+ community is held at the PS Cultural Center. See one or see them all.

Booze N’ Brush Next to Naked Sip N’ Paint — September 3. This is an exotic male model painting event. 400 Ramon Road.

Chill Bar — Varsity Fridays at 4 p.m. 217 E. Arenas Road.

The Swimming Hole — Sundays from Noon to 6 p.m. at Hotel Zoso, 150 S. Indian Canyon Dr. This is an LGBTQ pool party presented by Hunters Nightclubs and Tyler Caiden. Ages 18+.

Hunters: 

Sundays: Risqué Drag Review, hosted by Miss Rusty Waters, 9:30 p.m.

Mondays: Gaming Mondays, with prizes for winners.

Tuesdays: Trivia Night at 5:30 p.m. and Karaoke Night from 8 p.m. to midnight.

Wednesdays: Drag Me to Bingo with Miss Rusty Waters, 6 to 8 p.m., followed by the Spotlight Drag Show at 8:30 p.m.

Thursdays: Throwback Thursdays with music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Drink specials start at 3 p.m.

Fridays: Fur Fridays, with $2 Bud Light draft and well cocktails, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturdays: Switch Saturdays Drag Show with a new host and new cast every week, 2 p.m. Terrific food to pair with your beverage.

Eagle 501 — Gear Thursdays, Bear Fridays, and Church Lady Sundays.

Karaoke

Retro Room — Karaoke every night!

Streetbar — One of the friendliest gay bars around. That’s their tagline — LMK if it’s true.

Fireside Lounge — Well off the beaten path, this local and exceptional dive bar is open 23 hours a day. The link is for address only, that page is a mess.

Ongoing events

PS Art Museum — Free Thursday evenings, followed by Village Fest.

Warbird Rides at the Palm Springs Air Museum. I’m not a war girl, but this terrific museum is fascinating.

Speaking of flying, PS Air is something you should check out. They call themselves a speakeasy, but the whole joint looks like an airplane. Very cool. It’s inside a great wine shop with delicious salads and other fine foods called Bouschet.

Palm Springs Museum interior

The Palm Springs Museum of Art. Photo courtesy of Visit Palm Springs

October brings the downscaled Modernism Week, so check out their events and reserve now. It’s a very hot ticket.

Please remember to shop, stay, and eat local. It keeps Palm Springs, one of the best adult playgrounds west of the Mississippi, thriving. And if you found this useful, tag us in your Instagram posts when you visit, and tell us what you did!

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