Memorial Day Archives | Palm Springs Preferred Small Hotels

May The Force Be With You — Star Wars

There’s a lot to do in the merry, merry month of May, so I’ll shut up so we can get on our merry, merry way:

Special Days

Mother’s Day — May 8

Melvyn’s — Special menu for Mom

Le Vallauris — Brunch in a gorgeous setting

849 — Beautiful space, good food

Labor Pains — A musical Mother’s Day brunch, at PS Underground

Courtesy of PS Underground

Lulu — Another special menu for a special lady

Farm — Take Mom to the south of France in Palm Springs. Downside: no reservations

L’Atelier Cafe — The cutest little cafe serving delicious quiche, pastries, coffee, champagne, and more

Modernism Week, May Jewelry Event — “You’ll love this Mother’s Day weekend spectacular of jewelry and fiber art! The variety of color, texture, and design from our featured artists is truly dazzling.” The first glimpse is Friday, May 6th, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 550 N. Palm Canyon Dr. (refreshments served). The showcase is also open Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Memorial Day

Clothing-optional pool party at Tuscany Manor

Annual Memorial Day Air Fair and Flower Drop, May 30. The Palm Springs Air Museum says: “This is a very special day … our brief memorial service is dedicated to all of our fallen comrades, who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. In their honor, we highlight the service with a fly-by and flower drop of over 3,000 red and white carnations from a B-25 Mitchell bomber. This most impressive ceremony is our way of saluting our fallen comrades. Visitors are welcome to pick up a flower to take home.” Admission from $17.50 to $19.50.

Special Events

Modernism Week — May. A very paired down Modernism event, but their offerings look pretty amazing. It’s the first time they’ve done this, so check it out, and act quick. The parties always sell out fast.

May 4: Rock The Park, featuring a Tina Turner Tribute. Downtown Park Palm Springs.

May 11 – 15: Oasis Music Festival. There are many locations for this event, with many different musical artists. Too many to list here. Check it. They’re going to try to do it every year.

Courtesy of Oasis Music Festival

May 29: AsiaSF Palm Springs/The Sonoran Ceremony Pool Party. Music by DJ Edward Frame and DJ Ryan Kenney. Hosted by Epiphany Mattel. Special performance by the Ladies of AsiaSF. Noon to 7 p.m.

May 29: UNITY. Music by DJ Twisted Dee. Special performance by Gia Banks of Haus of Tischi. 10 p.m. to LATE.

The above two events are sponsored by LYMI (Love You Mean It) Productions. AsiaSF is located in an event space known as The Sonoran. You guys, it’s gorgeous. I went to the opening of AsiaSF and the party was poolside. There were fire pits, seating, and built-in food stations, and even with more than 100 of us in the space, it still wasn’t crowded. And the mountains are right there. It’s especially stunning at twilight.

May 20 and 21: Rare Books. More than 40 antiquarian booksellers from across the country will share their love of books, fine prints, maps, ephemera, photography, and more. $25. Hotel ZOSO.

The Annenberg Theater at Palm Springs Art Museum: Check out their calendar for some great jazz and dance.

Plunge 2: Leather Order of the Desert at Canyon Club, clothing optional men’s resort.

Clubs/Nightclubs/Dinner Theater

The Alibi — This will get you to their ticketed and free shows. This link is for shows not listed on their calendar.

Courtesy of The Alibi

PS Underground — Just as cool as it sounds.

The Purple Room — Rat Pack vibe and interior design, with a new whiskey bar. Live entertainment Tuesday through Sunday. The year the ticketed events seem to be a broader spectrum of players. They’re all excellent, and of course, say it with me: The Judy Show is my favorite show in town.

Oscar’s — Well-known inclusive club with LGBTQ+ entertainers and allies. They’re really stepping up their entertainment with some incredible international acts.

Toucan’s Tiki Lounge and Cabaret — Hosts the longest running drag show in Palm Springs, and much much more.

PS Air — It’s a speakeasy inside a wine shop that looks like the interior of an airplane. The entertainment is fun, and the food is good!

Theater

Into The Woods at Palm Canyon Theater

Mid-Century Moderns The Musical at Desert Rose Playhouse

Recurring Events

Palm Springs Historical Society Tours — So many tours! I want to do them all. Except the ones on a bike. (I don’t do bikes.)

Palm Springs Cultural Center

Vintage Market – May 1 ONLY. (First Sunday of every month)

For a list of all of their events and tickets, go here. There’s a lot of great music and shows to see.

Of Special Note: Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival

Sun-Dazed Drag Brunch poolside at The Sonoran, presented by AsiaSF and Heklina. Sundays.

Illusions Drag Show Brunch and Illusions Drag Show Dinner at Pete’s Hideaway

Cascade Lounge at Agua Caliente Casino

Latin Nights on Sundays

Mimosas, Martinis & Music hosted by Don Wardell on Mondays

Desert Blues Revival on Wednesdays

Jazzville on Thursdays

Caliente Comedy on Fridays

Thursdays, free admission at Palm Springs Art Museum (from 5 to 7 p.m.) and Village Fest (6 to 10 p.m.)

MOGO Silent Disco Tour — Fridays and Saturdays, put on your headphones and dance down the streets of Palm Springs listening to specially curated songs as you tour some of our more famous spots.

Palm Springs Air Museum

Kitties! Opening in June, Frisky Business (at Gene Autry and E. Palm Canyon) is where you can go to snuggle a kitty for an hour and help the owner’s rescue efforts. They’re partnered with the Palm Springs Animal Shelter and will offer services (TBA), merchandise, and events in a fun, unique, relaxed environment for both cats and people.

Masks are off, sunscreen is on, and see you in June!

A community of veterans

An American flag on a flag pole on a cloudy day

Fallen soldiers are honored in Palm Springs every May. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Palm Springs was barely a city when World War I broke out, with only 50 or so people living here full time, blossoming into multiple hundreds during winter. At the time there were just two hotels: The Palm Springs Hotel, the first ever in Palm Springs, and the Desert Inn, also a wellness retreat that celebrities made their home away from home.

On February 1, 1920, Owen Baylis Coffman was born at The Desert Inn, established and run by his grandmother, “Mother of Palm Springs” Nellie Coffman. Owen was the second non-Native American born in Palm Springs.

Although Palm Springs wouldn’t become a city until 1938, by the time 1934 rolled around, the village had enough veterans in the community to establish American Legion Post 519. They purchased a parcel of land from Pearl McCallum McManus for $9.90 that would become the home of KCMJ (1340 AM): The Al Jolson Show, The Bob Hope Show, The Jack Benny Show, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland. Known for its lamella roof and modernist design, the post continues to operate its vintage equipment with an amateur radio station, K6TAL, preserving its World War II communications legacy.

Bringing the military to Palm Springs

A map showing desert training centers during World War II

Desert Training Centers in the Palm Springs area during World War II. Map created with AI

As the war bled into Africa, General Patton established training camps in the desert terrain to expose the troops to extreme heat conditions in 1942, and again in 1944. Palm Springs was where soldiers went when they had a day off.

Businesses were booming, including the Chi Chi Club, the second-largest nightclub west of the Mississippi, and Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Carole Lombard, and other stars entertained troops in different spots around town participating in war bond drives.

An aerial view of El Mirador in its early days

El Mirador in its early days. Photo courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society

The El Mirador Hotel (now Desert Regional Hospital) was built in 1928, and during the war it was purchased by the federal government and became Turney General Hospital, a 1,600-bed military hospital treating over 19,000 soldiers. It would become a hotel again in 1945 before finally finding its niche as Desert Regional Hospital in 1973.

In 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Owen Baylis Coffman was shot down in the B-17 bomber he was piloting for the U.S. Army Air Forces 748th Bomber Squadron in the 457th Bomber Group called Heavy. He was 24. In 1948, the American Legion 519 dedicated their War Memorial Building, designed by Albert Frey and John Porter Clark, in Owen’s memory.

Memorial Day Flower Drop

Thousands of red and white carnations will be dropped in Palm Springs on Memorial Day. Photo by Townsend Walton on Unsplash

The Palm Springs Air Museum, at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, is rated the third must-see attraction in Palm Springs. That’s pretty high praise considering all that goes on here. Kids will be happy, and adults will enjoy the museum’s collection — not only of warbirds, but military fashion, particularly pilot-core.

On Memorial Day, in honor of all who have fallen for our country, there will be a Memorial Day Flower Drop at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

From their website: “This is a very special day at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Our memorial service is dedicated to all of our fallen comrades, who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. In their honor, we highlight the service with a fly-by and flower drop of over 3,000 red and white carnations from Semper Fi, the only flying Mitchell PBJ-J1 bomber (U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy versions of the B-25). This most impressive ceremony is our way of saluting our fallen comrades.”

There will be flight exhibitions and activities all day, with Lockheed Martin Skunkworks’ Darkstar on view, and visitors are invited to pick up one of the carnations from the flower drop and take it home with them. The memorial ceremony starts at 1 p.m. Regular ticket prices apply, with kids 12 and under free with paid adult admission.