City to mark 85th anniversary with daylong celebration in April featuring parade, car show, music, more

Palm Springs knows how to party, and the city is planning a big one for a major milestone in April.

Officials announced Friday the city’s 85th anniversary will be marked on Saturday, April 8 with a classic car parade, a car show, activities for kids, a canine celebrity costume contest, and an Elton John tribute concert.

The car show will be unique in that it will feature models from each year since the city first incorporated. Attendees will be encouraged to pose for pictures beside the car from their birth year.

“No other city that I know of has ever had 85 cars representing 85 years all in one place,” said Keith McCormick, a longtime resident and founder of Palm Springs Exotic Car Auctions, who added that representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to record the moment.

Events kick off at 11:30 a.m. with the parade, titled “Cruising Through The Years,” which will start at the Palm Springs Convention Center and run down Amado Road, finishing at the “Forever Marilyn” statue near Downtown Park. An opening ceremony with remarks from current elected officials will follow.

Events being planned include:

• The car show and DJ set by Joe Kay at 1 p.m.
  
  
• A canine celebrity costume contest at 6 p.m. where residents are invited to dress up their dogs as their favorite Palm Springs celebrity.
  
  
• An Elton John tribute concert at 7 p.m. at Downtown Park, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout the day residents are invited to check out the following:

• A curated exhibit of historic photos chronicling Palm Springs through the years, presented by the Palm Springs Historical Society and Palm Springs Life.
  
  
• Free and fun activities for youth, including face-painting, arts and crafts, and interactive games, courtesy of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
  
  
• The Palm Springs Art Museum, who is also celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, will host family activities in front of the museum, including color sheet drawings of the museum created by local artist Danny Heller.

“Over the past 85 years, Palm Springs has become world famous for our year-round sunshine, relaxed desert lifestyle and incredible history,” said Mayor Grace Garner, a city native and graduate of Palm Springs High School. “I invite everyone in the Coachella Valley to join us downtown on April 8 as we cruise through the years celebrating 85 years of the magic that makes Palm Springs like no place else.”

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More information: The city has launched a website with complete details. Visit the website here.

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