The celebration of Independence Day this weekend may be a bit different than years past in Palm Springs, but for many, just being able to celebrate anything in public is its own cause for celebration.

Following a year when most events both public and private were cancelled due to COVID-19, the city plans to host four different events at four different locations, culminating with a laser light show after dark. The city’s traditional fireworks show will not be held this year after funding was voted down by the Palm Springs City Council in May.

The following events are all free to the public on Sunday:

4th of July Pool Party at the Palm Springs Swim Center, 405 S. Pavilion Way, from 3 PM until 9 PM. The public is invited to bring deck chairs, umbrellas and blankets and enjoy a day by the pool. A DJ will be playing music, and water games will be played throughout the day, including a cannonball contest. You can bring a cooler or purchase food from vendors in Sunrise Park throughout the evening. Registration is required for this event due to limited space. You can register here.
4th of July Independence Fest at Sunrise Park, 401 S. Pavilion Way, starting at 3 PM and concluding at the end of a movie that starts at dusk. The event will feature games, music, food in the park, and “Don’t touch a truck,” where children are invited to use their eyes, not their hands, to view city service vehicles on display.
4th of July Water Palooza at Victoria Park, 2744 N. Via Miraleste, from 11 AM until 1 PM. There will be free hot dogs and snow cones for the first 150 people in attendance, as well as water games and music.
4th of July Spectacular at Ruth Hardy Park, 700 Tamarisk Rd. In addition to food and games, the Dude Jones Band will play starting at 6:30 PM. The evening ends with a laser light show at 9:15 PM.

While city officials hope residents have a blast at these events, Palm Springs police and fire officials are reminding residents that it remains illegal to blast any fireworks — even those marked “safe and sane” — within the city limits. Each year, more fires are reported in the United States on July 4 than any other day of the year. Last year, more than 20,000 fires were reported on Independence Day across the country, police said in a news release Wednesday, and emergency departments treated more than 10,000 people for fireworks-related injuries.

Contributing to fire dangers in the desert, police said, “This year, the naturally occurring vegetation is exceptionally dry.”

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Reach our newsroom via email at [email protected] or visit our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.

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BRIEFLY

VillageFest was back in action Thursday night in downtown Palm Springs.

VILLAGEFEST RETURNS: There may be no bigger sign that Palm Springs is once again open for business following the battle against COVID-19 than the return of VillageFest. The popular outdoor market, held downtown at 7 PM each Thursday, was held for the first time in more than a year last night. While the event will be abbreviated for now — with a smaller footprint and fewer vendors — the crowds Thursday evening were plentiful. Aside from the traditional vendors offering crafts, clothing, jewelry and food along North Palm Canyon Drive, there was also a farmers’ market set up along Museum Way.

FREE HEALTH SERVICES: DAP Health is preparing for a potential rise in STIs and HIV infections brought on by an expected surge in sexual activity as COVID-19 eases by making all services provided by its sexual wellness clinic free, it announced Thursday. The change begins July 6. Free services will include STI testing — gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis — and treatment; pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP; post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP; and HIV and hepatitis C testing. In addition, DAP Health’s sexual wellness clinic will have its own space, named the Orange Clinic. The name continues the health center’s tradition of naming its clinics after Chakra colors. “The Orange Clinic will prioritize the need for sexual wellness services,” said C.J. Tobe, director of Community Health and Sexual Wellness Services. “We are setting up an entire clinic including staffing to meet the demand.” More information on the free services, and all services offered by DAP Health, can be found here.

SKIMMING WARNING: Palm Springs police reported Thursday they are seeing an increase in skimming devices being used at bank ATMs and fuel pumps. The devices are typically inserted into the ATM, fuel pump point of sale, and many other devices that accept credit and debit cards. They can read cards that have been inserted into the machines. Your personal information can be accessed wirelessly by the suspect and a hidden camera catches your PIN number as you enter it on the key pad. Some of the devices are virtually undetectable, police said, and are installed into the machine, preventing it from being removed by the user or law enforcement. If you suspect a device you are using has been compromised with a skimmer, police advise you to contact the business owner or the bank immediately. To learn more about how to protect yourself against skimming, check here.

TODAY’S EVENTS

MIZELL EVENTS: The Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, ends its week with multiple fitness classes, as well as Wii bowling. More information about the center and all of its classes can be found here.

POWER BASEBALL: The Palm Springs Power plays this evening at Palm Springs Stadium, 1901 E. Baristo Rd. First pitch is at 7:05 PM. A complete schedule is available here.

WEEKEND EVENTS

INDOOR MARKET: The Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 8 AM until 12:30 PM, and has moved indoors for the summer. The market is located inside the Palm Springs Pavilion, 401 S. Pavilion Way. Just in time for the 4th of July, watermelon is expected to be in plentiful supply this weekend.

FLEA MARKET: A flea market and food fest is held today and Saturday at 675 Crossley Rd. The venue will be open from 5PM-10PM. Starting next weekend (July 10), the event will be held on Saturdays only, from 7 AM until Noon. Information can be found here.

BUILD A MODEL PLANE: The Palm Springs Air Museum is inviting children to build their own model airplane Saturday during a workshop held from 10 AM-11 AM at the museum, 745 North Gene Autry Trail. The workshop, hosted by the Coachella Valley RC Club, will be followed by a flight contest. Children 12 and under can enter the museum free with a paying adult.

BRUNCH: Multiple venues offer drag brunch, champagne brunch, and more on weekends. View a complete list here.

LIVE MUSIC: Many live music events are posted on this Facebook page, maintained by two Palm Springs residents since 2015.

POWER BASEBALL: The Palm Springs Power plays Saturday at Palm Springs Stadium, 1901 E. Baristo Rd. First pitch is at 7:05PM. A complete schedule is available here.