What to watch for this week in Palm Springs
A re-opening, a signature event, and discussion by city officials of law enforcement in schools, fee hikes for garbage and recycling services, and moving the start/finish line of 2022 Tour de Palm Springs to a different street are all on the agenda in the city this week.
While by no means an exhaustive list and not a substitution for our daily rundown of government meetings and other happenings in town, here’s what to watch for in the city this week:
HOLIDAY TODAY: Government offices, state and federal courts, and many libraries will be closed today for Columbus Day, a federal holiday that is also celebrated as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. There are no classes for area students, and there will be no U.S. Mail delivery, like for all federal holidays. Most banks are also expected to be closed. Trash service is on a regular schedule this week.
TRAM RE-OPENS: The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway plans to officially re-open today after about a month of annually scheduled maintenance. The tramway closed on September 7 for annual maintenance to reposition track ropes, change pendant
ropes, and test mechanical and electrical systems. Company officials said that doors were initially scheduled to re-open October 4, but weather issues and problems acquiring replacement parts caused a one-week delay. The first tram up will be at 10 AM, the last tram up is at 8 PM, and the last tram down is at 9:30 PM.
FILM FESTIVAL: The 8th Annual Reel Women’s Film Festival kicks off today and runs through October 23, benefiting Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. While traditionally held at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, this year, the event is entirely virtual. It features multiple award-winning films that can be streamed at any time during the event. Instructions will be sent after registration, which can be done here. The Post is proud to help sponsor this event.
OBEDIENCE CLASSES: The Kennel Club of Palm Springs begins its next nine-week beginning obedience classes on Tuesday at 7 PM at the Palm Springs Police Canine Training Center, 200 S. Civic Drive. You can register by simply attending the first class — which is informational only, so please do not bring your dog — and paying a $120 fee. All dogs are welcome to take part in the classes but must be at least six months old. For additional information, contact trainer Rick Klassen at 760 329-4885. You will be able to participate in the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Test after the last class.
MODERNISM: The Modernism Week Fall Preview takes place Thursday through Sunday. The event offers visitors and locals a taste of modernism through talks and seminars, in-person home tours, and parties in unique locations not regularly open to the public. Tickets for dozens of events can be found here. In addition to the Fall Preview, you can find furniture, art, décor, and design elements at the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale Fall Edition that runs Friday through Sunday at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros. The weekend kicks off with an opening night party (tickets are available here) on Friday, October 15 at 6 PM. The main event continues all weekend, starting at 10 AM (registration is available here).
CITY COUNCIL: The Palm Springs City Council will again take up the issues of police in city schools when it meets Thursday at 5:30 PM. It had earlier pulled approval of an agreement with the Palm Springs Unified School District from its consent agenda to learn more about the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. While a deeper dive into the SRO program is still pending, city staff recommends the Council move forward with approving the agreement. Also on the Council’s agenda is a proposal to increase fees charged to customers of Palm Springs Disposal Service. An annual rate increase should have been done in the spring but was delayed. The Council will also discuss moving the 2022 Tour de Palm Springs off Palm Canyon Drive to Indian Canyon Drive in response to a request from some downtown business owners.
SHELTER BENEFIT: Mark Saturday on your calendar for the first-ever PS We Love You Scavenger Hunt. Starting at 10 AM at Palm Springs Animal Shelter and Demuth Park, individuals and teams will hunt for clues through an app-based scavenger hunt, visiting landmarks and local businesses while solving virtual clues. The team with the most points will win prizes. More information about the event, which will benefit the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, is available here.
SHREDDING: The city’s next Shredding and E-waste event will be held Saturday from 8 AM until 12 PM. at Palm Springs City Hall, 3200 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. This is a free event for Palm Springs residents. Paper to be shredded is limited to three 9x13x17 boxes — the size of a case of paper from an office supply store. Electronic waste may include items such as computers, monitors, TVs, phones, fax machines, and small appliances.
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BRIEFLY
OFFICERS REMEMBERED: Family, friends, colleagues, and the community came out Friday evening, October 8, to pay tribute to Palm Springs police officers Jose “Gil” Vega and Lesley Zerebny during the fifth annual commemoration of their line-of-duty deaths. The ceremony, at 169 N. Indian Canyon Dr., was also a chance to unveil a mural in their honor, done by artist Michael Angelo Hernandez, who signed prints of copies of his art.
FUNDS RAISED: The Palm Springs Sunshine Sisters raised $3,600 for breast cancer awareness during the 2021 Paint El Paseo Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Walk held this past weekend. Organizers said 27 members of the group participated in the annual event. “In addition to being a really fun group of women, as you can see, our members are very community-minded and really believe in supporting other women,” said Mary Miller, an original founder of the group. If you missed out on donating, there’s still time. The donation site for the team remains open.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
TODAY
MIZELL EVENTS: Among other events, a widow and widowers group meets today at the Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way. That group meets at 10 AM. Multiple other events get underway at 8 AM. For more information about all of today’s offerings, click here.
LECTURE: Author, Desert Ecologist, and local expert Jim Cornett will briefly introduce the natural world of the Coachella Valley, then describe the top 10 top places residents and visitors should see, and why, during an online lecture that begins at 3:30 PM. To view or participate in the lecture, email Julie Warren in advance of the event at [email protected].
CRAFT EVENT: Learn how to make slime that reacts to magnets with an instructional video that will be uploaded to the Palm Springs Public Library’s YouTube channel at 10 AM. Kits to make the slime are available at the library, 300 S. Sunrise Way, while supplies last.
FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE: The Palm Springs City Council Finance Standing Subcommittee meets via Zoom at 3 PM. For complete instructions on how to view the meeting, click here.
WALKABILITY: The Palm Springs Sustainability Commission’s Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Walkability and Pedestrian Planning meets at 4:30 PM via Zoom. For complete instructions on how to view the meeting, click here.
HUMAN RIGHTS: The city’s Human Rights Commission meets at 5:30 PM. You can find the agenda and complete instructions on how to view the meeting by going here.
TUESDAY
MIZELL EVENTS: Zumba, canasta, Spanish lessons, and more are offered today at the Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way. For more information about today’s offerings, click here.
MARKETING COMMITTEE: The Palm Springs Airport Commission Marketing Committee meets at 3 PM. Instructions for participating in the meeting, as well as a complete agenda, are available here.
ONE-PS: The Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs (ONE-PS) monthly membership meetings begins at 5:30 PM. For more information on the meeting and how you can attend virtually, see the organization’s website here.
SCHOOL BOARD: The Palm Springs Unified School District Board of Directors holds its regular meeting at 6 PM at district headquarters, 150 District Center Dr. A complete agenda can be found here.
WEDNESDAY
SUNSHINE SISTERS: The Palm Springs Sunshine Sisters host a morning coffee at Koffi, 650 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, starting at 8 AM. You can sign up to be part of the group formed to help women make new connections and friendships on Meetup here.
MIZELL EVENTS: Programs at the Mizell Center today include Dick Brodie’s Jam Session, stress management, the do’s and don’ts of healthy dieting, and more. The center is located at 480 S. Sunrise Way, and events begin at 8 AM. For a complete list of today’s offerings, click here.
HORA DE CUENTOS: La bibliotecaria Nancy Valdivia lee cuentos, canta canciones y enseña conceptos de aprendizaje temprano (miércoles en español y jueves en inglés) para estudiantes de preescolar de 10:30 a.m. a 11:30 a.m. Puedes ver los videos en YouTube aquí.
MOBILE HEALTH: A mobile health clinic will be parked at the James O. Jesse Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W. Tramview Rd., from 9 AM until 4 PM. Operated and staffed by Borrego Health, the mobile unit will provide a variety of medical services for residents, such as family medicine, women’s health, and pregnancy tests, immunizations and physicals for school, HIV/STI testing, COVID-19 testing, labs, and more.
MEMOIR WRITING: the Palm Springs Public Library hosts an online class on the basics of memoir writing. Complete information about the class, including how to attend, is available here.
PLANNING COMMISSION: The city’s Planning Commission meets at 5:30 PM via Zoom. Instructions for participating in the meeting, as well as a complete agenda, are available here.
THURSDAY
WATER AGENCY: The Desert Water Agency Executive Committee meets at 8 AM. The public is invited to attend virtually. Details about how to do that, as well as an agenda, should be made available here prior to the meeting.
MIZELL EVENTS: The movie of the week today at the Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, is The Grizzlies. It starts at 10 AM in the Noia Auditorium. Many more programs are offered today, beginning at 8 AM. Today’s complete schedule can be found here.
BOOK CLUB: The Cover to Cover Book Club meets on Zoom at 10:30 AM. This month the book club is discussing The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. To attend the book club, email Sharon Ballard in advance of the meeting at [email protected].
STORY TIME: The Palm Springs Public Library offers story time for preschoolers starting at 10:30 AM via YouTube. Librarian Nancy Valdivia reads stories, sings songs, and shows early learning concepts (Wednesdays in Spanish and Thursdays in English). You can find more information here and watch the YouTube videos here.
WOMEN’S CHAT: The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert offers a chat group for all women — no matter how you identify — to discuss topics of interest and find connections every Thursday at 10:30 AM. You can find information about the event here.
NOT TEEN TALK: The Palm Springs Public Library’s teen librarian hosts an Instagram Live session each Thursday at 3:30 PM. To follow along, follow @psplteenzone on Instagram here.
FOOD AVAILABLE: FIND Food Bank distributes food in the city today at a community food bank, 610 S. Belardo Rd., between 5 PM and 7 PM, and at the James O. Jesse Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 W. Tram View Rd., from 5 PM until 6:30 PM. A complete calendar of food distribution in the community this month is available here.
FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION: The Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission from 5 PM to 7 PM this evening. Tickets are required and can be obtained here.
CITY COUNCIL: The Palm Springs City Council holds a regular meeting at 5:30 PM. A complete agenda and instructions on how to participate or view the meetings can be found here. Prior to the regular meeting, the Council meets in a closed session. An agenda for that session can be found here.
SUNSHINE SISTERS: The Palm Springs Sunshine Sisters will be attending a private cooking class at 6 PM. You can sign up to be part of the group on Meetup here.
VILLAGEFEST: The city’s weekly outdoor street fair takes place at 6 PM on Palm Canyon Drive downtown. The event includes vendor booths on both sides of the street — a portion of which is closed to vehicular traffic. At this time, face coverings are required for all who attend, regardless of vaccination status.
FRIDAY
MIZELL EVENTS: The Mizell Center, 480 S. Sunrise Way, offers a pastels studio, chair yoga, and more, starting at 8 AM. A complete schedule of all of the day’s events can be found here.
SUNSHINE SISTERS: The Palm Springs Sunshine Sisters will be hiking at Andreas Canyon starting at 8 AM. You can sign up to be part of the group on Meetup here.
MEN’S CHAT: The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert offers a chat group for all men to discuss topics of interest and find connections every Friday at 10:30 AM. Information on registering for the event can be found here.
BOOK CLUB: The Friends of the Palm Springs Library Book Club meets on Zoom at 2 PM. This month the book club is discussing Nomadland by Jessica Bruder. To participate, email [email protected].
ONGOING & UPCOMING
VOTING UNDERWAY: Our partners at The Coachella Valley Independent have started the next step in the process of determining the best of the best in the Coachella Valley for 2021-2022. The top vote-getters in each category have been selected, and now you can vote for the winners. To vote for your favorite in any one of multiple categories, start here.
NEW SHOW: Ben Zook, one of the creators and stars of the Web series Where the Bears Are, has a new one-person show in Palm Springs, The Dirty Show, playing Wednesday evenings this month. In the show, Zook plays Skyler Gentry, described as America’s favorite actor-singer-dancer-psychic. Zook promises an evening filled with raunchy songs, comedy monologues, and psychic readings. “Written with Palm Springs specific jokes and musical ditties, it’s a campy, gay evening that you’ll never forget,” he said. The Dirty Show takes place outside at Dietl Art, 4629 E Sunny Dunes Rd. Doors open at 6:30 PM, and tickets are available here.
SINATRA CELEBRATION: Palm Springs Point of View, a YouTube channel that covers “Eats, Art and Culture” in Palm Springs and elsewhere in the Coachella Valley, is holding three events in the upcoming months to celebrate the life of Frank Sinatra, including one this week. The first Martinis and Moxie is scheduled for the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Rd., at 6 PM on Friday, October 15. Tickets for that event are available here. Hosted by Claudia Ried and Conrad Angel Corral, with piano music by Alan Kraemer, the event will feature cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, Sinatra tunes, and a discussion about the entertainer’s life in the Coachella Valley. After the event, guests are invited to stay for a screening of one of Sinatra’s films.
TAHQUITZ CREEK CLEANING: The Tahquitz Creek Yacht Club meets to clean up a portion of Tahquitz Creek Channel at 8 AM on the third Saturday of every month. The next cleanup is this weekend, Saturday, October 16. Volunteers gather at the south end of the footbridge at South Camino Real and South Riverside Drive. You can find the club’s Facebook page here, and contact the club via email at [email protected].
NEXT PLAY: Palm Canyon Theatre’s production of Shrek The Musical opens October 22 and runs through November 7. Showtimes are 7 PM on Thursdays, 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 PM on Sundays. Tickets are $36 for general admission; $32 for seniors; and $15 for students. For tickets or other information, call the box office at 760-323-5123 or order online at PalmCanyonTheatre.org. The theater is located at 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, at the corner with Alejo Road. Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM until 4 PM.
CENTER CELEBRATION: On Sunday, October 24 at 11 AM, the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert (The Center) officially cuts the ribbon after a multi-million-dollar renovation at its headquarters, the McDonald-Wright building, 1301 N. Palm Canyon Drive. Leading the ceremony will be Center executive director and CEO Rob Wheeler and Peter Daut, weekday anchor at KESQ-TV. Guests and speakers will include Palm Springs Mayor Christy Holstege and Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Middleton. To register for the free event, go here.
PRIDE RUN: The Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk takes place Saturday, November 6 at 8 AM. The event is both in-person and virtual for 2021. Registration is available here. The race is hosted by Palm Springs Front Runners & Walkers, a local chapter of International Frontrunners, an informal network of LGBTQ running groups around the world. Proceeds from the event benefit The LGBTQ Community Center of The Desert (The Center) and The Transgender Health and Wellness Center.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Want to know what’s happening in your city and at agencies that make decisions affecting your neighborhood? See below for calendars, meeting agendas, and links to all city services, police reports, code enforcement reports, and more:
City of Palm Springs calendar of events | Official city contacts
Palm Springs Public Library calendar of events
Palm Springs Unified School District calendar | Board meetings
Desert Healthcare District Board of Directors meeting agendas
Transgender Health and Wellness Center calendar
LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert programs
Mizell Center calendar of events
Police reports | Submit a police report
Code compliance reports | Report a code violation
Current road projects and closures
Palm Springs Disposal pickup schedule | Holiday schedules
Currently active development projects
