Dec. 30 Daily Briefing: Convention district progress, road work alerts, in memoriam starts, and more

Welcome to Tuesday! If you’ve ever thought about joining a choir, here’s your chance — the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus is holding auditions on Jan. 6 and 13 ahead of their spring show “Rhinestones and Rainbows,” featuring the music of Dolly Parton. The organization promises a friendly, private audition process, so dust off those vocal cords and head to psgmc.com/auditions for more information and to sign up!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Cheek to Cheek” by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

LEADING OFF

Work to launch new convention district moves forward after vote

Palm Springs took its next step toward a modernized convention center earlier this month, with city leaders approving $1.25 million in design contracts aimed at transforming the area into a connected district.

Driving the news: The Palm Springs City Council awarded up to $750,000 to Globalmelk LLC for urban design work and $500,000 to Multistudio, Inc. for branding and marketing during its meeting last week. Both three-year contracts begin Jan. 1 and are funded through Measure J.

• The work is part of the city’s broader $135 million convention center modernization project.

What they’ll do: The urban design focus will be on strengthening pedestrian and bicycle connections between the convention center, downtown hotels, and destinations like the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and casino. The process calls for evaluations of existing traffic and infrastructure needs and preparing design options for lighting, shade, streetscape materials and public art.

• The branding and marketing push will establish the district’s identity, signage and wayfinding system, and develop a visual framework to guide the renovated convention center’s architectural design.

Why it matters: The convention center’s last major expansion was in 2005, and many systems now need modernization to keep Palm Springs competitive in the tourism market.

The big picture: Mayor Naomi Soto emphasized that large-scale projects like the convention center span multiple city council administrations and require steady progress. “The decisions we made this year to modernize the airport, to update our convention center — they’re not yet complete,” she said.

What’s next: Construction is scheduled in two phases between mid-2026 and mid-2028, with district-wide connectivity work expected to finish by late 2027.

Dive deeper with our complete story here.

BRIEFLY

🚧 South Palm Canyon bridge work continues with new closures

• Bridge construction on South Palm Canyon Drive entered a new phase Monday with daytime lane closures. They will be followed by nightly full road closures starting Monday, Jan. 12. The work includes gas line installation and palm tree relocation.
  
• One lane will remain open with flaggers directing traffic this week. From Jan. 12-16, the road will close nightly from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. between East Sunny Dunes Road and Mesquite Avenue, with a detour via Belardo Road.
  
• Bottom line: All businesses will remain open and accessible during construction. Motorists should plan ahead and expect delays. See the full construction alert and find additional details at this website. 

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Earl Henderson Trail Hike
9 a.m. | Bogert Trail at Barona Rd
Enjoy this easy hike along the hillside above Araby Wash, hosted by the Friends of the Desert Mountains. Explore the wonders of this critical habitat area to learn about the endangered Casey’s June Beetle and fire ecology in this sensitive habitat area.

Hidden Paradise Walking Tour
9:30 a.m. | South Mesa Dr
Join the Palm Springs Historical Society on a tour of The Mesa, a beautiful secluded neighborhood with a fascinating assortment of eclectic architecture. It boasts one of Palm Springs’ most stunning architectural anomalies, the Santorini House. ($40)

Darkstar on Display
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Air Museum
Come down and see the Lockheed MArtin Skunk Works’ Darkstar on view inside the Miles Hangar at the museum from now until Jan. 4. This display is included with regular museum admission. ($25)

Youth & Adult Boxing
4 p.m. | Demuth Community Center
Held every weekday at the Demuth Community Center, it’s a great way to get a workout for youth and adults alike. 

Melba Miller’s Jazz Oasis
5:30 p.m. | Cultural Center
Join songstress Melba Miller and special guests for an evening dedicated to serious listeners and lovers of Jazz. ($22)

Rose Mallet
6:30 p.m. | The Purple Room
Rose Mallett was declared a “Living Jazz Legend” in 2016 by the Living Jazz Foundation at Los Angeles City Hall. Rose has captured the essence of vocal delivery that some say remind them of the range and texture of Sarah Vaughan; the playful joy of Ella Fitzgerald; the foreboding pain of Billie Holiday; and the regal articulation of Lena Horne.

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Rock the Park with Bee Gees Forever on Jan. 7
  
• Wishing Well Benefit Concert for Well in the Desert on Jan. 12
  
• Palm Springs Health Run & Wellness Festival on Jan. 24
  
• Palm Springs Speaks with Cheech Marin on Feb. 10
  
• Palm Springs International Jazz Festival from Feb. 19-22

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

Longtime Desert Sun entertainment reporter Bruce Fessier has penned his annual tribute to notable Coachella Valley residents who passed away in 2025, offering intimate portraits of the creative souls who shaped the region’s cultural landscape.

Driving the news: The first installment of Fessier’s chronological remembrance spans February through August, honoring everyone from pioneering police novelist Joseph Wambaugh to game show legend Wink Martindale and rock singer Terry Reid.

Zoom in: Fessier draws from decades of personal interactions to reveal the human side of these local luminaries, including Wambaugh’s preference for meeting cops over country club members, Martindale’s role in launching Elvis mania as a 19-year-old Memphis DJ, and Reid’s spiritually moving Native American funeral ceremony in Joshua Tree.

• The tribute also celebrates lesser-known but equally important figures like Joshua Tree arts pioneer Bobby Furst, jazz drummer Bill Renner who made rock commercially viable in Palm Springs, and Dick Broadie, who kept Dixieland jazz alive in the valley.

What’s next: Part two of Fessier’s tribute will appear online soon and in an upcoming newsletter.

• Read the first installment of his look back here.