Fans of the late actress Marilyn Monroe gathered at a statue done in her likeness to celebrate her birthday Wednesday evening in Downtown Palm Springs. A few special treats awaited them.
Driving the news: PS Resorts, which paid $1 million for the Seward Johnson artwork and brought it back to the city after a seven-year absence, invited the community to celebrate with red velvet cupcakes (supplied by Sherman’s Deli). Wednesday would have been Monroe’s 96th birthday.
- Later, as a crowd at the new Downtown Park watched a Fleetwood Mac tribute band (courtesy of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce) the statue was bathed in pink light.
Flashback: The statue’s arrival one year ago this month was met with protests and a lawsuit. The city has so far prevailed and has no plans to move the 26-foot-tall figure any time soon.
What they’re saying: Organizers of Wednesday evening’s event said so far the statue is paying the dividends they had hoped for: Visitors to the city flock to its base at Belardo Road and Museum Way for pictures, helping increase the flow of traffic off the city’s main drag.
- “She’s always got a crowd,” noted Tamara Stevens, executive director of PS Resorts
