Oct. 31 Daily Briefing: Halloween happenings, COD announcement, PSHS shares league crown, and more

TGIF, folks! This Sunday, we’ll all get an extra hour of sleep as Daylight Saving Time ends and clocks fall back (officially at 2 a.m., if you’re up then). Why, you might ask, do we keep having to go through this? Well, while California voters approved ending the time change back in 2018, the legislation keeps stalling in committee — even though doctors warn that springing forward and falling back twice a year disrupts our sleep and health 😴

🎶 Setting the mood: “This Is Halloween (From Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas”)” by The Citizens of Halloween

LEADING OFF

COD announces free tuition, AI initiative at Palm Springs event

College of the Desert announced Thursday it will provide free tuition to every enrolled student, expanding its existing program beyond recent high school graduates. The initiative marks a historic shift in access to higher education in the Coachella Valley.

Driving the news: The “Pledge for All” program will cover tuition and fees through scholarships, grants and partnerships while providing expanded support services including advising, mentoring, tutoring and mental health services.

• The program will launch with a pilot cohort enrolling in spring 2026 for fall 2026 classes, then extend to additional cohorts until every student qualifies.

The big picture: Speaking at a state of the college event at the Thompson Palm Springs, COD President Val Martinez Garcia said the initiative ensures no student will be held back by financial barriers, calling it the college’s “next bold step to open the door to anyone and everyone who wants to attend college.”

• “This is who we are,” Martinez Garcia said. “This is the spirit of the Coachella Valley, where access and human dignity and excellence are our core values.”

But wait: The college also unveiled a comprehensive AI education program supported by a $100,000 donation from Fred Noble of Wintec Energy to prepare students for emerging workforce needs in healthcare, hospitality and other fields.

• Students are already meeting in clubs and working on AI projects, including a chatbot to help navigate the college’s course catalogs.

Dive deeper with Kendall Balchan’s complete story

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BRIEFLY

🍦 Ice cream festival to benefit community food bank

• The first Scoop Palm Springs Ice Cream Festival will take place Sunday at Downtown Park from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., with net proceeds benefiting the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert’s food bank. 
  
• Daniel Szpak, founder of the event, launched the original festival in San Diego and expanded to Palm Springs to raise funds for local families in need. The Community Food Bank provides free food to more than 350 families each week.
  
• Details: The event will feature 20 vendors serving ice cream, gelato and paletas. General admission tickets (which can be found here) cost $35 and include 10 two-ounce samples. Look for family activities including an art area and bounce house for children.

🏈 Palm Springs football shares league title

• Palm Springs High School’s football team completed a turnaround from winless in the Desert Empire League last year to sharing the DEL championship with a 33-21 victory over Rancho Mirage on Thursday. The Indians finished 9-1 overall and 4-1 in league play, with their only loss coming against co-champion Palm Desert.
  
• The Indians rallied from a 14-7 deficit in the second quarter with two touchdown passes from Bishop Miller to Tyler Hebrard, including a 94-yard connection. Miller added a 26-yard rushing touchdown early in the third quarter to seal the win.
  
• Next up: The Indians await their CIF-SS playoff opponent and location when pairings are released Sunday.

YOUR WEEKEND

MULTIPLE DAYS

• Unbridled Spirit at Hotel Zoso all weekend
  
• Deborah Silver at The Purple Room Supper Club Friday and Saturday ($55)
  
• The Inheritance Part II all weekend at the Palm Springs Cultural Center ($42)
  
• Palm Springs Leather Pride 2025 at multiple locations all weekend
  
• Hansel and Gretel at the Palm Canyon Theatre Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m. ($10-$35)
  
• Priscilla: Queen of the Desert at Palm Canyon Theatre all weekend (times vary) ($20-$46)

TODAY

• Halloween Carnival & Haunted House at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m.
  
• Halloween Palm Springs in the Arenas District from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.
  
• Halloween ExtraBOOganza at Eight4Nine Restaurant & Lounge at 5 p.m. ($30)
  
• Foodie Fridays at the Cultural Center at 5 p.m. 
  
• Broadway’s Bad Guys at the Cultural Center at 7 p.m. ($38)

SATURDAY

• Paddles For A Cause at The Rowan Palm Springs pickleball courts at 7 a.m. ($50)
  
• Multicultural & Equity in Education Conference at the Palm Springs Convention Center at 8 a.m.
  
• Cars & Coffee at Porsche Palm Springs at 8 a.m.
  
• Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market at the Cultural Center at 8 a.m.
  
• Pride on the Page LGBTQ Book Festival at the Cultural Center at 10 a.m.
  
• Dickey Chapelle Under Fire at the Palm Springs Air Museum at 1 p.m. 
  
• Evil Dead The Musical at the Revolution Stage Company at 7 p.m. ($29) 
  
• Rocky Horror Picture Show Screening at the Festival Theaters at 7 p.m. ($13)

SUNDAY

• Palm Springs Vintage Market on 200 N Indian Canyon Dr. at 7 a.m. ($5)
  
• Scoop Palm Springs Ice Cream Festival at Downtown Park at 12 p.m. ($35)
  
• Mahjong Meetup at Social Cafe & Play Lounge at 12 p.m.

AND FINALLY …

If you weren’t aware, today is Halloween, and Palm Springs residents looking to celebrate the occasion have several options to choose from, whether they’re seeking family-friendly fun or late-night entertainment — and potentially some prize money.

Driving the news: The city and surrounding area will host multiple Halloween events tonight, ranging from a children’s carnival to an electropop concert and a costume contest with a $1,000 grand prize.

Among the events:

• Arenas District (4-10 p.m.): “Halloween on Arenas” features DJs Modgirl, Jeffree and Meaty Beats by JUAN, plus a live performance by electropop singer Dev. The costume contest registration runs from 6 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., with contestants required to be in line by 7:30 p.m. Free admission with a suggested $10 donation, with proceeds benefitting local organizations.
  
• James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center (4-7 p.m.): A Halloween carnival and haunted house geared toward younger trick-or-treaters. Each activity costs $1 to enter.
  
• Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City (8 p.m.-1:30 a.m.): Just a few miles away, the After Dark Halloween Bash offers live entertainment from Empire Records and DJ Ebony, with costume contest prizes up to $1,000. Masks and full-face paint aren’t permitted in the casino.

But wait: We’re not sure who did the decoration in the picture above that we spotted off East San Rafael Drive (we hope it wasn’t Pennywise), but we would like to formally recognize them here for their creativity. We also request that you refrain from doing what some residents of a Missouri town did.

• For those who don’t get the reference, we direct you here.