Sept. 18 Daily Briefing: Racquet Club Road update, honor for The Center, chamber’s big night, and more

Welcome to Thursday! When those rare but intense rains hit Palm Springs, like they are doing today, remember that roads can become surprisingly treacherous — oil buildup from dry spells makes surfaces extra slippery, and those familiar dips and washes can turn into dangerous flash flood zones faster than you’d expect. Stay safe out there by slowing down, keeping your headlights on, and if you need sandbags, the Palm Springs Fire Department reminds you that the city’s five fire stations have got you covered!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Asc. Scorpio” by Oracle Sisters (Coming to Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown this Sunday!)

LEADING OFF

Fire response concerns raised during Racquet Club Road project discussion

The city of Palm Springs and consultants provided updates Wednesday on the Racquet Club Road Reconfiguration Project. The meeting focused primarily on potential impacts to fire response times from the proposed road changes.

Driving the news: The project would reconfigure a two-mile corridor from North Palm Canyon Drive along Racquet Club Road to Farrell Drive and Via Escuela, adding bike lanes and reducing traffic to one lane in each direction with a dedicated center turn lane.

By the numbers: Fire Station 3, located within the project corridor, currently has the longest average response times of the city’s five stations at 7 minutes and 14 seconds.

• Fire Chief Paul Alvarado said he wants response times reduced to five minutes.

The latest: A Kimley-Horn study found the road changes could increase fire truck travel times by 5 seconds to 53 seconds during peak hours, depending on the route and direction.

• The longest delay of 53 seconds would occur for trucks traveling the entire two-mile corridor eastbound during morning peak hours.
  
• The traffic model doesn’t account for emergency vehicle maneuvers like using center turn lanes or emergency signal preemption.

What’s next: The project is transitioning from community input to final engineering and design, which could take four to six months.

• Construction could begin in spring 2026 if there’s consensus on the current design.
  
• The city held three previous community meetings to narrow five design options down to one preferred option.

Dive deeper with our complete coverage

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BRIEFLY

🏳️‍🌈 The Center honored with award for trans programming

• The Palm Springs based LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert will receive the 2025 Pathfinder Award from the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association during the organization’s global convention in Palm Springs on Oct. 24. The award recognizes The Center’s work supporting transgender and gender diverse people and their families through programming that includes safe spaces and essential services.
  
• The Center provides support groups for parents and caregivers, educational programming, social connection opportunities and guidance for families with transgender and gender diverse youth. The programs serve residents and visitors throughout the Coachella Valley and help address feelings of isolation while promoting overall well-being.
  
• Details: The Pathfinder Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have made a positive impact in their destination while demonstrating warmth, hospitality and inclusivity to the LGBTQ+ community.

🎭 Fabulous Palm Springs Follies co-founder Markowitz dies

• Riff Markowitz, co-founder and managing director of the long-running Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, died Wednesday in Carlsbad after a brief illness. He was 86 and is survived by life partner Leila Burgess, son David Markowitz, and several siblings.
  
• Born in New York and raised in Toronto, Markowitz ran away at 15 to join the circus before becoming a radio DJ at 16. He moved into television production, creating “The Randy Dandy Show” and co-creating “The Hilarious House of Frightenstein” with Vincent Price before producing HBO specials and the mystery series “The Hitchhiker.”
  
• Local connection: Markowitz retired to Palm Springs at 50 and co-founded the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies in 1992 with partner Mary Jardin. The show featured performers ages 55 and older performing music, dance and comedy from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s, running for 23 seasons at the Plaza Theatre until 2014.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Yoga with Mariana
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Leisure Center
Our affordable community yoga classes are the perfect way to recharge your body, mind, and spirit for much less than the big studios. Drop-Ins are only $12!

Teen Activity Day
3:45 p.m. | Mizell Center
Join us in the Mizell Center Community Room to make friendship bracelets, play games, and enjoy snacks! Grades 6-12.

Art Museum Free Admission
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Art Museum 
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy free admission to galleries and exhibitions, and explore the collection at your own pace. 

Sammy’s Circle Pet Bereavement
6 p.m. | Palm Springs Animal Shelter
Sammy’s Circle is a safe place to share our grief and to share the stories of our beloved pets, both those who have recently left us, as well as those whose memories have long lingered in our hearts.

VillageFest
7 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs  
Weather permitting, the street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food.

Cinema Diverse
7 p.m. | Palm Springs Cultural Center
Cinema Diverse focuses on presenting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender cinema from around the world. The festival brings together filmmakers, writers, directors, producers, actors and other industry professionals for the annual celebration. Movie times vary. ($14)

View all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival on Saturday
  
• WALLSPACE October Modernism Exhibition at Janssen Artspace starting Oct. 3
  
• Free shredding event at the convention center on Oct. 4
  
• One Night Out Paris benefitting The Foundation for PSUSD on Oct. 4 
  
• Junior Ranger Expo at Indian Canyons on Oct. 11
  
• Spooktacular 5K/10K Run at Ruth Hardy Park on Oct. 11
  
• Pride on the Page on Nov. 1

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AND FINALLY …

For those who’ve ever wondered if they could sample the entire Coachella Valley dining scene in one evening without maxing out their credit card, Wednesday night’s annual Business Expo & Taste of Palm Springs at Indian Canyons Golf Resort proved it’s possible — and for just $40, no less.

Driving the news: More than 1,000 attendees turned out for the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce event, which featured 56 restaurants from across the valley, along with wine, beer, and live music, marking the unofficial kickoff to Palm Springs’ busy season.

• This year’s event, which kicks off “the season” in the desert,  drew more vendors and pre-sold more tickets than in 2023, continuing a 15-year growth trend.

Why it matters: As Chamber CEO Nona Watson noted, the event serves as a low-risk way for diners to sample restaurants they might be curious about but hesitant to commit to for a full meal — think of it as speed dating, but with food trucks and a much better success rate.

• “Sometimes you think, I really want to go to that restaurant, but I don’t want to invest in a meal, right? So this gives you a taste,” Watson said as the crowd waited for “Prince Again,” a top-notch Prince tribute band.

The appeal: Beyond the obvious draw of affordable dining variety, attendees got to enjoy an evening stroll around one of the area’s most scenic golf courses while mingling with friends and discovering new favorite spots throughout the valley.