Greater Palm Springs is one of America’s most famous resort oases. Originally home to old Hollywood stars and stories, the region has grown into a modern destination for arts and culture, outdoor adventure, and a thriving LGBTQ+ community. If you’re planning on taking a trip this fall, Greater Palm Springs will be abuzz with celebration of its LGBTQ+ friends, family, and neighbors.
From Nov. 3-5, Greater Palm Springs celebrates its 37th annual Greater Palm Springs Pride, the region’s largest Pride celebration. With nearly 200,000 expected attendees, the free festival and parade make for a weekend of unity, fun, and self-expression. The three-day Pride Festival culminates in the Palm Springs Pride Parade, with over 200 contingents joining the parade route through downtown Palm Springs. Along the palm-tree lined route, spectators can cheer and support the local organizations, activists, and partners that participate in the parade. Starting in the Uptown Design District, the celebration travels south to downtown, where it ends at the entrance to the Pride Festival.
The festival features a street fair, live music, and a marketplace to support local artisans and vendors. Spread across downtown Palm Springs, the festival is an opportunity to experience Palm Springs vendors, exhibitors, and nonprofit organizations aligned with Greater Palm Springs’ LBGTQ+ communities. Lining the streets of the festival, visitors can find numerous art galleries, including the Trevor Wayne Art Gallery and Store, which is also the designer of this year’s poster commemorating the event.
This year’s theme for Pride is ‘Drag Now, Drag Forever,’ which honors and celebrates the historic form of artistic expression and advocacy that is Drag. While all the festivities are free, Greater Palms Spring Pride, the organization that hosts both events, is supported by donations to ensure Pride can stay free for future guests.