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Friday, March 27 | ☁️ 97°/71°
TGIF and welcome to the start of a very busy weekend. If you haven’t perused our online events calendar, we think this weekend is a good time to start doing that. Only a fraction of the hundreds of submissions to our calendar every month ever make it into the newsletters (there’s only so much space!), and times like this weekend show why it would be impossible to list them all. From stage performances and a community clean-up to a political rally and even an Easter egg hunt, there’s something for everyone happening this weekend. As an added bonus, the temperatures should be cooler. Have a great time at whatever you do!
🎶 Setting the mood: "ENTROPIA" by L'Impératrice
Leading Off
A crowd gathers at the “Forever Marilyn” statue in Downtown Park during a 99th birthday celebration for the late actress in 2025. (File photo)
Visit Greater Palm Springs touts $1.9B in annual tourism spending in city, eyes new strategic plan
Tourism remains Palm Springs' top economic engine, generating $1.9 billion in annual visitor spending — roughly $5 million per day — as Visit Greater Palm Springs prepares to launch a new 10-year strategic plan and push for an indoor amateur sports facility.
Driving the news: Scott White, president and CEO of Visit Greater Palm Springs, presented the figures Wednesday during the organization's annual update to the Palm Springs City Council, noting the valley as a whole generates $9 billion in tourism-driven economic impact.
"If tourism did not exist at the level it did today, the residents of our community would have to pay much higher taxes," White told the council.
New plan underway: The organization's current 10-year strategic plan is ending, and a new planning process is launching this month with a firm to develop both a regional strategy and individual plans for each of the valley's nine cities, including a Palm Springs-specific tourism stewardship master plan.
By the numbers: Visit Greater Palm Springs booked more than 262,000 room nights in 2025, representing 428 meetings and an estimated $238 million in economic impact — the highest total since 2018.
More than 107,000 of those room nights were booked in Palm Springs hotels, generating an $89 million economic impact and a 262% return on investment for the city.
Short-term rentals: About 30% of Palm Springs overnight visitors stay in short-term rentals, generating approximately $309 million in annual spending, more than 1,300 jobs and over $44 million in state and local tax revenues. A resident survey found 89% of Palm Springs voters view short-term rentals positively, up from 82% in 2023.
What's next: The organization is advancing a proposal for an indoor amateur sports facility, citing a feasibility study showing strong demand for a super-regional venue capable of drawing visitors from Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas, particularly during slower summer months.
Briefly
A SunLine Transit bus navigates Palm Canyon Drive. (File photo)
🚌 SunLine begins redesigning transit network
SunLine Transit Agency has moved into the second phase of its Rides Reimagined project, an effort to overhaul the regional transit network after collecting about 1,800 community surveys. The first phase of public engagement closed March 11.
In Phase 2, the agency is developing two service scenarios: a ridership concept focusing on frequent buses along busy fixed routes, and a coverage concept integrating fixed routes, para-transit, and microtransit to reach more areas with less frequent service.
Details: Phase 3 is expected to launch in early May, when the public can weigh in on the two competing maps online and at in-person events. Phase 4, later this year, will finalize a recommendation for the new transit network.
A MESSAGE FROM
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
Join the City of Palm Springs on Wednesday, April 15th for this FREE workshop and vendor fair to learn more about government contracts with cities, CVAG, and other local agencies. Get practical tips on requirements, meet procurement teams face-to-face, and discover real opportunities to grow your business through public sector partnerships
📆 Your Weekend
Multiple Days
Alice in Wonderland at Palm Springs High School all weekend ($13–$25)
AmDocs Film Festival in Palm Springs all weekend ($75–$155)
JBKO, a One-Woman Play at Revolution Stage Company all weekend ($43)
Palm Springs Book Festival at Festival Theaters all weekend
Psychic / Healing Arts Fair at Crystal Fantasy all weekend
Tales of a Broadway Baby! at The Purple Room Supper Club all weekend ($45–$50)
Today
Pick It Up Palm Springs Cleanup at Kirk Douglas Way and Airport Center Drive at 8 a.m.
Walk of the Stars: Karen Devine at 112 North Palm Canyon Dr. at 11 a.m.
Foodie Fridays at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 5 p.m.
Drake Bell at Agua Caliente Casino at 6 p.m. ($24)
Saturday
Palm Springs Certified Farmers' Market at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 8 a.m.
"No Kings" Rally at City Hall at 10 a.m.
Trans Pride 2026 at Demuth Community Center at 11 a.m.
Welcome Home: National Vietnam Veterans' Day at Palm Springs Air Museum at 1 p.m.
Jason Weber's Piano Riot at Revolution Stage Company at 5 p.m. ($10–$15)
Faux Fur Ball at Palm Springs Air Museum at 6 p.m. ($350)
Bingo with Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at one eleven bar at 6 p.m.
Country Western Dancing at 933 Crossley Road at 7 p.m. ($5)
Willie Macc Comedy Show at The Rock Gallery at 7 p.m. ($12.51)
Comedy Night at Hotel Zoso at 9 p.m. ($10–$18)
Sunday
Palm Springs Fire Foundation's Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Ruth Hardy Park at 9 a.m.
Friends of the Palm Springs Library Book Sale at Festival Theaters at 9 a.m.
Mahjong Meetup at Market Market at 12 p.m.
Afternoon Concert – Classical Voices at United Methodist Church of Palm Springs at 3 p.m.
Beckie Menzie & Tom Michael – The Piano Men at Revolution Stage Company at 7 p.m.
Marshall Charloff & The Purple xPeRIeNCE at The Plaza Theatre at 7 p.m.
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🚠 And Finally …
Marty Massiello speaks after receiving the Richard M. Milanovich Community Leadership Award Thursday. (Photo: City of Palm Springs)
Palm Springs took a midday break Thursday to recognize the officers and firefighters who don't get many of those — gathering at the Convention Center for the Chamber of Commerce's annual Police & Fire Appreciation Luncheon.
The honorees: Lt. Mike Torres was named Police Officer of the Year and Battalion Chief Ali Harandi took Firefighter of the Year honors.
Marty Massiello, president and CEO of Eisenhower Health, received the Richard M. Milanovich Community Leadership Award, presented by Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich.
Who was there: Hundreds of attendees joined officers and firefighter/paramedics, along with city officials, Police Chief Andy Mills and Fire Chief Paul Alvarado.
Why it matters: The annual luncheon has become one of the more well-attended civic gatherings on the Palm Springs calendar — a tradition that puts residents, business owners, and city leadership in the same room as the officers and firefighters they're there to recognize.
The Fire Department, ever grounded, summed it up simply on its Facebook page: the food didn't hurt, either.
In Case You Missed It
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🤦♀️ Kendall apologizes to participants in a recent Google Meet meeting because she got visibly scared by: 1. a bug, 2. a bird almost hitting her window, 3. her dog barking at the Amazon delivery.
🫣 Mark was in the same meeting with Kendall and was legitimately concerned for her safety!
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