BROUGHT TO YOU BY
We are grateful for our advertisers. Become one today
Friday, May 29 | ☀️ 80°/61°
Happy Friday, everyone, where baseball is back in the Coachella Valley. The Palm Springs Power, three-time defending California Premier Collegiate League champions, open their 2026 season tonight against the Utah Yacks at Palm Springs Stadium (1901 East Baristo Rd.), with gates opening at 5 p.m. and first pitch at 6:30 p.m. And make sure to stick around after the game for a fireworks show!
🎶 Setting the mood: "ALIEN SUPERSTAR" by Beyoncé (strobe warning for the video!)
Leading Off
An advertisement for the original 1977 run of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” at Camelot theater in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs 70mm Fest returns with secret screening, classic cinema
The Palm Springs 70mm Fest is back for its second year, opening tonight with a blockbuster double feature anchored by a top-secret screening of an upcoming major modern film.
Driving the news: The three-day festival runs today through Sunday at the Palm Springs Cultural Center's Historic Camelot Theatre. Opening night begins with a new 70mm print of Steven Spielberg's director's cut of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), followed immediately by the unannounced modern film on 70mm — a rare get for the Coachella Valley, where major studios typically reserve specialized 70mm formats for new releases in cities like New York and Los Angeles.
The lineup: The festival's remaining screenings feature landmark films selected for the large-format experience, including John Ford's "The Searchers" (1956) on Saturday morning and Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise's "West Side Story" (1961) closing the festival Sunday evening.
Other screenings include Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights" (1997), and David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962).
Why it matters: The Historic Camelot Theatre was originally built in 1967 as one of Southern California's first prestige roadshow venues and remains one of only a few dozen U.S. theaters equipped to screen 70mm film, which captures greater visual detail and color depth than standard 35mm.
"There's something incredibly special about seeing these movies in 70mm on a huge screen," said Lauren Wolfer, producer of the festival. "The Historic Camelot Theatre was built for this format."
Tickets: Tickets are available online. Tonight’s double feature is sold out, but there’s still hope! Festival organizers tell us there will be a standby line ahead of the screening.
Individual tickets are priced at $20 per film. A MUBI Reel Pass covering all six screenings is available for $89.
Briefly
Shutterstock Image
🚨 Man armed with knife shot by police, dies at hospital
A man armed with a knife died Thursday after being shot by Palm Springs police officers who responded to reports of a person acting erratically and threatening employees at a business in the 1200 block of East Palm Canyon Drive at approximately 3:40 p.m.
According to PSPD officials, officers attempted to communicate with the man and deployed de-escalation efforts, less-lethal options, and called in the department's Community Behavioral Assessment Team before a shooting occurred. Palm Springs Fire Department personnel rendered care at the scene, and the man was transported to a local hospital, where he died. No officers were injured.
Details: The Riverside County Sheriff's Office Force Investigation Division is investigating the shooting, with findings to be submitted to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. The Palm Springs Police Department's Professional Standards Division is conducting a separate, concurrent investigation.
🍽️ Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week kicks off with 130+ eateries
Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week is underway, running through June 7 across all nine Coachella Valley cities, with more than 130 participating restaurants offering special menus and prix fixe meals.
Restaurants will offer breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner options at set price points. No passes, tickets or coupons are required to participate, though advance reservations are encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome but not guaranteed.
Details: Diners can browse participating restaurants and make reservations at DineGPS.com. One dollar from every reservation made through the site will benefit FIND Food Bank.
A MESSAGE FROM
DAP HEALTH
Seven Days in June is a national campaign highlighting why health care matters to everyone. From access and affordability to community well-being, it brings people together to share stories, raise awareness, and advocate for stronger health systems that support healthier, more resilient communities across the country.
📆 Your Weekend
Multiple Days
Marilyn 100 Weekend all weekend at multiple locations
"Silver Foxes" all weekend at Revolution Stage Company ($49)
Photography Exhibit: Michael Childers Nude Yoga Series Today and Saturday at 401 North Palm Canyon Drive at 6 p.m.
Palm Springs Restaurant Week all weekend at multiple locations
Today
Jack Sollecito at Thompson Palm Springs at 4 p.m.
Foodie Fridays at Palm Springs Cultural Center from 5 p.m.
PS 70mm Film Fest: Double Feature, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind” + A Secret Move at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 7 p.m. ($20)
Heather Pasternak & Jessica Keenan Comedy Show at Agua Caliente Casino at 7 p.m.
Mikael Healey's Baby Grand: Construction Zone at Hotel Zoso at 7 p.m. ($21)
Saturday
Palm Springs Certified Farmers' Market at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 8 a.m.
PS 70mm Film Fest: "The Searchers" at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 11 a.m. ($20)
SWIMS DJ Sets at the Saguaro Pool at The Saguaro Hotel at 1 p.m.
PS 70mm Film Fest: "2001: A Space Odyssey" at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 3 p.m. ($20)
Night Swim at Palm Springs Surf Club at 6 p.m. ($27)
Country Western Dancing at Dance Ranch PS at 7 p.m. ($5)
PS 70mm Film Fest: "Boogie Nights" at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 7 p.m. ($20)
Sunday
Bravo 2026 Dance Recital at Richards Center for the Arts at 11 a.m. ($24)
PS 70mm Film Fest: "Lawrence of Arabia" at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 11 a.m. ($20)
Swingin' Sunday Featuring Estee Graham Brunch at Hotel Zoso at 11 a.m. ($45)
Mahjong Meetup at Market Market at 12 p.m.
PS 70mm Film Fest: "West Side Story" at Palm Springs Cultural Center at 6 p.m. ($20)
Heroes on the Diamond Charity Exhibition Baseball Game at Palm Springs Stadium at 7 p.m. ($10)
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
🚠 And Finally …
Golf writer Larry Bohannan takes time to pause for a picture during his retirement party earlier this month.
We’re bidding a fond farewell today and looking back at the remarkable career of a man who has truly earned the addition of the word “Legend” to his name during 40 years of service to not only the Coachella Valley but to the entire world of golf.
Driving the news: Larry Bohannan — AKA Larry Legend — who for four decades was a fixture in the pages of The Desert Sun, has signed his last scorecard and retired from a career that took him from Cal State Fullerton to the media room of every major golf tournament that passed through the valley.
Along the way, he rose to legendary status among the many colleagues who worked with him (including our founder and publisher), the athletes he covered, and the community that eagerly anticipated his columns and reporting each morning.
Looking back: Bohannan, an Indio resident, began his career at the Fullerton News-Tribune before a move to the Hi-Desert Star in Yucca Valley. He settled into his desk in Palm Springs in 1986 to cover COD football.
When asked to write about golf, he dived right in, covering the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the Champions Tour, college players, and much more in the decades that followed. He authored not only daily news stories and columns but also two books — “Palm Springs Golf” and “50 Years of Hope.”
The honors: Bohannan was named the 2011 California Golf Writers and Broadcasters Media Person of the Year, received Indio’s Citizen of the Year award in 2025, and had the media room at the American Express Golf Tournament named after him earlier this year.
In February, he was inducted into the Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame. And during a retirement celebration at the newspaper’s new office in Palm Desert on May 17, a proclamation from the city of Palm Springs was read, declaring it Larry Bohannan Day.
Up next: After a visit with family in San Antonio, Bohannan said he’d like to rest. Then he’ll turn his attention again to golf, but without the pressure of a deadline.
“I’ve covered golf for forty years,” he told attendees at his retirement celebration. “Now I’d like to play some.”
In Case You Missed It
Recently published stories
🍿 Kendall is gonna spend basically the whole weekend at the Palm Springs Cultural Center for the 70 mm film fest, so say hi if you see her!
🧹 Mark was so inspired by his successful garage cleanout earlier this month that he’ll be spending the weekend doing the same in his backyard.
WORK WITH US
Our network of publications has nearly 50,000 email subscribers and we send 125,000 newsletters each week! That gives advertisers unmatched reach to engaged local readers across the Coachella Valley. Click the button below to learn more or receive our rate card.
EXPLORE & SUBSCRIBE
We deliver free news to communities throughout the Coachella Valley and a roundup on Saturdays. Click below to subscribe to our other newsletters!
Proudly produced in District 1. Typos are intentional.