Palm Springs Life Weekend Planner

Smokey Robinson, Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland light up the desert

Friday

8 p.m. - Legendary singer Smokey Robinson lights up the stage in the first of a two-night stay at Pechanga Resort and Casino, 45000 Pechanga Way in Temecula.   Showtime both Friday and Saturday night is 8 p.m.   Call for tickets.

8:30 p.m. - Watch the movie that inspired the sculpture that now stands quite large at the intersection of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs.  Seven Year Itch will be shown on a big screen after sunset in the park that surrounds the piece of art.  This is part of a kick-off to a weekend full of events in Palm Springs honoring the 50th anniversary of the passing of Marilyn Monroe.  The event is free.

Fun happens in and out of the water at the Friday Night Pool Parties at Agua Caliente Resort and Casino (photo courtesy Agua Caliente)

8 p.m. - Agua Caliente Friday Night Pool Party will feature hot, new music while party-goers cool off in the water.  Inside, Groove City begins their set at 9 p.m. in The Lounge, where they will sing R&B, Old School and Pop songs.

Saturday

9:30 a.m. - The Desert Film Society features a special screening of the motion picture "A Quiet Life" at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs.  The movie tells the story of Chef Rosario, who is living his life as a restaurant owner with his new wife and a little son in Germany, but it is suddenly haunted by his mafia past when his grown-up Italian son is looking for shelter after a killing.  Tickets are $15 at the door.

7 p.m. - The Yucca Valley Summer Music Festival rolls on with the band Southbound, a Buddy Holly tribute.  The event takes place at the Yucca Valley Community Center ballfield from 7 p.m to 9 p.m.  This is a free event to the public, as a long list of sponsors picked up the tab.

8 p.m. - Toucan's Tiki Bar in Palm Springs hosts its Jungle Boogie all night long on Saturday, continuing through the early morning hours.

8 p.m. - It's been “funny and sharp,” as well as “extravagantly clever” and “inspired lunacy”.  "Dirty Little Showtunes" performs at the Commissary in Rancho MIrage.  This six-man, sweet, smart, sassy, sexy and satirical review has been successfully produced in San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Chicago and other cities.  Desert Rose Productions is mounting the Southern California premiere.  

Sunday

3:30 p.m. - Melvyn's Restaurant at the Ingelside Inn in Palm Springs hosts its weekly Summer Jam Session.  Music will play as you sway to the tunes with a drink, or you may also choose to take advantage of their Prix Fixe menu offering 3 courses for $36 per person.

9 p.m. - Encore Magazine asked the question, "What do you get when you mix an internationally acclaimed impersonator, outrageous comedy, great standards and a bevy of icons? The hysterical parody of Judy Garland and her guests found in Michael Holmes' riotous, 'The Judy Show!'   Holmes brings all of his characters to life at Azul Tapas Lounge, 369 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs.   Tickets are $35.  Full menu options and cocktails are also available.

All Weekend

If you just can't get enough of the Olympic Summer Games, take a short trip to the Rancho Mirage Public Library, where you can see their current exhibition, "The Olympics Through The Ages."   This is a free exhibit.  No reservation is necessary.

At the Palm Springs Art Museum, witness the split in European artwork that happened during the 20th century for yourself.   Curators have amassed two collections of artwork that symbolize the two separate paths artists took in the early 1900s.  One will showcase the academic study of the figure, landscape and still life.   The other will show abstract shapes, which was the beginning of the Modernism movement.  Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

For more details on these events and to look at more activities happening this weekend in the Palm Springs area, click here.