GO: MARX BROTHERS COLLECTION / THROUGH 2019
Bill Marx, the son of Harpo Marx, loans a stunning array of memorabilia from his famous family to the Rancho Mirage Public Library with the hope of revealing a powerful legacy.
ranchomiragepubliclibrary.org or harposplace.com
• Read our interview with Bill Marx, who talks about creating music with his father.
GO: STEVEN FALES, CONFESSIONS OF A MORMAN BOY / THROUGH JAN. 2020
Steven Fales is launching a five-month residency at Hotel Zoso with its “Storytelling Tuesdays” series. Previews begin Sept. 10, leading up to a lavish opening night event Oct. 22. The one-man show tells the story of wha happened to Fales and his gay brothers and sisters in the Mormon Church at the turn of the millennium. mormonboyexperience.com
• Steven Fales speaks about the personal journey of this play.
GO: REACH FOR THE SKY:TRADITION + INSPIRATION / SEPT. 11 - JUNE 2020
Music legend Herb Alpert has created totem pole art after being inspired by the work of the Hunt family, and Sunnylands has brought both collections together to display in Rancho Mirage. or the first time in the United States, the new Sunnylands exhibition brings together three generations of Kwakiutl art representing the Northwest Coast’s most significant carving family: Henry Hunt, his son Stanley, and grandson Jason. sunnylands.org
GO: ELECTRICITY PLAY / Through NOV. 26
Two once closeted men share a hotel room after their 10th high school reunion in 1983. There’s an “electricity” that draws them back to that same room after each reunion for 4 decades. Their journey is our story. It’s funny, romantic and powerful. http://electricitytheplay.com
GO: PALM SPRINGS WOMEN’S WEEK / SEPT. 29 - OCT. 6
Women’s Week hits Palm Springs and the valley with a passionate mix of entertainment, food, inspiration, and nods to female empowerment. The week culminates with the Palm Springs Women’s’ Jazz Festival. palmspringswomensweek.com
• Read our preview of the event
• Read our Q&A with Judith Hill, who headlines the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Fest.
Angie Harvey will speak Oct. 1.
Chef LaTasha McCutchen heads a food and wine tasting event Oct. 1.
GO: PALM SPRINGS BORN AND RAISED / OCT. 2
Alex K. Shayne returns to her family roots in the entertainment business by taking audiences on her personal journey with "Palm Springs Born and Raised". eventbrite.com
• The star of the show reveals why she came back to Palm Springs.
GO: EMMY-WINNING CAMERAMAN FROM HUELL HOWSER SHOW / OCT. 2
Luis Fuerte, five-time Emmy-winning cameraman for the public television show California’s Gold hosted by the late Huell Howser will be appearing at the Palm Springs Public Library. This free lecture is presented in partnership with the Desert Institute of Joshua Tree National Park. palmspringsca.gov
Luis Fuerte
GROOVE: Mercury Rev & Beth Orton / Oct. 2
Indie rock band Mercury Rev is generating buzz for their take on Southern songstress Bobbie Gentry’s 1968 album The Delta Sweete. Beth Orton provides vocals for the live rendition at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown. pappyandharriets.com
GROOVE: L.A. Sound Machine: Free Concert in the park / Oct. 3
Palm Desert’s popular free Concerts in the Park series kicks off its season with a tribute to the music of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine by L.A. Sound Machine, which is the West Coast’s number one Gloria Estefan tribute band. https://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/
GO: Ominira: The Art That We Love / Oct. 3–6
This four-day festival is named after the Yoruba word for freedom and celebrates capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that resembles a complex and beautiful dance. International guest capoeirista teach myriad daily workshops at Off the Grid Movement Studio in Bermuda Dunes. offthegridmovement.org
GO: Palm Springs Body Mind Spirit Weekend / Oct. 4-6
The 12th annual Palm Springs Body Mind Spirit Weekend includes reflexology, aura reading, crystals, numerology, hypnosis, Mayan astrology, sound healing, aromatherapy, oracles, crystal healing, Chakra balancing, past lives, palmistry, along with spiritual counselors, readers, workshops, classes, artists and musicians. palmspringsbodymindspirit.com
GROOVE: Patti LaBelle / OCT. 4
Patti LaBelle, considered the Godmother of Soul, opens up about career longevity, performing, and triumphs of the heart prior to her Morongo Casino show. morongocasino.com
• Read our Q&A with Patti LaBelle and find out her favorite song (Hint, it’s not one of hers).
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PATTI LABELLE
GO: Die, Mommie, Die at Desert Rose Playhouse / OCT. 4
Ex-cabaret siren Angela Arden is no longer in love with her husband, and is disconnected from her children. In an attempt to escape her marriage so that she can be with a hunky layabout, she poisons her husband. desertroseplayhouse.org
GO: 12 ANGRY MEN AT DESERT THEATRE WORKS / OCT. 4-13
Desert Theatreworks opens its season with a classic, 12 Angry Men. The stakes are high in this classic courtroom drama set in a New York Jury room in the late 1950’s on a very hot summer day, where a jury of twelve men are deciding the fate of a teenager. dtworks.org
TASTE: Cathedral City Fire Dept. Free Pancake Breakfast / Oct. 5
In celebration of National Fire Prevention Week, the public can join your Cathedral City Firefighters for a free pancake breakfast. cathedralcityfire.org
GROOVE: Get the Led Out / Oct. 5
If you’ve got a “Whole Lotta Love” for Led Zeppelin, treat yourself to the next best thing to seeing the Mighty Zep live: a tricked-out tribute concert at Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella. It’s practically a “Stairway to Heaven.” spotlight29.com
GO: Star Party / Oct. 5
While commercial spaceflights aren’t easily available just yet, families can still enjoy a “sky tour” courtesy of telescopes and giant binoculars at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. desertmountains.org
GROOVE & LAUGH: Steve Martin & Martin Short / Oct. 5
Two Martins means twice the laughs. The Emmy winners and Saturday Night Live alums make a stop at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, with multi-instrumentalist Paul Shaffer, bluegrass band Della Mae, and banjo virtuoso Alison Brown tagging along. fantasyspringsresort.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO
GO: Big Bear Yoga Festival / Oct. 5
Join fellow yogis at the Performing Arts Center in Big Bear Lake (a scenic 90-mile drive from Palm Springs) for all-day asanas — including a host of free classes — plus artisan vendors, emerald energy healing, and a keynote speech from former NFL linebacker Keith Mitchell. bigbearyogafestival.com
Go: Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours / Oct. 5–6, 12–13, and 19–20
Now in its 18th year, the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council’s popular program allows art connoisseurs and collectors to explore more than 100 private studios throughout the Morongo Basin. At each stop on your self-guided tour, you’ll have the chance to chat with artists and purchase their works. hwy62arttours.org
GROOVE: Son Volt & Andrew Duplantis / Oct. 6
Son Volt’s alt-country debut Trace topped several “best-of” lists in 1995. Now, a quarter of a century later, songs from their ninth studio album shine live at Pappy and Harriet’s. (Beforehand, their bass player Andrew Duplantis warms up the crowd with a solo show.) pappyandharriets.com
GO: Nature’s Masquerade / Oct. 6
Have your A Cinderella Story moment — and support Animal Samaritans and community members in need while you’re at it. The Living Desert hosts this glamorous dinner complete with cocktail hour, silent art auction, and live entertainment and animal encounters. pssisters.org
GO; How to Survive in the Desert / Oct. 6
No one wants to become the subject of a survival movie, but if we do, we all hope our fate’s more Cast Away than Into the Wild. Learn how to tackle desert dangers in this workshop at Lost Horse Campground in Joshua Tree National Park. joshuatree.org
PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTY IMAGES
GO: The CV Indie Film Awards / Oct. 7
This red-carpet bash fêtes the movers, shakers, and creators of the Coachella Valley’s small but growing film industry. Scoop up tickets to the hometown Oscars-inspired event to enjoy a buffet dinner and live entertainment, and see which indie artists scored awards from online voters and a panel of film professionals. cvindiefilmawards.com
GO: Flying Legends of Victory Tour / Oct. 7–13
cheekily decorated B-17 (a 1950s-style pin-up girl peeks at you from the plane’s flank) appears at the Palm Springs Air Museum, giving citizens the opportunity to tour and even ride in this piece of history. palmspringsairmuseum.org
• READ NEXT: 44 Things to Do in October.