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 what happened to Fales and his gay brothers and sisters in the Mormon Church at the turn of the millennium. mormonboyexperience.com
• Read Our Q&A Interview with Steven Fales.
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 / sept. 17 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. electricitytheplay.com
• Read Our Review of This Play.
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: THE LEGACY WALL / THROUGH NOV. 23
The nationally acclaimed Legacy Wall LGBTQ history installation will make its debut in Pam Springs through Nov. 23. The Legacy Wall is a digitally interactive traveling installation that celebrates the contributions of LGBTQ people to world history and culture. You can see it through Nov. 6 at The Bank Event Space, and then from Nov. 12-23 at the Palm Springs Public Library. legacyprojectchicago.org
PHOTOGRAPH BY JIM POWERS
GO: Margaritaville USA Pickleball Association National Championships / Nov. 2–10
Fast-paced racquet sport pickleball has been around longer than you might think: The game was invented in 1965 at the home of former Washington representative Joel Pritchard. It’s since gained enormous popularity, as evidenced by this eight-day championship event at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens that draws around 2,500 players. usapickleballchampionships.com
• Watch Our Video on The Popularity of Pickleball in the Desert.
GO: BARNEY SCOUT MANN / NOV. 6
Author, hiker, and outdoor advocate Barney Scout Mann will discuss his experiences hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, as well as his other grand treks. The Wild Coachella Lecture Series, in partnership with Friends of the Desert Mountains, investigates the history and habitat of the Coachella Valley and beyond. Each free lecture is open to the public. events.r20.constantcontact.com
GO: DINNER WITH FRIENDS AT CV REP / NOV. 6-24
The complexities of marriage and friendship are examined with wit and intelligence in Dinner with Friends, Donald Margulies’ Pulitzer Prize-winning 1998 play about two married couples who have been friends for many years. cvrep.org
GO: Robert Reich / Nov. 8
Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor and current professor of public policy at UC Berkeley talks economics at The Richards Center for the Arts as part of the popular Palm Springs Speaks series. Robert Reich served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time Magazine named him one of the 10 most effective cabinet secretaries of the 20th century. Robert Reich has written 15 books, including the best sellers Aftershock, The Work of Nations, Beyond Outrage, and Saving Capitalism. palmspringsspeaks.org
Robert Reich
GROOVE: Pinback / Nov. 8
Indie rock outfit Pinback borrowed their name from practical joke–playing space bombardier Sergeant Pinback, a character in the 1974 cult film Dark Star. Blast off with the band at Pappy & Harriet’s. pappyandharriets.com
GROOVE: Los Tigres Del Norte / Nov. 8
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino presents a performance by this legendary norteño band, who gained international fame in 1974 for their cover of “Contrabando y traición,” an evocative corrido (or ballad) about two star-crossed drug smugglers. fantasyspringsresort.com
GO: ECO HOMES TOUR - HIGH DESERT/ NOV. 9
The Eco Homes Tour 2019 featuring five High Desert properties – three in Joshua Tree and two in Pioneertown – should inspire anyone interested in environmentally sustainable architecture. eventbrite.com
• Read Our Tour Preview and Gain a Sneak Peek of the Homes.
TASTE: Date Harvest Festival / Nov. 9
From date shakes to bacon-wrapped medjools, Coachella Valley’s most important stone fruit takes center stage at this inaugural bash in Coachella organized by the California Date Commission. Los Lonely Boys and Jamie O’Neal are among the performers, and non-date dishes like artisan elote and pizza are on the menu, too dateharvestfest.com
GROOVE: Nelly / Nov. 9
This St. Louis–born rapper boasts a fascinating laundry list of side ventures: He owns the clothing line Apple Bottoms, played the 2007 World Series of Poker, and once released a fitness DVD called Celebrity Sweat. Skip the workout vid and instead break a sweat dancing to his Grammy-winning music at Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage. aguacalientecasinos.com
GROOVE: Synergy Music and Arts Festival / Nov. 9
Founded by local nonprofit Culturas Music and Arts and now in its eighth year, this free event at Dateland Park in Coachella highlights hometown talents with live music and artwork, plus food trucks, a car show, and activities for kids. culturasmusicartscoachella.com
GO: Relay for Life Coachella Valley / Nov. 9
Join the fight against cancer at this all-day relay at Freedom Park in Palm Desert. Following an opening ceremony and a celebratory walk by survivors and caregivers, teams traipse around the track to raise funds for research. There’s also game and activity tents and an after-dark luminaria lighting. cancer.org
TASTE: Golden Grapes / Nov. 9
The Palm Springs Wine Festival sprouts in December, but you can get your sip on early with this poolside tasting at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. Taste varietals from Scribe Winery, an innovative Sonoma vineyard that employs “non-interventionist” methods to create wines that more accurately reflect their environment. acehotel.com/palmsprings
PHOTOGRAPH BY KATE NAYLOR
GROOVE: Cherie Currie and Brie Darling / Nov. 9
These pioneering 1970s icons — Currie sang in the Runaways alongside Joan Jett; Darling’s rock group Fanny was the first all-female band signed to a major record label — team up on a tour for their slick 2019 collab album The Motivators, with a stop at Pappy & Harriet’s. pappyandharriets.com
GO: Palm Desert Choreography Festival / Nov. 9–10
This celebration of artistic movement, now in its 22nd year, is nothing if not, well, moving. Companies from all over the country perform pieces dreamed up by emerging and established choreographers, who compete for cash prizes — and the exposure that comes with scoring a win at the fest. mccallumtheatre.com
GO: Rancho Mirage Art Affaire / Nov. 9–10
Artists who display and sell at this annual event are selected by a jury panel, who limit each medium to ensure a well-balanced selection. Affaire attendees also have the opportunity to experience music, food, and wine at the Rancho Mirage Community Park. ranchomirageca.gov
• Read About Two of the Featured Artists.
GO: PPR West Coast Pickleball Conference / Nov. 11
Increase your expertise of this ever-growing sport with a day of pickleball-focused panels, presentations, and speakers at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens. The conference is hosted by the Professional Pickleball Registery, an organization that offers resources, education workshops, equipment discounts, and more to pickleballers of all stripes. pprpickleball.org
GO: Bringing Light to Life / Nov. 11
This one-woman play, based on letters, journal entries, and first-person testimonies, depicts American painter Agnes Pelton’s last day in her beloved Cathedral City home — and is all the more remarkable for its location, the actual Agnes Pelton house and studio. agnespeltonsociety.com