News
Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Kicks Off White Party With Proclamation
Festivities for White Party started as early as this afternoon, with Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Jeffrey Bernstein presenting a proclamation to kick off the weekend.
The proclamation took place right in front of Jeffrey Sanker’s Palm Springs Walk of Star, honoring the original founder of the White Party.
“Today we gave an official proclamation from the City of Palm Springs recognizing this weekend as White Party weekend.” Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Bernstein says.
The Mayor Pro Tem says this weekend’s White Party is much more than a giant festival.
“While there’s been a lot of difficult things happening in parts of the country in parts of the world, Palm Springs is always a safe haven for LGBTQ plus people, and people just all types in our city.”
To represent the festival, the White Party’s Global Executive Producer adds on-to what today’s event was really about.
“Today is a proclamation kind of a memory of Jeffrey Sanker, the founder of White Party which was started back in 1989, and it’s sort of a thank you to him for starting this amazing event really made a home for LGBTQ community for so many years.” says Chris Diamond, the Global Executive Producer for White Party Palm Springs.
The festival is coming back for the second time post pandemic, continuing to help tourism for the City of Palm Springs.
“This event was a significant revenue driver for our city, and over the years, it’s raised 10’s of millions of dollars from visitors and tourists who go into hotels, the White Party, go into our restaurants and stores and sometimes actually end up moving here afterwards.” the Mayor Pro Tem says.
With the passing of the original founder of the White Party Palm Springs in 2021, many are glad to see his tradition lives on.
“This is something really special. I’m glad it carried on after the passing of Jeffrey Sanker and I’m glad that the new team is keeping it going vibrant and alive and adding more and more new things to write, and it’s really a testament to what a legend this is for Palm Springs.”
Tickets for the festival are still selling on the official White Party Palm Springs website, with the first event starting tomorrow afternoon at 12 p.m.
By: Tiani Jadulang
May 11, 2023
Latest Instagram Posts
Alice B. has announced it’s closing its doors. It’s cozy atmosphere and unique seasonal menu made it a must try and even landed it in the Michelin guide. @susanfeniger and @marysuemilliken left their mark on the desert over at Living Out and it will be missed. Here’s a clip from one of our last interviews with Susan.
Cathedral City City Council votes to rename “LGBT+ Days” to “Cathedral City Pride”. The council approved the change in a 5-0 vote during its latest meeting, updating the official name of the city’s annual celebration. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs to see what this means to the Coachella Valley Community #CathedralCity #pride #CityCouncil #CoachellaValley #LocalNews
Discover the Coachella Valley with the Everything Palm Springs app. From iconic attractions and hidden gems to local restaurants, shops, entertainment and even filming locations, the map-based app is designed to help both visitors and locals find more of what the desert has to offer. Creator Lindsay Kinkle is also expanding the app with video tours and narrated guides, giving users another way to explore Palm Springs and the surrounding communities. Local businesses like Buena Matcha are also getting a chance to connect with new customers through the platform. As Lindsay says, there’s so much to do and enjoy here — you just have to know where to look. #PalmSprings #CoachellaValley #EverythingPalmSprings #PalmSpringsApp #VisitPalmSprings DesertLife LocalBusiness CoachellaValleyBusiness NBCPalmSprings
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
What’s next for Palm Desert? Join community leaders, local businesses and regional stakeholders for the 2026 State of the City Address. Topics: • Economic Development • Infrastructure • Public Safety • Community Programs • Palm Desert’s Future CTA: Friday, September 18 | 11:30 AM JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort
Former Silvercrest CEO, William Rodriguez is expected back in court today in connection with the deadly 2024 Cathedral City hit and run that killed a woman. The murder charge was dismissed, but Rodriguez still faces felony hit and run and suspended license charges.
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
Murder suspect Vicky Kim has once again not been cleared to appear in court. Kim is accused of killing her husband at their Palm Desert condominium complex. Her arraignment has now been delayed three times. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs as we track the latest developments in this case. #VickyKim #PalmDesert #CoachellaValley #BreakingNews #CourtUpdate NBCPalmSprings
Palm Springs is mourning the loss of beloved entertainer James “Gypsy” Haake, who has died at 94. Haake began his entertainment career at just 19 years old as a Broadway chorus dancer. After retiring from the stage, he returned to performing at 82, becoming the host of Carnival Cabaret at Oscars in downtown Palm Springs. A longtime friend of our station, Haake was a familiar and beloved figure in the Palm Springs entertainment community — and his contributions were recognized with a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. His career spanned more than seven decades, proving that the spotlight never truly left him. ❤️ Rest in peace, James “Gypsy” Haake. Your legacy will live on in Palm Springs. #JamesGypsyHaake #PalmSprings #PalmSpringsWalkOfStars #CarnivalCabaret #PalmSpringsEntertainment #OscarsPalmSprings #PalmSpringsHistory
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry