Lesbians of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Outings and Events
Community. Courage. Connection
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FROM KIM
Life slides back into its well-oiled rhythm this week, the gears turning quietly but beautifully. Movie meetups, Mahjong tiles clicking into place, long walks and hikes, and the promised cookies and coffee at Easter… the simple rituals that stitch days together into something warm and whole.
It’s been a week of thinking about community, and noticing, again and again, how full my cup feels. Truly overflowing. There’s a particular kind of joy that comes from being among others, from sharing space and laughter and small moments that don’t seem small at all. Old friends, new friends, and those in-between connections that are just beginning to take root. I find myself quietly content, almost purring, in all these encounters.
I’m especially grateful for the messages, the check-ins, the offers of help when we weren’t feeling well. Those gestures matter more than we sometimes admit. They remind us we belong somewhere, that we are seen, that we are held in a kind of everyday safety that allows us to breathe a little easier.
Life at Sahara Park continues to delight. Conversations spark easily with neighbors and strangers who feel less like strangers each day. Even our dog has transformed, from skittish and unsure to a full-fledged treat whore, shamelessly charming treats and affection from anyone willing to stop. Watching her trust the world feels like its own quiet miracle.
We often underestimate how much we need community. And maybe even more, how much we ourselves are needed within it. Not everyone stands at a podium, makes films, or leads movements, though those roles matter deeply. But so does showing up. So does laughter, shared games, long conversations, and the simple act of listening. We need people to tell our stories to, and people who trust us with theirs. We need companions for pickleball or golf, and shoulders for the heavier days. Joy shared multiplies; sorrow shared softens.
It’s in the everyday exchanges, the smiles, the brief conversations, the small acknowledgments of one another, that something shifts. The body lightens. The burdens ease.
Wishing you a week filled with that kind of community.
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"Healing doesn’t move in straight lines. It moves like a spiral, alive, breathing, unfolding. You don’t simply “get over” something and leave it behind forever. You return, but each time you return as someone different. With more awareness. More tools. More capacity to hold what once overwhelmed you.
What can feel like going backward is often you going deeper. There will be ups and downs, moments of clarity followed by plateaus, days where everything clicks, and days where it feels like it’s slipping through your fingers again. This is not failure. This is the rhythm of transformation.
Healing is not a task you complete. It is a practice you live. Yes, it’s been said before: it’s not a destination, it’s a journey. But in truth, it’s more intimate than that. It’s a relationship with yourself. And like any real relationship, it asks for patience.
You have to normalize the messy days, the life interruptions, the moments where old wounds resurface at inconvenient times. These are not dead ends; they are doorways. Invitations to meet yourself again, this time with more presence, more honesty, more compassion.
So, reframe the discomfort. Not as proof that something is wrong, but as evidence that something is ready to be seen, processed, and integrated. Be gentle with yourself in those moments. Shift from judgment to compassion. From “why am I like this?” to “what do I need right now?”
You are not here to fix yourself like a broken object. You are here to understand, to soften, to evolve. And don’t overlook the quiet victories: resting when you could have pushed, feeling instead of numbing, surviving a difficult day without abandoning yourself. These are not small things; they are the work. They are the path."
ANATOMY OF THE AVATAR™
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THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS
✍️ Buy your tickets for the Sunset Jazz Soiree Tickets
Sunset Jazz Soirée – International Jazz Day Concert Fundraiser – April 19 from 2–4:30 PM at Vicky’s of Santa Fe, Indian Wells. Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of live jazz, featuring Richard “88 Keys” Turner’s Crew with special appearances by the Divas of the Desert. Expect surprise moments, soulful energy, and a birthday celebration for Sweet Baby J’ai—all in support of the SMARTS Initiative.
Hors d’oeuvres, welcome champagne, and a signature cocktail included.
Tickets starting at $75
✨ LEA
Zoom Meeting: Monday April 13 - 12:30 PM
Topic: Know Your Patients’ Rights Presentation by Virginia (Ginger) Nelson, RN, BSN, HFEN
Click on this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82977588013?pwd=urfkjO44hhwpBbKU1OIZDnPfJlbg0R.1
Room 829-7758-8013
PW 12345
Around the Kitchen Table: Thursday, April 16th – 2:30 pm –Palm Springs
LEA will host a small gathering in a member’s home. Please RSVP for address. Space is limited so please let us hear from you asap.
Singles Mingles: Friday - April 17th – 4 pm
SINGLE MINGLES presents another gathering at the Social Cafe and Play Lounge in Palm Springs….more good times!!
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🎭Movie Meetup: You, Me & Tuscany
11:15 AM Mary Pickford Theatre, Cathedral City
Light romantic comedy
The plot follows a young female cook who squats in a Tuscan villa and pretends to be engaged to the owner, only to fall for his cousin.
Female director: Kat Coiro (American film and television director).
Who doesn't love a movie filmed in Tuscany!
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WOMEN WHO LIFTED THE BAR
Phoolan Devi, forever branded “the Bandit Queen,” emerged from a childhood that seemed engineered by cruelty itself, born into poverty, caste oppression, and a world where violence was not an interruption but a daily language spoken fluently by those in power. Married off as a girl at 11 years old, abused, discarded, and later brutalized again by bandits and police alike, her early life reads less like a biography and more like a ledger of injustices carved into bone. But somewhere in that crucible, something hardened and sharpened. When she returned to the ravines with a gun in her hands, it was not just survival anymore, it was reckoning. Her revenge, most notoriously the Behmai massacre in 1983, was as raw and uncompromising as the life that forged it, blurring the line between victim and avenger. To some, she was a criminal; to others, a dark mirror held up to a society that had long looked away from its own violence.
But years later, after surrendering and spending over a decade in prison without trial, she walked out—and into politics. Elected. Powerful. Untouchable in a completely different way. From child bride… to victim… to outlaw… to member of parliament, her life refused every attempt to be reduced to a single story, instead unfolding like something jagged and defiant, carved against a world that tried to define her and break her
India's Bandit Queen: The Tragic Life And Assassination Of Phoolan Devi
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR SNAPSHOT
🎶 Please check venues for updates or possible changes.
Entertainment
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Gennine Francis – Saturdays at 6 PM at The Roost. Reservations online at ticketbud.com.
- Patrice Morris – Saturdays at 6 PM at Indian Wells Resort Hotel. Reservations suggested; cover charge applies.
- Leanna Rogers & Miguel – Mondays from 5–8 PM at The V Wine Lounge. $7.50 cover.
- Leanna and The Free Agents – Thursdays & Fridays from 6–8 PM at Hyatt Palm Springs.
- The V Wine Lounge – Music and Martinis Saturdays from 5–8 PM.
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Marisa Corvo – Wednesdays, April 15; May 13, 27; June 10, 24; July 8, 22; August 5, 19; September 16, 30 at 6:30 PM at The Roost. Tickets at ticketbud.com.
🪩 Social
Wine Down Fridays – 1st & 3rd Fridays
Mahjong (American) Thursdays 1pm to 3:30pm
Weekly Chat Group - Zoom - Thursdays 5PM
🌿 Outdoors
Bird Walks – 2nd & 4th Thursdays | Prescott Preserve
Easy/Moderate/Difficult Hikes – Tuesdays & Saturdays
Easy Walk - Fridays
💬 Community & Support
PALS Seminars & Death Café
Evening Chat Group – Thursdays 5 PM
BAM Book & Movie Club – Monthly
Scroll down to COMMUNITY CALENDAR DETAILS for more information on these events
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DREAMERS 2nd Show Added
Songs of Hope
Coachella A Cappella Women’s Chorus
presents DREAMERS Songs of Hope
April 15, 2026 7:00pm
Cascade Lounge at the Agua Caliente Casino
Palm Springs
April 18, 2026 3:00pm
Hope Lutheran Church, Palm Desert
For more information & tickets www.CoachellaAcappella.org (424) 287-SING
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LEA
Zoom Meeting: Monday April 13 - 12:30 PM
Topic: Know Your Patients’ Rights Presentation by Virginia (Ginger) Nelson, RN, BSN, HFEN
We as Patients have the right to be informed and participate in our care, have our personal
information kept private, and informed of our rights in a language we understand at the
time of admission and throughout our stay.
Ginger will address patient rights so we can advocate for ourselves and others. There will be time for questions
and discussion.
Click on this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82977588013?pwd=urfkjO44hhwpBbKU1OIZDnPfJlbg0R.1
Room 829-7758-8013
PW 12345
Around the Kitchen Table: Thursday, April 16th – 2:30 pm –Palm Springs
LEA will host a small gathering in a member’s home. Please RSVP for address. Space is limited so please let us hear from you asap.
Singles Mingles: Friday - April 17th – 4 pm
SINGLE MINGLES presents another gathering at the Social Cafe and Play Lounge in Palm Springs….more good times!!
Remembering our Sisters is a new addition to our LEA newsletter and thank you all in advance for your help and participation.
This is our community space to honor and share their story. If you want to submit a notice, please send it to leaofcoachellavalley@gmail.com or contact Kate, 760.574.3595. If there is a link to a formal obituary, please include the link.
Remembering:
Barbara Joan Barrett, Esq. Left us on March 15, 2026, after a brief illness. She was best known in the community as the moving force and co-founder of Desert Women for Equality which provided Free Mammograms that saved so many lives. She is survived by her devoted wife, Sharon Doty and numerous family members and friends.
To read a full obituary: https://www.desertsun.com/obituaries/pyrk1442548.
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Sunset Jazz Soirée
International Jazz Day Concert Fundraiser
April 19 | 2:00–4:30 PM
Vicky’s of Santa Fe, Indian Wells
Join us at Vicky’s of Santa Fe for an unforgettable afternoon of live jazz, featuring Richard “88 Keys” Turner’s Crew with special appearances by the Divas of the Desert. Expect surprise moments, soulful energy, and a birthday celebration for Sweet Baby J’ai—all in support of the SMARTS Initiative.
Hors d’oeuvres, welcome champagne, and a signature cocktail included.
Tickets starting at $75
Streaming April 30 as part of Herbie Hancock’s International Jazz Day, this concert also shines a light on our SMARTS Initiative, with students taking the stage to perform and receive instruments—one performance, one child, one dream, one note at a time.
This show comes with my personal guarantee of an afternoon of delight!
Get Your Tickets Now!
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Lesbian Visibility Week April 20-26th
Celebrating Lesbian Visibility Week – April 20–26
TRAILBLAZING LESBIANS OF COACHELLA VALLEY
Barbara Carpenter
Gail Christian & Lucy DeBardelaben
Ruth Debra
Joani Hannan
Marjorie Main
Melinda Tremaglio
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
- April 20: Flag Raising at The Center Palm Springs
- Apr 21: Trailblazing Lesbians of Coachella Valley Exhibit
- Apr 21: Coffee & Convo by Ruth Debra at 4 Paws Coffee Co.
- April 21: Lesbian Health Update & Data by Dr. Karyl Ketchum
- April 22: Film Screenings at the Palm Springs Cultural Center
- April 23: Wine Tasting Social at the Palm Springs Bottle Shop
- April 25 & 26: Lez Go Meetup at the Big Gay BBQ
More details at:
thecentercv.org/LVW2026
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Oswit Land Trust presents the second season of the Saving Nature Film Festival, dedicated to supporting Oswit Land Trust’s mission to protect and preserve wildlife and natural habitats. This festival offers thought-provoking films to spotlight the beauty and fragility of our natural world. Join environmental enthusiasts, community members, and film lovers for a memorable experience of entertainment, education, and impactful activism.
Please join us at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on April 22nd for a full day of films and community. All program passes are just $25 and you are supporting a great cause.
As this event is fully sponsored, 100% of your donation benefits Oswit Land Trust.
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CATurday Breakfast + BINGO Returns to Palm Springs to Help Local
Cats and Kittens in Need
PALM SPRINGS, CA - Animal Samaritans invites cat lovers across the Coachella Valley to its 5th Annual CATurday Breakfast + BINGO, happening Saturday, April 25, 2026, inside the Sky Ballroom at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs.
Tickets are $40 and include a full breakfast, complimentary mimosas, and one BINGO card per game. Guests will also have the chance to win fabulous prizes including a staycation at Rowan Palm Springs, tickets to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, cookies from Crush Crush Cookies, a pet communication session with Animal Communicator Francis W. Greenspan, and more.
Get tickets today at animalsamaritans.org/caturday
Event Details:
Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs, 100 W. Tahquitz Canyon Way
Saturday, April 25, 2026
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Check-in begins at 8:30 AM)
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INDOOR PICKLEBALL DRILL CLINIC
DESERT RECREATION DISTRICT
📍 Palm Desert Community Center Gymnasium
43-900 San Pablo Ave, Palm Desert
TUESDAYS: ADVANCED DRILL AND PLAY
7:00 – 8:30 A.M.
WEDNESDAYS: BEGINNERS / ADVANCED BEGINNERS
7:00 – 8:30 A.M.
FRIDAYS: INTERMEDIATES
7:00 – 8:30 A.M.
MONTHLY FEE: $95
Please register by scanning the QR code or by visiting:
myrecreationdistrict.com/sports
Or call: (760) 568-9697 for more information
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SUMMER SERIES
ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENT
(Desert Recreation District)
DATES:
May 24th, June 28th, July 26th,
Aug 30th, Sep 27th
SCHEDULE:
7:30 A.M. Singles and Skinny Singles
8:30 A.M. Rotating Partners – All Levels and Genders
10:00 A.M. Women’s Doubles – All Levels
11:30 A.M. Men’s Doubles – All Levels
1:00 P.M. Mixed Doubles – All Levels
Times subject to change
REGISTRATION:
Fee: $20
Additional $10 per event
REGISTER:
Scan the QR code or visit:
MyRecreationDistrict.com/Sports
📞 (760) 568-9697
✉️ Mary Barsaleau: Mgbarsaleau@gmail.com
📍 Palm Desert Community Center Gymnasium
43-900 San Pablo Ave, Palm Desert
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IN THE SUBSTACKS
They might find something new on the moon now they’ve sent a woman up to look.
— ⚡︎ (@_sorrengailll) April 5, 2026
Watermelons taste like they don’t believe in themselves
— Soleil (@soleiljolina) April 7, 2026
20+ powerful historic images of queer & feminist resistance | Advocate.com
We Raised Progressive Sons. The Algorithm Raised Them Back
How 'BARBARA FOREVER' Captures The Unconventional World Of Barbara Hammer - GO Magazine
Lesbian Project Episode 119 FREE: Oxford catch up, Queer Eye, Bridgerton.
April 2026: What's New, Gay & Streaming on Netflix, Peacock, AMC+, HBO Max, Hulu and More | Autostraddle
Deadloch season two review – every bit as wonky, devilish and potty-mouthed as the first | Australian television | The Guardian
| | COMMUNITY EVENTS DETAIL & SIGNUPS | |
Every Month Bird Watching Walks at Prescott Preserve
Join OLT Volunteer Kurt Kosek for bird watching walks at Prescott Preserve every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 8am. Birders of all ages and experience levels welcome. Walks are under 1.5 miles on dirt trails. The group meets at the old golf cart crosswalk on Farrell, just north of Mesquite. Plenty of parking on Farrell.
| | Sundays & Wine Down Fridays | |
BAM ( Book and Movie) discussion group
We are a book and movie club that has been meeting online since 2020. All participants have the opportunity to select a book or movie for the group and to lead the discussion the month the group reads or views their selection.
April meeting: The Huntress by Kate Quinn, hosted by Kendra
May meeting: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Michele Richardson, hosted by Dee
June meeting: The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang, hosted by Gail
July: Hamnet, the book by Maggie O'Farrell; and the movie with screenplay by Maggie O'Farrell and Chloe Zhao,nhosted by Flynn
August: "Elaine", movie, hosted by Gail
September: So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family and the Show that Started it All (based on the multi season series "The L Word") by Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey, hosted by Velma
For questions about BAM and to request a link for the meeting, please get in touch with Flynn Sylvest at flynnsylvest@gmail.com. Thank you!
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Lesbians Embracing Aging (LEA)
Lesbians Embracing Aging (LEA)
If you are an older lesbian and would like to connect with others, please consider joining
LEA. You can start by signing up for our monthly newsletter and then, if you’d like to
connect more often, join our private Facebook group which is about connection and
conversation, support and community – a place to lend a helping hand and uplift each
other when needed.
To sign up for the newsletter let us know here: leaofcoachellavalley@gmail.com
To sign up for the Facebook group (please note: all applicants must answer brief
questions and agree to group rules) let us know here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1842826446542272
To attend the monthly LEA Zoom meeting mark your calendar for the second
Monday of each month at 11: 00 AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82977588013?pwd=urfkjO44hhwpBbKU1OIZDnPfJlbg0R.1#
success
To read LEA’s mission Triangle Care Management
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Easy/Moderate/Difficult Hikes
Hikes are Tuesdays and Saturdays, weather permitting..
Sign up below to receive hiking information
New hikers must register and sign a waiver.
Sign up below for email notifications.
With the heat now, hikes are pretty much over for the season
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2026 Walks
Friday 8am
Meeting Spot: Michael S. Wolfson Park, at the Butler/Abrams Trail access. 70001 Frank Sinatra Dr, Rancho Mirage,
Dogs are welcome on leash.
Walk description
- Route: Butler/Abrams Trail – Rancho Mirage
- Length: 2.5 miles
- Type: In and out
- Elevation gain: 45 ft
- Time: About 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
Along the way, we will:
- Visit the resident goats, so feel free to bring apples and carrots for treats.
- Walk past “Terra,” a striking rammed-earth compound created as a tribute to Mother Earth.
'Terra' Is a $4.9M Compound Created as a 'Tribute to Mother Earth'
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Evening Chat Group 5pm to 6:30pm PST Every Thursday (new day of week)
Join us for a lively Zoom chat, catch up with friends, and make new ones! Open to Lesbians in and out of the Coachella Valley — California — all 50 States — and beyond. Please email JayneStrelecki@gmail.com to receive the weekly invite & reminder with Zoom meeting ID and Passcode. Bring a friend! Hosted by Cindy T and Jayne!
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Entertainment - This Week's Recommendation
Rental Family on Hulu unfolds with a quiet, almost disarming tenderness, inviting us into a distinctly Japanese phenomenon where people can “rent” companions to fill the spaces life has hollowed out. What could feel transactional instead becomes something far more delicate, shaped by cultural undercurrents like tatemae and honne—the careful dance between public composure and private truth—and a deep-rooted reluctance to burden others with one’s pain. The film moves like a soft current beneath still water, revealing how loneliness can exist even in the most orderly lives, and how connection, even when constructed, can awaken something undeniably real. Yet its greatest strength is how it bridges the particular and the universal: while steeped in Japanese social nuance, it speaks to a shared human ache for belonging, for being seen without explanation. It is a tender look at the balance between the desire for individuality weighed against social and family obligations. Obligations, more defined as the quest to spare those we love shame and pain as we need to find our individuality. By the end, “family” feels less like a fixed structure and more like a fleeting, fragile agreement between hearts—one that, rented or not, leaves a lasting imprint.
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Lesbian Owned Business
Barbara Carpenter Realtor
Shann Carr -Comedian, Event Producer, Realtor, A Lesbian Concierge In The Desert
Andrea Voras, Gerontologist Dementia Specialist Life Aging Life Care Manager
Constance Clare-Newman, Somatic Work for Pain Relief and Stress Reduction
Corlyce Photography
Chris Ann Kallgren Realtor
Sunny Designs-Website & Graphic Design & Video
Rice Notary
Nancy Minger - Massage Therapist
Poochsitter
Motivation Changes — Life Coaching - Dr Ann Sarah Engel, MSW, PhD
B's Table
Community Resources
Local Lesbian Authors
Pickleball Tip of the Week
For more information about pickleball, including lessons, leagues, and other lesbians playing pickleball - contact Mary Barsaleau.
Mary is a registered Pickleball Ambassador.
Animal Samaritans - Pets for Adoption Fur babies needing family at Animal Samaritans
Shelter — Animal Samaritans
Special Thanks to Frontrunners for their ongoing support of LPSCV
Palm Springs Front Runners & Walkers is a running and walking club for members and friends of the LGBTQ+ community in the Coachella Valley. We are a local chapter of International Front Runners, an informal network of LGBTQ+ running groups around the world. Membership is open to everyone without regard to ability, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Join for daily runs and walks! Palm Springs Front Runners & Walkers - Home
Valerie Milano
Senior Editor, The Hollywood Times
The L-Fund will also honor The Hollywood Times’ own Senior Editor, Valerie Milano, whose career in entertainment journalism has been defined by visibility, authenticity, and advocacy. Through decades of reporting, interviews, and festival coverage, Milano has ensured LGBTQ+ stories are told with heart and integrity, bringing community narratives to a global audience. She will receive The L-Fund’s Ambassador Award, recognizing her role as a trusted voice and connector within media and the LGBTQ+ community. https://l-fund.org/#
Hollywood Times - Valerie Milano
| | PALS - Planning Ahead for LGBTQ Seniors | | |
PALS no-cost seminars provide up-to-date info and resources to own your
future, engage in essential conversations and take action because it’s never too soon to start planning ahea
For program updates and to sign up for upcoming PALS Seminars, Death Cafes and PALS Circles, please visit palsinthedesert.com.
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PALS Death Cafe at 2 pm on the 1st Thurs each month provides a group
led and safe space to have open conversations about death and dying without taboo.
For program updates and to sign up for upcoming PALS Seminars, Death Cafes and PALS Circles, please visit palsinthedesert.com.
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.PALS CIRCLE for an hour of connection, support and friendship among
LGBTQ+ seniors and allies. No formal topic — just fun conversation and
camaraderie each Monday from 6:00 to 7:00 PM on ZOOM.
For program updates and to sign up for upcoming PALS Seminars, Death Cafes and PALS Circles, please visit palsinthedesert.com.
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Gay Country Western Dancing - Saturday Nights
Join the Dance Ranch for a great night of country western dancing, including two-step, waltz, shadow, East and West Coast swing, and line dances.
It all happens at Step By Step
933 Crossley Road, Palm Springs.
Admission is $5
Lesson is at 7pm. Dancing from 7:30-9:30pm
Dance Ranch Palm Springs is a country western dance group serving the LGBTQ+ community and its friends. Country dancers of all levels are welcome!
Learn more about Dance Ranch and find out what they’re teaching at danceranchps.org.
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