Lesbians of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley Outings and Events
Community. Courage. Connection
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FROM KIM
Two days after returning from the Catalina backpacking trip, I found myself in the ER. Nothing to do with the hike itself. Probably, rotavirus.
By 5 a.m., I’m hooked up to an IV for dehydration, morphine for the pain, and anti-nausea medication after 10 hours of not being able to keep even water down. I arrived in fleece plaid pajama pants, Crocs, a sleep t-shirt, and a long-sleeved work shirt. The clerk asked if I was homeless.
“No,” I replied, “I just didn’t see the point of dressing up to throw up.” She is humorless.
Right on cue, another wave of stomach cramps hit and I let out a long, involuntary groan.
An hour later, the pain had receded and the nausea loosened its grip. I asked for water. Not yet, they said. First, a CT scan of the abdomen.
The CT scan came back clear. Eventually, they gave me water, then made me wait a few more hours to prove I could keep it down. Fair enough. I like sitting in the ER in fleece pajamas and crocs.
What followed was a week of Cheerios, toast, and relentless hydration. Somewhere along the way, I developed a deep and abiding affection for O’Doul’s, which my stomach welcomed like an old friend. Breakfast became coffee, O’Doul’s, Greek yogurt, and Cheerios. Lunch: toast and O’Doul’s. Not exactly gourmet, but it worked.
Over the last few days, my energy has slowly returned. Dog walks have stretched back to their usual length. I’ve started craving spicy foods again, a promising sign of life returning to the system. My stomach screams no, whenever the mouth salivates at the thought of Chili Relleno. The O’Doul’s habit, however, shows no signs of fading.
All of this has been a reminder of how fragile things can feel. A bad fall, overheating on the Catalina trail, and now this. At 72, the body doesn’t bounce back the way it once did. It asks, sometimes insists, on kindness, patience, and a slower pace.
But there’s something else, too. A quiet appreciation of the complexity and wonder of life that comes with age. If I have any regret, it’s that I spent too much time in my head instead of fully inhabiting the moments I was living. I think of my younger self in Burma, in Australia, wishing I could return with presence and be able to absorb it all more deeply.
The familiar paradox. A sense that something was missed, paired with the understanding that I was exactly where I needed to be, for exactly who I was at the time. Life rarely offers neat answers, only paradoxes and balancing acts we learn to live with.
The fragility and brevity of it all makes me want more. More intensity, more new experiences, more depth. And, at the same time, more caution, more gentleness.
Both, somehow, feel necessary. Kim.
Life is endlessly stepping into kayaks and being taken into unknown waters. Less muscle and bravado now, but hopefully a little more skill.
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“
Loneliness is the human condition. Cultivate it. The way it tunnels into you allows your soul room to grow. Never expect to outgrow loneliness. Never hope to find people who will understand you, someone to fill that space. An intelligent, sensitive person is the exception, the very great exception. If you expect to find people who will understand you, you will grow murderous with disappointment. The best you'll ever do is to understand yourself, know what it is that you want, and not let the cattle stand in your way.”
― Janet Fitch, White Oleander
“Always learn poems by heart. They have to become the marrow in your bones. Like fluoride in the water, they'll make your soul impervious to the world's soft decay.”
― Janet Fitch, White Oleander
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THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS
✍️ Buy your tickets for the Sunset Jazz Soiree Tickets
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✍️ Signup for We Were Here: Writing Ourselves into History with Ronni Sanlo. Write your life. Witness your truth. Preserve your legacy. Info
🎭Movie Meetup: A GREAT AWAKENING,11:05 AM,
Mary Pickford Theatre, Cathedral City
A GREAT AWAKENING, tells the true story of an unlikely friendship between Reverend George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin that resulted in one of the most defining moments in American history. With the nation's freedom hanging in the balance, the founders discover true liberty cannot only be written into law - it must be awakened in the hearts of the people.
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WOMEN WHO LIFTED THE BAR
Edith Garrud stood barely five feet tall, yet seemed to operate with a different set of physical laws, where leverage mattered more than size and conviction outweighed brute force.
Draped in the long, stubbornly impractical dresses of the era, she trained women of the Women's Social and Political Union to move anyway, to pivot, slip, and unbalance with a grace that turned constraint into cover. The clashes with police were not theatrical accidents but the predictable result of a government determined to silence suffragettes who disrupted meetings, staged protests, and refused to accept political invisibility. Arrests were often rough, even violent, and Garrud’s “Bodyguard” unit emerged as a direct answer, women trained to protect their leaders from being dragged away mid-speech.
Newspapers, with a mix of fascination and unease, called it “Suffrajitsu,” as if a clever nickname could soften the spectacle of officers being briskly introduced to the pavement by women in corsets and boots. There is a shade of dark humor in the choreography of it all: authority, so certain of its grip, repeatedly finding itself outmaneuvered by those it underestimated, sometimes quite literally flipped on its back. Garrud’s genius was not in confrontation for its own sake, but in exposing the imbalance of power with sharp, efficient clarity, each encounter a reminder that control, like footing, is easier to lose than one might think.
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COMMUNITY CALENDAR SNAPSHOT
🎶 Please check venues for updates or possible changes.
Entertainment
Gennine Francis
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Performing Wednesday and Sunday at Gertie’s Salon & Bar at Alice B Restaurant, 1122 Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs.
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Performing Saturday at 6 PM at The Roost. Reservations: ticketbud.com.
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Upcoming: Friday, April 10 at 6:30 PM at Palm Desert Country Club.
Patrice Morris
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Performing Saturdays at 6 PM at Indian Wells Resort Hotel. Reservations suggested; cover charge applies.
Leanna Rogers & Miguel
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Performing Mondays, 5–8 PM at The V Lounge. $7.5 cover.
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Leanna and The Free Agents perform Thursdays and Fridays, 6–8 PM at Hyatt Palm Springs.
Marisa Corvo
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Performing at The Roost Wednesday, March 25 and April 1 at 6:30 PM. Tickets: 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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WE WERE HERE: Writing Ourselves into History with Ronni Sanlo. Write your life. Witness your truth. Preserve your legacy. Info
There comes a time when we feel called to gather the pieces of our lives, not to summarize them, but to understand what they mean. Dr. Ronni Sanlo invites you to We Were Here: Writing Ourselves into History, an 8-hour Zoom retreat where lesbian women age 50 and older write the moments that shaped them, the lives built without blueprints, and the courage it took to become who they are. You do not need to be a writer, only someone who has lived a life. In this guided and thoughtfully held gathering, participants reconnect with their own voices, place personal stories within our collective history, and witness one another with care and respect. Whether you came out decades ago or recently, are partnered or single, loud or quiet, radical or ordinary, your story belongs here.
The retreat takes place April 23 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Pacific on Zoom. To experience a preview, Ronni is offering a free one-hour introductory writing session on March 26 at 10:00 AM Pacific. Write your life. Witness your truth. Preserve your legacy. Register for the March 26 session by emailing RonniSanlo@gmail.com. Learn more at https://ronnisanlo.com/courses/.
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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
- Apr 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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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
| | 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
If the first season of Deadloch was a slow-burn fire with a wicked grin, Deadloch 2 feels like someone tossed a whole crate of fireworks onto that flame and said, “let’s see what happens.” The result? Brighter, sharper, and somehow even more delightfully unhinged.
Season two leans confidently into what made the original sing: razor-edged humor, a satirical bite that sneaks up on you, and a crime story that refuses to behave itself. The writing crackles with that distinctly Australian blend of dry wit and absurdity, where a throwaway line can land like a punchline and a gut punch in the same breath. It’s not just funny, it’s strategically funny—the kind that disarms you just long enough for the mystery to tighten its grip.
The central duo returns in full force, their chemistry now richer and more chaotic, like two instruments slightly out of tune but somehow making better music because of it. Their dynamic drives the show forward, bouncing between friction and loyalty in a way that feels lived-in and deeply human, even as the situations around them spiral into delicious madness.
Visually, the series continues to use its setting like a character in its own right—moody coastlines, small-town corners humming with secrets, and an atmosphere that feels equal parts postcard and pressure cooker. The pacing is tighter this time around, with fewer lulls and more narrative momentum, pulling you along like a riptide you’re oddly happy to be caught in.
What truly sets Deadloch 2 apart is its fearless commitment to tone. It doesn’t just balance comedy and crime—it lets them collide, overlap, and occasionally trip each other. And instead of falling apart, it becomes something more distinctive: a show that can make you laugh, wince, and lean forward in suspense all within the same scene.
In short, Deadloch 2 isn’t just a worthy follow-up—it’s a bold escalation. Darker, funnier, and more confident in its strange, sharp identity, it proves that lightning can, in fact, strike twice… especially when it has a twisted sense of humor. You do have to get past the blizzard of the word dick and some gore, but somehow it all works. Long live the lesbians.
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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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