As California’s first Pride event of the year, the 7th annual Cathedral City LGBT Days again brings together numerous LGBTQ+ celebrities, artists, performers, media, community leaders, Coachella Valley residents and visitors for an unforgettable weekend of live entertainment, community engagement and fun activities from March 3-5, 2023.
Friday night, March 3rd beginning at 7:00PM features the official Pride flag raising and lighting of City Hall; a screening under the stars of the queer film classic, THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT at the Cathedral City Amphitheater; followed by the first-ever outdoor PRIDE Drone Show and an opening night after-party to be announced. The film screening and drone show are free to the public; register for film tickets here.
Saturday’s festivities include the LGBT Days official pool party with DJ’s and special guest hosts during the day, followed by two performances of the live stage revue “Remembering Leslie Jordan: a Sordid Lives/Southern Baptist Sissies Tribute” hosted by renowned multi-hyphenate and desert fixture Del Shores with special guests Newell Alexander, Rosemary Alexander, Ann Walker and Emerson Collins. Performances are at 4:00PM and 7:00PM at the Mary Pickford Theater; purchase tickets here.
The weekend concludes on Sunday March 5th with the annual Bed Race and Parade of Beds in front of City Hall starting at 10:00AM, where thousands of well-wishers line up to cheer on teams running festively decorated beds down Avenue Lalo Guerrero, competing for prizes and local infamy; tickets available here. The Bed Race will be emceed by local drag legend Bella da Ball and co-hosted by KGAY’s John Taylor. Live entertainment includes The Dreamboats kicking things off in the morning, with a special performance by the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus immediately preceding the awards ceremony. After the Bed Race, the world-famous Abbey West Hollywood hosts the Sunday Funday T Dance featuring top DJs and The Abbey Dancers, with champagne, drink specials, exclusive vendors and gourmet food trucks on hand for all attendees to close out the weekend in style.
“Cathedral City is excited to welcome residents and visitors to our annual LGBT Days event as we celebrate our vibrant LGBTQ+ community with a weekend full of arts, culture and dynamic programming,” said Ryan Hunt, Communications & Events Manager for the City of Cathedral City. “LGBT Days is one of our signature events and the first Pride celebration each year in California and we’re putting a lot of time and energy to make sure this event will be the best one yet.”
Abbey General Manager Todd Barnes added, “The Abbey is excited to return to Cathedral City LGBT Days for the second year in a row bringing our Abbey dancers and DJs for the Sunday Abbey T Dance experience and the Parade of Beds,” says Todd Barnes, General Manager. “We feel it’s important to celebrate Pride not just in June and thank Cathedral City for having The Abbey join California’s first pride of the year!”
Additional activities will be announced weekly, with information posted on official social media channels (@CathedralCityLGBTDays) and the official website. The event welcomes community participation and is currently accepting applications for the Bed Race and Parade, sponsors, vendors, volunteers and performing talent. Please apply here.
For the second year in a row, Cathedral City LGBT Days is produced by Soundskilz Productions, a national entertainment production agency headquartered in Temecula, CA.
Who We Are: Cathedral City
Cathedral City takes its name from Col. Henry Washington of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who in 1850 noted the area’s canyons resembled the interior of a grand cathedral. The name stuck; in 1925, developers named the area’s first subdivision Cathedral City, California. After living in the area for millennia, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians established their reservation in the Coachella Valley 1876, which comprises approximately 28% of Cathedral City.
Incorporated in 1981—later than its neighbors—Cathedral City is dedicated to providing a quality lifestyle and welcoming business climate. Cathedral City represents about ten percent of The Coachella Valley’s population and is a destination of friendly neighborhoods, lush country clubs, diverse shopping and unlimited business potential.
Cathedral city is the fastest-growing among the desert cities, boasting higher growth in “snowbird” and full-time resident populations and economic indices than its neighbors—yet remains a great value. Many people across the nation know about Palm Springs, but more and more people are discovering that Cathedral City has become a great destination for the LGBT community to live, dine, stay and play!
