It's been billed as one of the largest, if not the most popular, gatherings of lesbians in the world, and every year, Dinah Shore Weekend - also sometimes referred to as Palm Springs Women's Weekend - draws more and more crowds. Dinah Shore Weekend takes place April 3 through April 7, 2013 (the same weekend as the lesbian-popular Kraft Nabisco LPGA Golf Championship, and it features a slew of fabulous parties thrown by iconic promoter Club Skirts.
Book rooms and compare rates on hotels in Palm Springs during Gay Pride.
Note that the previous rival promoter (and former joint promoter) GIRL BAR made the decision last year to pull out of the Palm Springs Dinah Weekend and develop a brand-new Dinah Shore Weekend Las Vegas, which takes place a month later, from April 25 to 28, 2013.
Additionally, Lucy & Gail "Dinah in Color" - which is geared toward women of color and has held Dinah events in Palm Springs in the past - has begun a new party this year taking place at the same time as Dinah Shore Weekend, the Palm Springs Women's Jazz Festival -the dates are April 4 to April 7, 2013. This event includes accommodations/dining packages at the swank Alcazar Hotel, and live performances by a number of female jazz talents, including Patrice Rushen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Suede, Carmen Lundy, Robin Bramlett, and many others. You can purchase tickets and view a full schedule here.
Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs always falls shortly before one of the world's best-attended gay men's events, the Palm Springs White Party, meaning that during the first two weeks of April, Palm Springs see quite an influx of GLBT visitors.
Dinah Shore Week is unaffiliated with the famed Kraft Nabisco Championship LPGA golf tournament, but plenty of women do attend that event.
Here's a quick preview of The Dinah in 2013
Organizer Club Skirts books a number of major celebrities and entertainers to lead The Dinah's events and parties each year. This year's lineup includes Feimster, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Jackie Loeb, and Jacqueline Monhan at Thursday night's comedy concert; a Friday night showing of the new sitcom "Second Shot"; Curve Magazine's Friday night Dinah White Party, featuring Havana Brown; Saturday's Cabana Girl Pool Party with Kat Graham; Saturday night's Dinah Goes to Monte Carlo fete with Karmin; a celebrity-poke party the same night benefiting HRC, with the L Word's Kiyomi McCloskey, actress Jill Bennett, and many others; Sunday's Wet and Wild Pool Party with Kiyomi and Lauren, as well as Diana King; a Sunday concert by Uh Huh Her; and Sunday night's final party, with a performance by Katy Tiz.
Typically, events - from pool parties to concerts to dances - take place in and around the host hotel, which this year is the Hilton Hotel and Spa, as well as at other key venues around Palm Springs, from local gay clubs to the Palm Springs Convention Center. There are admission charges to each event (these generally run about $25 to $80 a la carte, but you can buy all-access passes for as little as $229), and you buy tickets online at the Club Skirts "The Dinah" website.
More Information on Palm Springs Women's Weekend/Dinah Shore Week:
Numerous Palm Springs gay bars as well as gay-popular restaurants, hotels and gay resorts will be making GLBT visitors feel extra welcome throughout the weekend (even many of those resorts that cater mostly to men become ostensibly women's resorts this week). Also take a look at The Dinah Host Hotels and lodging partners - there are quite a few options, but rooms do fill up quickly, so it's best to book ahead.
Check local gay papers, such as the Desert Daily Guide, for details. The excellent Palm Springs Lesbian Travel website L Spot Palm Springs also has useful info on Women's Weekend. Also take a look at the GLBT site produced by the city's official tourism organization, the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism.
