Splash House brings music festival feel to Palm Springs, and comedians Jim Gaffigan and Jim Jeffries both make tour stops in the desert.
Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs is
among the venues
for Splash House.
PHOTOGRAPH BY BLAKE DARYAIE FOR SPLASH HOUSE
SPLASH HOUSE 2022: AUG. 12–14 & 19–21
Don your neon speedo and daisy chains and follow the beat to any of three downtown Palm Springs resorts — the Renaissance, Margaritaville, and Saguaro — for waterside sets by your favorite DJs. Splash House 2022, which happens annually in June and August, has attracted such artists as Bonobo, Justice, Rüfüs du Sol, Bob Moses, Odesza, and Tokimonsta. Your Splash House 2022 festival wristband gets you access to free shuttle service, so you can venue-hop and experience the whole splashin’ shebang. After sundown, the Splash House 2022 open-air after-party thumps all night long at Palm Springs Air Museum amid sweeping hangars and vintage planes. Need a place to crash? Hotel packages sell out fast, but you can put yourself on a waitlist in case any additional rooms at the participating resorts become available.
TASTE OF SUMMER: THROUGH AUG. 12
The city of Rancho Mirage celebrates local flavor during this annual event featuring special discounts at city restaurants and fundraisers for area nonprofits. Learn how to eat, drink and give back.
LEON POLK SMITH: 1945–1962: THROUGH AUG. 28
Palm Springs Art Museum celebrates the rich colors and pleasing geometric shapes that define Leon Polk Smith’s abstract paintings. The late Oklahoma native became enraptured by fine art as a college student in New York City.
GONZALO LEBRIJA: THROUGH OCT. 2
View two decades’ worth of photos, videos, sculptures, and paintings by Mexican artist Gonzalo Lebrija at Palm Springs Art Museum.
PATTERN PLAY: THROUGH NOV. 20
Palm Springs Art Museum exhibits joyful drawings, textiles, wallpapers, and other creations from the mind of Jacqueline Groag, a British designer who catered to the post-WWII hunger for fun and vibrant clothing and housewares.
CABOT’S PUEBLO MUSEUM MIXER: AUG. 3
The Greater Coachella Valley Chamber hosts a mixer for local businesses and people who want to learn more about them at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum in Desert Hot Springs. The event includes a continental breakfast, museum tour, and plenty of networking opportunities.
MAN MAN: AUG. 4
Led by singer and pianist Honus Honus, this sway-inducing experimental rock band is known for its variety of instruments, which might include everything from xylophone and marima to spoons, smashing plates, and fireworks. It’s exactly the type of show you’d expect at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown.
JIM GAFFIGAN: AUG. 5
The six-time Grammy nominee known for clean comedy and dad jokes brings his “Fun Tour” to Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage.
RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT: AUG. 6
The King of Folk fêtes his 91st birthday (which happens five days prior to the show) with a special performance at Pappy & Harriet’s.
TOUR DE BIG BEAR: AUG. 6
You need not head to France to pedal your way to a prize through beautiful mountain scenery. This cycling eventoffers routes for all riding levels, beginning with a zippy family fun ride and extending up to 100 miles.
IDYLLWILD ART IN THE PARK: AUG. 13–14
Escape the heat in the quaint mountain community of Idyllwild, and browse artisan-made treasures such as ceramics, glass art, jewelry, and wood carvings. Make a day of it with lunch in the charming downtown area and a hike at Idyllwild Nature Center.
RAMONA BOWL FLEA MARKET: AUG. 13–14
Whether you’re seeking a striking painting for above the dining table, a vintage film camera in great condition, or the perfect pair of retro cutoffs, you just might end your search at this monthly market at the Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre in nearby Hemet.
TAILGATE FEST: AUG. 13–14
Country faves including Jake Owen, Billy Currington, Chris Janson, the Eli Young Band, LANCO, Blanco Brown, Chase Bryant, and Ashland Craft take over the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, about an hour and 15 minutes from Palm Springs.
BANDA MS: AUG. 19
Named after Mazatlán, Sinaloa, where this group was formed, and specializing in banda music (similar to mariachi, ranchera, and norteño styles), Banda MS brings the heat to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio.
LOVEDRIVE: AUG. 19
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino prepares to “Rock You Like a Hurricane” during this free outdoor concert featuring Lovedrive, a Los Angeles–based Scorpions tribute band.
PONY BRADSHAW: AUG. 25
Acoustic Americana crooner Pony Bradshaw wants to leave behind a body of work that informs future generations what life was like in our day. Hear his soulful sound at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown.
POISON: AUG. 26
If you wish you could tell ’80s glam-rockers Bret Michaels, C.C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, and Rikki Rockett, “I Won’t Forget You,” and give them “Something to Believe In,” head to Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage for their latest tour.
JIM JEFFERIES: THE MOIST TOUR: AUG. 27
The Australian stand-up known for the FX series Legit and Comedy Central’s The Jim Jefferies Show brings his provocative and belief-challenging tour to Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa.
MDOU MOCTAR: AUG. 31
Discover a new sound and a new favorite artist during this show at Pappy & Harriet’s. A truly prodigious guitarist and songwriter hailing from a rural village in Niger, Mdou Moctar’s groovy rhythms fuse traditional Tuareg melodies with the familiar flavor of Eddie Van Halen, who he grew up watching on YouTube.