Come and Help Palm Springs Celebrate 85 Years
Enjoy a day of classic cars, music, and fun as Palm Springs marks 85 years.
Incorporated on April 20, 1938, the City of Palm Springs is celebrating its 85th Anniversary on Saturday, April 8th from 11:30am to 9:00 pm in Downtown Palm Springs and in the Downtown Park. This day-long celebration will feature a variety of fun events for the entire family, starting with a vintage car parade of 85 automobiles, one from each year since 1938.
The “Cruising through the Years” Classic Car Parade will feature Nancy Sinatra as the celebrity grand marshal, and local celebrities, community leaders and City pioneers will be riding along in the other vehicles. The parade kicks off at 11:30 a.m. from the Palm Springs Convention Center and travels to the Downtown Park. Free bleachers for viewing on a first come basis will be available along Amado Road near the Jackie Lee Houston Plaza.
This spectacular parade it will feature so many cars it will attempt to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. Representatives from Guinness Book will be on hand because no city has have accomplished the feat of having so many cars marking 85 years in one place. Once the parade of cars arrives in the City’s Downtown Park, the cars will be displayed around the Forever Marilyn Sculpture. This will give you the chance to take a selfie in front of the car from the year you were born.
Here are more highlights of the day:
11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – The Sharing Our Desert’s LGBTQ+ History exhibit will be held at the Welwood Murray Memorial Public Library. This free exhibit by the LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert, will chronicle the history of events, organizations, and individuals that have helped to make the greater Palm Springs area a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people today. Learn more at: https://lgbtqpshistory.org/
12:00 Noon – Entertainment begins at noon with DJs and live entertainment.
12:30 p.m. – The Opening Ceremony in front of the Forever Marilyn statue will feature Ava Lynn Thuresson, recent contestant on NBC’s The Voice, singing the National Anthem.
1:00 p.m. – The fun continues with a Car Show and DJ set by Joe Kay, the founder of Soulection, a globally recognized platform for music, and host of the Soulection Radio show on Apple Music.
3:00 p.m. – Continued tunes in the Downtown Park and an array of activities for children, including face painting, interactive games and arts and crafts, brought to you by Palm Springs Parks and Recreation and the Palm Springs Public Library.
6:00 p.m. – A Dog Costume Contest, brought to you by the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. The contest theme is “Dress your pup like your favorite Palm Springs celebrity.” Your pet could win a prize!
7:00 p.m. – Enjoy a free Elton John Tribute Concert in the Downtown Park Amphitheatre, brought to you by the City of Palm Springs, P.S. Resorts and the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce.
Nancy Sinatra, Celebrity Grand Marshal of Palm Springs’ 85th Anniversary Classic Car Parade.