Palm Springs Pride at 40: Celebrating the Past, Embracing the Future
By Cesar A. Reyes
Forty years ago, Palm Springs Pride began as a small community gathering. Today, it draws hundreds of thousands of people to the desert to celebrate LGBTQ+ identity, visibility, and belonging. The journey from those early gatherings to one of the region’s most anticipated annual celebrations is a story of courage, community, and generations of people who refused to hide who they were. For Jasmine Sullivan-Waits, Executive Director of Greater Palm Springs Pride, this milestone is especially personal.
Born and raised in the Coachella Valley, Sullivan-Waits has watched her hometown evolve into a place where LGBTQ+ visibility is woven into the fabric of community life. After nearly two decades working for the City of Palm Springs, she helped bring Pride into the heart of downtown in 2014. What began as part of her job became something resounding.
“I witnessed firsthand the power of Pride—not just as a celebration, but as a statement about who we are as a community and what we stand for,” she says.
When Sullivan-Waits became executive director in 2025, she stepped into a role that connected her professional experience with her own understanding of why representation matters. She also took on the responsibility of carrying forward a legacy shaped by generations of community leaders, including Ron deHarte, the organization’s longtime executive director, who now serves as board president.
DeHarte has been instrumental in building Palm Springs Pride into the major community celebration it is today. His leadership and dedication helped strengthen the organization and advance its mission, creating a foundation for the festival to continue growing while remaining connected to the people it serves. As Sullivan-Waits works alongside him in their respective leadership roles, the transition represents both continuity and an opportunity to bring new perspectives to Pride’s next chapter.
For Sullivan-Waits, the work is deeply personal. As a queer woman of color and a mother of three, she sees Pride as more than a weekend of music, dancing, and rainbow flags. It is a reminder that people deserve to live openly, find their community, and know they belong.
That spirit carries particular meaning as Palm Springs Pride celebrates its 40th anniversary under the theme “Be Included.” Sullivan-Waits is mindful of the people who built the foundation long before the festival became the major celebration it is today. Their courage created opportunities for younger generations, even as the work of achieving equality and inclusion continues.
“We can celebrate how far we’ve come while recognizing that there is still work to do,” she says.
This year’s three-day celebration brings that history into the present with a mix of entertainment, cultural experiences, and opportunities for the community to come together. The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert is helping mark the anniversary with exhibits featuring photographs, memorabilia, and stories from Pride’s four decades. For longtime residents, the displays offer a chance to revisit their own memories. For younger visitors, they provide a glimpse into the people and struggles that helped make today’s celebrations possible.
The festival will also spotlight Ballroom culture with Palm Springs Is Burning!, a Mini Ball & Presentation by Brothers of the Desert. Celebrating the creativity and influence of Black and Brown LGBTQ+ communities, the event brings another important part of queer culture into the spotlight.
The entertainment lineup offers plenty of reasons to head downtown. Saturday’s headliner, The Cowgays, a queer country supergroup, brings an LGBTQ+ perspective to a genre with deep roots in American culture. On Sunday, Aubrey O’Day takes the stage, adding star power to the weekend’s celebrations. Across three stages, attendees can expect a mix of nationally recognized performers and local talent, reflecting the different sounds, identities, and generations that make up the community.
The festivities begin even before the main festival weekend gets underway. Thursday’s new Arenas District Walkabout will close Arenas Road to vehicle traffic, giving visitors space to explore local bars, restaurants, and shops hosting their own activities and entertainment. Friday brings Pride on the Drive, featuring a 100-foot Ferris wheel, food vendors, and live entertainment. Dedicated family and youth spaces will also help make the celebration welcoming for attendees of all ages. Sunday’s parade remains a signature moment, filling Palm Canyon Drive with people celebrating themselves and standing alongside one another.
Through all the additions, Sullivan-Waits says one commitment remains central: keeping the festival and parade free and accessible. Volunteers, donations, sponsors, and community partnerships help make that possible.
For her, inclusion is not just a theme printed on a banner. It is something people create through the choices they make every day, whether by volunteering, supporting local businesses, welcoming someone new, or standing up for a person who feels left out.
“I believe hope is one of the most powerful things we can hold on to,” she says. “But hope alone isn’t enough. Real change happens when we turn that hope into action.”
As Palm Springs Pride looks toward its next 40 years, Sullivan-Waits hopes the celebration will honor those who came before while giving the next generation reasons to believe in what is still possible. From the leaders who helped build the organization, including deHarte, to the volunteers and community members who bring the festival to life, Pride remains a collective achievement.
The music, parade, and festivities may bring people downtown, but the deeper purpose is what keeps Pride moving forward: a community that makes room for everyone.
“Hope is what connects us to the possibility of a better tomorrow,” Sullivan-Waits says. “Action is how we get there.”
Come celebrate Pride at Palm Springs November 6th, 7th, and 8th!