The Dinah Shore 2025: Sapphic Adventures in Palm Springs, CA
Picture this, My Sweets: It’s the end of September in the California Desert. The warm sidewalks of Palm Springs are bustling with hundreds of sleeveless sapphics, who all converge at a poolside musical festival. 3 days of unforgettable pool parties and 2 evening parties, bookended with 3 nights of clubbing Downtown.
This is what dreams are made of. So I redeemed some rewards points for the flights and committed the full Dinah Shore Festival Pass this year. An early birthday present from me to me! And my first time at The Dinah. Here’s what I got into:
Day 1: Self-Guided City Tour & VillageFest
Lezbehonest, I didn’t leave a ton of time for sightseeing this round (besides festival cuties), so I definitely owe it another go. It was 90+ degrees in the desert before 11am 💀 so I didn’t wander too far. But I explored the neighborhood on foot for a bit and enjoyed the canyon views. Stopped by Townie Bagels for a bagel sandwich. Yummy. Gratitude for the air conditioning. Checked out Sunny Dunes Antique Mall, where I found some vintage postcards and an ornament.
Re-emerged in the evening for a sunset walk through VillageFest, a quintessential weekly street market in the heart of Downtown Palm Springs. Farmers market + vendors + a little music. Tamales for dinner. Checked out some of the cute stores open late, including Earth’s Elements for some crystals.
Headed to Reforma Night Club for the much-anticipated Official Dinah Shore Opening Party and festival pass pickup. I didn’t last too long, but the night club was bursting with sapphic and queer energy. Soooo many cutieees! And sneakers lol.
Feeling: Excited
Day 2: Finding the G-Spot & A Masc Twerking Competition
Spent too much time deciding on my pool party fit. Walked over to The G-Spot Pool Party, where I accidentally arrived early. Met a few friendly folks in line. There were plenty of other Dinah Virgins — festival first-timers — like me this year!
Pool party vibes were amaziiing. Spring break vibes for sure, haha. Hot masc DJs spinning hot mashups center stage, right above the pool filled with scantily-clad sapphics. Mariah Counts performed. There was a brief but impactful Masc Twerking Competition. The winner rolled home a new cooler, donned in a thong bikini. Takeaway: You really can have it all in the lesbian world.
Free pasties. Hot tubbing and a couple LGBTQ+ vendors. Lesbians everywhereee. I’ve never experienced anything this sapphic on such a large scale, even in Seattle, so it was very sweet. I spent most of the afternoon just spinning around on a pool floaty, taking it all in :)
Went back to the hotel to recharge my social battery. Rounded out Friday night festivities at the Black & White Ball. Sexy go go dancers. Princess Nokia on stage. And that one Tik Tok cover singer. Dance floor full of dancing lesbians. So many good fits and such a lovely safe space for sapphics.
Feeling: Delighted
Day 3: The BigYAY Pool Party & The Hollywood Party
Saturday started off with another massive pool party, hyped up by the musical stylings of DJ Les Ortiz. Then a lesbian pirate entertained the crowd with a few songs including one likely titled “Booty”. Hehe. More twerking competitions and some steak nachos.
Lasted a couple hours and needed a break from the sun. Dozed off at the hotel and missed the Celebrity Dodgeball Tournament 🙈 but made it back for the last hour or two of DJs and performers. Unfortunately, a storm had come through and so the pool itself was off limits. But, the hardiest of queers continued to party poolside til the final number.
After dinner, I channeled my inner Lara Croft and headed to The Hollywood Party in vinyl pants and a leather thigh garter. Everyone was dressed to impress. Loved all the sapphics in sequins! Enjoyed another trio of lovely go go dancers sprinkled around the dance floor. Met a cutie to dance the night away with me, took some photos on the red carpet. All the best sapphic energy for the biggest night at The Dinah.
Feeling: Content
Day 4: Lucky Sunday Pool Party
Everyone who didn’t have an early flight out rallied for the final pool party. Sunnier day made for some good Sunday vibes. Saw some Queer Ultimatum hotties. Befriended the folks from Howdy Hat Bar, a hat accessories vendor.
Booked one more night in Palm Springs so I could catch the closing festivities at the Dinah Shore. Glad I rallied for the entire festival! I actually think I met the most people at the Closing Party. Lots of friendly folks from all over the country, including New York City, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Reno, and the West Coast of course.
Got propositioned for a threesome by a femme couple — which didn’t manifest due to reasons outside of my control — but I did get a quesadilla as a consolation prize. Home by 4:30am. What a grande finale for my first Dinah Shore.
Feeling: Complete
Final Thoughts About The Dinah
Was it worth going? Absolutely! It’s possible that my life has been forever changed. Glad I was able to attend the whole festival, each day felt a little different.
What was the best part? Spending time in the pool, surrounded by sapphic hotties and music and sun. Friday was my favorite day, just a little slower paced than Saturday.
How was it going solo? It was great to be on my own timeline for everything. Perhaps a little nerve-wracking at the start, but there were plenty of opportunities to connect with friendly folks. And lots of other solo attendees.
How was it as a mid-30s BIPOC? Decent. Plenty of folks in their 30s-40s. The weekend crowd was a little more diverse. I met people from all over the West Coast, also Reno, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Washington DC, NYC+.
Would I do it again? Yes, looking forward to reconvening in 2027. Will pack more coconut water for hydration and maybe some friends from Seattle.
XO
