Pride Under The Pines Returns to the Southern California Mountains This Weekend

This article was updated to note the addition of Angelique Vagorgeous to the KGAY party bus.

The 3rd edition of the Pride Under The Pines Festival takes place this weekend, October 6&7 in Idyllwild, California. The festival opens with a kickoff party on Friday night and then runs from noon until 9 p.m. on Saturday. Pride Under The Pines is partnering with KGAY 106.5 Palm Springs to offer round-trip transportation from Palm Springs. Tickets are available online at www.prideunderthepines.com.

Located to the west of Palm Springs on the southern slope of Mount San Jacinto, the artistic mountain community will serve as the picturesque backdrop for drag queen and event host Anita Rose, musical headliners DEV and John Duff, comedians Shann Carr and Jason Stuart, a special screening of the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, and more.

Pride Under The Pines is the brainchild of the PS Homeboys, the Palm Springs duo of Niels Kosman and Jeremy Taylor, who are producing the event. Proceeds from Pride Under The Pines will go to benefit the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.

“We can’t wait for this year’s event,” Taylor and Kosman said in a statement provided to Out Traveler. “Our team has been hard at work all year to deliver the third edition of Pride Under The Pines, which will outshine our previous events. With even more amazing performances and partnerships with queer celebrity actors and filmmakers, we guarantee that our guests will have an unforgettable LGBTQ+ pride festival experience with incredible live music, amazing performances, fantastic food, and comedic acts.”

The festivities begin this Friday at 7 p.m. with a Welcome Soiree at the historic Rustic Theater on the Circle in Idyllwild. There will be a live taping of the Pride & Prejudice docu-series brought to you by Idyllwild Pictures along with guest appearances by actor/writer Donal Brophy and award-winning queer filmmaker Billy Clift. The event is free and open to the public.

The festival returns on Saturday at noon with a full day of music, comedy, drag queens, and entertainment and concludes with a special screening of the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglass and Matt Damon.

Pride Under The Pines and Palm Springs radio station KGAY 106.5 are offering a KGAY Party bus featuring roundtrip transportation to Idyllwild from Palm Springs, admission to the screening of Behind the Candelabra, and in-transit entertainment from the fabulous Angelique Vagorgeous alongside comedians Jason Stuart and Shann Carr, who have been "entertaining audiences from the low desert to the high seas for decades" Taylor and Kosman tell Out Traveler. The cost of the ticket is $100 and includes Pride Festival general admission.

“As soon as we depart Palm Springs the party begins! Just a short trip over the mountains with live performances by Angelique Vagorgeous with other drag superstars along the way - our KGAY Party Bus experience is almost as fun as the destination!,” says KGAY morning host John Taylor, KGAY Morning Host.

Guests looking to make the festival a weekend adventure are encouraged to book accommodations at Silver Pines Lodge or the Idyllwild Bunk House, the official hotel partners for Pride Under The Pines 2023. Both venues offer a variety of rooms and private cabins for the ultimate pride festival experience.

You can check out the complete schedule and purchase tickets for the 3rd edition of the Pride Under The Pines Festival at www.prideunderthepines.com.