Blue sky with white modernist building and manicured cacti in a circular flower bed at the front

I’ve been a huge fan of Palm Springs from my very first visit which must now be at least fifteen years ago. I’ve been back a few times since and have loved every visit, regardless of what time of year it is. In 2020, we were so lucky to visit during Modernism Week, just really before the world started closing down due to the Covid pandemic. I always closely watch what’s happening for Modernism Week and obviously the Fall Preview week in October 2020 and the normal timing of the week in February 2021 was very different this time round, both being primarily online. I reached out to Bob Bogard, Director of Public Relations at O’Bayley Communications, a Palm Springs Marketing and Public Relations agency to ask him about what had changed and what we could expect for the upcoming events.

Bob was so helpful and came back to me straight away with lots of information on what’s happening in Palm Springs soon for the new timing of Modernism Week. Now that dates are set for the upcoming Fall Preview this October, though details won’t be finalised or announced until after the April event, I’m already trying to get a trip back to Palm Springs organised for then.

Frey House II Palm Springs by The Private Traveller

Modernism Week 2021

This year Modernism Week staged the Modernism Week Online Experience for the month of February, which was extended until March 15. This was an all-online series of video programs that mirrored the type and quality of an in-person Modernism Week experience.

Modernism Week will be held in Palm Springs, California from April 8-18, 2021. The annual festival celebrates mid-century modern design, architecture, art, fashion and culture through in-person events and custom-designed online programs. Featured events include home tours, walking architectural tours, an outdoor Garden Tour, talks, and other programs specifically designed to allow for social distancing and safety protocols. All in-person events will feature safety protocols, including timed entry, limited number of tickets, mask requirements, sanitary stations, and more. In addition to the robust array of in-person events in April, exciting new programs will also be offered in a new Modernism Week Online Experience running from April 15 - May 15 at modernismweek.com. These programs include compelling presentations, video tours, and films, and are in addition to the offerings already available on the Modernism Week website. Tickets are available for purchase at modernismweek.com

In April, Modernism Week will be offering a few in-person programs from April 8-18, 2021. Each program is designed to be as safe as possible, including limited tickets per event, timed entry for yours, and strict safety protocols. Because many of the events have limited tickets available, some are already sold out, but many still have availability. Here’s a recap, with events that still have availability:

Palm Springs Conference Center by The Private Traveller

“Don’t miss” events include:

1) Tours of two Featured Homes

Tours of both residences will be offered on April 9-12 and April 15-18; each tour is $35

"Sunburst Palms" - Tour H3K’s latest renovation of a 1956 Lawrence Lapham property in iconic Deepwell and enjoy and be inspired by their fun-filled and colorful take on classic mid-century modern design.

"Seventies Sackley" – This architectural home tour in Indian Canyons will allow participants to experience a seamless blend of contemporary furnishings and vintage pieces on display at this stunning 1975 Palm Springs residence designed by noted architect Stan Sackley and offered by Grace Home Furnishings.

Modernism Week sponsors Brizo, Dunn-Edwards Paints, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Jenn-Air, and Willis generously contributed to these projects.

2) Desert Modernism: Two Perspectives. Two Home Tours – Kappe and Lockyer

April 8-18, $60

One ticket, two tours. Discover both the restoration of architect Raymond Kappe's last project as well as architect Sean Lockyer's newly completed Desert Palisades project. Palm Springs Life has partnered with the Kappe family, and Sean Lockyer, and the builders of Desert Palisades to bring these homes to the public eye.

3) Tour Famed Architect John Lautner's Iconic 1947 Living Units at The Lautner Compound, $50

This is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the spectacular and visionary architecture of John Lautner. The Lautner Compound is a collection of 3 boutique properties that were recently masterfully restored, including Lautner’s Living Units. Commissioned by renowned Hollywood producer Lucien Hubbard in 1947 these stunning units operate as an elite vacation rental property allowing architecture aficionados from around the world a chance to live the Lautner Lifestyle.

4) Mod with a Twist, $55

Mod with a TWIST is a light-hearted but deep dive into some of the more obscure topics of the mid-century. You are guaranteed to chuckle and learn something new while you enjoy a complimentary glass of wine. The programs will be presented outside, around a beautiful pool and seating will be socially distanced with lots of fresh air under the stars.

How has the Pandemic affected Modernism Week

Lisa Vossler Smith, Executive Director of Modernism Week said:

“The pandemic has impacted nearly every person and business around the planet. When it became clear we would not be able to offer the same kind of densely attended in-person events, we could have chosen to just pause all our programming. Instead, we used the opportunity to reimagine how we offer programs. We were gratified to see that our loyal Modernism Week attendees continued to support our efforts and participate in our new virtual programs. When the pandemic ends and we can resume offering large-scale in-person events, we believe that we will continue to produce our online programing featuring compelling talks and tours and offer them throughout the year on our modernismweek.com web site.

The pandemic directly impacted Modernism Week in our event planning. Last year, we held nearly 400 events over 11 days and attracted 162,000 participants. This year, we offered a month of online programming for February 2021 and will offer a socially-distant program in a new April 11-day event. Judging by the sales of the April programs, there is clearly a desire by our attendees to participate in some form of in-person events. We are only offering in-person events that will be safe for our attendees, staff and volunteers. As the pandemic ends, we will adjust our programming accordingly, but I think we will continue to offer on-line programming for future festivals, and perhaps throughout the year."

Frey House II (Albert Frey) by The Private Traveller

The Fall Preview

Modernism Week Fall Preview is a four-day event held in October. The social distancing and safety protocols created as a response to the pandemic made it clear Modernism Week would not be able to offer the same type and volume of programming as it had before, so last year it offered all-online programming for Fall Preview in October, 2020. This fall, the organization plans to resume in-person events, including home tours, tours of Sunnylands, the Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, and many other events. It will announce details of the programs later in the summer.

Downtown Palm Springs by The Private Traveller

Where to Stay in Palm Springs

There is a large mix of hotels in Palm Springs - some dedicated gay hotels and all other hotels very gay-friendly, with a mix of locations from central downtown (some large and small boutique) to slightly out with, to nearby locations like Rancho Mirage, Indian Palms or Desert Springs.

Leading Hotels of the World, always a favourite of mine, now has only the one property in Palm Springs - Parker Palm Springs, although when we visited a few years ago L’Horizon was also featured too; albeit (in my personal view) it didn’t actually “fit” within that collection, even-though it was a stunning hotel. The Parker definitely is somewhere I would like to stay on a future trip, albeit not located downtown which is particularly convenient for many Modernism Week events, the historic estate designed by Jonathan Adler is set amidst palm trees and lavishly landscaped gardens.

I don’t think there is a bad location within the Palm Springs locale, but when we visited for Modernism Week in 2020 a perfect location was La Serena Villas, an all-villa/suite property extremely centrally located for all events, and very close to a great choice of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and shops. There are only 18 units, each villa has a secluded private patio, complete with claw foot soaking tub, fire-pit and outdoor seating. Very highly recommended and you can find my full review here.

Another property which would be incredible for Modernism Week due to its central location, and very nearby to the Palm Springs Art Museum, is the Del Marcos Hotel. Part of the same group as La Serena Villas, PS Boutique Hotels, the Del Marcos is situated right next door to La Serena Villas and was built in 1947 by renowned architect William F. Cody. The 17-room modernist hotel, built of native stone and redwood, surrounding a pool, features luxurious suites, an organic asymmetrical entrance doorway, and floor-to-ceiling glass. The two-story building features a U-shaped plan centered on a courtyard.

Whatever your budget and choice, there is something for everyone in Palm Springs - if boutique isn’t your thing, there are some much larger chains too like Kimpton, Hard Rock, Hilton and DoubleTree.

Where to Eat in Palm Springs

We always like to try out new places, but also love visiting old favourites too. Palm Springs has a vibrant restaurant scene, with new restaurants opening up but with classics remaining too. Some of my favourites are LULU California Bistro (which also did the outside catering at the incredible Sinatra House cocktail evening), Eight4Nine in the Uptown Design District and a new one for our last visit was the Tropicale. On a previous visit we also had a great night at The Purple Room Supper Club. Obviously with Covid restrictions some of these might be limited at the moment (I’m sure the supper club is temporarily closed), but hopefully everything will get back to more normal in time.

Uptown Design District Palm Springs by The Private Traveller

Summary

Whether you’re a fan of Modernism or not, great architecture, amazing weather, restaurants, bars and shopping; or like the idea of one of the most gay-friendly locations in the world, you need to look no further than Palm Springs. It’s a huge favourite of mine and I gave this as my ultimate favourite city in my initial Mr Hudson Explores Q&A, which you can read here.