Every spring for the past three decades, the White Party has come to Palm Springs—bringing with it a lot of business for local hotels, bars and restaurants. Such was again the case for White Party 30, which took place April 26-28.
The event actually kicked off, unofficially, on Thursday, April 25, when Jeffrey Sanker shook hands with the mayor at a Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting in front of Lulu, where Sanker’s entry on the Walk of Stars has been for the last five years, since White Party 25.
The festivities officially began with the pool party on Friday at the White Party’s new, smaller venue: the Palm Springs Hilton. For years, the White Party called the nearby Renaissance home for all pool parties and nighttime dances, save the White Party itself. The move meant a smaller pool—with no seating or shade, unless one forked out big bucks for a cabana—and that meant a packed pool on Saturday.
The dances on Friday and Sunday nights moved from the Renaissance to the Palm Springs Convention Center, while the White Party itself moved from the eastern portion of the convention center to the western portion. This meant attendees arrived at the party through the grand main entrance, and had access to the nice lobby—even if the space for the dance itself was much smaller than in years past.
Events concluded on Sunday with another pool party and the final nighttime dance party—with the popular outdoor tea dance in between. The tea dance performance by Deborah Cox was followed by the usual impressive fireworks display,
What does the future hold for the scaling-down White Party? Stay tuned.
Scroll down for a selection of photos from the White Party 30 weekend.
