Palm Springs, architecture, and fabulous flair: ‘Modernism Week' has midcentury moxie

SASHAY AWAY: The opportunities to be a little extra, well, extra? They are sadly few in our workaday, nose-meet-grindstone worlds, and finding sparkly spots where we can sashay, strut, and pose can leave us achingly empty-handed. But there is an eleven-day extravaganza where elegant extraness is not only encouraged but welcomed, celebrated, and even adored. Further, it all happens in a city that might be considered something of an open-air time capsule, a living ode to midcentury splendor: It's Palm Springs, which, of course, is a modern place, full of contemporary offerings, but with a distinctive layer of throwback cool. That cool comes to the forefront each February during Modernism Week, a huge spectacular that spotlights the styles, architecture, and designs of an era that first captivated people around six decades ago, give or take (and continues to do so today).

George Rose / Contributor

FEB. 15-25, 2024: The all-over-town-and-beyond bash takes up a good chunk of the second month, but you don't need to make for the desert for the full run if you've got an event or two in mind. Still, you will want to book that tour or talk before you find yourself in the land of date shakes and aerial trams because popular outings fill up. There are over 350 events, including the House of Tomorrow Home Tour — this is the Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymoon house, by the by — and the Illuminated Twilight Tour, which provides a twinklier take on the area's handsome homes and buildings. The Double Decker Bus Tours, led by the beloved histro-tainer Charles Phoenix, are popular, too, especially with visitors who love their commentary vibrant (so, yep, all of us). And a Trina Turk Fashion Show at the Historic Frank Sinatra Estate will up the sartorial swell factor, so be sure to wear your brightest and most beautiful hues. Peruse all of the glam go-outs and goings-on, and book your tickets, midcentury enthusiasts, pronto.