My Experience As A Dinah Virgin
The Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, or The Dinah, is a five-day weekend getaway and music festival in Palm Springs catering to the lesbian community. It’s the largest lesbian event in the United States, and after conversing with the some of the amazing women that I bumped into, I confirmed it is one of the largest lesbian events in the world with more than 10,000 women of all ages coming to Palm Springs from nearly every continent.
I spent Friday at the Hilton pool party and watched a performance by Kodie Shane. I then enjoyed a hilarious show from Chaunte Wayans and Fortune Feimster at the Palm Springs Convention Center later that evening. The Black and White Ball took place on Friday as well, and I managed to check out the Jack Daniels and Go Mag VIP Party at Boulder Terrace before the Star-Studded Red Carpet Arrivals. Attendees that night got to see Leikeli47 perform later that same night.
Saturday was all about the Official L Word Party at the Hilton Main Pool. Bri Steves, Daya, and Samiere performed that day, and on Sunday Snow Tha Product hosted and performed along with Kiana Lede and Diamon’d Royalty.
The Dinah Shore Weekend populated Palm Springs’ Hilton and convention center from Wednesday, April 3rd to Sunday, April 7th with fun parties and great people. I expected non-stop partying and was a little nervous about attending before I spoke with Mariah Hanson, founder of The Dinah, but I was pleased to find out that what she told me about The Dinah was true.
“It is a party it’s a huge party. People drink too much at this party, and that’s all true,” said Hanson. “It’s also true that it’s a really amazing social experience. I concentrate on the part where we’re lifting people’s spirits and creating community. To see how a community can come together and transcend race, transcend religion, transcend economics, and transcend any ‘ism’ you can imagine, and really act as a group of people who are with a moment that is collective and cohesive and empowering and supportive. The moment is community and that community is all-embracing.”
Of course, there were a few people who ended up drinking too much while having fun at the pool parties, but there were also moments when women would reach out and come sit down and chat with me to just connect. I felt a sense of community form as we celebrated all weekend long in a safe and relaxing environment.
“A lot of the people are going to The Dinah thinking that’s the best party they’ve ever been to, but that’s not how they feel when they leave,” Hanson explained. “They leave saying, ‘Oh my God the energy in here is amazing, and I’ve met so many different people from all over the world.’”
Would I go to The Dinah again in the future? Definitely. It was so much fun, but it was also so much more than just a five-day party. I’m usually on the quieter side, but the sun-filled weekend had me chatting away with some really nice women who were ready to break bread together, hang out around the pool with me, and make sure that I was having a great time.
I encourage anyone who has ever thought about going to the Dinah to just take the leap and go. As an introverted writer, I was able to make new friends and have a lot of fun with women of all ages from around the world. I now understand the comments about the energy being so positive and amazing and loved how everyone who attended The Dinah came together in such a supportive community environment. I was able to come out of my shell, relax, enjoy the wonderful group of women, and create new memories that will remain with me for a lifetime.