It's Time for Pride and Leather Pride!

It's one of the Desert's most celebratory times of the year, with Palm Springs Pride this weekend and Leather Pride next! Read on for everything that we've got going on, plus learn about some temporary changes to our regular activities.

Palm Springs Pride

This weekend is Palm Springs Pride and we're involved in a big way! Visit us at our booth in Fetish in the Outfield and pick up a DFA magnet or patch or march with us in the parade. Here's the latest:

Fetish in the Outfield

Come join the second annual Palm Springs Pride Leather Realm set within the Palm Springs Pride Festival. This year's Festival takes place from 11 am - 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday, November 2 and 3, at Palm Springs Stadium. Tickets are $15 each day or $25 for a weekend pass. Seniors (60+), youth 12-17 and students (18-24 with ID) can get in for $10.

The final workshop schedule has just been released. Here's what's on tap:

Saturday Workshop Schedule

All Day
Flogging and Toy Table by Blu and Olga

11:30-12:30
Puppy Play by Miss Vonn and Pup
Talk Dirty to Me by Mr. Dawson and Jacob Hale
Sensual Spanking by Madison and Denise

12:30-1:30
Role Play - Let's Pretend by Naria
Protocol Dynamics at Play by Madison and Denise

1:30-2:30
Percussion Play / Body Punching by Mr. Dawson and Drew Kramer
Primal Energy Play by Wish Linda

2:30-3:30
Erotic Spanking by Michael and Alex
Sexuality and Spirituality by Rev. Clinton Crawshaw
Interrogation by Naria

3:30-4:30
Mummification by Michael and Alex
Bondage Rope Demo by JT and Dick Geist

4:30-5:30
Boot Blacking 101 by Keith Heisz (Fuzzy Buns)
It's All in Your Mind - Or Is It? by Drew Kramer

Sunday Workshop Schedule

1:00-2:00
Erotic Spanking by Michael and Alex
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down (Bondage) by Steven Canale

2:00-3:00
Do You Like It Rough? by Wish Linda
Art of the Cane by Peter Fiske and Jacob Hale
Pervertables by Karen Yew

3:00-4:00
It's All in Your Mind: Mind Games by Drew Kramer
Violet Wand by Truly Shae

4:00-5:00
Boot Blacking 101 by Keith Heisz (Fuzzy Buns)
Single-tail Whipping Practice by Peter Fiske

5:00-6:00
Mummification by Michael and Alex
Predicament Play by Karen Yew

DFA Pride Parade Contingent

Come on out and march with DFA and other local fetish/affiliate groups (PSLOD, FetishMenSanDiego, Desire, Bears of Coachella Valley, and The Barracks) in this year's Palm Springs Pride Parade.

Here's the latest marching info:

We are contingent 106.

Parade Step Off - 10:00 am on Sunday November 3

Parade Route - Starts at W. Baristo Rd. and travels the Rainbow mile north along Palm Canyon Drive to Tamarisk Rd.

Check-In - Arrive at or after 9:30am. Jim Neff will check us in, so just go right to the staging area.

Staging Area - Enter the staging area at E. Camino Parocela and S. Palm Canyon Dr. This is the only way to enter the staging area. Note - W. Ramon Rd will be closed from S. Belardo Rd to S. Indian Canyon Dr.

Parking - Parking is limited near the staging area. Please park along the parade route and walk to the staging area.

Daylight Savings Time Ends - Don’t forget! Clocks turn back one hour at 2 am on Sunday.

The following rules will be in force during the parade:

The Palm Springs City Ordinance (11.10.040) prohibiting public nudity on public or private property open to view from any public area will be strictly enforced.
No tossing or throwing of items from parade entries into the crowd, in accordance with Palm Springs City Ordinance.

For more info on the parade please check out: http://pspride.org/2013-parade/.

Leather Pride!

Next weekend, November 7-10, our brothers at PSLOD are hosting Leather Pride! Get the complete schedule and buy your weekend package at DesertLeatherPride.com. Weekend package sales end on November 4, so don't miss out!

DFA Leather Pride Erotic Reading

The tradition continues! Once again Alex Ironrod offers the premiere reading of his latest BDSM mystery at Gear Leather & Fetish as a salute to Palm Springs’ Leather Pride and Gay Pride Weekends. This year, the free in-store event will be at 6 pm on Wednesday, November 6. After the reading, Alex will chat with the audience and sign copies of his books. (Books will also be for sale. Please bring cash!)

LEATHER DAYS is Alex’s second novel involving two young LAPD homicide detectives - Mark Farrell and Dan Fortunato. They are both professional police partners and private gay men trying to sort out their complicated personal BDSM relationship.

This time a gay body-builder is found dead – naked, roped and raped in his LA apartment. Is it an accident, suicide or murder?

Can Mark and Dan track down the murderous kingpin? What price must they be prepared to pay to find the answers to their case and also to their own desires?

Join us for a clue or two, plus lots of fun and fellowship!

DFA Schedule Changes

Due to all of the upcoming Leather Pride activities, there will be no November Planning Session.

November's Book Club session is being replaced with Alex's Leather Pride Reading at Gear (see above).

And finally, because the first November Discussion Group session and Tool Shed Night coincide with the Back Lot Party and Vendor Market at the Tool Shed (Friday, November 8 from 7 pm - 2 am), we're encouraging everyone to join us at that event instead!