James 'Gypsy' Haake, Trixie Mattel and Ethylina Canne to lead Palm Springs Pride Parade

This year's Greater Palm Springs Pride Parade honorees align well with the event's "Drag, Now, Drag Forever" theme.

Greater Palm Springs Pride announced Wednesday that James "Gypsy" Haake will be the 2023 Pride Parade Grand Marshal, Trixie Motel owner and entertainer Trixie Mattel will be the Celebrity Grand Marshal and Ethylina Canne will be the Community Grand Marshal.

Haake began his career in 1951 on Broadway and performed in the Upper East Side cabaret Gypsy's and became prominent as the Master of Ceremonies of "La Cage aux Folles." In 2014, he came out of retirement to host a celebrity female impersonator show at Oscar's in Palm Springs, which ran until 2019 and continues to perform at 91.

Mattel, known as a former contestant and winner of "RuPaul's Drag Race," is an internationally recognized singer, actor, drag queen and entrepreneur. In 2019, Mattel launched the cosmetics line Trixie Cosmetics and opened Trixie Motel in Palm Springs in 2022.

As a comedian, actress, hostess and more, Canne began her career in the mid-'90s at the San Francisco drag club Trannyshack, which is now known as the T-shack, and has since performed at venues such as the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, the Steve Chase Awards and the Palm Springs Equality Awards.

When and where is the parade?

The Palm Springs Pride Parade, featuring over 200 parade contingents, starts at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5 and starts at Tachevah and Palm Canyon Drive, then continues south along Palm Canyon Drive.

The broader pride festival runs Nov. 3-5 in multiple downtown Palm Springs areas such as Palm Canyon Drive between Amado Road and Baristo Road, on the streets around the downtown park on Museum Way and the Arenas district between Indian Canyon Drive and South Calle Encilia.

Its four venues are the Hornitos Main Stage on Palm Canyon Drive at Amado, the Community Stage on Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Way, the Oscar's Pride Stage on Tahquitz Canyon Way and Indian Canyon Drive, and the KGAY / White Party Global Stage in the Arenas District at S. Calle Encilia.

The festival is free to attend.

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Trixie Mattel and more announced as Palm Springs Pride Parade marshals