Palm Springs Pride looks for more volunteers as annual event draws near

Palm Springs Pride, the yearly event that celebrates diversity and inclusion in the Coachella Valley, needs more volunteers.

Event organizers say tens of thousands of visitors attend the event each year. They say they need significant volunteer support to make sure the festival stays safe and organized.

Last year, 320 volunteers helped staff the event. This year, coordinators say they expect an increase in attendance because of the election, which means they're looking for 400 volunteers.

As of today, they've filled 300 of those 400 positions.

"Well, I hate to say that we're down 100 volunteers. [There's] 100 more that we need. It's not unusual, but I would feel much more comfortable if we had more people signed up and that we knew that all the shifts were going to be filled," says Mitch Battersby, the Director of Volunteers for Palm Springs Pride.

The Palm Springs Pride festival begins on Thursday, October 31st, and ends on Sunday, November 3rd. The parade also takes place on Sunday, November 3rd at 10:00 a.m.

Organizers are confident they'll reach their goal before the event starts, but urges the public to not sign up at the last minute.

"So at this point, you know, we know we're going to get those volunteers. We've got a month left. Let's please don't let this make us wait until last week. That's frustrating," says Candy Bean, the Volunteer Coordinator with Palm Springs Pride, with a laugh.

If you want to sign up to be a volunteer, you can visit Palm Springs Pride's Eventeny page, or the Palm Springs Pride website.