From the frontlines of LGBTQ+ activism in San Francisco to the glitter-glazed streets of Palm Springs, Jeff Hocker is so much more than an event producer. Swapping out the megaphones for microphones, Hocker is fearlessly fueling the movement through celebration and joy. The visionary behind some of Palm Spring’s most iconic festivities like Halloween on Arenas and Cinco de Mayo, Hocker blends jubilation with justice, glitter with grit. With a career that began alongside legends like Cleve Jones and Gilbert Baker, he’s spent decades turning parties into platforms and dance floors into declarations.

This year, his signature Halloween street soiree is upping its game, expanding into a full weekend experience with two distinct nights of revelry. On Friday Hocker is serving up MASKED, a costume-clad fête, and Saturday is UNMASKED, a deliciously uninhibited tribute to leather, fetish, and foxy fantasy. The Blade sat down with Hocker to talk about his journey and how joy itself can be a radical act of resistance in and of itself.

You’ve been a driving force behind some of Palm Springs’ most iconic events, like Halloween and Cinco de Mayo. What first drew you to this path, and how did you get started in the world of event production?

I actually grew up in the Bay Area and then moved to San Francisco. Early on, I became friends with people like Cleve Jones and Gilbert Baker. We put together the first Pink Saturday in San Francisco, and from there, we helped launch the city’s Halloween celebration. Eventually, we were all busy with different projects, so we passed it along to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

One day, I saw a job listing in the paper that said, “Travel the world, promote Palm Springs.” I thought, “That’s me.” My friends had always said, “All you do is talk about Palm Springs—you should be getting paid to promote it.” So for four years, I traveled internationally to promote all aspects of Palm Springs.

After that whirlwind, I started my own business and returned to event production. I produced major events like Idyllwild Jazz in the Pines and was executive producer for Opera in the Park, which still happens today. I began developing my own events too, which gave me the freedom to work with the people and brands I believe in.

About 12 years ago, Dick Castcamp, a local bar owner in the Arenas District (who has since passed), approached me and said, “Jeff, we need you to take over Halloween.” The event had plateaued and needed someone with vision to elevate it, and showcase the district. That’s when Halloween Palm Springs became what it is today. We’ve grown it every year, bringing in Grammy-winning artists like Thelma Houston and Evelyn “Champagne” King. It’s not just a costume party – it’s a full-on world-class experience.

Halloween on Arenas is legendary – not just for costumes, but for drag shows, celebrity hosts, and even international porn stars. For those who’ve never been, what can they expect this year?

Halloween falls on a Friday this year for the first time in a while, so we’re making it a two-night event, and it also coincides with Leather Pride Weekend. We’ve themed the nights accordingly:

Friday, October 31st is MASKED – all about lavish costumes, masks, and our big costume contest.

Halloween on Arenas by Hocker Productions

Saturday, November 1st is UNMASKED – a leather, fetish, and fantasy street party. The street will fully transform overnight, and we’ll have some of the world’s top DJs like Hector Fonseca and Luciana, the Queen of Electro. They’ve both played circuit parties worldwide.

Halloween on Arenas by Hocker Productions

We’re calling it two nights of dance parties, because people come to dance. We’ll also have incredible culinary options, like TacoZarro, a kind of celebrity food truck chef who caters for Acrisure Arena and major events. And El Salvador Restaurant is coming too.

Friday’s lineup includes our costume contest (around 7:30 PM), followed by platinum-selling pop diva Dev – you probably know her from “Like a G6” and “In the Dark.” We also have DJ Juan from Beatbox SF, local favorite DJ Modgirl, and DJ Jeffrey. From start to finish, the street is going to be alive with music, energy, and celebration.

Palm Springs is evolving quickly, especially since COVID. How has the city’s changing scene shaped your events, and how have your events influenced that evolution?

When I worked for the Bureau of Tourism, the average age in Palm Springs was 58. Now it’s around 45. More people are moving here to open businesses, especially younger professionals from LA, San Diego, and New York.

The restaurant scene has exploded with chef-owned concepts, and the hotel industry is attracting investors who are completely renovating properties. We’re seeing more LGBTQ+ folks, of course, but also straight allies who want to be part of the vibrant, inclusive culture here.

It’s not just a retirement town anymore. There’s real opportunity, especially with things like the new College of the Desert West campus, which will offer programs in media and hospitality. That means local students can graduate and stay here, something that wasn’t possible before.

Switching gears – at a time when LGBTQ+ rights, especially trans rights, are under attack nationally, how do you see Palm Springs as a place of visibility and resistance?

I was fortunate to grow up in San Francisco and be around people like Cleve Jones, who taught me the power of civil disobedience and activism. I was in ACT UP. I worked on the first March on Washington. I was there when the gay choral movement started after Harvey Milk’s assassination.

Now, I sing with the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, and we use music as a form of social justice. Our community is under real threat again, particularly the trans community. Here in Palm Springs, we support them however we can – through clothing drives, visibility, advocacy.

I always say: when one group is targeted, others usually are too. Hate is rarely limited to one group. That’s why I work to bring people together – across race, religion, gender, identity – to stand against hate in all forms. That’s how we protect each other.

Speaking of activism, do you see celebrations that embrace joy in our community like Palm Springs’ Halloween on Arenas as a form of protest in themselves?

Absolutely. Joy is resistance. Visibility is resistance. Look at someone like Keith Haring. His graffiti and subway art were acts of protest. They made people feel something. That’s what art does. And I think joyful, unapologetic celebration is a form of protest too, especially when others try to silence or erase us.

Art has always been political. Take Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag. When people dance in the streets, unapologetically queer, proudly in costume -that’s protest. That’s defiance. That’s hope.

The arts are under attack. PBS, Lincoln Center, institutions that shaped American culture are being defunded or devalued. We need to fight for them. And we need to bring back the basics – telling our stories, marching, being out. Harvey Milk said, “Tell everyone you’re gay.” Because once people realize their neighbor, their doctor, their contractor is LGBTQ+, it changes hearts and minds.

Young people today often feel like, “We’ve won our rights.” But rights can be taken away. They need to know who Harvey Milk was. They need to understand Stonewall. Because if we forget, we risk repeating history.

You mentioned working with Cleve Jones. Could you share something about him that the public might not know?

In the early days of the Names Project, I worked alongside him doing press, coordinating volunteers. It was hard. San Francisco and New York were the epicenters of HIV/AIDS. We were losing people constantly.

Cleve knew the power of creativity. The AIDS Memorial Quilt wasn’t just art. It was healing. It gave mothers, siblings, and friends a way to grieve and feel seen. It built community. And even today, with HIV still impacting lives, we need something like that again, something creative and soul-nourishing to remind people this crisis isn’t over.

Not all activism is protest signs and rallies. Sometimes, it’s music, fabric, dancing in the streets in your full authentic self. That’s protest too. That’s power.

Looking back on Halloween past, any standout performances, wild moments, or costumes that have been etched into your mind rent-free for all time?

Absolutely. One of the most incredible performances was Thelma Houston. Her agent told me, “She’s 80, but she’ll blow your mind.” And wow! She performed like she was 25. Just amazing energy and professionalism.

As for costumes, one year we had a group called School of Fish. About 12 people dressed identically in fish costumes, complete with fins and bubble guns. They moved in formation through the crowd like they were swimming. It was magical! And surprisingly, they didn’t win. Edward Scissorhands took the crown that year. But the creativity every year continues to blow me away.

Halloween on Arenas/Photo courtesy of Jeff Hocker

With the national rise in anti-LGBTQ+ and especially anti-trans rhetoric and policy, how do you see Palm Springs as a beacon of resistance and visibility?

I was fortunate to come of age in San Francisco, working alongside people like Cleve Jones, who was a major part of the movement. I was involved in Act Up, the Names Project, and so many early HIV/AIDS protests. Civil disobedience was our tool. We marched, we organized, and we fought.

Now, in Palm Springs, we actively support our trans community with clothing drives, visibility events, and resource connections. We understand that hate rarely targets just one group. It’s intersectional. If they hate LGBTQ people, they also likely hate Black people, Jewish people, immigrants, and women’s rights.

My goal with events is to bring people together, to showcase joy as resistance, to build bridges, and to remind people: our power lies in community.

For folks who don’t throw events or have a big platform, do you have any advice for how they can participate in activism during the Halloween season?

Yes. Get engaged. Read up on local and national policies. Support political candidates who align with your values. Even a $1 donation helps. Volunteer. Show up. Protest.

And if you’re celebrating Halloween, do it loudly. Be creative, be bold. Wear costumes that send a message, or spark conversation. You never know who you might inspire.

Halloween on Arenas/Photo courtesy of Jeff Hocker

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