Palms Playhouse

Location

Winters Opera House

13 Main St.

Winters, CA 95694

Hours

Depends on showtimes

Phone

(530)795-1825

Website

http://palmsplayhouse.com/

Palms Playhouse (or just "The Palms") is a concert venue that primarily hosts folk/bluegrass/Americana performances. Past performers include the Mad Cow String Band, Mumbo Gumbo, Janis Ian, Tom Rush, Dar Williams, the Waifs, and the Nields. KVMR occasionally broadcasts live shows from The Palms on their On the Road Live program.

Once located in an old barn off of Cowell and Drummond in Davis, it moved to the Winters Opera House in late 2002 to make room for new housing developments. Other locations in Davis were considered, such as the Varsity Theatre and Historic City Hall, but renovation costs were too prohibitive. Despite the lack of heating and cooling, the rickety folding chairs, and general lack of space, musicians and their fans returned to the old Palms again and again for over 27 years. Activist songwriter Utah Phillips performed at the final concert on August 24, though the real star that night was manager Dave Fleming as he took the stage one last time to say farewell to the old shack.

The new Palms seats about 220 people and is fully heated and air-conditioned. Located in downtown Winters, shopping and dining are just steps away from the venue. Dave still mans the ticket box at the entrance and announces the night's performers. Tickets are available at Armadillo Music with a $1.25 service charge and at the door (only if show isn't sold out in advance) with no service charge. Other ticket outlets outside of Davis are listed on the website.

The following refreshments are available:

• Bottled water, snacks, soda, coffee, tea — $1.50
  

• Beer — $3+
  

• Wine — $5+

Shows are technically 21-and-over due to the bar. The Palms has been "working diligently" to become all-ages again ever since it moved to Winters. That said, the age restriction is apparently never enforced.

The closing of The Palms was featured on an episode of California Heartland on PBS and was the cover story in the August 22, 2004 issue of Sacramento News & Review¹. The Palms Playhouse Documentary Project has more historical information.

The Palms in 2001, before razing. The namesake palms are in the center of the photo, casting an afternoon shadow across the parking lot.

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