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Matzner Tank Pavilion Honors Our Veterans

November 11, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Honoring our Veterans at the Matzner Tank Pavilion

The Matzner Tank Pavilion opened six years ago on Veteran’s Day in 2017 at the General Patton Museum in the Coachella Valley. The Pavilion is …

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Categories Palm Springs

Palm Springs International Film Festival unveils its 2024 poster- designed by Shag!

October 23, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Palm Springs International Film Festival unveils its 2024 poster- designed by Shag!

This week, we unveiled this year’s stylish poster- designed by Palm Springs art star Shag! Thisyear’s design is inspired by our desert’s mid-century modern aesthetics, …

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Categories Film Festival, Palm Springs

Local Wildlife Spotted at Spencer’s Restaurant

October 5, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Local Wildlife Spotted at Spencer’s Restaurant

It’s not uncommon to see animals at Spencer’s Restaurant. Not only are we dog-friendly, butwe’re named after Harold Matzner’s beloved husky, Spencer! What is uncommon …

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Categories Spencer's

Join Us For “One Night Only” – “Las Vegas: The Golden Age, 1950-1970” at the McCallum

September 6, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Join Us For “One Night Only” – “Las Vegas: The Golden Age, 1950-1970” at the McCallum

As immediate past chairperson, Harold Matzner along with the rest of McCallum Board and Producer Michael Childers invite you to this year’s “One Night Only” …

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Categories McCallum

Palm Springs Life’s Best of the Best honors Spencer’s Restaurant in three categories

August 1, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Palm Springs Life’s Best of the Best honors Spencer’s Restaurant in three categories

Readers of Palm Springs Life Magazine voted for their favorite local businesses in 24 categories and Spencer’s Restaurant won in three categories: Best Fine Dining, …

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Categories Palm Springs, Spencer's

Spencer’s Restaurant named one of America’s 100 Best Outdoor Dining Destinations

July 24, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Spencer’s Restaurant named one of America’s 100 Best Outdoor Dining Destinations

Online reservations site OpenTable has named 100 U.S. restaurants that take the cake foroutdoor dining- and we’re honored that Spencer’s made the list for the second year …

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Categories Palm Springs, Spencer's

Save the Date for the 2024 Awards Gala

July 18, 2023 by Harold Matzner
26th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala - After Party

Harold Matzner would like to invite you to the 2024 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala! Next year’s gala will be held on Thursday, …

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Categories Film Festival, Palm Springs

Harold Matzner Congratulates ShortFest 2023 Winners!

July 13, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Harold Matzner and Steve Wilson at the Palm Springs International ShortFest

The 29th Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest closed in late June after a wonderful week celebrating short film. The 2023 festival screened 299 films across …

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Categories Film Festival

Harold Matzner Joins the Muses and Patroness Circle of McCallum Theatre for “Muses in Wonderland”

June 27, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Harold Matzner at the McCallum Theater

In late April, Harold Matzner joined the Muses and Patroness Circle of McCallum Theatre for their 35th Annual On-Stage Birthday Luncheon. In appreciation for his …

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Categories McCallum

What makes ShortFest truly “a filmmaker’s festival”?

June 22, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Harold Matzner at the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival

Our Palm Springs International ShortFest is the largest short film festival and market in North America.  By providing exposure, connections, and education for filmmakers, the …

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Categories Film Festival, Palm Springs

2023 Palm Springs International ShortFest is on NOW!

June 21, 2023 by Harold Matzner
2023 Palm Springs International ShortFest is on NOW!

Harold Matzner would like to invite you to The Palm Springs International ShortFest, which starts today! View the lineup for ShortFest which runs from June …

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Categories Film Festival, Palm Springs

Harold Matzner Retires as Chairman of McCallum Theatre

April 26, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Theatre

After 17 years of service, Harold Matzner has announced his retirement as Chairman of the McCallum Theater. Harold will continue to work with the theater …

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Categories McCallum

Harold Matzner Receives Key to City at Palm Springs 85th Anniversary Celebration

April 20, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Harold Matzner Receives Key to City at Palm Springs 85th Anniversary Celebration

April 8th – Following the conclusion of the City’s “Cruising Through the Years” 85th Anniversary Classic Car Parade, Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner presented Harold …

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Categories Palm Springs

Harold Matzner Helps Celebrate Palm Springs’ 85th Anniversary

April 7, 2023 by Harold Matzner
Harold Matzner Helps Celebrate Palm Springs’ 85th Anniversary

Happy 85th Birthday, Palm Springs! This Saturday, April 8th, join Harold Matzner at the Palm Springs 85th Anniversary Classic Car Parade. The “Cruising Through the …

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Categories Palm Springs

Harold Matzner Retires as Palm Springs Film Festival Chairman

April 4, 2023 by Harold Matzner

After 20 years of service, Harold Matzner has announced his retirement as the Chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival. He is handing over …

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Harold Matzner
Entrepreneur, humanitarian, and philanthropist, Harold Matzner, has made his home in the desert for more than 30 years. The owner of Palm Spring’s popular Spencer’s Restaurant and CEO of a NY/NJ based branding, advertising and marketing company, Harold is credited with revitalizing the Palm Springs International Film Festival and founding the successful business concept of targeted “shared mail”.
In 2017, the year of his 80th birthday, Harold was one of the eleven men and women selected nationally by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a member and inducted by Judge Clarence Thomas in the courtroom of the United States Supreme Court. Harold was also honored with a special 24-standard page birthday section in the The Desert Sun and a two-part front page story in Palm Springs Life in the November and December editions. He was honored in November 2017 by the General Patton Memorial Museum with the dedication of the Matzner Tank Pavilion and three World War II operating tanks, and in the same month was honored by the McCallum Theatre for 10 years of service as Chairman and for being the first person to give the Theatre $5 million or more.
He also rescued and revived the world famous Palm Springs Tennis Club and turned its lunchroom into Spencer’s, one of the City’s hottest see-and-be-seen restaurants. Spencer’s is named after his beloved 110-pound Siberian husky. Mr. Matzner is in his 11th year as the Chairman of the Board of the McCallum Theatre, his 14th year as Chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, and is the long-time Executive Vice Chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Eisenhower Medical Center and Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. He also chairs several charity fundraising events each year.
He has received many awards from the charities that he supports. He has been honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals as the “Philanthropist of the Year”, and for the past six years he has served as Honorary Chair of the local National Philanthropy Day event. He has also been recognized by Gilda’s Club as the “Man of the Year”, by the McCallum Muses as “Man of the Year”, the City of Palm Springs with the “Richard M. Milanovich Community Service Award”, as “Angel of the Year” by Angel View Children’s Foundation, as “Businessperson of the Year” by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Waring “Lifetime Achievement Award”, “Richard M. Milanovich Humanitarian Award” by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and by Desert Samaritan’s as “Samaritan of the Year”, and will be honored in May by the Coachella Valley Symphony, to name a few. Mr. Matzner has been a benefactor to many other non-profits, both here and on the East coast.
Mr. Matzner is one of the Palm Springs valley’s largest donors to philanthropy and has contributed more than $70 million to area non-profits since 2000. Among the many local charities benefiting from his philanthropic efforts are the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center, AIDS Assistance Program, Desert Symphony, American Cancer Society, The Living Desert, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, Coachella Valley Symphony, General Patton Memorial Museum, ACT for MS, College of the Desert, Eisenhower Medical Center, Desert AIDS Project, Desert Cancer Foundation, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Jewish Family Services of the Desert, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), StandWithUs, Neuro Vitality Center, Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, Temple Isaiah, Bighorn BAM (Behind a Miracle), Tools for Tomorrow, Palm Springs Air Museum, Mizell Senior Center, Well in the Desert, FIND Food Bank, Pegasus Riding Academy, LGBTQ The Center, Equality California, and the Human Rights Campaign.
He is credited with the key leadership role in creating Palm Springs’ Measure J (a 1% sales tax increase that has helped to fund a $200 million downtown revitalization program, while providing an additional surplus of $12 million per year to rebuild the city’s infrastructure). He is a community activist. He earns no money from any of his activities in Palm Springs, including his restaurant, Spencer’s.
Mr. Matzner’s star is located at the foot of his friend Sonny Bono’s statue in the heart of Palm Springs.

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Harold Matzner

In 2017, the year of his 80th birthday, Harold was one of the eleven men and women selected nationally by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans as a member and inducted by Judge Clarence Thomas.

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Recent Posts

  • A statement from the family of Harold Matzner September 10, 2025
  • Harold Matzner, Legendary Desert Philanthropist and Business Visionary, Dies at 88 in Palm Springs September 5, 2025
  • Spencer’s Restaurant Honored in Palm Springs Life’s Best of the Best Competition For The Third Year In A Row August 8, 2025
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