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Palm Springs Life Names Spencer’s Best of the Best Outdoor Dining 2022

October 20, 2022 by Harold Matzner
Palm Springs Life Names Spencer’s Best of the Best Outdoor Dining 2022

We are so honored to see Spencer’s named on Palm Springs Life’s list of Best of the Best Outdoor Dining Spaces! Readers voted on their …

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Categories Blog Tags coachella valley, harold matzner, palm springs international film fest, spencers

Worth a Read: 50 Moments That Shaped Greater Palm Springs

October 6, 2022 by Harold Matzner
Worth a Read: 50 Moments That Shaped Greater Palm Springs

Palm Springs Life Magazine published a wonderful article this month: “50 Moments That Shaped Greater Palm Springs.”  As the list travels through history, you can …

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Categories Blog Tags coachella valley, palm springs, philanthropist, Sonny Bono

Join us for this year’s “One Night Only” – “New York, New York” at the McCallum

September 29, 2022 by Harold Matzner
Join us for this year's "One Night Only" - "New York" at the McCallum

Harold and the McCallum Board along with Michael Childers invite you to this year’s  “One Night Only.” We are celebrating the 16th year in the …

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Categories Blog Tags coachella valley, harold matzner, new york new york, palm springs, philanthropist

Spencer’s Named One of the 22 Best Palm Springs Restaurants by U.S. News and World Report

September 7, 2022 by Harold Matzner
Spencer’s Named One of the 22 Best Palm Springs Restaurants by U.S. News and World Report

A toast from Spencer’s and Harold Matzner! 🍸 U.S. News and World Report has named their picks for the top 22 restaurants in Palm Springs …

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Categories Blog Tags coachella valley, palm springs, philanthropist, spencer's restaurant, spencers

Palm Springs International Film Awards Gala Tables, Seats & Passes Are Now on Sale

August 30, 2022 by Harold Matzner
Palm Springs International Film Awards Gala Tables, Seats & Passes Are Now on Sale

After two years off due to Covid, the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala is back and tables, seats, and passes are all on …

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Categories Blog Tags charity, coachella valley, harold matzner, palm springs, philanthropy

“Harold Matzner: The Brilliant Enigma” from Palm Springs Life Magazine

August 9, 2022August 8, 2022 by Harold Matzner
“Harold Matzner: The Brilliant Enigma” from Palm Springs Life Magazine

Part 2 of Palm Springs Life Magazine’s profile of Harold Matzner focuses on the Palm Springs International Film Festival. With quotes from colleagues, fellow board …

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Categories Blog Tags charity, coachella valley, harold matzner, palm springs, philanthropist, philanthropy

Renée Zellweger to Receive Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Top Actress Award

November 12, 2019 by Harold Matzner

Accomplished actress Renée Zellweger is receiving praise for her role as Judy Garland as the Palm Springs International Film Festival will award her with the …

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Categories Press Tags coachella valley, harold matzner, judy, judy garland, palm springs, palm springs international film fest, renee zellweger

Coachella Valley Philanthropist Ronald Auen, Who Led Berger and Auen Foundations, Dies

November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 by Harold Matzner

Coachella Valley mourned the loss of Ronald Auen, one of the area’s biggest philanthropists. Harold Matzner, fellow philanthropist and Chairman of The Palm Springs International …

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Categories Press Tags coachella valley, harold matzner, mccallum theatre, palm springs, palm springs international film fest, ronald auen

Creating Change

October 31, 2019 by Harold Matzner

Reception honors outstanding philanthropic individuals, businesses, and organizations making a difference in the Coachella Valley. A private event was held to honor the nominees for …

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Categories Press Tags coachella valley, harold matzner, National Philanthropy Day, palm springs, philanthropist, spencer's restaurant

Dining Out for Life Greater Palm Springs 2018 raises $280,000

October 22, 2018 by Harold Matzner

Spencer’s Restaurant, Lulu California Bistro, and Trio raised a combined $61,679 for the Dining Out For Life Coachella Valley initiative, in which 10,000 Coachella Valley residents came out strong …

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Categories Press Tags coachella valley, Desert AIDS Project, dining out for life, harold matzner, Lulu california bistro, spencer's restaurant

Dinner in the Canyons

October 22, 2018October 22, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The 2018-2019 Coachella Valley social season got its unofficial kick-off with the 27th annual “Dinner In The Canyons,” hosted by The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.  …

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Categories Press Tags agua caliente, Cahuilla Indians, coachella valley, dinner in the canyons, harold matzner, lulu's

One Night Only Nears $2 Million For JFS Desert

May 15, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The McCallum Theatre hosted the JFS Desert’s “One Night Only” finale, which is one of three fundraisers meant to benefit the non-profit that provides critically …

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Categories Press Tags "one night only", coachella valley, Jewish Family Service of the Desert, jfs desert, mccallum theatre

Lights, Camera, Action ACT For MS Goes Hollywood

May 15, 2018 by Harold Matzner

Coachella Valley Philanthropists Sarah and Leo Milmet were honored at the Annual ACT for Multiple Sclerosis gala, which featured a 1950’s “Hooray for Hollywood” themed …

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Categories Press Tags act for ms, annual act for multiple sclerosis, auen foundation, coachella valley, conboy foundation, harold matzner, hooray for hollywood, philanthropists

25th Anniversary Gala Evening Under The Stars

May 15, 2018 by Harold Matzner

One of Coachella Valley’s long-running and most popular events, The AAP – Food Samaritans 25th Annual Gala, Evening Under the Stars, took place at the Palm …

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Categories Press Tags aap, aap food samaritans, coachella valley, harold matzner, palm springs, spencers

‘Stars Among Us’ Shine For Mizell Senior Center

April 10, 2018April 9, 2018 by Harold Matzner

The Palm Springs Air Museum hosted the Mizell Senior Center’s 13th Annual “Stars Among Us Gala,” which was produced and directed by Frank Goldstin of …

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Categories Press Tags coachella valley, harold matzner, meals on wheels, Mizell Senior Center, palm springs air museum, stars among us
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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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