Dinah Shore Weekend, the world's largest lesbian party - also seen in season 1 of the American hit drama The L Word, was held this year from March 28 to April 1. Every spring the event is hosted at a high-end Palm Springs resort and in recent years over 10,000 women have been coming to take part - making the scene all the hotter! www.thedinah.com

★ For a photo report on The Dinah 2009, follow the link here.

★ For information on The Dinah's 2009 lineup, plus an interview with organizer Mariah Hanson, follow the link here.

★ For the 2008 Dinah Shore report, click here.

Originally started in 1991 by three lesbians, at first Dinah Shore drew in roughly 700 women and gained notoriety with each passing year by word of mouth. Since its appearance on The L Word in 2004, fans from throughout the Unites States, as well as from around the world, have been rushing in throngs to its venue, a high-class resort tucked away neatly in the mountains - making the event an even greater hit than ever. Despite fears that the soiree would lose some of its force last year after discord between the organizers resulted in a break - into two simultaneously scheduled events, a record-breaking 10,000 women converged at the venue. Dinah Shore has gained much attention in media in recent years, including coverage by the French cable network Canal Plus and the Japanese magazine Marie Claire.

Women making their way to the event run a broad range of ages, from teenagers to middle-aged adults. Many guests also come from more conservative regions in the United States and can be seen at the bash reveling in a rare weekend of uninhibited expression, righteously living up this once-yearly celebration. The event itself includes a pool party, the White Party - where dress code called for all guests to arrive in white, and concerts, among many other things. For a full five days, the town is overrun by women in bikinis, with every last hotel sold out. Palm Springs' economy is visibly invigorated by the formidable power of the lesbian dollar.