Category: Deserts

Year after year, car camping is one of the most popular overnight options festival goers use for a night’s rest after long hours at the Coachella Festival. Thursday before Coachella Weekend one and two is often referred to as ‘Day Zero,’ where guests are allowed to settle into their camping spots, with a select few events happening for campers, prior to the festival starting. There are four ways campers can stay overnight in the car camping and preferred car camping area, tent camping, and camping on Lake Eldorado. According to Coachella.com, camping prices can range anywhere from $149 all the way to $11,000 for top tier Safari Camping. Many of the campers I spoke to drove in from areas like San Francisco, San Diego, and some even coming in from out of state.  

The Friends of Palm Springs Animal Shelter (FPSAS) is excited to announce the upcoming opening of the Desert Wildlife Center in Indio in Fall 2024. The Desert Wildlife Center (DWC) will serve as a safe refuge for sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife needing medical treatment and rehabilitation, according to their website. Slated to open later this year at the site of the former Wild Bird Center in Indio, DWC will initially serve wild birds, and with plans to accept both reptiles and mammals in the future. For more information on the DWC opening, you can go to www.psanimalshelter.org.

As a Kiwanis Club of Palm Springs member and retired PSUSD administrator, Tony Lopes has a heart for giving back to kids. Lopes created the annual Kiwanis Club of Palm Springs Youth Baseball clinic, which is free for kids ages 8 to 16. Now in it’s 10th year, this year is the first to include a clinic for kids with special needs. The baseball clinic covers all key skills from hitting and pitching to defense and team dynamics. The kids will be taught by former major league LA Dodgers players Derrel Thomas and Rudy Law. From mastering the perfect swing to conquering the mound- it’s an opportunity for the kids to grow, both as players and individuals.

Restoration work continues at the Plaza Theater in Palm Springs, and officials announced the discovery of some hidden design treasures dating back to the 1930’s. The centerpiece of the discoveries was the original decorative stencil work adoring the proscenium, dating back more than three decades to the Palm Springs Follies era. The leaders of the project say this will help them restore the theater to its original look.

Circle K springs into saving with a .40 cents off per gallon during the ‘Fuel Day Pop-Up’ event. This Super Spring Savings at the pump lasts for three hours across west coast locations on until tomorrow, April 11th. The event goes from 4pm to 7pm.

This new festival is the first of it’s kind on the west end of the Valley during Coachella weekend’s. Similarly to any other music festival, the promoter has released a line-up of performers who will take stage on Saturday April 13th and Sunday April 14th, with a different set of artists performing the following Saturday and Sunday. According to workers at the Palm Springs Surf Club, all attractions will open starting Thursday. These include a wave pool, a heated lazy river, and additional surrounding pools. Guests can make reservations on the website, but those interested in tickets for the Goldenvoice Music Festival can purchase those tickets through Goldenvoice.

The Palm Springs Animal Shelter held it’s annual “Faux Fur Ball” Saturday night at the Palm Springs Air Museum. It’s one of the shelter’s biggest fundraising events, winning best non-profit fundraiser in the Valley several years in a row. In an exciting announcement, the Palm Springs Animal Shelter board said its re-opening the former “Coachella Valley Wild Bird Center” in Indio.

Aaron Jay Young, who moved to Palm Springs from Los Angeles three years ago hosted the book signing for his first coffee table book at the Shops at 1345 in Palm Springs. The book, “Queen” features images of the nations leading drag performers. Trixie Mattel, namesake of Palm Springs own “Trixie Hotel”, Shangela, and Bob the Drag Queen, all appear in the book. The pictures were taken over the course of several years at RuPaul’s DragCon.

The Palm Desert Chick-fil-A opened its doors two years ago, and it soon may have a companion. A new Chick-fil-A location is currently being proposed in Palm Springs off of Ramon Road and Gene Autry Trail. The restaurant will have a three lane drive through as well as indoor and outdoor seating. Just like when the Palm Desert location was proposed, the project is receiving mixed reaction, some celebrating the move, others sharing concerns about traffic, pollution and anti-LGBTQ+ support. According to the Palm Springs Planning Division they say, “The project will require a public hearing before the Planning Commission for the Conditional Use Permit and Major Development Permit applications, followed by review by the Architectural Review Committee for the Major Architectural Review application.  The project has not been scheduled for a Planning Commission hearing at this time.” They also add that this project is currently on hold while the new tenant and the shopping center owner finalize lease terms.

This is where fashion meets philanthropy. Desert Best Friend’s Closet’s Annual Fashion Show, where this local non-profit recently turned Agua Caliente Casino into a catwalk. Matt McElroy is Director of Development with Desert Best Friend’s Closet. Now in it’s 10th year, Desert Best Friend’s Closet’s Fashion Show is helping people put their best shoe forward, while inspiring hope on and off the runway. This story was written and reported by Kai Beech. 

L.A. Marler held a special trunk show. The Palm Springs Art Museum features a mid-century collection of vintage suitcases. And she also showcased some handmade small batch gifts including limited edition art blocks of her typewriter and camera art.  

First Friday returned to El Paseo last week. El Paseo Design District featured local interior designers, home decor and consignment shops for visitors. Other artists were also on display as classic cars cruised the streets, including the new Shoe Angel featuring an original stiletto metal shoe sculpture by local artist Karen Barone, that was unveiled.

Seniors from Coachella Valley Senior Centers had a “whale” of a time Saturday morning. My Jump!, a non-profit based in La Quinta, took the seniors to Dana Point, where they boarded a private charter run by Captain Dave’s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari. On board, they got to view marine life in the ship’s “eye-to-eye underwater viewing pods”. “My Jump!” has been fulfilling bucket list wishes for low or fixed income senior citizens across the country for over 10 years.

In 2007, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States was commemorated with a Forever Stamp from the United States Postal Service. It went on sale nationwide starting both here in Rancho Mirage, and in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Fast forward 17 years later, his wife, former first lady Betty Ford is being commemorated for her work with her own Forever Stamp. This story was written and reported by Tiani Jadulang. 

It was a day many science and space enthusiasts have been waiting for. The total solar eclipse. 32 million Americans were in the direct path of totality, meaning the moon appeared to entirely block the sun. However, for the rest of the country, a partial eclipse was visible with only part of the sun going dark.

The 3rd Annual Desert Challenge Golf Tournament is being held today. The event honors the 13 US service members killed in the Kabul Airport Attack in 2021. Benefits of the tournament go towards the Folds of Honor organization and the Hunter Lopez Memorial Foundation.

If you’re a business owner looking to tap into government contracts, there’s an upcoming event just for you. The Coachella Valley Local Government Vendor Fair is being held April 17th at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Organizers hope it will demystify the process of securing public agency contracts and enhance local business engagement with government entities. The event will run from 9am to 12pm, and you must register online beforehand. You can do so at www.eventbrite.com.

The desert tortoise, the only tortoise native to Southern California, is listed as a threatened species. After visiting the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and learning about the reptile, a nine year old decided she wanted to make a difference.

A street in Indio temporarily closed today after a trash track collided with an archway. According to officials, the truck was traveling southbound on Madison when it collided with the arch, which was damaged and slightly collapsed. No driver was injured but debris from the arch stopped southbound traffic as crews evaluated the damage.

It’s a text messaging system designed to collect feedback following non-life threatening interactions with law enforcement. It aims to strengthen community relations by sending out surveys to gather insight on public experiences with police. The surveys will be sent out hours or days post-incident.

The search for a new superintendent for Coachella Valley Unified School District is underway. Dr. Luis Valentino announced his resignation this week. Dr. Valentino beamce CVUSD’s Superintendent in 2021, and was contracted through 2025. However, his last day will be June 30th. Board members accepted Dr. Valentino’s resignation after conducting a procedural vote. No reason for his early departure was given.