10 things to do in the Coachella Valley
The Coachella Valley is home to a number of events and activities to take part in this winter. If you're interested in filling your calendar, we've put together a list of 10 things happening this week.
To submit an event for consideration, send an email to niki.kottmann@desertsun.com with the time, date, location and price of admission, as well as a brief event description. Photos are not required but very encouraged as part of the submission. (Tip: To make sure your event jumps out in our inbox, put "10 things to do submission" in the email subject line.)
Check out the following events this week:
The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival
Ready to seek some thrills? Or just kick back with some date-centric treats? The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival is back, and this year's event features not only the classic carnival, monster trucks, rodeo, demo derby and agriculture competitions, but also live performances by Natasha Bedingfield, Smash Mouth, Voz De Mando Y Los Ex De La Banda and Diamond Rio.
When: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18 and Monday, Feb. 19; 3-10 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 20-23; and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25
Where: Riverside County Fairgrounds, 46-350 Arabia St., Indio
Tickets: $12 for general admission, $10 for kids, $40 for a season pass and $11 for seniors (concerts require additional ticket purchase, and prices vary)
More info: datefest.org
Modernism Week 2024
Architecture fans, it's your time to shine. Feb. 15 marked the official start of the desert's own 11-day festival celebrating all things mid-century modern, and several events still have tickets remaining. Enjoy your choice of home tours, architecture talks, parties and more at the 2024 edition of this popular annual event. Note: A portion of ticket proceeds benefit Modernism Week (the nonprofit) and other local preservation, neighborhood and community groups.
When: Now through Feb. 25
Where: Various locations across Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage and nearby desert communities
Cost: Various, with several free events open to the public
More info: modernismweek.com
Black History Committee Presents Palm Springs Black History Tour
Celebrate Black History Month by taking this special tour of the city led by the Palm Springs Black History Committee. This tour will introduce
eventogers to Black pioneers of the city, whose talents and perseverance overcame the prejudices of earlier times. You will see the works of renowned architect Paul R. Williams, which include the architecturally significant Town and Country Center (now planned for extensive renovation), and the landmark El Mirador Tower (which is also where Crossley had his office).
The tour will conclude at Desert Highland Gateway Estates — Palm Springs' first organized neighborhood — where community activists and athletes of worldwide repute have all lived.
When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19
Where: Pickup location is the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center, 480 Tramview Road, Palm Springs
Cost: $25 per person
More info: palmspringsblackhistory.org
Tastes & Sounds of Cathedral City
Looking for something fun to do on Tuesday evenings this season? Cathedral City recently unveiled a new weekly food and music event held every Tuesday at the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater. Every week features a new theme and will be headlined by a local artist that will perform while a local restaurant provides dinner. This week's performers are the students of the Cathedral City High School Choir.
When: 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 20
Where: Cathedral City Community Amphitheater, 68-526 Ave. Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City
Cost: Free admission with food available for purchase
More info: tastesandsounds.discovercathedralcity.com
Carrie St. Louis Live
Come see the Coachella Valley's own Broadway star live in concert. Former La Quinta High School student Carrie St. Louis went from winning the McCallum Theatre Open Call in 2004 to later starring as Glinda in the Broadway hit “Wicked,” solidifying her legacy as one of the desert's most talented exports. During her first local performance in years, she'll perform songs from her previous Broadway shows including “Kinky Boots,” “Rock of Ages” and off-Broadway's “Titanique,” with the help of at least one special guest.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22
Where: McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert
Cost: $25-$65
More info: mccallumtheatre.org
Palm Canyon Theatre Presents 'Something Rotten'
If you're a fan of Shakespeare or Broadway, you can find something to enjoy in the latest Palm Canyon Theatre production. This show follows brothers Nick and Nigel, who are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of the master playwright known as "The Bard." When a soothsayer foretells that the fu
ture of theater involves singing, dancing and acting, the brothers set out to write the world’s first musical.
When: 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays now through Feb. 25
Where: Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Cost: $20-$41
More info: Call (760) 323-5123 or visit PalmCanyonTheatre.org
Script2Stage2Screen Presents ‘The Most Distinguished Citizen of Ledbetter Gap’
Want to see a piece of theater that’s never been performed before? Head to the first reading of this new work by playwright/director Jason Hull. Founder’s Day is coming up in the tiny Kentucky town of Ledbetter Gap, and retired assistant librarian Lucinda Miller has been doing good deeds all year in the hope of being recognized with the town’s highest honor: The Most Distinguished Citizen Award. Her efforts may be for naught, however, when an awards committee member pulls a fast one and nominates the town’s wealthiest resident an unprecedented fourth time. Can Lucinda’s friends rally around her and find a way to make sure her name makes it onto the trophy?
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 and Saturday, Feb. 24
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of the Desert, 72-425 Via Vail, Rancho Mirage
Cost: Tickets are $15 cash or check at the door, or they may be purchased via PayPal on the website
More info: script2stage2screen.com
‘Sculpted Spaces’ exhibit and book signing by Jonathan Ducrest
Those in town for Modernism Week might want to add this exhibit to their calendar. Swiss architecture photographer Jonathan Ducrest is presenting his first U.S. exhibition at The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five now through April 2024. His first book, “Lockdown LA,”
Coachella Valley native Carrie St. Louis is best known for her portrayal of Rose in "Titanique," Glinda in the Broadway and national touring company of "Wicked," and as the closing Lauren in the Tony Award-winning musical "Kinky Boots."
Sharon Henricks (second from right) of Desert Hot Springs and her granddaughter, Lauren Spencer, 11, join a symbolic march on Martin Luther King Day in Palm Springs, Calif. Section 14 Survivors, Stonewall Democrats of the Desert, Brothers of the Desert, Los Angeles Urban League, Palm Springs Black History Committee, and the Desert Highland Gateway Community Action Association were among the organizations participating in the rally and march. Henricks said she lived on Section 14 in Palm Springs as a child.
came out last year. Meet the artist at his book signing and tour the "Sculpted Spaces" exhibit. All works are for sale. A portion of the sales will benefit the Palm Springs Art Museum's permanent installation of the Aluminaire House by Albert Frey.
When: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24
Where: The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five, 1345 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Cost: Free admission, with books available for purchase for $65 each
More info: jonathanducrest.com
Nickerson-Rossi Dance presents an encore performance of its 11th Anniversary Concert
Nickerson-Rossi Dance, Palm Springs' resident contemporary dance company, celebrated 11 years last month. A celebratory performance was held to pay homage to the classics of modern dance, the innovations of contemporary movement, and the city the company calls home, and now those who couldn't attend the January show have another chance. Enjoy an evening of works from the company's repertoire dating back to 2012, as well as dance works from Michael Nickerson-Rossi's collaborations with Palm Springs organizations Sunnylands, Modernism Week, and Michael Childers' One Night Only.
When: 2-3 p.m. pre-show reception, show at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25
Where: Nickerson-Rossi's Dance House, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Unit #10-12, Palm Springs
Cost: $45
More info: nickersonrossidance.com
Desert Theatreworks Presents 'Plaza Suite'
Enjoy this annual production by legendary playwright and four-time Tony winner Neil Simon. The play follows two actors playing three different couples in one famous hotel room. Needles to say, comedy ensues. Karen and Sam are a long-married pair whose relationship may be headed for an early checkout. Muriel and Jesse are former high school sweethearts who seem destined for an extended stay. And Norma and Roy are the mother and father of the bride, ready to celebrate their daughter's nuptials — if they ever find a way out of the bathroom.
When: Now through Feb. 25 (check website for specific times)
Where: The Indio Performing Arts Center, 45-175 Fargo St., Indio
Cost: From $38
More info: dtworks.org