10 things to do in the Coachella Valley this week
The Coachella Valley is home to a number of events and activities to enjoy — especially this time of year. If you’re interested in filling your calendar, we’ve put together a list of 10 things happening this week in the valley and nearby communities.
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Check out the following events this week:
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 local Chicano/ desert rock band — and previous Coachella festival performers — Giselle Woo & The Night Owls.
When: 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 9
Where: Cathedral City Community Amphitheater, 68-526 Ave. Lalo Guerrero, Cathedral City
Cost: Free admission
More info: cathedralcityamp.com
Coachella Valley Repertory presents ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’
Are you ready for one of the largest productions the Coachella Valley has ever seen? Get the “Sweet and Lowdown” of this “Lady Be Good” musical that will hit the CVRep stage with Gershwin songs that are sure to stay in
your head the rest of the night. This brand-new take on the classic 1920s musical farce is a screwball comedy that features romance, high-spirited production numbers, and a Tony Award winning script that pokes fun at class snobbery in the prohibition era.
When: Wednesdays-Sundays April 10-21 (all shows start at 2 or 7 p.m., check website for specifics)
Where: Coachella Valley Repertory, 68-510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City
Cost: From $87
More info: cvrep.org
Friday Nights on Pierson
The Friday Nights on Pierson event series in Desert Hot Springs returned in November, and continues throughout the spring. Peruse a variety of food trucks — from tacos to pulled pork sandwiches — as well as pop-up shops, live music offerings and crafts for purchase by local artisans.
When: 5-9 p.m. every Friday (including April 12)
Where: 11-940 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs
Cost: Free
More info: cityofdhs.org
Desert Ensemble Theatre presents ‘Sherlock Holmes Confidential’
Looking to enjoy a new work of theater? This comedy faced great success at DET’s 2022 summer reading series, and now it’s hitting the Palm Springs Cultural Center stage for its official, fully produced premiere. The story follows an alternative version of the Sherlock Holmes origin story in which a spurned romance leads to someone threatening to unmask the young detective as a fraud. This production stars Katrina Dixon, Larry Dyekman, Barbara Kerr, Justin Ledesma, and Alex Price.
When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays April 12–14 and 19–21
Where: Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs
Cost: $37.50
More info: desertensembletheatre.org
The River Spring Music Series
The spring concert series presented by the City of Rancho Mirage Cultural Commission is back, so prepare to kick your Saturday night off with live music from Motown, disco and other dance bands. This week, E&J Movement’s nine-piece band will perform all your favorite dance hits from the Motown era. Guests also have the chance to win prizes from local businesses such as The Ritz Carlton, The Omni Rancho Mirage, Acrisure Arena (VIP tickets to a Firebirds game) and more by entering our raffle. All of the proceeds from the raffle, hosted by the Rotary Club of Palm Desert, go to Fenixia Foundation, a local nonprofit supporting autism and disability acceptance.
When: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, April 13 Where: The River Amphitheatre, 71800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage
Cost: Admission to the concert is free, but raffle tickets will be sold during the band performances, and all guests are encouraged to purchase one. Each ticket is $5, or you can purchase five tickets for $20. Tickets can be purchased until 7:30 p.m. April 29.
More info: Email joann@theriveratranchomirage.com or call 310-3865509
Dezart Performs presents ‘Mr. Parker’
Dezart Performs’ latest production is a story about aging, loss and most importantly, love. At 54 years old, protagonist Terry Parker finds himself at a crossroads in his life. After the loss of his partner, he’s suddenly single for the first time in 30 years, and is unable to adjust to a world that has moved on without him. After a night of heavy drinking, he wakes up with a 28-year-old bartenderslash-Uber-driver. These two very different people begin a tentative relationship, and what starts out as a one-night stand becomes a journey of self-discovery for a man trying to let go of the past and move forward.
When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays April 12-21
Where: Pearl McManus Theater at the Palm Springs Woman’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road, Palm Springs
Cost: $55 for opening night ticket with post-show wine and dessert reception access, $48 for all the other (matinee and evening) performances
More info: dezartperforms.org
Screwball Sundays screening of ‘After the Thin Man’
Screwball Sundays, a film retrospective series featuring classic screwball comedies, returned this spring thanks to a partnership with the Film Society of Screwball Comedy. The series features some of the most beloved and iconic films of the genre as Sunday matinees from March 3 through May 26. Each screening will include a live introduction and post-film Q&A with Aliece Pickett, co-founder of the Film Society of Screwball Comedy, along with a preshow of shorts and cartoons from the 1930s and 1940s. This week’s film is “After the Thin Man” (1936), and it will feature special guest author Rob Kozlowski.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14
Where: Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs
Cost: $12 per screening or an all-access pass is also available to the whole series for $95
More info: www.psculturalcenter.org
Desert Theatreworks presents ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’
Harper Lee’s beloved Pulitzer Prizewinning book “To Kill a Mockingbird” comes to life in this play, which opens on a sleepy Alabama town in the midst of the Great Depression. Main character Scout and her brother, Jem, live here with their widowed father, Atticus Finch. The facade of the seemingly peaceful town begins to crack when a
young Black man is accused of a terrible crime. Driven by an unshakeable moral conviction, local lawyer Atticus defends the man in a trial that sends violent waves through the community. All these years later, this work remains a powerful tale about racism, compassion and the difference between right and wrong.
When: April 12-28 (all shows at 2 or 7:30 p.m., check website for specific dates and times)
Where: The Indio Performing Arts Center, 45-175 Fargo St., Indio
Cost: From $38
More info: dtworks.org
McCallum Theatre presents George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
This isn’t your average string concert. When The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain walks on stage, you can expect a witty, quirky and irreverent performance. Praised by Bowie and Eno, promoted by the BBC and raved about by the New York Times as “an evening of sheer entertainment,” this eccentric group of performers has grown a large fanbase over the years. The group is equaly virtuosic as they are fun (and actually funny), and they’re known in the industry as seasoned “genre-bending rebels.”
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14
Where: McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert
Cost: From $65
More info: Call 760-340-2787 or visit mccallumtheatre.com
Palm Canyon Theatre presents ‘The Boys in the Band’
It’s time to celebrate Pride early with a work of theater that is rumored to have inspired the 1969 Stonewall riots. “The Boys in the Band” follows Michael, a New Yorker who throws a birthday party for Harold, a self-avowed “32-year-old, pockmarked, Jew fairy,” complete with a surprise gift: “Cowboy,” a street hustler. As the evening wears on, bitter, unresolved resentments among the guests come to light when a game of “Truth” goes terribly wrong. This production of what has been called a “screamingly funny” play showcases the talent of nine local performers.
When: 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays April 12-21
Where: Palm Canyon Theatre, 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Cost: $32 for adults and seniors, $17 for students (group discounts are available)
More info: 760-323-5123 or palmcanyontheatre.org