Looking to get out of the house this week? The Desert Sun’s weekly events roundup can help.
Jacob Jonas The Company performs outside Desert X installation
Los Angeles-based dance group Jacob Jonas The Company performed on Friday, March 7, 2025 outside the Desert X work “Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams.”
Don’t worry, desert dwellers, the past week of storms and cloudy skies is behind us — and there’s plenty of local events to help you soak up the sunshine.
From fashion shows to a food and wine festival, there’s plenty to do in the Coachella Valley this week. (And if you’d like your event to be in a future “10 things” story, scroll to the bottom to learn how to submit to this events roundup.)
So, here’s our top picks for things to do in the Coachella Valley and surrounding communities from Monday, March 17-Sunday, March 23.
Fashion Week El Paseo
Fashion Week El Paseo, which calls itself the “largest consumer fashion week on the West Coast,” continues this week. Participating brands and designers include Bienvenue Pierre Cardin, Ace Harper, LaQuan Smith, Istituto Marangoni and many more. It all ends March 19 with The Best of Saks featuring Etro Spring 2025, a fashion show featuring “Spring/Summer 2025 menswear and womenswear from the best brands at Saks Fifth Avenue” and Italian designer Etro, as the fashion week’s website states.
When: Various times now through Wednesday, March 19 (check website for full schedule)
Where: Various locations on El Paseo in Palm Desert
Cost: From $95
More info: fashionweekelpaseo.com
Desert Candlelight Concerts presents Marc Antonelli: Contemporary Pop Music with a Bold New Twist
Desert Candlelight Concerts is back, and this month, attendees have the chance to savor one last concert before the series closes for the season. This show will feature, as the website says, “the enchanting melodies of Marc Antonelli” during “a magical evening filled with beautiful music in an intimate setting.” This week’s performer is a distinguished contemporary opera singer who is “known for blending classical opera with a fresh, modern twist. His upcoming performance promises to captivate audiences with a fusion of timeless opera and innovative flair, offering a unique experience that both honors tradition and pushes artistic boundaries.” Patrons must be 10 or older, and an adult must accompany anyone under the age of 16.
When: Pre-concert happy hour with wine, beer and soft drinks available to purchase at 5 p.m., doors open at 5:45 p.m. and concert starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 19
Where: Mary Pickford is D’Place theater, 36-850 Pickfair St., Cathedral City
Cost: From $49.87
More info: desertcandlelightconcerts.com
Palm Desert Food & Wine
Food and wine lovers should come hungry to this four-day experience featuring a diverse selection of mouth-watering eats, premium wines, hands-on cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs and much more. It all kicks off Thursday with the Celebrity Chef Date Farm Tour & Lunch, followed by a Cheese Masterclass with Afrim Pristine and The Gale Gand Guide to Chilies later in the day. Friday marks the return of the James Beard Gourmet Four-Course Luncheon followed by a Celebrity Chef Reception; Saturday features the Grand Tastings and An Intimate Evening With Curtis Stone; and Sunday concludes the festivities with The Flavors of Ixtapa, Mexico, and Sunday Grand Tastings.
When: Various times Thursday, March 20 through Sunday, March 23 (check website for full schedule)
Where: Various locations around Palm Desert, check website for specific event times and locations
Cost: From $50
More info: palmdesertfoodandwine.com
Desert X 2025
All of the Desert X 2025 exhibit’s installations are open to the public this week, and as always, it’s entirely free to experience the artwork. The latest exhibition includes pieces scattered around the valley, from Desert Hot Springs to Palm Desert, and reflects on — as the website says — “the desert’s deep time evolutions reframing ideas and wilderness and exploring themes of Indigenous futurism, design activism, colonial power asymmetries, the impress of humanity on the land and the role of emerging technologies in our contemporary society.”
When: Now through May 11 (during daylight hours)
Where: The works of art are scattered between Desert Hot Springs and Palm Desert (check website below for exact locations of installations)
Cost: Free and open to all
More info: desertx.org/visit/map
PSWIFT Speakers Series presents Vikki Vargas
Celebrate Women’s History Month this week with the members of the local nonprofit Palm Springs Women in Film & Television. The latest event in the PSWIFT Speakers Series features longtime Los Angeles/Orange County journalist Vikki Vargas, and is a chance to learn about her groundbreaking career as the first female Hispanic reporter hired at NBCLA. Expect to hear all the highlights of her 40-year career and her impact on journalism in this conversation moderated by News Channel 3 morning anchor and PSWIFT Vice President Laurilie Jackson.
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20
Where: Willie’s Modern Fare, 69-830 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage
Cost: $45 for members, $55 for nonmembers
More info: pswift.org/event-5943625
Palm Springs International Piano Competition presents ‘The Return of David Maiocco as Liberace’
Want to support the Palm Springs International Piano Competition? Snag your tickets for this evening of nostalgic luxury benefiting PSIPC. This concert, held at the former home of the musical icon, is a chance for David Maiocco to reprise his role as Liberace and transport audience members back in time through an interactive performance.
When: 6 p.m. Thursday, March 20
Where: Piazza de Liberace (address will be provided upon ticket purchase confirmation)
Cost: From $150
More info: psipc.org/event/
The Art of Music: Ken O’Malley
St. Patrick’s Day might be over, but it’s never a bad time to celebrate Irish music and art. The Irish News describes Ken O’Malley as “without question, the single most enduring, influential and proficient of all Irish musicians in Southern California” and the University of St. Thomas at Houston acknowledges him to be “widely regarded as the finest Irish folk singer/songwriter in the United States today.” Come see what all the fuss is about in Old Town La Quinta Thursday.
When: 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20
Where: Old Town Artisan Studios, 78-046 Calle Barcelona, La Quinta
Cost: $10-$50
More info: oldtownartisanstudios.org/event/
Coachella Valley Barbershop Chorus presents ‘Harmony for Everyone Show’
The Coachella Valley Barbershop Chorus, which currently consits of about 40 active members, was chartered in 1978 as the Coachella Valley Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Over the years, the chorus has grown both its membership and repertoire, and stages a public performance very March in barbershop-style, four-part a cappella close harmony.
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20
Where: Palm Desert Community Presbyterian Church, 47-321 Highway 74, Palm Desert
Cost: Free admission
More info: cvbarbershop.com
Idyllwild Arts Day of Healing Through Art
Are you a parent whose family recently relocated to the desert amid January’s devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties? Or are you a Coachella Valley resident who wants to help those affected by the fires? Either way, this event has something for you. Idyllwild Arts Academy is offering an opportunity for self-expression, creativity and hope at this Day of Healing Through Art event for students impacted by the recent wildfires. The award-winning arts school is welcoming students between the ages of 13 and 17 to visit its 205-acre campus in the San Jacinto Mountains to experience a day of art, reflection and relaxation. Children will enjoy open mic performances, lunch and several workshops, including ballet and hip-hop dance classes, a handmade bracelet workshop with the Fashion Department, and a “What We See in You is Wonderful” cinematic storytelling workshop with the Film & Digital Media Department. It all ends with a dance performance that’s free to all, but you must register online for a ticket.
When: 10:30 a.m. welcome reception that kicks off a day of children’s activities, followed by a ticketed 6:30 p.m. dance performance open to the public on Friday, March 21
Where: Idyllwild Arts Academy, 52-500 Temecula Road #38, Idyllwild
Cost: Free (but register online at the link below)
More info: idyllwildarts.org/event/a-day-of-healing-through-art/
Green Room Theatre Company Coachella Valley presents ‘Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Piñata Woman, and Other Superhero Girls, Like Me’
Green Room Theatre Company, now in its 16th season, is currently staging a production of “Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Piñata Woman, and Other Superhero Girls, Like Me” that will be performed in both Indio and Palm Desert. The production is a “story of resilience and identity,” as the press release states, that’s “told through a bilingual assemblage of short scenes and poetry,” shining a “light on the lives of four teen girls of various ages growing up in the poor urban suburbs of East Los Angeles.” This sad, funny and, at times, painful depiction of life as a modern adolescent covers the topics of language, body image, the male gaze, relationships and so much more.
When: March 21-April 6 (next shows are at 6 p.m. Friday, March 21, and 1 p.m. Saturday, March 22)
Where: Various locations (this week’s shows are at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 45-319 Deglet Noor St., Indio)
Cost: $40 for a supporter ticket, $20 for a general ticket, $10 for a discounted ticket, and free tickets available to those who cannot pay
More info: grtccv.org/box-office/
Palm Springs 70mm Fest
See movies like they were meant to be seen at this special two-day event showcasing four legendary films in 70mm. This unique event is a rare chance to experience cinema in a film format with frames that are larger in size and wider in aspect ratio, creating a special high-resolution experience. This festival lineup features the visionary works of Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean, and Christopher Nolan, which will all be screened at the Camelot, one of only a few dozen theaters in the U.S. equipped to screen 70mm.
When: Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23
Where: Palm Springs Cultural Center’s Historic Camelot Theatre, 2300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs
Cost: Advance tickets: $18, day-of tickets $20, MUBI Reel Pass (all four films) $59
More info: psculturalcenter.org/70mm-film-fest
Desert Cities Art Council presents the ‘Living with Art’ exhibit
Desert Cities Art Council’s new series, which involves teaming up with local businesses to showcase art, is headed to Revel Palm Desert (an independent living community). Check out this new exhibit featuring works by artists such as Diane Morgan, Dr. Claire Vines, Mardi Deveuve, Ken Jones, Esther Shaw, Chris Cozen and many more. The opening reception from 4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 23 will feature advance viewing of all the paintings, photography, and mixed media pieces that make up the exhibit, and will also feature “bubbly, light refreshments” (as the invitation says) as well as the chance to mingle with the artists.
When: March 23-April 4
Where: Revel Palm Desert, 74-300 Country Club Road, Palm Desert
Cost: Free
More info: desertcitiesartcouncil.com
To submit an event for The Desert Sun’s consideration in future 10 things to do stories, send an email to [email protected] with the time, date, location and price of admission for your event, as well as a brief event description. Photos are not required, but are highly encouraged as part of the submission.
Tip: Send your submission as early as possible to make sure we have it in time, and to make sure your event jumps out in our inbox, put “10 things to do submission” in the email subject line.