This is our 4th visit to the festival. But first time in the morning on Sunday. BIL found street…read moreparking two blocks away. It's free admission. We entered on foot through Santa's Workshop. When we left after 12 noon, Santa himself was there. The first thing we did was visited all the sponsor tables where we picked up swag. College of the Desert had some nice items - stress ball, lip balm, highlighters, etc. Then it was tamale time. Which vendor? Sis and I lined up at the longest line one. We waited about 1/2 hour but spoke to a couple ahead of us who told us which vendors they enjoyed. The longest line was Casa De Silvia. I heard snatches of people's conversations about the chili relleno tamale. When I got up to the order counter I ordered it plus chicken in green sauce and pork in red. The chili relleno tamale lived up to its reputation. Very good. Filled with cheese and chopped green poblano stuffed. Yummy. Later I got a pineapple tamale from The Tamale Fiesta booth. Said came with pineapple pieces. I didn't see any in mine. There's an eating area with canopies that offered much needed shade. We ate our tamales there. Hubby & I made an observation - there seemed to be less tamale vendors than in the past. But the ones that participated offered delicious tamales. We did a complete circle of the festival. Ample porta potties. After a couple of hours we exited.

The festival used to be so much bigger and so many more vendors. The last few years (post covid)…read morehave been smaller and 2025 was smallest yet. We tried many tamales and were disappointed in most of them. Barely took any home to freeze for later. We drive from Riverside every year but probably won't go for 2026. It's just not worth our time anymore. Riverside has a much smaller but better quality vendors festival in late April so we'll probably just attend that one and get our freezer tamales there.

Listening to Young thug and double cup the ice filled with Clase Azul, not Casamigos, as we got…read morejiggy on weekend 1. Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think it was a Thugchella. Don't get me wrong though, Justin Beiber was fun and he played our favorite song, "Beauty and a Beat." We got tier 2 tickets since tier 1 was sold out quick. Try to get these tickets during presale to avoid purchasing resale price which is totally not worth. Also make sure to book hotels/airbnb asap because pricing may increase depending on the lineup and demand! Early the cheaper, I guess. This year was amazing because they were lots of good artists like Bigbang, Subtronics, Isaiah Rashad, JB, Swae Lee, Central Cee, Foster the People and etc. I heard camping was a cool experience but I hate waiting in line for showers and I also heard that some camps got blown away by the dust storm. Mask up! My favorite stage is probably the Dolab stage because it's such a vibe and good for aesthetic pictures. The Sahara is also nice because of the lights and lasers. Food there is all overpriced. I paid like $60 for like two pizzas and a drink. Hungry though so you gotta do what you gotta do, lol. This year Coachella did a collab with Gap and they had an area where you are able to make your own custom hoodie with unique patches! I missed out on it because the line was outrageous!

SO RECOMMENDED!!!…read more My experience was one for the books I went second weekend and it was so much fun! I honestly expected way much worse with all these horror stories I was hearing but no it's was a 10/10 experience. Yes the food and drinks we a little expensive but it's expected in festivals like this. All the staff members were super helpful especially for the handicap section. I will be coming back.

Visiting the Riverside County Fair and National Date Show at the Riverside County Fairgrounds felt…read morelike a pretty standard county fair experience with a slightly confusing title. I honestly expected to see more about dates, given the name, but I didn't come across much that tied into that theme. Most of what's here centers around carnival rides, classic fried fair food, and the usual midway energy. I did enjoy checking out the fair entries, which added a nice local touch and broke up the ride and food loop. It's a relatively small fair overall, and I was able to see just about everything in roughly two hours without rushing. Fine for a casual visit if you're in the area, but not something I'd plan an entire day around.

We have been coming here several years now for the annual Riverside County Fair & National Date…read moreFestival! Over the years, there is less emphasis on dates and more on typical fair experiences. Came late on a Sunday evening. Paid extra for VIP parking and bought the tickets online, to enter before the gate closed. The VIP parking is south of the fairgrounds. We liked the turkey leg and the funnel cake with raspberry jam! Also enjoyed the piglet racing and the dog stunt show. There are gem and mineral exhibits. The impressive model railroad exhibits are in a building with some history of the Festival.

Wow. Heard such great things about this juried 4 day art celebration that I came from Nashville to…read morejoin my dear friend who'd previously attended. Worth it!!!!! It's a beautiful outdoor event spread out with lots of walking amongst the artist tents. There's a quaint pond in the center, food truck area with some limited seating, clean VIP trailer restrooms, and beverage and snack tucked away all around the area. Tip- wear a hat, sunscreen and comfy shoes. You'll be outside the entire time, walking mostly on grass and some pavement. But let's get to the fabulous array of artists! You'll encounter the artists themselves and most seem to enjoy sharing their stories and talking about their passion. Fabulous jewelry, paintings, sculptures as well as clothing and accessories. You feel so inspired and in awe as you peruse the event. Most artisans were from the Pacific coast but I noticed some from as far as Florida and New Orleans. Paid parking in the civic center gravel lot made it easy to get right in, and plenty of volunteers to guide you throughout the event. When making a purchase you are given a ticket to turn in before leaving to curtail theft. I loved this event and hope to come back someday!

A wonderful time looking at great art. We come here every year to find special items for our home…read moreand for gifts.

The Big 4 are: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. This years' Festival marks the first…read moretime these bands have played together in the US -- and for fans of metal this concert was history in the making. The California setting for the Big 4 Festival was the Empire Polo Club in Indio and was held on April 23, 2011. The Polo Club venue is essentially a huge field (open festival seating) with vendors surrounding the field and VIP tents off to the side of the stage (Yep, the same venue as Coachella). Estimates were that 55,000 people attended. I decided to try to get a great view and to try to make the day a bit easier by getting VIP tickets. VIP tickets allow you access to the VIP tents to the side of the stage which housed some great food and drink vendors along with food trucks. They also allow you VIP parking, access to the front of the stage, and VIP "bathrooms." Good call on the VIP tickets, but that also meant that because I was near the front of the stage I was also near some huge mosh pits! As expected, the Concert was incredible. I'm a fan of all the bands, but to me Megadeth and Metallica outperformed everyone. And Metallica's show was incredible! It was great to see all the bands get on stage together and perform. Long day on my feet and dealing with a Festival crowd - but a once in a life time experience!

Get the Napoli pizza and Mario's cannoli, so good!…read more Admission is $10 but we got ours complimentary from the Hyatt resort across the street. All food items at the fair will cost you $$$. Come earlier in the day as most booths are open then. We arrived between 4-5pm and about 60% of the food booths were closed already.

If you love Italian, this is the place to be. So many wonderful booths with so many tempting…read moredishes to choose from. From ravioli to spaghetti to fresh cannoli. And so many ways to quench your thirst. Plenty of entertainment to keep you entertained throughout the day. This is definitely a must see place to be in the desert

Stagecoach was everything I thought it would be and I was content. For a first timer it was a…read morereally fun and worthwhile experience. Would I come back again? Yes! Leaving this review I understand my circumstances are different than some and their complaints I can't speak to per se. I didn't need to take a shuttle, I expect food to be pricy so I eat beforehand (almost every venue or festival for music I've been to the food is not priced at a normal rate), I wasn't camping here, and I don't expect a festival or their staff to somehow be able to control desert weather?! Some of these complaints on here are weird. lol. Their experiences are valid but also a lot of these things with better planning or some sense could likely be mitigated, at least that's how I felt after reading them. Maybe I am just too logical? The polo grounds are great, large enough to accommodate these massive crowds and it's a good location as it neighbors La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella giving you variety of areas you could stay if you are traveling. I'm impressed with how many parking lots they have here and with 80,000 people attending I'm not sure how people wouldn't think there would be some walking involved? You can't get that many people and their vehicles, shuttles, and alternative rides all close enough to park and just walk right into a venue. I felt their parking setup was pretty successful if you brought your own car but I understand the shuttles had massive lines and that's unfortunate. I feel like overall the staff are very friendly and nice here. These festivals bring jobs to the community and while you definitely get a variety of workers from all walks of life, I felt my interactions were 98% very positive. So many staff just with a smile on their faces, asking you to get home safe, and thanking you for coming as you walk out, that's a nice touch. I saw staff everywhere I turned and they seemed to have a good handle on things between the security, vendors, and even trash cleanup crews I felt they did a good job. The lineup this year was really great, some hits and misses as will happen but for the most part I was impressed with the headliners. My personal opinion was that Post Malone and Morgan Wallen were some of the best this year, brought good energy and the sound came across really good on my end. I loved the merch options and the ability to buy items ahead of time. The app for the phone was also super handy and I like the organization it helps create when planning your trip. Lastly, the VIP and upgraded wristbands were a must in my opinion. Worth the money I felt as you had better access to restrooms, food stalls, drinks, and of course close to the stage and more room. Stagecoach was great, definitely a music festival worth coming to 100%.

First time attending Stagecoach and I loved it. I've been to Coachella and I can definitely say…read morethat Stagecoach is way better. I'm not a huge country music fan so I only went for one night, but it was worth going to the show. Lana Del Rey was amazing. I will definitely be attending next year again.

Bring it back!! Best Polo Field event ever…read moreVery Local Very fun Great music Low crowds Begins concert season

*** Very chilled way to spend an afternoon. ***…read more Got 8hrs or so? Drive east for Blues & Brews! This festival is an excellent way to mellow out in the desert. 2hrs or so from LA but worth the drive in my opinion. The park is really beautiful (koi pond, ducks, lil bridges, grass, willow trees). Food vendors included a fish mkt, Mex restaurant, German brat spot, and numerous craft breweries. Me likey. Admission is $20, yet parking is free. A great way to get acquainted w/ Palm Desert. *** This could easily be a tea party tho. (lol) ***

I love this art show. Well planned, a nice curated group of artists. Set at the Indian Wells tennis…read moreclub. My only suggest, is to have more food options. That way visitors would be more inclined to stay longer, rather than leave the park for lunch.

My choice for the best arts festival in the desert! We look forward to it every year. A…read morewonderful variety of high quality art - there's something for everyone's taste. Love the kids art projects area. The desert views from the Gardens are amazing...a work of art in its self! A beautiful day surrounded by art and beauty. What more could you want?

Fantastic Pre-Season Soccer in Palm Desert…read more - - - - - - - - February, 2026 Visit We visited Palm Desert to see our St. Louis CITY Soccer Club (SC) play Austin in pre-season MLS soccer at the Coachella Valley Invitational Tournament, and we had a GREAT TIME!! The Coachella Valley Invitational Tournament is pre-season soccer for men (MLS) and women (NWSL), played at the Empire Polo Club in February each year. We have visited Palm Desert for many years, and have visited before and after the tournament the past couple years, but have missed attending; thankfully schedules aligned this year. After watching previous games on YouTube, this year we got to be there in person! The tournament's site offers some challenges on finding General Admission tickets; after some time we found that the Los Angeles Galaxy (LAG) were managing the tickets; a quick call with Miguel, who was very helpful, and we soon had our tickets in the app ready to be there for the soccer. Thanks, Miguel!! Parking for soccer was easy to find based on the online map and following the signs. For food, under the semi-permanent tent they have food trucks and an open bar. Here is little shade on the fields; some palm trees in the corners offer a place to cool off; otherwise if the skies are clear, the Palm Desert sun will provide copious doses of Vitamin D to lift your spirits. DJ Alf Alpha provided dance tubes all day and there were various soccer skills for fans to participate in. Even when the weather is not as nice as it was for us, this is still a great facility, with low humidity. Fun fact... the Salton Sea is the second lowest point in the US, after Badwater Basin / Death Valley; if I calculated correctly, the Empire Polo Club elevation is 5-20 feet. Thank you to everyone who makes the Coachella Valley Invitational possible! As Major League Soccer transitions its season to match the rest of the world, and to spread across two years, but no soccer in cold Jan/Fen nor hot July/Aug, we hope you'll continue the tournament as a mid-season break tourney. ----- ----- -----

The Polo Club is a big and varied place. They do actually have polo fields there. AND, they also…read morehave other areas. Today I was there for the soccer invitationals. I've been for others things. The dog show, for instance. It's a nice outdoor space. There are areas that are very rich in foliage and give plenty of shade. The staff has always been nice and helpful, from the parking people to the security and cashiers, I've never have anyone be ambivalent. Food is, well, epic expensive. If you plan to spend $30 on food and $10 on drinks, you can get by. Beer was not outrageous though, which was a surprise. I definitely recommend going. Parking has always been easy. Some events it's free parking, others it costs, so plan ahead.