13 best things to do at the ‘City of Festival’ California

Located in the Coachella Valley about 125 miles east of Los Angeles, Indio has been named “City of Festivals” for many events held there. The Annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts and Stagecoach festivals are probably the most famous, but some other festivals fill the Indio annual calendar. “Indio is a lively city where culture, community, art, and music gather, offer something new to discover throughout the year,” Indio Mayor Glenn A. Miller said to Travel + free time.

Indio is surrounded by San Bernardino, Santa Rosa, and San Jacinto Mountain Ranges, offering beautiful views, hiking trails, and outdoor recreation. The desert climate of this area means warm winter, summer, and almost 350 days of sunlight a year. As the main agricultural center as well as the destination of tourism, farms and gardens produce cotton, grapes, onions, citrus, and dates.

We’ve collected some of the best reasons for planning a trip to Indio or adding a few days to your festive visit to recognize this rapidly growing city.

Coachella Valley Music & Art Festival

Each April brings at least 250,000 visitors from around the world to the Empire Polo Club for two weeks Festival. Top names and upcoming music names, a variety of visual arts, dance competitions, games, craft activities, shops, food, and drinks make Indio place in April.

Stagecoach Festival

The country’s three -day music event At the Empire Polo Club follows the Coachella Festival every April, celebrating music and culture with the best country, bluegrass, folk, alternative country performances. Line dancing lessons, honky tonk music, barbeque, craft beer, and Ferris wheel rides add entertainment.

Riverside County Fair & National Festival Festival

These two weeks Festival Held every year starting in mid -February at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio. Events include rodeo performances, carnival rides, concerts, circus actions, giant truck shows, presidential day parade, livestock exhibitions, petting zoo, dates from local growers, and more.

The County Festival began in 1921, and the event included a national date festival highlighting the interests of the area agriculture, especially the cultivation of the Date and the Celebration of the Middle East cultural influence in the region. More than 15 types of dates are planted in the area.

Indio International Tamale Festival

Annual Festival Held every December at Downtown Miles Avenue Park. Open to the public, this free event is popular with families enjoying delicious food, entertainment by local musicians, traditional Mexican dancers, fighter (Wrestlers), witches, games, tamale dining competitions, and ice skating courts.

Tamales, especially popular during the Christmas holidays, are cooking -cooked corn caves stuffed with a sweet or sweet paste and wrapped in corn. Mexican traditional comfort foods, they can eat at the festival or to buy and go home to enjoy all season.

The park’s shield

Known for high quality dates, charming cafes, mail order businesses, and delicious shakes, The park’s shield opened in 1924. The Indio Store offers a variety of dates, many developed by Shields experts, as well as dates products such as cakes, cookies, and sugars. This date Shake is a delicious cream ingredient made of milk or ice cream and mixed with a crystal date created by Shield Date Park.

Their film, “The Romance and Sex Life of the Date,” is not as a titillating as a proposed title, but a enough education, reflecting the process of cultivating a labor -intensive date on high palm trees. Starting as a lecture for visitors, the film has grown into a slide and now to a movie presented at a small theater at the Shields Date Garden.

Southwest Art Festival

This recognized art Festival Held every January at the Empire Polo Club Indio. Having contemporary, traditional, and abstract art, as well as quality crafts, this event attracts more than 10,000 four -day visitors. Artists from around the world showcase their paintings, statues, pictures, glass work, ceramics, and their digital art.

In the beautiful atmosphere of the Polo Club between the mountains and the desert, more than 200 artists participated. Food and drinks stand, a place to relax in the shade and listen to music, and the opportunity to watch artists at work attract visitors who enjoy the atmosphere with art.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino

More than a resort, Fantasy Springs Resort Casino offers a wide range of entertainment, from the best cover group that plays a favorite of all time at Yard To the big name entertainer at the Special Event Center. Professional boxing, iconic Mexico WrestlingLatin dance music, the Price is correct The stage show, and Thursday night’s rock show attract guests throughout the year.

There is also Bowling, Casino Games, Golf at Indio’s Eagle Falls Golf CourseFour bars, and restaurants from dining to casual. Resort guests have hotel pool, jacuzzi, fitness center, and concierge service.

Indio powtwow

Annual celebration Hosted by Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians to respect their culture and tradition. Held at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, a free event offers visitors to deep experience. Dance competitions for all ages showcase a variety of styles and colored clothing, and a compete drum group, showing the rhythm of traditional ceremonies.

The songs of the birds of Cahuilla culture are performed, and traditional foods such as fried bread are provided. The craftsmen offer jewelry, weaving, dream catcher, and other crafts, and visitors are invited to join dancers during incompetent dances for the opportunity to engage in the cultural heritage of Cabazon Band Cahuilla Indians and other tribes.

Empire Polo Club

This 1,000 -acre event place was founded in 1987 for the International Polo Championship. The Polo season usually begins in December and ends in late March, with various leagues, events, and tournaments, including women, juniors, and international players. Polo is an exciting game to watch, and sit, club home seats, and private cabanas make it fun for viewers. Time -respected traditions are “stomp divots” where viewers can walk in the field during half -time to repair the divotes made while playing.

Coachella Valley History Museum

Historic buildings, annual events, fixed collections, and special exhibitions offer a variety of educational and entertaining opportunities in Indio Coachella Valley History Museum. The mission to preserve, interpret, and share artifacts on the history of the Coachella Valley is supported by a variety of rich exhibitions and experiences. Day -Free monthly entry and Sunday’s story encourages locals to take advantage of all museum offers.

At the Smiley-Tyler home, once a personal home, visitors can see the 1930s and 1940s kitchens, the eclectic collection of Mexican folk art, clothing, and textiles, and other exhibitions. At the California Date History Museum, the exhibition covers the history of the Palm date, the world’s oldest crop, from its origin in the Middle East to its introduction to the Coachella Valley. There are 1909 school houses, Japanese memorial parks, and vintage farm tools.

Indio Performing Arts Center

Located in the middle of the city center, the Indio Performing Arts Center (IPAC) promotes arts and entertainment for the community, with theater, music, movement pictures, and other artistic mediums. Since Desert Theatreworks Starting a show at IPAAC in 2017, they held 45 productions, 25 special events, and received many awards and awards, attracting nearly 1,000 customers.

Desert Theatreworks also runs Kidsworks to inspire the love of performing arts for youth with summer, spring, and after school programs, focusing on teamwork, creativity, and self -expression and performance skills. Artsworks is a special program for senior entertainers, creative expressions that inspire, social connection, and personal growth through various activities.

Lights at Indio Golf Course

You can play golf until 10pm between the mountain views and summer nights at the lightweight golf course in the Coachella Valley. Indio Golf Course is one of the oldest golf courses in the three countries in the country, with holes from 100 to 240 meters. With full long driving distance and short game practice area, you can customize your game, and a complete golf shop has whatever you need for a fun day or golf night.

The Indio Golf Course also has footgolf, a combination of 18 football holes and golf, using football with the same rules as traditional golf. The course is designed to allow both golf and traditional footgolf to play simultaneously, and second players can run courses or use golf cars. Snacks, drinks, beer, and wine are provided.

Explore Indio City Center

“There is always something to happen in downtown Indio with new restaurants, bars, retail, and new central stage,” Miller told T+L.

Local residents and visitors gather at the farmers market Saturday (Saturday from October to May), join the public Friday the food truck (5 to 10 nights per week), and enjoy free live concerts at the state center The second Saturday. There are free popcorn on monthly movie nights for outdoor family fun, and the first event includes a classic car show. Visit Indio to see Public artFrom the murals on the walls and in the lanes to the statues of the park, it’s a great way to get to know the city.