Entertainment

The Coachella Valley cities aren’t sleepy little hamlets. The Valley is a beautiful, vibrant place where residents and visitors alike can find many forms of entertainment.

The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert is the country’s sixth largest professional theater. It attracts traveling theatrical companies, singers, dancers, magicians, symphonies and much more. For current McCallum offerings, visit www.mccallumtheatre.com

The Annenberg Theatre, part of the Palm Springs Desert Museum, offers ballet, opera and classical music throughout the year.

There are several community theatrical organizations... the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs; Playwrights’ Circle, which offers full productions and staged readings of new works; and College of the Desert, in Palm Desert, which stages two performances per year at the McCallum Theatre.

One of the newest companies—the Offcenter Theatre Group—produces plays with gay and lesbian themes. Call (760) 325-6388.

Music
Area casinos offer great musical entertainment—ranging from oldies rock 'n’ roll to Broadway-style singers to the “big band“ sound. For more information, visit these sites:

Agua Caliente Casino, Rancho Mirage
Fantasy Springs, Indio
Spa Resort & Casino, Palm Springs
Spotlight 29 Casino, Indio

Based in Palm Springs, Derrik Lewis’ Musical Chairs offers monthly performances of the songs by great composers and lyricists such as Noel Coward, Harold Arlen and John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Museums
Area museums range from the Palm Springs Desert Museum, which focuses on art; to the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum about the history and artifacts of Native Americans; to the Palm Springs Air Museum, about aviation.

There’s even a museum for children in Rancho Mirage—the Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert.

And, there’s a historical museum in Desert Hot Springs—Cabot’s Old Indian Pueblo Museum.

Festivals
The area is home to a variety of annual festivals.

Film festivals include... the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films, the Hispanic Film Fest and a summer Jewish film series at Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs.

Indio, often called the “City of Festivals,“ is home to the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival and the Tamale Festival each December.