Free things to do in the Coachella Valley, California

Here’s a list of some FREE things you can do in the Coachella Valley (Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indio area):

VillageFest in Palm Springs every Thursday 6-9pm
The streets are closed on North Palm Canyon Drive and vendors come out to sell their wares. There’s food to eat, fruit & vegetables, crafts, art, and street musicians. The Visitor’s Center, local animal shelter, and local police also have booths. We went to this a couple times, and it was a nice way to spend a Thursday evening. We wrote about going to this a couple times, click here for more information.

Palm Springs Art Museum every Thursday 4-8pm
The museum is free every week during this time. We also went one evening and enjoyed ourselves. Be sure to get there early, as parking can be a hassle. We wrote about going to this a while ago, click here for more information.

Oasis Gardens in Thermal (by Indio)
This is a date garden that has a nice video showing the date farm history. There are free samples, a small place to grab a bite to eat (along with date milkshakes), and a gift shop. Click here to read more.

Shields Date Garden in Indio
This is another date farm with free samples, date milkshakes, and they even sell produce such as oranges and grapefruits. We did not go to this date farm, but it’s right in Indio on Highway 111.

Indio Farmer’s Market & Flea Market every Wednesday & Saturday
Behind the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indo, off Dr. Carreon Street) is a farmer’s market and flea market from 6-9pm. Some days it is free, other days it is $0.50 per adult. They have a variety of fruits & vegetables, household items, clothes, shoes, personal items, etc…. Click here to read about our visit.

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