When the temperatures get a bit cooler, there are so many family-friendly events in the Coachella Valley!
On Fridays in September, from 7 to 9:30 pm, take in the sights and sounds of the native and exotic animals in the evening at The Living Desert. It’s cool enough to venture out in the evenings and enjoy activities such as scorpion walks, astronomy, bat detector stations and giraffe feeding.
On October 7th, from 7am-12:30pm, The Family YMCA of the Desert will host the Y Be Fit event at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center, welcoming all skill levels and ages to participate. There will be a Reverse Triathlon, a 5K Walk/Run, and a 1K Color Run as well as a health and fitness fair and music and activities for the whole family.
On October 19th and 20th, the 11th Annual Concert for Autism will take place at Tack Room Tavern in Indio. For two nights, local bands and musicians will perform to raise money that will be donated to Desert Autism Foundation who helps provide financial assistance to families with Autistic children so that they can afford vital therapies, programs and activities. The shows are open to all ages until 10pm each night with kids activities and face painting when doors open on Saturday. Youth bands are scheduled to perform first each evening. There will be raffles and prizes and the opportunity to donate throughout the evenings, while sharing a musical night with your family.
On October 21, The H.N and Frances C. Berger Foundation and City of Palm Desert present the 7th Annual Family Fun Day at McCallum Theater with food and fun kicking off at noon and a performance of Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure at 2:30. The performance is an immersive experience using actors, technology, puppets, science and imagination to create an amazing visual experience that connects kids to the real science of paleontology.
On Saturday, October 27, from 9 am to 12 pm and Wednesday, October 31, from 6 pm to 8:30 pm, the Living Desert’s family-friendly Halloween event returns with the wildly popular Howl-O-Ween, a not-so-spooky zoo adventure. Visitors are encouraged to dress up in their favorite costumes and enjoy the exciting activities planned. Howl-O-Ween attendees under 12 are encouraged to bring a reusable bag to hit the trick-or-treat trail with a large variety of treat stations.
On October 28th from noon to 3pm, The Cathedral City Police Department, Cathedral City Fire Department and City of Cathedral City is hosting the Halloween Spectacular in front of City Hall. This event is free to attend and features exhibits including fire trucks, police vehicles and motorcycles, giving families an opportunity to interact with public safety officials. There will also be games, a costume contest and trick-or-treating, and attendees can enter to win bicycles and bicycle gear.
On the same day, the highly anticipated 54th Golf Cart Parade, with title sponsors, the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce and The City of Palm Desert, will take place on El Paseo with golf cart floats and marching bands supporting this year’s theme, “Celebrating our Super Heroes”. This free event is attended by 15,000-30,000 spectators every year, so get out there early to get the best spot. They have a Kids Zone on Lupine Lane that, in years past, has had everything from rock climbing walls to face painters to kid-friendly games.
With everything from fitness to music to learning, and all in the name of fun, The Coachella Valley offers a wide variety of things to do with your loved ones. So, get your family together and enjoy these great opportunities to make a difference and make memories.
Photo courtesy of Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce
