Making plans for Easter weekend and not sure what you’re doing to do? There is more than just a hunt for colored eggs going on in the desert.
Here are some suggestions.
Easter Events
Start the morning with a sunrise service at 8,500 feet above the Coachella Valley. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway hosts a service at 5:30 a.m. April 21 with songs by Abie Perkins and Natasha Carian and words of inspiration from Pastor Robert Seed. Afterward catch breakfast in the Pines Café.
The Living Desert hosts its annual Easter Eggstravaganza from 9 a.m. to noon April 20 in Palm Desert. Egg treasure hunt, crafts, face painting, keeper chats, the Wildlife Wonders Show, and more. Children can meet and have their photo taken with the Easter Bunny or at the special photo op with 10,000 eggs. Be sure to catch the race between the Tortoise and the Hare when The Living Desert’s Easter bunny takes on the Zoo’s tortoise mascot. The event is free to members of The Living Desert and included with paid park admission for non-members. Parking is free.
Join the Palm Springs Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast in Ruth Hardy Park in Palm Springs at 9 a.m. April 20. The hunt has been a beloved tradition in Palm Springs for more than 40 years and is open to all children up to 9 years old. The Easter Bunny will be on hand to take photos with youngsters on a vintage fire engine. Immediately following the event, a pancake breakfast in the park is planned. The price is $5 per person for a stack of pancakes prepared by Palm Springs Firefighters.
The Family YMCA of the Desert conducts its egg hunt at 10 a.m. April 20 in Palm Desert followed by a special program on “Healthy Kids Day!”
Kids 12 and younger can participate April 20 in the Desert Recreation District Eggstravaganza Easter Egg Hunt at the Mecca Community Center, 65250 Coahuilla St. The hunting starts at 12:30 p.m., and the kids will be devised into age groups. There will also be face painting, potato sack races, hula-hoop contests and more.
The Desert Recreation Center will also conduct an egg hunt at the Indio Community Center, 45871 Clinton St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Bagdouma Park Community Center, 51251 Douma St. in Coachella. Same hours and activities.
Indio: facebook.com
Coachella: facebook.com/events
The Coachella Valley History Museum hosts an Easter Carnival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 20 with traditional egg hunts, carnival style games, food vendors, photo ops with the Easter Bunny.
Boomers in Palm Springs hosts a free Easter event April 20 with a paid admission.
Head out to La Quinta for its free Easter Eegg-stravaganza from 9-11 a.m. April 20. Kids will be separated into age groups for the hunt.
Join the Easter Bunny at Desert Hills Premium Outlets on April 21 from noon to 2 .m. as he strolls the center, hands out bunny ears, and poses for pictures.
Cabazon Outlets host its inaugural Easter Egg hunt from 10 a.m. to noon April 20 for ages 3 to 12. There will also be face painting and a deejay. RSVP on their Facebok page.
The Palm Desert Aquatic Center, in coordination with the Family YMCA of the Desert, will host an Easter Sunday "Underwater Egg Hunt" at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center at 12:30 p.m. April 21. The admission fee is $4 per person. Children, ages 2-13, will participate in a completely unique egg hunt where they will swim for thousands of floating eggs! The first egg drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. and three more are scheduled every hour at: 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. Children ages 2-5 must be accompanied by an adult and only U.S. Coast Guard Flotation devices are permitted inside the pool.
The Indio Grand Marketplace will host its inaugural Eggstravaganza at the Marketplace on April 20. The festivities start at noon with an egg hunt (limit of 5 eggs per child). The first 200 kids arriving at the event will receive a free basket. Other activities include a bounce house, face painting, sack race and a balloon artist making bunny balloons. Bring a camera or smart phone to take free photos of the kids with the Easter Bunny. Don’t forget to bring an appetite as well, as there will be a Food Truck Festival held in conjunction with the Eggstravaganza. More than 20 food trucks will be on site throughout the event, each offering their own unique menu of mouth-watering cuisine right in the heart of Indio.
The Eggstravaganza runs noon to 3 p.m. The Food Truck Festival is from 111 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
Cathedral City hosts an Easter Kidapalooza from noon to 3 p.m. April 21 at Town Square Park. Admission is free. Kids ages 5 to 12 can hunt for 20,000 eggs, while kids 2-to 5-years-old will hunt for eggs in the toddler section. Bring your own basket or get a free reusable shopping bag at the event while supplies last. There will be a Kids Fun Zone, photos with the Easter Bunny, and a bicycle giveaway.
kidapalooza.discovercathedralcity.com
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert will have 25,000 eggs for children to hunt down starting at 9 a.m. April 21 on their west-side lawn. Open to non-hotel guests. Prior to the hunt, watch the Easter bunny paraglide onto the lawn from 3,000 feet above and land for photo opps.
Art Events
The last day to view a majority of the Desert X site-specific art installations is April 21. To check out our tour tips of how to view the 2019 edition in 48 hours or less, click HERE.
A Celebration of the Smoke Tree - a collaboration between photographs Millicent Harvey and plein painter Terry Masters comes to life in this exhibition at Desertpainter Studio Gallery in Palm Springs. Get the full story, HERE.
Music Events
The Saguaro Palm Springs offer poolside music April 19-21 and admission is free, but you do need to RSVP at the link below. There are DJ sets all three days from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs has daytime poolside DJ sets starting April 19 and transitions to an evening of special guests in the Amigo Room.On April 20, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith leads an interactive experience of meditation and yoga at 11 p.m. followed by musical compositions generated by electronic impulses from four plants at midnight. On April 21, there is a musical set curated by founders Chris Haycock, Jamie Strong, and Aloe Blacc that runs from noon to 6 p.m., and Mary Latimore produces underwater harp music. Some events require a separate RSVP.
The Hilton Palm Springs has created Day Club for its Coachella-styled poolside music events. April 19-21 has Diplo kicking things off Friday with some of house music’s finest like Gorgon City, followed on Saturday by a Dillon Francis & Friends takeover featuring Born Dirty, Diablo, Projekt X, and Nitti Gritti. The rising sensation Jauz will bring his Off the Deep End party series to Day Club on Sunday, showcasing future house champs like Jack Beats, Ookay, Kyle Walker, and Noizu.
The Riviera Palm Springs has its Summer Splash Pool Party series featuring guest DJ’s and live performers all weekend.
Coachella
Wondering what are the acts to check out or what’s a good piece of advice if you are going for the first time? Discover what 10 festival acts told us, click HERE.
Food - Easter Brunch
View our calendar for listings of Easter brunches and specials at Greater Palm Springs restaurants. Click HERE.