Thursday, April 9 | ⛅️ 92°/70°
Happy Thursday! We hope you’re waking up comfortably at home, unlike Coachella car campers, some of whom spent the night in Walmart parking lots. It’s all so they can be first in line for car camping. Coachella opens up the camping gates today at 9 a.m., but some campers have already been in line since 2 a.m. just to secure a prime spot. Last year, there were some major problems with security, causing traffic to back up onto neighborhood roads for hours. Before you head out to your job or drop your kids off at school, take note that the main roads campers will be taking into the festival are Jefferson and Madison Streets, and Avenue 52 so plan to avoid those and any main roads leading to them from the freeway. Check out Coachella’s official website for their maps and Indio’s website has a more detailed breakdown.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Icky Thump" by Jack White (White was just added to the lineup on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Mojave stage. Our founder, Kendall, saw him 11 years ago at Coachella 2015, her Senior year of high school!)
Leading Off
The city is eyeing 4,600 acres of land east of the city for expansion that would include zoning for light industrial and warehouses, mixed-use businesses, retail, and open spaces. (Source: Indio)
Indio wants to expand the city’s footprint, seeks community input for ideas
Indio is moving forward with an ambitious plan to expand its boundaries by roughly 20%, and city officials want to hear from the public before moving forward.
Driving the news: The city is hosting a public open house today from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Indio Teen Center, where residents, commissioners and other agencies can learn about the East Indio Employment Corridor Annexation Study and submit written comments.
What's behind it: City officials have identified more than 4,600 acres of unincorporated land east of the city as a potential employment corridor, driven in part by data showing that roughly 84% of Indio residents commute outside the city for work.
The city envisions the area as a future hub featuring a mix of business parks, light industrial and logistics uses, office space, retail, workforce housing and open space.
Zoom in: An earlier phase of the study identified approximately 700 acres between Avenue 40 and Fargo Canyon Road as the area with the lowest development constraints and the best near-term growth potential, recommending roughly 600 acres for a mixed-use business park and about 430 acres for light industrial uses.
Looking back: The broader study area falls within Indio's sphere of influence — unincorporated Riverside County land eligible for annexation through an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission. City staff and consultants presented the first phase of the study to the City Council nearly a year ago.
What they’re saying: Then-Mayor Glenn Miller noted at the meeting in May that this annexation opportunity is particularly important given Indio’s past decision not to expand westward.
“The city of Indio, when we had the opportunity to go all the way to Washington Street, and we didn’t take it, because it just wasn’t at that time in the purview they didn’t feel was very important,” Miller said. “And obviously we’ve seen how it grows.”
What's next: The open house will include presentations by city staff and the project's consultant, along with an opportunity for attendees to submit written comments.
Briefly
A rendering of what the Madison Pointe project might look like.
🚧 Planning Commission recommends approval of revised Madison Pointe project
The Indio Planning Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend City Council approval of the first phase of the Madison Pointe mixed-use development at the southwest corner of Highway 111 and Madison Street.
The recommendation covers three buildings on 3.71 acres: a Starbucks with a drive-through, a marketplace and convenience store with an electric vehicle charging station, and a multi-tenant retail building. The commission's approval came after the developer removed a Quick Quack car wash that commissioners had rejected at the Feb. 25 meeting for failing to meet the Highway 111 Corridor Specific Plan's pedestrian-focused placemaking vision.
Details: Madison Pointe, proposed for a 20.2-acre site, has been revised several times since Schmid Desert Investments LLC first received planning commission approval in November 2022. The project now moves to City Council for final action.
🏠 City home sales hold firm as real-estate prices cool
Indio home prices fell in March compared to a year ago, with detached home prices dropping more than 4% to $627,000 and attached home prices falling more than 10% to $258,000, according to the Greater Palm Springs Realtors Desert Housing Report.
Despite the price dip, sales volume remained stable, with 81 homes sold in the three months ending in March, compared to 80 in the same period last year. Citywide inventory shrank to 415 units from 454 a year ago.
Details: Indio homes are selling after an average of 54 days on market — similar to 55 days last year but among the slower markets in the valley — and are closing at an average of 2.1% below list price, a larger discount than in 2025.
MADE POSSIBLE BY
📅 Featured events
Make Your Own Souvenir
Today - Sunday | The Place
Visitors can design a custom keepsake using artist Katie Kimmel's character decals and letters, heat-pressed onto a t-shirt, bandana, onesie, or hat. ($25–$40)
East Indio Land Planning Study Community Open House
Today | 12 p.m. | Indio Teen Center
Indio invites residents to explore a potential annexation opportunity for East Indio, gathering public input on options for new open space, responsible development, job creation, and mixed-use development. (Free)
150 Years Ago Today: Building the Railroad Through the Coachella Valley
Today | 2 p.m. | La Quinta Museum
The La Quinta Historical Society hosts author and historian David MacKesey for a talk on railroad history in the Coachella Valley, the politics of the late 1800s, and how they shaped the region into the community it is today. (Free)
Indio's Food Truck Fridays
Friday | 5 p.m. | Corner of Towne Street and Bliss Avenue
It’s Festival Night at Food Truck Friday! The food lineup this week features Tamaleria Mi Ranchito, Candy’s Pupusas, Cafe Las Toxicas, The Flaming Cluck, and more. Stop by and dance for free to DJ Alf Alpha. (Free)
Riverside County and San Bernardino Budget Advocacy Alliance Forum
Friday | 5 p.m. | Virtual Event
Join this virtual community forum on Riverside and San Bernardino County budgets, covering current allocations and how residents can advocate their needs to elected officials. RSVP to the Zoom meeting here. (Free)
Model Railroad Open House
Saturday | 10 a.m. | Riverside County Fairgrounds
Learn more about the valley’s premier model railroad display and meet the passionate hobbyists who keep it going. (Free)
Yoga at the Museum
Saturday | 1 p.m. | Coachella Valley History Museum
A gentle, all-levels yoga practice followed by a sound bath. All accessibility levels welcome; class moves indoors if weather is too warm. (Free)
Echo Lounge
Saturday | 3 p.m. | Center Stage
The city of Indio presents Echo Lounge at Center Stage, featuring festival survival kits, giveaways, photo ops, a live DJ, and a Coachella Festival livestream. (Free)
Desert Weavers & Spinners Demonstration
Sunday | 1 p.m. | Coachella Valley History Museum
Desert Weavers & Spinners Guild members demonstrate hand-weaving, spinning, felting, and more in the Medjool Auditorium. (Free)
"Is This It" Listening Party
Sunday | 4 p.m. | Rosemary HiFi
Food from Focaccia QB starts at 4 p.m., with a full listening party for the Strokes' "Is This It" album beginning at 7 p.m. (Free)
Boots and Brews
Sunday | 7 p.m. | Indio Brewing
Weekly country-music line dancing night at Indio Brewing, led by Tianna Teran. Every Sunday in April. (Free)
📣 And Finally …
Who needs crowds, dust, sweat, and a $600 wristband when there are so many fun free events throughout the valley this time of year!
The annual migration of some 40,000 visitors is officially upon us, but you don’t need a $600 wristband to participate in the desert chaos. Whether you're boycotting the polo fields because of the price hikes, crowds, or you weren't vibing with the lineup, we've rounded up the best ways to keep the party going outside the polo fields..
Driving the news: From free roadside coffee and archive fashion shops to after-parties that haven’t hit capacity yet, there is plenty of action for those staying outside the gates. And we have a complete roundup of 60+ events throughout the valley, half of them are open to the public for free or with a ticket.
Why it matters: Contrary to popular belief, many local businesses see less foot traffic during festival weekends because attendees often stay on-site. To counter this, spots like Indio Brewing are offering a 15% "local refugee" discount for anyone with a Coachella Valley ID.
What’s left: Ticketed events outside the festival still have plenty of spots, like Framework in the Desert and Jet Set in Thermal, Surf Club and Electric Desert in Palm Springs, and Gallery Desert House in Indio.
Check out these events for local festival pre-games or free festival alternatives:
ALT 101.5 Pre-Party: Jackalope Ranch in Indio is hosting a free bash today from 5–8 p.m. featuring live sets from JXDN and Evening Elephants.
Rosemary HiFi: This Indio spot is holding a relaxed, free vinyl session at 7:30 p.m. tonight featuring curated sets of artists on this year's lineup.
Food Truck Fridays: Located at Towne Street and Bliss Avenue in Indio, this Friday features a "Festival Night" with local favorites like Tamaleria Mi Ranchito and music by DJ Alf Alpha.
Echo Lounge: The City of Indio is hosting a free hub at Center Stage on Saturday at 3 p.m. with survival kits, giveaways, and a festival livestream.
Take advantage of these freebies and pop-up events throughout the valley:
Sabrina Carpenter “Pit Stop” Pop Up: This Airbnb-branded experience on Highway 111 in Indio is open Friday from 12–8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4–8 p.m., and Sunday from 12–3 p.m. for photos, merch, and refreshments.
Urban Decay x Pickle's Pop Up: Saguaro Coffee in Indio is hosting a beauty takeover with free setting spray on Friday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and free coffee on Saturday from 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Festival Edit x Target: Target in La Quinta is giving away free festival essentials kits to the first 300 guests today from 12–4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Jeremy Scott Archive Pop Up Shop: Market Market in Palm Springs is hosting a celebration of the designer's vintage archives featuring food and live tunes this Saturday from 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
The Flea Market by Bichota Records: This celebration of Latin American heritage and reggaetón style takes place at The Street Fair at College of the Desert in Palm Desert this Sunday from 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
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