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Happy Thursday! Don’t be surprised when you see more than 7,000 brightly colored cyclists in Lycra all over valley streets this weekend. It’s time once again for the Tour De Palm Springs charity cycling race. The first cyclists leave the starting line in Palm Springs at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and the route goes right through all the valley cities all the way down to Thermal. Major roads affected in Indio include Jackson Street from Avenue 48 to Avenue 54 and parts of Fred Waring Drive, but several neighborhood streets near CV Link entrances will also have a high volume of cyclist traffic. Get details about each of the routes here, if you’re not feeling the 101-mile Century Ride, try the easygoing three-mile walk instead.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Bicycle" by Queen
Leading Off
Stills from film documenting past Riverside County Fairs. (Photos: Deserted Films)
Deserted Films brings vintage Indio back to life at the Riverside County Fair
Local archivists will debut an exhibition of vintage home movies on Feb. 13, featuring footage captured in the Coachella Valley between 1948 and 1974.
Driving the news: The 15-minute curated reel of the Riverside County Fair and National Date festival’s “golden years” can be viewed at the new National Date Festival Museum on the fairgrounds. Founders Melissa Dollman and Devin Orgeron will anchor the installation with two in-person presentations on Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. and Feb. 26 at 5 p.m.
What to expect: One segment of the reel shows the last float that the Date Festival entered into the Rose Parade. Another features an Indio family who were involved with the Lions Club of Indio and owned Valley Auto Supply at the corner of Requa Avenue and Flower Street.
The family’s last name is not known, but they were able to identify other civically-minded Indio residents including Elmer and Alice Suski.
Who’s involved: Since 2021, founders Melissa Dollman and Devin Orgeron have been scouring estate sales, yard sales, auctions, thrift stores, and antique shops for home movies. They are particularly interested in footage shot in the Coachella Valley by amateurs for home movies.
By the numbers: They have amassed a catalog of more than 2,000 films and other ephemera and 800 items have been meticulously documented in a spread sheet for the public to explore in addition to dozens of home movies available to watch right now.
Why it matters: “People LOVE this stuff,” Orgeron said. During a 2024 screening, an attendee named Vera Zaffis actually recognized herself on screen in a decades-old parade. He called the moment, a dream come true.”
Briefly
During the budget cycle for this year, councilmembers noted an almost $1 million cost increase for fire and ambulance services.
🚒 Indio fire costs climb to $22.2 million; officials explain why
Indio's fire and ambulance protection costs have risen to approximately $22.2 million for fiscal year 2025-26, driven by state wage mandates, pension volatility and service upgrades, CAL FIRE and Riverside County Fire Department officials told the City Council on Wednesday. “We've heard words like ‘unsustainable cost increase’, ‘rising cost year over year,’" said Division Chief Bryan White.
White explained that California's minimum wage increases create "salary compaction" throughout the department's rank structure, while temporary pension relief in 2019 artificially lowered costs for three years. The city also added five full-time positions in fiscal year 2024-25 when transitioning to an industry-standard 66-hour work week from 72 hours.
Bottom line: Riverside County Fire Deputy Director of Administration Diane Sinclair told councilmembers that costs should stabilize in the upcoming fiscal year, with only CalPERS rate increases expected and final numbers due in February.
📉 Analysis: Valley might be in buyer’s market
The latest Desert Housing Report declared: “We have shifted to a buyer’s market.” Analysts examined the months of sales ratio, a key supply and demand equation, and found that supply is outpacing demand in the majority of valley cities.
The median price of an average-sized detached home in the Coachella Valley last month was $675,000 a 3% drop compared to January 2025. In Indio, detached home prices fell about 2% to $637,264. The city had the biggest drop in attached home prices year-over-year: a 14% drop to $250,000
Bottom line: Kevin Warsh, newly nominated for the Fed Chair position, has signaled he might support lowering rates, but analysts say it will still be a way off.
A MESSAGE FROM CVJF
📅 Featured events
Personal Training with Miriam
Today | 5:30 | Indio Community Center
Train with Miriam, a certified specialist in mixed martial arts, fighting conditioning, Master of Science in Kinesiology. Book your training with the community center ahead of time. ($75)
Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor”
All weekend | Desert TheatreWorks
Inspired by Simon’s own days in the writers’ room of a comedy show, this behind-the-scenes play captures the outrageous antics, razor-sharp banter, and heartfelt camaraderie of a team of comic geniuses. ($46)
Health Fair and Fun Run
Friday | 8 a.m. | Temalpakh Farm
California Indian Nations College partners with Temalpakh Farm to bring you a free health fair and fun run. The run will receive a traditional elder blessing and the health fair will have educational booths, information about resources, and health and wellness products for sale.
Fútbol Friday Fan Fest at Food Truck Friday
Friday | 5 p.m. | Food Truck Friday
Try saying Fútbol Friday Fan Fest at Food Truck Friday five times fast…This week the city is celebrating the Coachella Valley Invitational with a special fan fest at the weekly food truck event. Expect live music, CVI merch, an interactive mini pitch, all your favorite food, and more.
2026 Coachella Valley Soccer Invitational
Saturday and Sunday | Empire Polo Club
12 Major League Soccer teams and nine National Women’s Soccer League teams will be in town this weekend for the massive preseason tournament. LA Galaxy and LAFC return for their fourth year at the tournament and NWSL participation is growing. ($37)
Indio Black History Month Celebration
Saturday | 12 p.m. | Center Stage
Join the City of Indio and the Indio Black History Committee for a free, family-friendly Black History Month Celebration featuring a lineup of guest speakers, games, resource booths, a kids zone, food vendors, and more. Stay for “Center Stage Presents”: E&J Movement, performing Motown favorites from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Desert Healthcare District & Foundation Listening Session
Saturday | 2 p.m. | College of the Desert Indio Campus
The Desert Healthcare District and Foundation is looking for resident input to help them plot out local health priorities for the next five years and beyond, including decisions about funding and programming.
Yoga at the Museum
Sunday | 1:00 p.m. | Coachella Valley History Museum
The first Sunday of the month is Community Day at the museum meaning admission is free. This month, the museum is also hosting yoga on the grounds open to all levels.
📣 And Finally …
The route will feature art from local artists, colored paving, lighting, two bridge under-crossings and more connections to neighborhoods, jobs, shopping and the music festivals. (Rendering: CVAG)
The Coachella Valley Association of Governments voted to accept $20 million in funding for the Arts and Music Line cycling path, bringing the nine-mile route closer to construction.
Driving the news: The Transportation Committee on Monday voted unanimously to accept the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program funding and execute necessary agreements for the multi-modal pathway connecting La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella.
What is it: The project will provide nearly nine miles of protected Class 1 and Class 4 bicycle paths along Avenue 48, Van Buren Street, Hjorth Street, the La Quinta Evacuation Channel, and Dillon Road.
The plan also calls for six miles of new or upgraded Class 2 and Class 3 bikeways that directly connect the project to 11 schools.
By the numbers: The total project cost is estimated at approximately $88.2 million and with the latest funding award, construction is almost completely funded through outside sources.
Looking ahead: Construction of the Arts and Music Line is scheduled for 2027. CVAG is still working on design and right-of-way acquisition.
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