HOMETOWN GUIDE : Coachella Valley a la Carte : Out and About

Activities:

Desert Hot Springs Senior Citizens’ Center. Activities, assistance and hot-lunch programs for residents 60 and over; 11-777 West Drive, Desert Hot Springs, (619) 329-0222.

Desert Hot Springs Spa. Nine hot natural-mineral-water pools; 10805 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs, (619) 329-6495.

Joslyn Cove Communities Senior Center. Recreation and classes for residents 55 and over; 73-750 Catalina Way, Palm Desert, (619) 340-3220.

La Quinta Arts Foundation. Art classes and exhibits; 78-421 Highway 111, La Quinta, (619) 564-1244.

Palm Springs Jazz Assn. Jam sessions on the last Sunday of every month. Ocotillo Lodge, 111 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 320-0843.

Palm Springs Pavilion. Dance programs throughout the year; 401 S. Cerritos Drive, (619) 323-8277.

Palm Springs Senior Center. Activities, classes, trips; 550 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 323-5689.

Swap meets. Tuesdays and Sundays at the Sunair Drive-In, 68-050 Highway 111, Cathedral City, (619) 328-3111.

Village Center for the Arts. Classes in art, cooking, drama, dance, fitness, languages; 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 325-9116.

Museums:

Cabot’s Old Indian Pueblo. Indian artifacts and handicrafts, trading post, 35-room Hopi-style dwelling; 67-616 Desert View Ave., Desert Hot Springs, (619) 329-7610.

Coachella Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Corner of Miles Avenue and Deglet Noor, Indio, (619) 342-6651.

Kingdom of the Living Dolls. Dolls and scenes created by local artist Betty Hamilton; 66-071 Pierson Blvd., Desert Hot Springs, (619) 329-5137.

Living Desert Reserve. Six miles of nature trails through 1,200 acres of undisturbed desert allow a look at the area’s animals, plants and geology. Write to P.O. Box 1775, Palm Desert, (619) 346-5694.

McCallum Adobe Museum (the oldest house in Palm Springs) and Miss Cornelia White’s “Little House”; 221 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8297.

Old General Store Museum. Replica of an old-fashioned general store features items dating back to 1897; 73-430 Highway 111, Palm Desert, (619) 341-2388.

Palm Springs Desert Museum. Art collection, Indian artifacts (over 1,500), film series, nature hikes. Armand Hammer collection Jan. 16-March 9; 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 325-7186.

Recreation:

AYSO Soccer. Boys and girls ages 5-18 compete Saturdays, September through January. DeMuth Park, Mesquite Avenue, Palm Springs, (619) 327-0123.

College of the Desert. Six tennis courts available to public when not being used by college; pool open to public mid-June through August; 43-500 Monterey Ave., Palm Desert, (619) 346-8041.

Desert Highland Unity Center. Lighted athletic field, basketball courts, gymnasium, picnic and playground areas in a 10-acre landscaped park; 480 Tramview Road, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8271.

El Dorado Polo Club. Weekend polo matches open to spectators January-April; 50-950 Madison St., Indio, (619) 342-2223.

Ice Capades Chalet. Ice skating, instruction; 72-840 Highway 111, Palm Desert, (619) 340-4412.

Indian Canyons. Hiking, horseback riding up to palm oases on the Agua Caliente Reservation. Open October-June. Andreas, Murray and Palm canyons, Palm Springs.

Indio Municipal Golf Course. Eighteen holes; 83-040 Ave. 42, Indio, (619) 347-9156. (For listing of clubs that allow non-members to play, contact the Desert Resort Communities Convention and Visitors Bureau, 74-284 Highway 111, Palm Desert, (619) 568-1886.)

Joshua Tree National Park. Hiking and rock climbing in 870 square miles; 74485 National Monument Drive, Twentynine Palms, (619) 367-7511.

Lake Cahuilla. Camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding (October-April), sailing, windsurfing; 58-075 Jefferson St., Thermal, (619) 564-4712.

Moorten Botanical Garden. More than 2,000 varieties of cactus. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; 1701 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 327-6555.

Oasis Water Park. Saunas, spas, steam caves, speed slides, water slides, wave pool, amphitheater. To open in the spring of 1986; 1500 Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs, (619) 327-0499.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. A 12,800-foot ride. On top, cross-country skiing (Nov. 15-April 15, snow permitting), dining, hiking, mule-train rides, nature walks. P.O. Drawer FF, Palm Springs, (619) 325-1391. For ski conditions and temperature telephone (619) 325-4227.

Palm Springs Community Services Center. Basketball, community hikes, crafts, dance, fitness classes, gym, gymnastics, softball, volleyball; 401 S. Cerritos Drive, Suite 315, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8272. For a 24-hour recording of events call (619) 323-8279.

Palm Springs High School. Six lighted tennis courts open to public weekends, holidays and summer; 2248 E. Ramon Road, Palm Springs, (619) 327-1581.

Palm Springs Municipal Golf Course; 1885 Golf Club Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 328-1005 or (619) 328-1956.

Palm Springs Tennis Center. Nine lighted courts, lessons, Sunday stroke clinics, tournaments; 1300 E. Baristo Road, Palm Springs, (619) 320-0020.

Palm Springs Youth Center. Educational, social and sporting activities open to all ages; 3601 E. Mesquite Road, Palm Springs, (619) 320-6430.

Salton Sea State Recreation Area. Bird watching, camping, fishing, sailing, swimming, motorboating, windsurfing. Highway 111 and Parkside Drive, North Shore, (619) 393-3052.

Sierra Club guided hikes. Open to the public; (619) 328-7893 or 325-4098.

Annual Events

January

Bob Hope Chrysler Golf Classic. Five-day tournament with pro and celebrity golfers; (619) 346-8184.

Palm Springs Mounted Police Rodeo. A dance, parade and rodeo. Rodeo at the Palm Springs Equestrian Center, (619) 323-8277. Dance at the Palm Springs Pavilion; (619) 328-2191.

Sled Dog Races. Teams from the United States and Canada in cross-country competition. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, (619) 325-1449.

February

Annual Desert Hot Springs Canadian / American Festival. Booths, live entertainment. Wardman Park, Desert Hot Springs, (619) 329-6403.

Community Services Day. Celebration of Palm Springs’ ethnic heritage. Carnival and bazaar, live entertainment. Sunrise Plaza, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8277.

Date Festival. Arts and crafts, ostrich and camel races, pageant, parade. Date Festival Fairgrounds, 46-350 Arabia St., Indio, (619) 342-8247.

La Quinta Pilot Pen Tennis Classic. Men’s professional tournament. La Quinta Hotel Tennis Club, 49-421 Avenida Obregon, La Quinta, (619) 345-2858.

March

Desert Classic Car Assn. Concours d’Elegance. A show of old classics. Palm Desert Town Center, Highway 111, (619) 346-2121.

Desert Curling Bonspiel. Canadian game played on ice. Palm Desert Town Center, Highway 111, (619) 346-2121.

Desert Triathlon. One-mile swim, 25-mile bicycle ride, 10K run. Lake Cahuilla, La Quinta, (619) 347-3484.

5K / 10K Cross-Country Ski Race. Palm Springs Aerial Tram, P.O. Drawer FF, Palm Springs, (619) 325-1449.

Greek Festival. A weekend of dancing, food, music. Palm Springs Pavilion, (619) 323-8277.

Joanna Hodges Piano Conference & Competition. Pianists from the United States and abroad. College of the Desert, 43500 Monterey Ave., Palm Desert, (619) 346-8041.

La Quinta Arts Festival. Arts-and-crafts show. The Desert Club, Ave. 52, La Quinta, (619) 564-1244.

Lecture Under the Stars. Celebrity lecturers and guest speakers. College of the Desert, (619) 346-8041.

Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational. Top women golfers compete. Mission Hills Country Club, Gerald Ford Drive, Rancho Mirage, (619) 324-4546.

The Vintage Invitational Golf Tournament. Part of PGA Senior Tour. The Vintage Club, 75-001 Vintage Drive, Indian Wells, (619) 568-3579.

April

Showcase Concert. Four Metropolitan Opera Western Regional winners perform. Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Desert Museum, 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 325-7186.

May

Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Carnival and live entertainment. Date Festival Fairgrounds, Indio, (619) 347-0676.

Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race. Ruth Hardy Park, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8277.

Joshua Tree Turtle Days. Auction, barbecue, carnival, tennis tournament, turtle races, square dancing. Joshua Tree Community Center, 6171 Sunburst Ave., Joshua Tree, (619) 366-8011.

King Korn Karnival. Three-day carnival celebration of sweet-corn harvest, Coachella, (619) 398-5111.

June

Concerts Under the Stars. Thursdays at 8 p.m. through the summer. Sunrise Plaza Park, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8272.

Dixieland Jazz Festival. Cathedral City, (619) 328-1213.

Movies in the Park. Free family films shown outdoors on giant screen. Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., throughout the summer. Sunrise Plaza Park, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8278.

July

Balmy Palmy Swim Classic. Fun event open to all ages. Swim Center, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8278.

Independence Day Fireworks. Angels Stadium and Sunrise Plaza Park, Palm Springs, (619) 323-8272.

August

Snowball Challenge. Snowman-building contest, games on the ice. Ice Capades, Palm Desert Town Center, Highway 111, (619) 346-2121.

September

Senior Softball Training Camp. Preparation for league play. Over-50s eligible. Angels Stadium, (619) 323-8277.

October

Annual Pioneer Days. Carnival and parade. Date Festival Fairgrounds, Indio, (619) 347-0676.

Desert Circus Week. Events include a ball, biathlon, big-band dance, bluegrass concert, casino night, desert bicycle classic, Frisbee-throwing contest; (619) 325-1577.

Halloween Carnival. Contests, games and events. Sunrise Plaza Park, Palm Springs, (619) 325-1577 or 323-8277 or 323-0852.

Living Desert Annual Concert on the Green. Celebrity guest performers, Ironwood Country Club, Palm Desert, (619) 346-5694.

Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade. Down El Paseo Drive, (619) 340-1145.

Red Cross Triathlon; 1K swim, 20K bicycle ride, 5K run. Lake Cahuilla Park, 58-075 Jefferson Ave., La Quinta. Entry fees $35 per individual, $50 per team. For forms write to the Red Cross Triathlon, 555 S. Palm Canyon Drive, P.O. Box 9435, Palm Springs 92263, (619) 325-4114.

November

Annual Adidas Invitational Tennis Tournament. La Quinta Hotel Tennis Club, 49-421 Avenida Obregon, La Quinta, (619) 345-2858.

Balloon Festival and Rally. Race, skill events. Date Festival Fairgrounds, Indio, (619) 347-0676.

Palm Springs Doll & Miniature Show. Doll houses, miniature dolls and clothes. Palm Springs Pavilion, (619) 323-8277.

Palm Springs Paddle Tennis Championship. Men and women’s doubles, open to public. Americana Canyon Hotel, 2850 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs. For information contact the U.S. Paddle Tennis Assn., P.O. Box 30, Culver City 90230.

Palm Springs Teddy Bear Show & Sale. Palm Springs Pavilion, (619) 323-8277.

Palm Springs Vintage Grand Prix. More than 200 classic automobiles race through city streets; (619) 325-1577.

Road Challenge; 6K race benefit for the Palm Springs High School athletic fund. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, (619) 363-7829.

December

Coachella Christmas Parade; (619) 398-5111.

Christmas Craft Show. Handmade items for sale. Palm Springs Pavilion, (619) 323-8277.

Christmas Light Brigade. Parade of golf carts, floats and Rolls-Royces, all strung with lights. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 325-1577.

Indio Christmas Parade; (619) 347-0676.

Marble Court Concerts. Chamber opera concerts featuring holiday music. Robinson’s, 333 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, (619) 325-9691.