Southwest Arts Festival

For more than three decades, this giant art event has showcased works by more than 250 artists from the US and Mexico, working across all media. Textiles, jewelry, paint and pottery will be on display at the four-day event at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, and the atmosphere is welcoming to art aficionados and lay people alike. Admission is only five dollars, making this one of our favorite things to do when renting a vacation home in the Coachella Valley.