We’re presenting two great local Coachella Valley bands to entertain you all day!

Dave Heveron & Friends - 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.
Dave Heveron is a local musician in the Coachella Valley. His original songs are about life in the deserts of southern California. Along with band members Tom Maloney on acoustic bass and Rene Johnson on mandolin, Dave can be found playing at various venues in the Coachella Valley. The music is a lively combination of bluegrass, folk, country, and rock. The sound is light and airy acoustic. They play many original songs and add an eclectic mix of traditional and even old standards with never the same show twice. Hear them now: Click here.

The Arrangements - 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
These local favorites take the stage at 12:30 and will be certain to have you humming along if not outright signing to their classic rock favorites. The Arrangements play at various venues and were recently seen at Augusta’s where they had everyone tapping their toes or on the dance floor. From The Beatles to The Eagles, from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, The Arrangements play a wide variety of classic rock favorites spanning the decades. Hear them now: Click here.

Join your friends on the back patio of the Visitor Center and enjoy some great wines along with a dramatic view of the Coachella Valley while enjoying the music.

Wine tasting begins at 10:30 a.m. and lasts until 3:30 p.m. (Be sure to bring your I.D. for proper identification. Must be 21 and older.) Purchase your commemorative souvenir wine glass for $10 and receive FIVE tastings. Purchase additional tastings to try out all eight varietals. Or purchase wine to fill your glass while listening to the live bands or strolling among the vendors. Take home an addition souvenir glass for just $5. NO ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED IN THE KIDS’ ZONE OR TO BE TAKEN OFF PROPERTY. Please drink responsibly! Your Friends want to make sure you and yours arrive home safely.

Bring the kids out for a day of fun! There is an entire section of the festival restricted to “The Kids’ Zone.” There will be educational games for the children to learn about nature; Crafts tables for the children to create special projects and bring home their creations; Face painting and contests for prizes round out the fun!

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Starbucks Coffee of Deep Canyon will be providing complimentary (that’s FREE) Starbucks coffee while supplies last. "Get there early!"

Desert Willow Golf Course will be cooking up a delicious selection of burgers, chicken, hot dogs, salads and desserts for purchase, along with Coca Cola products.

We’ve received a supply of Native California Fan Palms in fifteen-gallon containers to decorate the event grounds, which will also be available for guests to purchase. For your convenience, the plants will be located in the parking lot of St. Margaret’s Church for easy loading into your vehicle. However, please pay for your purchase on the event grounds where you will receive a receipt to take the attendants in the parking lot.

Many local businesses have donated items for a silent auction to benefit Friends of the Desert Mountains. We will also hold a raffle for select prizes. Be sure to visit the auction/raffle item area to place your bid or purchase your tickets for some great gifts.

If you would like to donate an item for our auction, please contact Tammy Martin at Friends of the Desert Mountains at 760-568-9918 or by email to tmartin@desertmountains.org , or click here to download a PDF donation form to fax back to Friends of the Desert Mountains at 760-568-9908.

Interpretive guides will be leading hikes every half hour on the nearby trails going out from the Visitor Center, pointing out wildflowers and giving information on the flora and fauna of the area, and perhaps even a little bit of Coachella Valley history! If you are not up for a moderate hike, consider a guided walk around the Visitor Center to learn about the native plants there. Guided walks will leave the Visitor Center every half hour. Please dress appropriately and wear good walking shoes and sunscreen. Be sure to arrive early enough to sign up for an available time slot. For a PDF information sheet with safety tips on hiking in the desert, click here.

If you want to get that perfect photo of a beautiful Wildflower, why not sit in on a photography workshop before hitting the trail. Presentations will be occurring throughout the day on various techniques and equipment to use to help you capture that spectacular shot.

Check out the Bookstore/Giftshop inside the Visitor Center for a great selection of nature-oriented books and gift items, trail maps, t-shirts and Smokey Bear and Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument logo items.

All “Wildflower related items” in the Giftshop will be discounted 20% that day. All sale proceeds benefit Friends of the Desert Mountains. To see more information about the bookstore/gift shop, click here.

We will have vendors offering a variety of interesting products for you to purchase. Items like pottery, artwork, home décor and gift items, to name a few. Vendors are donating 20% of their sale proceeds to the Friends of the Desert Mountains. Please come out and support them!

If you are interested in being a vendor, please contact Tammy Martin at Friends of the Desert Mountains at 760-568-9918 or by email to tmartin@desertmountains.org, or to download a PDF vendor application, click here.

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Would you like to learn more about desert plants and landscaping, solar energy, wild animals and other state and national parks nearby, among other interesting topics? Then stop by the exhibitor’s booths and ask questions and receive literature from a variety of groups in our exhibitors’ tent. Come learn more about the area you live and play in!

Want to see a work of art created right before your eyes? Sit a while and watch as plein air artists capture the natural beauty of the landscape on canvas. Choose your favorite to purchase and bring the beauty of the outdoors right into your home.

Renowned local authors will be on hand to discuss their literary works and autograph your book purchases.

We need a multitude of volunteers to help us make this event a success! Volunteers receive a commemorative t-shirt and lunch while working. Various shifts and positions needed. If you would like to volunteer for the Wildflower Festival, please contact Arielle Maccio at Friends of the Desert Mountains at 760-568-9918 or email her your interest. Click here.

Friends of the Desert Mountains has a variety of programs which require volunteer help all year long. If you are interested in volunteering for the Friends of the Desert Mountains or the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, click here.

Thanks to our sponsors and donors we have been able to keep this event affordable - FREE! - and enjoyable for everyone in the community to participate. Please support the businesses that support the Friends! For a PDF list of sponsors, donors and supporters, please click here.

The Wildflower Festival is being held at the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center, 51-500 Hwy. 74, Palm Desert, CA 92260. The Visitor Center is located 4 miles south of Hwy. 111 off Hwy. 74. There is no on site event parking and street parking is limited (See 'Event Parking' below). For a PDF map to the Visitor's Center, click here.

FREE Parking and Shuttle Service is provided by St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Palm Desert.

Directions to Event Parking: St. Margaret’s parking lot is located at 47-535 Hwy. 74, 2.5 miles south of Hwy. 111. From Interstate 10, take the Monterey Street exit and travel south to Hwy 111. Monterey Avenue becomes Hwy. 74. Complimentary shuttle buses run every 15 minutes to and from the parking lot to the festival grounds.

The first bus leaves parking area at 8:00 a.m. and the last bus leaves the event grounds at 4:15 p.m.Handicapped parking at the event is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Handicapped attendees may request to be dropped off at the site. Show parking attendants your handicapped parking pass to allow entrance onto the event grounds.

All proceeds benefit the local nonprofit Friends of the Desert Mountains, a 501(c)3 who has been the leader in conservation of the beautiful mountains surrounding our valley for over twenty years. We are the largest private conservationist in the Coachella Valley owning more than 14,000 acres and partnering in the preservation of over 37,000 acres. We also provide support to the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument by providing volunteers, community programs and financial and promotional support for the Monument.

To learn more about the Friends of the Desert Mountains mission, please click here.

To be added to our mailing list for our newsletter and notice of future events, click here.

To learn more about the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, click here.

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