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Friday, June 5 | ☀️ 101°/73°
Welcome to Friday, folks! As the weather heats up, it's time to make plans in case you need to cool off. When temperatures hit 100 degrees or higher, Palm Desert activates its Cool Centers — air-conditioned spaces at the Palm Desert Community Center, Palm Desert Library, and the Joslyn Center (for ages 55+) where residents can escape the heat, hydrate, and stay safe. Good news for pet owners: the library location is pet-friendly, so your four-legged family members can beat the heat too! Need more information? Turn here.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals
Leading Off
An early conceptual image of a portion of the planned Dave Erwin Park in the city’s Northern Sphere.
Palm Desert park costs double; mayor talks private sports facility as alternative
The cost of building Dave Erwin Park in Palm Desert has nearly doubled, climbing to between $31 million and $35 million — up from early estimates of $15 million to $19 million — as the city moves forward with a single-phase buildout of the planned 27-acre facility.
Driving the news: The Palm Desert Parks and Recreation Committee heard Tuesday that the City Council has directed staff to proceed with the full buildout at once. Construction documents are expected to be completed in early 2027, with an 18-month construction period potentially pushing the park's opening to 2029.
A splash pad included in the design is under reconsideration due to high maintenance costs in desert conditions.
The bigger picture: Palm Desert Mayor Evan Trubee, who attended the meeting, said the long-term maintenance costs of public parks are part of what makes a privately operated indoor sports facility appealing. He briefed the committee on a potential 170,000-square-foot facility the city is pursuing for a 107-acre parcel in the city's North Sphere area.
Trubee and another council member recently toured a similar facility under construction in Henderson, Nev., which features volleyball, soccer, bowling lanes, a restaurant and a second-level spectator viewing area. Visit Greater Palm Springs is helping lead the effort, and Trubee said Palm Desert is competing with other Coachella Valley cities to land the project.
Meanwhile: The Palm Desert Aquatic Center has drawn more than 3,000 drop-in admissions since reopening May 13 — not counting pass holders or class participants — following upgrades that came in under the facility's $3.5 million budget.
What's next: The city's renovated Civic Center playground, designed with accessibility and autism-friendly features, is on track to be completed by the end of this month and open in time for Fourth of July weekend.
Briefly
Plans for the third unique Restoration Hardware location on El Paseo moved forward Tuesday. This location would highlight outdoor furniture.
🏛️ Palm Desert design board approves RH store, DSRT Surf villa revisions
The Palm Desert Architectural Review Commission voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve a new Restoration Hardware location at 73190 El Paseo, converting a former art gallery into a 6,340-square-foot outdoor furniture store — the brand's third distinct storefront on the shopping street.
Commissioners also voted 4-0 to approve revised architectural plans for 33 residential villas at the DSRT Surf resort development at Desert Willow Golf Resort, a mixed-use project the City Council first approved in November 2019. Revisions included roof configurations, window placement, wall plane articulation, and railing materials.
Details: The villa approval came with a condition requiring all exterior materials, colors, and finishes to conform to the approved materials board on file, with any deviations requiring additional commission review.
A MESSAGE FROM
CITY OF PALM SPRINGS
PS/NExT returns in 2026 bigger, broader, and more immersive than ever. Over 1.5 dynamic days, innovators, creators, educators, businesses, and community leaders will explore AI and emerging technology through hands-on experiences, bold ideas, and inspiring conversations designed to build skills, fuel creativity, and expand opportunity across the region.
📅 Featured Events
Drop-In Movie: Soul
MONDAY | 3 p.m. | Palm Desert Library
Join in for a special screening of Pixar's "Soul" in anticipation of the McCallum Theatre's Jazz Lab Day at the Palm Desert Library later in the week.
Storytime: Summer Sessions
TUESDAY | 10:30 a.m. | Palm Desert Library
Looking for a cozy, enriching activity for your little ones? Join us for Fables & Friends, where imagination takes center stage and every week is a new adventure!
Chinese Mahjong Group
TUESDAY | 1 p.m. | Palm Desert Library
Whether you’re a seasoned player or have only played a few games, you will enjoy friendly competition, and connect with fellow Mah Jong enthusiasts.
Gay Agenda Book Club
TUESDAY | 6 p.m. | Palm Desert Library
The club meets to discuss "Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir in a free, inclusive space for queer and queer-affirming attendees. All are welcome whether or not they finished the book.
Coachella Valley Garden Club
WEDNESDAY | 10:30 a.m. | Palm Desert Library
The Coachella Valley Garden Club's purpose is to provide education and support in all aspects of gardening in our unique desert community.
Line Dancing
WEDNESDAY | 6:30 p.m. | Civic Center Park
The Desert Recreation District offers a weekly class led by instructor MC Callaghan covering classic and contemporary dances, including the electric slide and Tush Push. No prior experience required. ($17–$68)
Performer: Ina The Sunshine Storyteller & Chazz Rozz
THURSDAY | Noon | Palm Desert Library
A multi-cultural, Afro-centric interactive drum circle with storytelling, movement games, and world rhythms using 20 djembe drums!
Palm Desert City Council
THURSDAY | 4 p.m. | City Hall
Meetings are held in person and streamed live on the city's YouTube channel. Submit public comments to [email protected] before 10 a.m. on the day of the meeting.
Board Game Night
THURSDAY | 5 p.m. | The Dragon Den
Bring your own games, try rentals, or pick up something new, with strategy, area-control, and cooperative titles on offer. Check the Used Games section for discounts. ($10–$20)
✨ And Finally …
Flags hang along a Palm Desert street to celebrate Independence Day. (File photo)
Palm Desert is pulling out all the sparklers for this year's Fourth of July celebration at Civic Center Park — and with the United States marking its 250th anniversary, there's arguably more reason than usual to show up.
Driving the news: The city's annual Independence Day event takes place Friday, July 4, at Civic Center Park, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, with family-friendly games and activities beginning at 4 p.m. behind the Family YMCA of the Desert.
Food trucks and vendors open at 5 p.m., the Swing Cats Big Band performs swing favorites and American classics at 7 p.m., and the evening closes with an approximately 20-minute fireworks display at 9 p.m., synchronized to patriotic music on Mix 100.5 FM and 98.5 The Bull.
Worth noting: Attendees sensitive to loud sounds can use a Sensory Safe Space at the Portola Community Center, 45480 Portola Ave., from 8 to 9:30 p.m., with earplugs also available at the event.
Getting there: A free, air-conditioned shuttle runs between The Gardens on El Paseo and Civic Center Park from 6 to 10 p.m., with overflow parking available at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center and College of the Desert.
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