News from Friends of the Desert Mountains:
Every Spring the wildflowers bloom in the Coachella Valley and the 11th Annual Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival is the best place to enjoy all that Spring has to offer. The Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival is a City of Palm Desert First Weekend Featured Event and is hosted by Friends of the Desert Mountains. The event will be held on Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center in Palm Desert. The day of the event, shuttles will run from St. Margaret’s Church on Highway 74, as there is no onsite parking for the Wildflower Festival.
In addition to wildflower viewing, this free-to-attend event offers beautiful art, a Kids’ Zone, and a climbing wall. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Guided interpretive wildflower hikes will begin at 9:15 AM and continue every 15 minutes until 2pm. A 5k run/walk will begin at 8:30 AM, with registration beginning at 8 AM. To sign up go to: https://www.desertmountains.org/calendar/2018/3/3/wildflower-5k-fun-run.
The Arrangements will be performing in the beer and wine garden from 12- 3:30 PM. The festival also includes raffles, vendors and exhibitors.
Friends of the Desert Mountains provide a plethora of ways for residents and visitors alike to enjoy and preserve the natural beauty of the National Monument and Coachella Valley. Programs include guided hikes, adult and youth education, citizen science, trail maintenance and weed removal, and conservation. Volunteers, and donations are always welcome and appreciated.
The Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center is located off Highway 74 in Palm Desert. Admission and parking are free for the festival
To learn more about the Coachella Valley Wildflower Festival visit DesertMountains.org or call (760) 862-9984. For sponsorship opportunities and vendor participation, call (760) 568-9918.
About Friends of the Desert Mountains
Friends of the Desert Mountains is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation formed in 1987 by a group of passionate, concerned citizens determined to help to protect the area’s conservation land resources. The Friends’ mission is to preserve land; support education, conservation and research in the Coachella Valley; and act as the support organization for the Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The organization has protected over 53,000 acres of conservation land. For more information, call (760) 568-9918.
