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Opening Day of Polo & Hat Day at Empire Polo Grounds

Opening Day of Polo & Hat Day at Empire Polo Grounds

Empire Polo Club is pleased to announce the dates of their 2017 Polo Season. “Opening Day & Hat Day” at Empire Polo Club is scheduled for Sunday, January 8th, 2017. Opening Day will feature two competitive polo games at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM.

Sunday Polo games are scheduled every week from Jan. 1st through April 2nd, 2017. The first Sunday Polo date falls on January 1st, which will be a soft opening. Our official “Opening Day” is on January 8th. The polo club will be closed on Sunday, January 15th and again on Sunday, March 5th, 2017.

General Admission is FREE with a $20 parking fee for all Sunday afternoon polo games. Tailgaters are welcome; space along the sidelines is available on a first come, first served basis. Bleacher seating is also available in the General Admission area. Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and beverages into the General Admission area. Food and beverage service is also available for purchase.

VIP Admission is $25 per person and includes parking, VIP seating and a complimentary Champagne Divot Stomp. The VIP seating area is located in front of the Olympic-peaked tents on the west side of the main polo field and offers field-side covered seating.

Spectators can also enjoy watching the Sunday football games while enjoying polo at the VIP Sports Lounge and Bar, located adjacent to the VIP seating area. The Sports Lounge offers viewers three flat screens featuring Sunday football games and other popular sports.

Reservations for VIP seating are highly recommended. Food and beverage service is available onsite during the Sunday matches. No outside food or beverages are allowed into the VIP area. For VIP reservations or group rates please call 760-393-7298 or email tonyschieffer(at)empirepolo(dotted)com.

The entrance for Sunday games is on Ave. 50 between Monroe St. and Madison St.

Friday Night “Polo Under The Lights”

Friday night polo games are held on select dates during the winter polo season. Admission and parking are free for Friday night games. There is no VIP seating during these games. The featured match lasts about 1 hour. Tailgaters are welcome and bleacher seating is available for spectators. Tailgaters and spectators are welcome to bring in their own picnic fare. Bar service is available during the Friday night games.

To access the Friday night games enter the Empire Polo Club from Ave. 50 or from Monroe St. between Ave. 50 and Ave. 51. The Friday night game is held on field #3. Click here for directions and a map.

Friday Night 2017 Game Schedule

  • 5:30 PM Friday, January 20th
  • 6:30 PM Friday, March 17th

Taste of La Quinta, January 14th

Taste of La Quinta, January 14th

Old Town La Quinta, Taste Of La Quinta


The 8th Annual Taste of La Quinta is back and better than ever. Join us in Old Town for food and wine tastings from all of your favorite restaurants, wineries, and distributors. Back by popular demand, live entertainment! Unwind with your neighbors, sway to the music and soak up the beautiful weather we experience here in La Quinta.

1-4pm / Old Town La Quinta

New Year’s Eve 2017 Hot Spots

New Year’s Eve 2017 Hot Spots

A Spectacular Fireworks Show Will Greet 2017 As Part Of The Block Party At The Spa Resort Casino In Downtown Palm Springs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPA RESORT CASINO

Some call it New Year’s Eve 2016. Others send out the call to Ring in the 2017 New Year. Either way, it’s that special time to gather and reflect on another year’s passing and look to the future for new memories to be made.

Whether you are up for a night out on the town, a community block party, or a small social soiree, Greater Palm Springs is bursting with spirit and good cheer.

Here are 10 ways to spend the Dec. 31:

http://www.palmspringslife.com/10-new-years-eve-spots-to-welcome-2017/

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIVING DESERT

In honor of Year of the Cheetah, the zoo’s year-long effort to raise awareness and funds for the endangered animals, attendees to their New Year’s Eve party are encouraged to wear their best cheetah print outfit.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAPMUSE.COM

Melvyn’s may have lost its namesake in 2016, but the restaurant is quintessential Palm Springs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS

Huey Lewis and the News performs New Year’s Eve at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ACE HOTEL & SWIM CLUB

The Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs will host a two-day New Year’s Eve event.

La Quinta Artists Open Studio Tour

La Quinta Artists Open Studio Tour

Little Black Dress By William Cain

Hosted by the La Quinta Historical Society and the La Quinta Museum

Join the fun of visiting 19 art studios in La Quinta. It's an opportunity to talk to the artists about what inspires them as well as to purchase original art.

I've personally bought a painting from artist William Cain which is the photo above. http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/william-cain.html?tab=artworkgalleries

Art includes painting, assemblage, photography, batik, jewelry, fused glass, and more.

Sunday, December 11, 2016, from 10 AM to 5 PM

Tickets and maps are available at the La Quinta Museum the day of the tour beginning at 9:30 AM

$10 donation supports the programs of the La Quinta Historical Society

For more info call 760-777-7170

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2017

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2017

Monday, January 2nd, 2017 | 5pm

The Palm Springs International Film Festival's signature showpiece event - by far the biggest fundraiser - is the annual Film Awards Gala. This dazzling celebration of old school Hollywood star power, glamor and talent kicks off Awards season each year and takes locals back to the time when Palm Springs was the playground for Hollywood's biggest stars.

This is an evening of high style, glitz, and fellowship, as they roll out the red carpet and welcome the hottest industry players, A-list celebrities, and Palm Springs community leaders to an elegant dinner and awards ceremony which raises more than $1 million in funding for the Palm Springs International Film Society every year.

Seats and Tables are available for purchase NOW, order online here or by calling 760.318.8371. This event sells out very quickly. Seat and table placement is based on the level and date of purchase. For more information on the different seat or table levels please click here.


Dining Around The Desert: Fortun’s Kitchen & Bar, La Quinta

Dining Around The Desert: Fortun’s Kitchen & Bar, La Quinta

I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening of Fortun's in Old Town La Quinta, right before Thanksgiving and have been back several times since. A year and a half after starting the remodeling of the old Desert Sage, the transformation is complete. I've got to say, the wait was worth it!

Great Bar In An Open Setting

Owned by Steve Fortun, with the kitchen led by Chef Keith Otter, the new space is right on the money for what today's patron wants in a restaurant here in the desert. Namely, a large bar, lots of high-tops, and an open concept. They also turned what used to be a driveway in the front, into a spacious outdoor patio area which doubles the seating.

The bar features an ice strip to keep your libations cold and plenty of televisions turned to various sporting events. Besides the open kitchen, there's a second area with a spit where the meats are roasted along with the pineapple that they feature in some of their cocktails.

Fortun's Menu Has Something For Everyone

The menu is a good mix of Salads, Pastas, Burgers, Sandwiches, House Smoked BBQ, Brick Oven Pizzas and Entrees of Fish, Chicken, Beef and Pork. Nothing on the food menu is over $30.

They have a nice selection of wine and beer and a laundry list of Signature Cocktails, from Hand-crafted Margaritas to Bloody Mary's.

My friends and I sampled Oysters Rockefeller, Calamari Steak Appetizer, Shrimp Scampi with Fried Artichokes and Drunken Clams from the Appetizer menu and everything received a thumbs-up all the way around.

I've had the Oven Roasted Turkey Cobb Salad, the Thai Noodle Salad, and the Shredded Pork Tacos. My friends tried the Caprese Salad, Tavern Cheese Burger with Tater Tots, Pan Seared Scottish Salmon, Rotisserie Chicken, Enchilada's Suzas and the Pepperoni Pizza. Everything was tasty and we all look forward to trying more items.

The staff is very friendly and seems glad to be there. They are attentive and personable.

The Details And Memories
This space has a place in my heart, as it's where Bill and I got married. Even though the look has totally changed, it still feels like home. I'm sure that Bill and Steve Fortun, the original owner, are together in Heaven, glad that we are all enjoying it.

Fortun's is open between 10 AM and 11 PM and has Happy Hour until 7 PM.

78085 Avenida la Fonda, La Quinta

760-564-8744

http://www.fortunskitchen.com is coming soon but you can look them up on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fortunskitchen/

Come Celebrate the Holidays at The Rink @ The River!

From November 22 to January 8, The River will be transforming a portion of their most popular water feature into a holiday ice skating rink.
The Rink at the River opened November 22 and will be open through January 8, 2017, with a grand Holiday Spectacular and tree lighting on November 29. Ice skating will be available daily under the desert's bright skies and every evening under the stars with local entertainment, including bands and DJs scheduled to provide holiday music to accompany most skating sessions.

The Holiday Spectacular and tree lighting at The River will include an ice-skating Santa, seasonal entertainment and special surprise guests.

The west portion of the water feature, adjacent to Cheesecake Factory and along the promenade that links to Babe's Bar-B-Que & Brewhouse Brewery, will become the ice rink. A skate rental shop will also open in a retail space along that walkway.

Envisioned by Coachella Valley's 104.3 Jimi "Fitz" Fitzgerald, who is also producing a fall music series for The River, The Rink at The River and the Holiday Spectacular are the very first seasonal events planned for the mid-valley shopping center on this scale.

http://theriveratranchomirage.com/rink-at-the-river/

Coachella Valley Water District Drought Update

Coachella Valley Water District customers will no longer face drought penalties after June 1st. The Board of Directors voted recently to lift the penalties after the state decided to end mandatory conservation targets in favor of water supply-based targets, giving local water districts more control.

The water district also announced changes to its water use restrictions. CVWD will now focus on its long-term plan that calls for a 20% reduction in water use by 2020. CVWD General Manager Jim Barrett says eliminating overdraft of the aquifer is critical and can be done without the state's previous conservation target of 36% which was then reduced to 32%.

Updated CVWD Water Restrictions In Effect Through January

  • No irrigation during or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
  • Broken sprinklers must be repaired within 24 hours of notification.
  • Eating establishments may only serve drinking water upon request.
  • Hotels and motels must provide guests with the option of choosing not to have towels and linens laundered daily.
  • Applying water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff to adjacent property, roadways, parking lots, etc. is prohibited.
  • Using a hose to wash an automobile, windows, solar panels, and tennis courts, except where the hose is equipped with a shut-off nozzle, is prohibited.
  • Applying any water to any hard surface including, but not limited to, driveways, sidewalks, and asphalt is prohibited.

Water Wise Landscape Rebates & Discounts

Coachella Valley Water District’s rebate program is designed to assist homeowners who want to reduce their outdoor water usage by converting their lawn to desert-friendly landscaping, installing smart irrigation controllers and replacing inefficient spray nozzles. Reducing your outdoor usage is the best way to meet your monthly water budget.

HOA's or community service organizations cannot block, stifle, or threaten homeowners from reducing or eliminating the watering of vegetation or lawns during a declared drought emergency.

Link To Helpful Coachella Valley Water District Videos

It’s The Palm Springs Weather

It’s The Palm Springs Weather

Looking Good Palm Springs!

As usual, my husband Bill and I went to dinner last night. We chose Solano’s Bistro in Old Town La Quinta. Solano’s was kind of empty, so I asked our bartender/server, “When do you think most people start going back home for the season?” Our bartender/server Bill (yep, there's more than one Bill in the desert) said that he’s noticed that people have already started heading back home.

The Old Season (Turkey Day through Easter)

Back in the day, the Palm Springs season was primarily Thanksgiving through Easter. Today, though, we are seeing more and more people either staying longer or staying in the Palm Springs area full-time. So what’s changed?

Left Coast Palm Springs Weather

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on the planet. The trade winds in the southern and eastern Pacific are remarkably steady while conditions in the North Pacific are far more varied with, for example, cold winter temperatures on the east coast of Russia contrasting with the milder weather off British Columbia, Canada during the winter months due to the preferred flow of ocean currents.

My Husband Bill; Boater & Jr Weatherman

My husband Bill is a long-time boater and sailor. And Bill will tell you (if you should choose to listen), that the Pacific, especially in Southern California, is a pretty friendly body of water. Here you’ll generally find milder temps and pretty predictable weather patterns. That said, Bill took a University weather class a few years back, and they taught that Southern California weather was one of the most difficult to forecast due to the convergence of the ocean, mountains, and deserts.

Difficult to forecast or not, Southern California weather is admired by much of North America during most of the winter months. Hey, it’s one of the many reasons we’re here in the Palm Sprigns area. Longer story shorter, Bill grabbed the weather forecast for this week. Sweet!

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