The Coachella Valley in September: Jazz, Film, and Cool Water Escapes
The Hamilton Real Estate Group August 23, 2026
The Hamilton Real Estate Group August 23, 2026
September marks the turning point in the Coachella Valley, the month when the last blast of summer heat starts to give way to the season ahead. This month brings soulful sounds at the Palm Springs Women's Jazz Festival, bold storytelling at Cinema Diverse, and the reopening of the Sunnylands Historic Residence tours after their summer hiatus. Add island reggae under the September sky, a Bavarian beer garden up in the mountains, and plenty of ways to stay cool while you wait out the heat, and you have a month worth planning around.
Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs turns into a jazz lover's playground for this four-day celebration of women in music, built around the theme “Voices That Don't Ask for Permission.” Expect world-class vocalists and musicians performing across multiple venues, plus artist spotlights and special programming that showcase just how much women have shaped the sound of jazz and blues.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
The Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival returns to the Palm Springs Cultural Center with four days of documentaries, features, and shorts. This year's lineup includes “Free Beer Tomorrow,” honoring one of the country's longest-running lesbian bars, and “Downtown,” a historical drama set in 1980s Amsterdam. Panel discussions with filmmakers, activists, and archivists add depth to the screenings.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
September is still one of our hottest months, but the valley has no shortage of great ways to beat the heat. Palm Springs Surf Club lets you catch an artificial wave without ever leaving the desert, with a lazy river and waterslides for cooling off between sets. Over in Indian Wells, Hyatt Regency's HyTides Water Park features dueling side-by-side slides and a 450-foot lazy river that winds through shaded palm trees. And the Palm Desert Aquatic Center has a rock-climbing wall and a water obstacle course; the Palm Springs Swim Center offers resident-friendly rates and lap swimming; and La Quinta's Fritz Burns Pool rounds out the valley's public options.
For more information, visit Palm Springs Surf Club, HyTides Water Park, Palm Desert Aquatic Center, Palm Springs Swim Center, or Fritz Burns Pool.
The Coachella Valley's premier business celebration returns to Indian Canyons Golf Resort with more than 100 local businesses and 40 restaurants, wineries, breweries, and distilleries pouring for the crowd. Live entertainment includes a Rod Stewart tribute band, and VIP ticket holders get early entry, a private lounge, and premium wine tasting. It's equal parts networking mixer and block party, and a great way to sample what the valley's business community has to offer.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
After its annual summer hiatus, the Sunnylands Historic Residence reopens for guided tours on September 9. The 90 minute Historic House Tour takes just seven guests at a time through the Annenbergs' midcentury modern masterpiece, designed by A. Quincy Jones with interiors by William Haines, where four decades of presidents, royalty, and Hollywood legends once gathered. These tours book up quickly, and September is actually one of the easier months to snag a spot, before our winter visitors return and demand picks back up.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
A mountain escape from the desert heat, Big Bear Lake's Oktoberfest kicks off September 12 and runs weekends through November 7 with authentic Bavarian food, beer, live German bands, and traditional contests like stein holding and log sawing. It's an easy day trip or overnight getaway if you're craving cooler air and alpine scenery, and Big Bear locals get in free on Sundays.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
The Show at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage goes tropical for one day only, headlined by J Boog, Katchafire, Eli-Mac, and Anuhea. Expect island reggae, warm September air, and a crowd ready to dance under the desert sky.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click HERE.
Downtown Palm Springs' premier stand-up club keeps the laughs going 6-7 nights a week in an intimate room. September headliners include:
Free open mic nights run most Mondays and Wednesdays.
For more information and to buy tickets, click HERE.
For more information and to buy tickets, click HERE.
For more information and to buy tickets, click HERE.
For more information and to buy tickets, click HERE.
For more information and to buy tickets, click HERE.
For more information and to get tickets, click HERE.
The first Wednesday of every month, Backstreet Art District's galleries and studios throw open their doors for an evening stroll through the valley's most eclectic collection of working artists. It's free, casual, and one of the best ways to meet the people behind the paintings and sculpture you've been admiring all year.
For more information, click HERE.
Cathedral City's Perez Art District hosts its own monthly art walk on the fourth Friday of the month, starting at 4pm, with galleries, live demonstrations, and a growing community of artists worth discovering.
For more information, click HERE.
For more information, click HERE.
How's the real estate market? That's the most-asked question we hear. For our most recent Desert Market Update, click here. Or call us at (760) 625-7229, or visit TheHamiltonREGroup.com for an easy-to-use home search and information on how we can help with all your real estate needs.
Stay up to date on the latest Coachella Valley news!
Jazz, film, comedy, and cool pools fill the Coachella Valley this September, plus Sunnylands reopens before winter crowds return.
Desert home prices were up in July while sales cooled and inventory tightened, giving sellers the upper hand this fall.
Splash House, Tour de Big Bear, TEDxRanchoMirage, and a Pioneertown meteor shower headline August, alongside live comedy, concerts, and desert art.
Coachella Valley home sales climbed 11% year-over-year in June as inventory tightened and prices leveled off, but homes are sitting longer
July the Coachella Valley: six July 4th events valley-wide, free concerts, dive-in movies, comedy, art shows & Dancing with the Stars Con
Valley home values held near two-year highs in May as inventory fell 17% from last year and new listings hit their lowest level since 2024.
Art festivals, Bob Dylan, ShortFest, Juneteenth, comedy icons, and outdoor movies — June in the desert is anything but quiet.
April sales climbed nearly 8% year-over-year as inventory tightened and prices moderated — a Coachella Valley market finding its footing.
Firebirds playoffs, film noir, Joshua Tree music, and Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday — May in Greater Palm Springs doesn't slow down.
Dan and Reuben of The Hamilton Real Estate Group are here to guide you through a transformative real estate experience. Join us, and let the connection open doors to your next real estate adventure.
