fourth of july

Things to Do This Week, July 1-5

Fourth of July anchors a week sure to be tops on the list of vacationers, while Palm Canyon Theater opens Spring Awakening.

JIM POWERS Attractions, Current Digital

fourth of july
Free Fourth of July fireworks displays are happening across the Coachella Valley.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY AGUA CALIENTE CASINO RESORT SPA
GO: SKATELIFE / THROUGH JULY 15

Skatelife, an exhibit at Art Pop across from the Arrive Hotel in Palm Springs, includes virtual reality (VR) videos, prints, and old school 3D, of professional and semi pro skateboarders. The exhibit is a celebration of each athlete’s creativity and talent, while demonstrating a progression of technology from 3D photographs to digital images to VR. cinerebelvr.com

GO: Fourth of July Picnic / July 4

Cue up “America the Beautiful” and don your red, white, and blue for an Independence Day celebration at Palm Desert’s Civic Center Park featuring food vendors, live music, and, of course, a spectacular fireworks show. cityofpalmdesert.org

GO: Independence Day Pool Party / July 4

The coolest way to watch Fourth of July fireworks in the desert: kicking back at the Palm Springs Swim Center. Work on your tan while the kiddos make a splash with games and inflatable slides. palmspringsca.gov

See related story: Where to Celebrate 4th of July in the Desert.

GROOVE: Cate Le Bon / July 5

Le Bon performs songs from her nostalgic fifth studio album — written in complete solitude in North West England’s Lake District — at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown. pappyandharriets.com

GROOVE: Jethro Tull / July 5

The legendary progressive-rock band makes a stop at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on a tour commemorating the 50th anniversary of their 1968 album This Was, home to hits including “Some Day the Sun Won’t Shine for You” and “My Sunday Feeling.” fantasyspringsresort.com

See related story: Read our Q&A with Ian Anderson and what to expect at the show.

GROOVE: William Tyler / July 5

As a lead-up to the big Moreno Beach–based festival in October, Desert Daze hosts a series of intimate shows at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. This free event features folk guitarist William Tyler in the hotel’s cozy Amigo Room bar. acehotel.com

WATCH: Spring Awakening / July 5–14

Palm Canyon Theatre stages this angsty, eight-time Grammy-winning rock musical about a group of German teenagers’ explorations with relationships and sexuality. palmcanyontheatre.org