March Palm Springs Attractions

Palm Springs Sunset Photo by Kathy Condon

High season is in full swing, and activities are abundant throughout the entire

Coachella Valley. We locals may grumble about the traffic or the need to make reservations at our favorite time. Yet, we revel in attending the many March Palm Springs attractions and enjoy various things to do.

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Lately, I have not had enough hours in the day to attend Palm Springs events that bring me joy or allow me to experience a new event or place. Yet, let me share two recent experiences and encourage you to plan to attend next year.

The BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens

I received a message in my email asking if I would like to attend the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden courtesy of Seabourn, one of the event's main sponsors. I had previously walked the grounds when they were accessible to the public for free for the first two days of the tournament to watch the qualifying matches.

Indian Wells Tennis Garden Flower Bed Photo by Kathy Condon

The BNP Paribas Open During the Day

On my first visit, a beautiful cloudless Indian Wells day provided an excellent opportunity to appreciate the display of the Tennis Garden's landscape artists' outstanding flower beds. People happily walked the grounds, got food from numerous vendors, and then grabbed a picnic table under the palm trees.

Indian Well Tennis Gardens Stadium 1 Prepared for BNP Paribus Open Photo by Kathy Condon

The BNP Paribas Open at Night

With the Seabourn invitation in hand for the 6:00 p.m. match, I headed there at about four o'clock to enjoy the flowers and grounds before heading to my seat. The landscapers had, once again, worked their magic, and from the check-in area throughout the grounds, I again marveled at the colors and creativity.

With 6:00 p.m. approaching, I found my way to my seat in Stadium 1. It seats 16,100 people and is the second largest stadium in the United States after Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City, which has a capacity of 23,500.

My first impression was, wow, it's bright here, and everything is crystal clear. Throughout the evening, I learned that this was the first season with an entire redo of the lighting system, now all LED, which was particularly helpful for the television cameras. However, I have to say, as an attendee, it was magnificent to be able to watch the ball so easily, plus the ads along the sides of the stadium's bright colors truly popped.

Now, after the fact, I am happy to say that I saw Carlos Alcaraz play that night; who was eventually named the tournament's male champion. Adding to the excitement of the evening, I got to see a tiebreaker, with Carlos coming out on top.

I thought about what I had experienced as I walked to the car. By the way, parking was free. Sitting in a large stadium with crowds cheering under a clear night sky is difficult for this writer to put into words.

Seabourn Pursuit Newest in their Fleet. Photo Courtesy of Seabourn

To sum it up, however, I am incredibly grateful Seabourn invited me. I highly urge you to consider attending at least a portion of the BNP Paribus Open in March.

AmDoc Volunteers Accessories Photo by Kathy Condon

AmDocs Fim Festival in Palm Springs

AmDocs stands for the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, which was held in Palm Springs from March 21 to 25, 2024. Thousands of people came to watch approximately 200 films selected from over 2,000 submissions.

The first festival, created by Teddy Grouya in 2011, was held in 2012. This non-profit aims to celebrate and promote documentaries worldwide and bring real issues to light by independent filmmakers. It is consistently listed among the Top 100 Film Festivals in the world.

Event Sponsors provide funds so this event can continue to be a non-profit and keep the costs low for the filmmakers. They underwrite the costs for theatre rentals, food, advertising, equipment, etc.

To say the community rallies around this event is an understatement. Instead of filmmakers staying in hotels, community residents open their homes for homestays for any filmmaker who requests it. I have hosted a filmmaker in my home twice and found it a terrific experience.

AmDocs After Party Volunteers Photo by Kathy Condon

Volunteers work behind the scenes many months before the festival opens. Then, during the event, you can see many people wearing black t-shirts with the AmDocs eye logo when you attend one of the films, which are often bundled together in segments.

AmDos Ready in Private Home for the After Party Photo by Kathy Condon

Finally, hosts open their homes and restaurants for outstanding after-parties. I heard one filmmaker say, "I've been to many film festivals, but I have never been treated as well as I am at this one, as he browses through a beautiful art-filled home with a glass of champagne.

As a resident of Palm Springs, I love the energy this event brings to the community, and people from all over the world get a chance to let us show them desert hospitality. Plus, we can view outstanding documentaries that often stretch us out of our comfort zones.

The Dates for March Palm Springs Attractions

March 5-16th, 2025, is the date for the BNP Paribus Open in Indian Wells.

 AmDocs Film Festival is scheduled for March 27-31, 2025.

I strongly suggest you start planning to visit Palm Springs in March 2025. Please make your reservations early, as these two events often fill our boutique hotels. Once you have the experience, people keep coming back year after year.

Of course, there are many other Palm Springs attractions throughout the area, but I wanted to share my personal experience attending these two significant events with you. AND you know what? I look forward to coming back again next year.

Kathy Condon Journalist and Travel Writer

Kathy Condon is a Journalist, Travel Writer, and Award-winning Author. Her niche is luxury experiences and communities living in the shadows of larger ones.   kathy@kathycondon.net   760-902-3094

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