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Palm Desert pledges $25,000 to support 2026 California Desert Plein Air Festival
Summary
Council approved a $25,000 sponsorship for the 2026 California Desert Plein Air Festival, splitting the funding between the city's public art and marketing funds; organizers said they will collect better attendee data in 2026.
The Palm Desert City Council approved a $25,000 sponsorship on Sept. 11 for the 2026 California Desert Plein Air Festival, with the amount split between the city's public art fund and its marketing fund and already included in the current fiscal year budget.
Staff said the 2025 festival, organized by Palm Springs Life and the Desert Plein Air Association, established Palm Desert as a regional hub for plein air activity and drew about 3,000 participants. The 2025 program ran Jan. 8–Feb. 2, featured more than 40 nationally recognized painters, a $15,000 best-in-show prize and generated an estimated 1,000,000 media impressions valued at more than $100,000, staff said.
Representatives from Palm Springs Life and the Desert Plein Air Association told the council they did not capture attendee contact data in 2025 but plan to do so in 2026 when ticketing and expanded programming are implemented; they already collect artist testimonials. The Cultural Arts Committee voted unanimously to recommend continued sponsorship.
Councilmembers said they supported the event's growth potential and its role in diversifying the local arts economy. The motion to approve the $25,000 sponsorship passed 5-0.
