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Palm Desert highlights arts tourism after $25,000 sponsorship of California Desert Plein Air Festival
Summary
Palm Desert served as the title sponsor of the 2025 California Desert Plein Air Festival, city staff and event partners said, reporting roughly 175 visiting artists, over 200 artist submissions and ticketing-derived attendance figures; staff offered to deliver full financials to the council and confirmed plans to hold the festival again in 2026.
Palm Desert officials reviewed the city s role as title sponsor of the 2025 California Desert Plein Air Festival during a study session Aug. 28.
Paulina Larson of Palm Springs Life, the festival s marketing partner, told the council that the California Desert Plein Air Association owns and produces the event and that Palm Desert supported the festival as its title sponsor. Larson said the festival drew about 175 artists to the Coachella Valley for multiple paint-outs and a three-week exhibit and attracted substantial interest from the artist community.
Larson cited more than 200 artist submissions for the festival and described expanded programming and ticketing this year, which she said allowed staff to calculate attendance figures. She reported a ticketing- and venue-derived attendance figure the presentation referenced as "3,000" (Larson later clarified that the number was not a unique-visitor count and could include duplicate visits across venues). Larson also cited marketing reach figures in the presentation, including editorial impressions and additional impressions attributed to advertising and digital exposure; she offered to provide full financials and the event budget to council on request.
Erica Powell of the city s Economic Development Department introduced the item. A councilmember confirmed the city s cash sponsorship was $25,000 and noted that Palm Desert was listed prominently in event branding and marketing materials. Larson said the primary cash sponsors were the City of Palm Desert, El Paseo, and Palm Springs Life/media, and that other support had been provided as in-kind or trade arrangements.
Council members praised the festival as complimentary to Palm Desert s arts and tourism goals. Larson said organizers plan another festival in 2026, with the main program again taking place in January-February and the potential addition of fall activations and informal paint-outs to increase year-round artist visitation.
What—omes next: Staff offered to deliver the festival s detailed financials and budget to council for review. The council did not take formal action at the study session; staff will follow up with the requested financial details and any subsequent agenda items as needed.
