Downtown Cathedral City Arts District

The district centers on Town Square, where the fountain plaza, the Mary Pickford Theatre and a growing set of restaurants and bars sit within one walkable block. The city programs the amphitheater heavily from November through April — free concerts, movie nights and the launch site of the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. Cathedral City sits directly between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage on Highway 111, so it is the most central place to stay in the valley for the money, with rooms typically well under Palm Springs rates.