No. 1 La Quinta Arts Festival Set for March

LA QUINTA – This desert community is home to the No. 1 Fine Art Festival in the nation, La Quinta Arts Festival.

La Quinta Arts Foundation has claimed the coveted top spot for five of the past seven years, awarded such by Greg Lawler’s “Art Fair SourceBook.”

La Quinta Arts Festival, now in its 37th year, also received the No. 1 Fine Art and Design Show 2019 award from “Sunshine Artist.”

If you are an art lover and-or collector, you will be able to experience this top-rated festival of fine art Thursday through Sunday, March 7-10.

Produced by the non-profit La Quinta Arts Foundation (LQAF), La Quinta Arts Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at La Quinta Civic Center Campus.

Admission is $17 for a single-day ticket, $22 for a multi-day pass, and free for children 12 and under. Tickets are available online at by clicking here. It is reported to be the best option to avoid lines. Tickets are also available at the Festival gates.

This year’s event features 220 juried contemporary artists arriving from 36 states, Argentina, Canada, Italy, and Nicaragua.

Elaine Mathews, of Rancho Mirage, an acclaimed plein air painter, created “Springtime in Coachella Valley” for the 2019 commemorative poster. The work of additional featured artists Barton DeGraaf of Bend, Ore., and Terrell Powell, Santa Fe, NM, will be featured on commemorative t-shirts, available for purchase at the Festival Shop.

Food and drink from Fisherman’s Market & Grill, Bristol Farms Café, Aspen Mills Café and Bakery, E & E Pels Italian Ices and Brandini Toffee are offered. Stella Artois is the official beer sponsor, served beside fine wines, specialty coffees, and other libations. Live entertainment and performances are scheduled with notable headliners Art of Sax, Shaken Not Stirred, and Trio NV, along with the guitar stylings of Scott Carter and Michael Gagliardi.

New this year, on Saturday, March 9, festival attendees are welcome to channel their ‘inner artist’ by participating to paint a mural designed and orchestrated by artist Peter Tigler.  He has created public participation murals for The Getty Museum, Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, Providence College and cities including Santa Monica and Marina del Rey.

This new interactive art activity is made possible by an ArtsTank Greater Palm Springs grant from California Desert Arts Council (CDAC), LQAF’s sister non-profit.

“The theme of the mural will unfold to the delight of festivalgoers, and the mural will have a life beyond the event,” Christi Salamone, president and CEO of LQAF and CDAC, said in a prepared statement. “Our goal is to travel the mural throughout the Coachella Valley to connect with many more arts enthusiasts.”

La Quinta Arts Festival raises money for the Foundation’s non-profit mission of promoting and cultivating the arts. Event proceeds have funded LQAF Visual Art Scholarship awards of more than $1.3 million to students pursuing education in the visual arts.

The 37th La Quinta Arts Festival is scheduled Thursday through Sunday, March 7-10, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at La Quinta Civic Center Campus, 78495 Calle Tampico, La Quinta, CA. Tickets are $17 Single Day, $22 Multi-Day, Children 12 and under are free, available at LQAF.com. Attendees may take advantage of valet parking $15, self-parking $10, or free parking in designated areas throughout the La Quinta village.

Click here for more information or call 760-564-1244.