A Very Desert Holiday: 5 of the Valley’s Most Festive Stops

If exterior illumination is your thing, this Cathedral City enclave should be at the top of your holiday to-do list. The roughly 40 homes lining the quaint one-block Minerva Road don’t just go all out for the season—they go in, around, and utterly beyond, creating a full-blown holiday extravaganza! Candy canes, twinkle lights, miniature trains, gingerbread houses, towering Santas . . . every inch is joyfully over the top. It’s a sparkling spectacle sure to satisfy all the Clark W. Griswolds in your life.

LOTUS GARDEN CENTER
A florist isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when thinking about Christmas decorations, but this spot—tucked just off El Paseo—transforms into a veritable winter wonderland come December. Hustling and bustling with décor galore, exquisite Yuletide-themed treasures, and red-and-green merriment of every sort and shape, each room is more beautifully adorned than the last. It’s also my go-to for the jolliest holiday-inspired hostess gifts around.

A clothing boutique the majority of the year, this spot hurtles into full Holiday Headquarters mode each Yuletide season, its halls thoroughly decked with boughs of holly, twinkling lights, baskets of ornaments, and a variety of festive evergreens—all available for purchase. (Yes, that includes the trees!) Bonus—the Nicole team will also come to your house to trim your holiday firs for you! And be sure not to miss the side courtyard, equally dressed to the nines, for even more festive finds.

Beautiful any time of year, this park next to La Quinta City Hall truly comes alive in December, when all 17.5 acres glimmer with merry lights. The charming esplanade makes for an enchanting evening stroll, with pathways that wind over twinkle-lit bridges, beneath canopies of glittering snowflakes, and past towering palm trees and glowing, larger-than-life holiday vignettes—offering a delightfully desert-flavored over-the-river-and-through-the-woods experience.

This is the spot where Frank Capra penned his 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life, so it’s only fitting that the resort goes all out for the season, with holiday finery strung around every nook and cranny and a dazzling 50-foot tree (the Valley’s tallest!) at the center of it all. Each Saturday, visitors can also enjoy roasted chestnuts, dessert demos, and holiday movies under the stars. As an added treat, the La Quinta Historical Society is hosting its annual tour of the hotel, led by longtime GM and genuine gem of a human Judy Vossler, on the 13th. I can’t wait to see the historic property through her eyes! Tickets and more info can be found here.