Ultimate guide to shopping local in the Coachella Valley — and surrounding areas — for the holidays

Niki Kottmann and Kate Franco, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Updated ·8 min read
The 2023 Desert Sun gift guide features an array of products made in the Coachella Valley and surrounding area.
The 2023 Desert Sun gift guide features an array of products made in the Coachella Valley and surrounding area.

Sure, you could run to Best Buy or Target this year and snag a good deal on some new electronics or clothes for your loved ones. But where's the personal touch? How can you make sure your holiday gift is extra meaningful this year?

We think shopping local — and shopping small — is the way to go.

The Coachella Valley and the surrounding high desert is home to countless creatives, makers, artisans and small-business owners. At The Desert Sun, we've been covering these people and businesses through good times and bad, and are pleased to offer what we think is a list of gift ideas for anyone and everyone on your list.

Gifts to add a touch of the desert to someone's home

Molly Moon Crafts candles, which are made here in the Coachella Valley, start at $16 and can be purchased online or in-person at retailers such as Chef Tanya's, Mojave Flea Trading Post and more.
Molly Moon Crafts candles, which are made here in the Coachella Valley, start at $16 and can be purchased online or in-person at retailers such as Chef Tanya's, Mojave Flea Trading Post and more.

Molly Moon Crafts candle, from $16: Give someone the gift of a desert scent memory. Molly Moon Crafts is a woman-owned aromatherapy brand based out of the Coachella Valley. All products are handmade using clean ingredients, and scents range from rosemary sage to matcha and lemon. Molly Moon also sells essential oil rollers, deodorant cream, healing salve, room spray, travel soap, face masks and more to keep you feeling — and smelling — your best. Find these products and more at:

Cactus Mart has a wide selection of succulents and cacti in Morongo Valley, Calif., on Nov. 23, 2022.
Cactus Mart has a wide selection of succulents and cacti in Morongo Valley, Calif., on Nov. 23, 2022.

Houseplants, prices vary. Looking to bring elements of the breathtaking desert landscape into your home or the home of a loved one? Consider purchasing a houseplant such as a cactus or succulent that's desert-friendly. As the Cactus Mart website says, cacti "can be grown for their ornamental look, for the fruit they produce, and for the ability to thrive in harsh environments. Cactus Mart regularly has a selection of prickly pear, cholla, saguaro, golden torch, and more." Succulents, the website added, "have the added advantage of being difficult to succumb to negligence, making them a perfect plant for the beginner gardener."

Modernism Week and Palm Springs International Film Festival merch, from $25: Palm Springs is rich with gifting options for the modern architecture or film lover in your life. Modernism Week, a nonprofit with programming annually in February and October, as well as the annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in January, partner with Destination PSP in downtown Palm Springs every year as the sole retailer for official event merchandise. Head to the Destination PSP website or brick-and-mortar store for official event posters, glassware, ornaments, mugs, tissue box covers and more.

Gifts to amp up a loved one's self-care routine

Founded by three Palm Springs locals, 760 Skin's Dew or Dry Moisturizer is "free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates that harnesses the power of desert plants to give skin a healthy, glowing appearance," according to its website.
Founded by three Palm Springs locals, 760 Skin's Dew or Dry Moisturizer is "free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates that harnesses the power of desert plants to give skin a healthy, glowing appearance," according to its website.

760 Skin Dew or Dry Moisturizer, from $38: Founded by three Palm Springs locals, 760 Skin invents clean skincare inspired by the stillness and beauty of the surrounding landscape. The company's most popular product, the Dew or Dry Moisturizer, is a powerful vegan moisturizer "free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates that harnesses the power of desert plants to give skin a healthy, glowing appearance," according to its website. If someone on your list likes skin products with natural ingredients such as cactus stem cells, jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, squalane, tremella mushroom, and reishi mushrooms, this is the moisturizer to get.

Body Deli products are all made in Palm Desert.
Body Deli products are all made in Palm Desert.

Sweets for your body, from $5: Hand-crafted in their "cosmetic kitchen" in Palm Desert, The Body Deli's "cosmetic chefs" whip up fresh, raw and organic products for face, body and hair. Crafted in small batches, the products are used in spas across California and the nation, including the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs. The Palm Springs Spa Collection ($145 for a set of four products) — scented with notes of Medjool date, grapefruit, blood orange, vanilla, ginger and jasmine — is a classic that evokes a warm desert night under the stars.

  • Body Deli: 73-910 Highway 111, Suite B, Palm Desert; 73-560 El Paseo Suite B,Palm Desert; thebodydeli.com/

Other local shops to get skincare and self care products, from soaps to essential oils:

Gifts offering a (literal) taste of the Coachella Valley

Desert Beer Co. in Palm Desert offers a wide array of craft brews, from sours to IPAs
Desert Beer Co. in Palm Desert offers a wide array of craft brews, from sours to IPAs

Local craft beer, prices vary: Desert Beer Co. is perhaps the most low-key of the Coachella Valley breweries, tucked away in the back of a strip mall off Country Club Drive in Palm Desert, but walking into this cozy brewery (run by Palm Springs High School and College of the Desert graduate Devon Sanchez) is like walking into a small-town bar where everyone knows each other. Those friendly vibes pair well with a menu featuring everything from sweeter offerings like a cheery-flavored kettle sour and grapefruit hazy IPA to "popo's porter" and a cascadian dark ale — there truly is something for all types of beer lovers here. Memberships, crowlers, snacks (including La Quinta-based Tutu's Tortilla Chips) and merchandise are also available for purchase.

Locally roasted coffee, from $21: Many locals have yet to discover the little roaster that could on the north side of Palm Springs, which supplies all the coffee for The PSP Coffee House inside the Palm Springs International Airport. Coachella Valley Coffee Co. doesn't have a brick-and-mortar store of its own yet (though they're going to start opening their new 6,000-square-foot roasterie to the public for a couple hours on Saturday mornings soon), but its various coffee blends, loose leaf tea offerings and sprices can be purchased on its website. And you can feel good about each purchase, because the company's established partnerships with local nonprofit organizations such as the Street Life Project to provide essential items like sleeping bags, blankets, winter coats, socks, shoes, and personal care kits to support the homeless in our community.

Other local shops (some attached to restaurants) to find a gift for the foodie or beverage enthusiast on your list:

A worker hand shrink wraps packages of almond toffee bites at Brandini Toffee in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.
A worker hand shrink wraps packages of almond toffee bites at Brandini Toffee in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.

Experiential gifts

Guests mingle amid the gallery, "Phillip K. Smith III: Light + Change," during the 2023 Art Party at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.
Guests mingle amid the gallery, "Phillip K. Smith III: Light + Change," during the 2023 Art Party at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023.

Museum memberships, from $35: This is a gift for someone looking to go deep on Coachella Valley history, art, mid-century design or military history. Consider an annual membership to one of the valley's first-class museums with access to the permanent collections, traveling exhibits, members-only programming and more. Individual and family options are available.

From left, Austin Butler, Nischelle Turner and Baz Luhrmann take a selfie backstage at the Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., Jan. 5, 2023.
From left, Austin Butler, Nischelle Turner and Baz Luhrmann take a selfie backstage at the Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., Jan. 5, 2023.

Tickets to the Palm Springs International Film Festival, prices vary: The wide world of cinema quite literally comes to the Coachella Valley every year in the form of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, which offers a plethora of gift options for the cinephile on your list. Treat them to a star-studded experience at the awards gala on Jan. 4 (from $350) or buy individual or a six-pack of tickets for film screenings taking place between Jan. 5 and 15 (when tickets go on sale to the public on Dec. 11).

  • Palm Springs International Film Festival: 1700 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 3Palm Springs; psfilmfest.org

More: 5 most memorable moments from the 2023 Palm Springs International Film Awards

A large crowd watches the men’s semifinal match between Francis Tiafoe and Daniil Medvedev during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., March 18, 2023.
A large crowd watches the men’s semifinal match between Francis Tiafoe and Daniil Medvedev during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., March 18, 2023.

Tickets to the BNP Paribas Open, prices vary: Tennis fans will be thrilled for one or two tickets to paradise ... tennis paradise. The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells is back March 4-17, 2024, with some of the top talent in the sport. Single session tickets are available now.

  • BNP Paribas Open: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, 78-200 Miles Ave., Indian Wells; bnpparibasopen.com

More: Game Set Shad: Crowds are back at BNP Paribas Open this year so plan ahead

The gift of The Desert Sun

Support local journalism, starting at $29: Being informed about, and active in, the Coachella Valley community is enriching. Help someone feel more connected to our community with a gift subscription to The Desert Sun. A digital subscription is just $29 for 6 months and $49 for a year.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Where to shop local in the Palm Springs area for the holidays