LA QUINTA – The Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District, in partnership with Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and KYA, will host a milestone event on Saturday, November 8 celebrating the revitalization of Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park.
The full day extravaganza features a catfish derby in the morning, a ribbon cutting to dedicate major changes to the park, and a drone show spectacular for everyone to see over the lake and mountains at sunset.
Entry to the park, which is normally $6 per person, will be free the whole day, allowing everyone to experience the park and all the activities such as fishing and the swimming pool, which was repaired in the project and will finally be open again after a 10-year closure.
“We welcome all to this special celebration at Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park,” said Supervisor Perez. “With our lease being extended another 30 years, we have dedicated significant investment and made major improvements to have more features for people of all ages to enjoy here. We are so proud to fix up and reopen the pool for our families, re-do the roads, built new restrooms, and brought more greenery and trees and shade. This beautiful place is part of our history, part of our culture, and part of the fabric of the Coachella Valley and the County of Riverside, and it’s now even greater!”
Lake Cahuilla Veterans Regional Park underwent a major transformation, utilizing $15 million in county investment allocated by Supervisor Perez. Visitors will discover new and improved amenities, including a new amphitheater, repaired swimming pool, new pickleball, basketball and sand volleyball courts, new shelters along the lake fishing areas, and extensive park beautification.
Gates open at 6 a.m. and the celebration will start with RivCoParks’ Lake Cahuilla Catfish Derby. The tournament starts at 8 a.m. with the final weigh-in and prize ceremony at 11 a.m. The lake will be stocked with 4,800 pounds of catfish, the largest catfish stock in the Coachella Valley to date, donated in part by Yellow Mart Bait and Tackle in Indio.
The ribbon cutting will take place at 11 a.m. The community celebration throughout the day will have a classic car show, vendor marketplace, family fun zone with bounce houses and games, and food trucks. Lastly, a little after 6 p.m., the skies will light up with a spectacular drone light show sponsored by KYA, the contractor for the park improvement project.
The day’s events honor both the park’s rich legacy and promising future. In addition, RivCoParks has extended day-use hours until 10 p.m. on weekends, creating more opportunities for evening recreation, community events and tourism-driven programming.
“Lake Cahuilla has always been a special place for families, veterans, and visitors,” said Kyla Brown, general manager of RivCoParks. “By refurbishing the pool, adding new amenities like the pickleball and basketball courts, and extending the hours, the park will remain a vibrant destination that will serve our community for generations to come. We extend our sincere appreciation to the many partners who are investing in the park’s future. Thank you to Supervisor Perez for his leadership in securing funding, thank you to KYA for transforming this vision into reality, and to Desert Recreation District who will be bringing new recreational programming to the park, including operating the pool.”
For more information or to register for the Catfish Derby, visit RivCoParks.org
