“Each April, tens of thousands of people flock to the heart of the Coachella Valley to camp, dance and let loose at the music festival by that same name.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival features hundreds of performers on some half a dozen stages, spread out across two consecutive three-day weekends. This year, performances by the likes of Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, Post Malone, Benson Boone and even an appearance by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., instantly went viral…
…Coachella the festival does not actually take place in Coachella the city. Since its founding in 1999, it’s been held in nearby Indio. Both are part of the Coachella Valley, which is located in Southern California’s Colorado Desert and is also home to cities like Palm Springs and Indian Wells.
“I think a lot of people who come to this area from other places aren’t really sure what’s what, and I don’t think they really care,” says Jeff Crider, a freelance writer and historian who has written a book about the Coachella Valley. “I think they just come and want to have a good time.”
But it’s worth learning about Coachella, both the place and the festival…”
[Read the full story at npr.org]