Locals grocery shop early, embrace crowds for upcoming festivals
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Some say the early bird gets the worm, but in the East Valley during festival season, they get the best groceries and parking. Locals are preparing for three weekends of festivals, bringing lots of excitement and stressful shopping.
"It's crazy," Deb Devereaux said. "You got to get your shopping done before they get here."
Devereaux has been in Indio since 2015. Her daughter has gone to Coachella and she said she experiences it each year by hearing the music from her patio. But the grocery shopping craziness has always been something she's planned for.
"There's just so many people," she said. "No place to park, and at the grocery store, the lines are about 20 people long trying to get [to the] checkout."
Many other shoppers experience the same planning Devereaux does. Sally Weir has lived in Indio for 19 years, and said having Valley visitors is a special experience.
"We're always happy when they come, and we're always happy when they go," Weir laughed.
She said the most difficult part of grocery shopping during festival season is how crowded the stores get. With narrow isles and limited goods, she does her best to relax, enjoy the extra company and shop before they get there.
Other locals had similar advice of shopping during the week or early in the morning. Some even said stores are working to aid the foot traffic.
"Ralphs here has also organized their stores so the concert goers can go right to get the items they need and the regular shoppers can go off and get what they need," Phyllis Odell said.
None the less, all local shoppers agree the grocery store crowds are inconvenient, but they said what the festivals bring to the Valley makes it all worthwhile.
"Coachella brings great joy to a lot of people," Weir said. "And Indio goes to great lengths to welcome them and provide for their fun and safety. I think we should just embrace it and go with it."
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear more from locals on how they plan for festival crowds.
