Local & Community
Vashti Ruby Wins $5,000 in Agua Caliente’s First Agua’s Got Talent Competition
A Coachella Valley performer has won the first Agua’s Got Talent competition, taking home a $5,000 grand prize after weeks of performances at Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City.
Vashti Ruby said the experience was exciting and a little nerve-racking, but she ultimately enjoyed performing and was thrilled to be named the winner.
The competition began as a weekly open mic night before organizers expanded it into a talent competition after seeing the amount of talent across the Coachella Valley.
Tara, who helped organize the event, said the first season ran for 26 weeks and featured performers competing for a chance to advance. Weekly winners became semifinalists, with 14 finalists ultimately competing against Ruby in Friday night’s finale.
Ruby said she initially discovered the opportunity while scrolling through social media. She thought the competition sounded too good to be true and nearly passed it up. Her sister, Brisa, later spotted the advertisement and encouraged her to participate.
That encouragement helped lead Ruby to the $5,000 prize and the title of the competition’s first winner.
Organizers say the next season of Agua’s Got Talent begins Wednesday at Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City. The free event takes place every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Musicians, acoustic singers, comedians and other performers are encouraged to participate. Organizers say the goal is to continue giving local talent an opportunity to perform, develop their skills and connect with the community.
By: NBC Palm Springs
October 12, 2026
Latest Instagram Posts
behind the scenes of The Roggin Report | Blooper Edition 🎬📺 #therogginreport #bloopers #behindthescenes #fyp #nbcpalmsprings
President Donald Trump brought up the idea of renaming the Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean during a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee.
A Level 3 of 4 threat of flooding rainfall has been issued for parts of Southern California to southern Nevada, southwest Utah and northwest Arizona, including San Diego and Las Vegas.
BREAKING NEWS 🚨: Calvin Harris officially rescheduled for Head Trip day 2 #headtripfestival #calvinharris #severeweather #tropicalstorm #indio
Attendees are returning to the Empire Polo Grounds for day 2 of the EDM festival, ‘Head Trip’, after performances were stopped last night due to severe weather. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs to see how the weather is affecting festival goers’ plans. #headtripfestival #severeweather #flashfloodalert #760 #nbcpalmsprings
Overnight Flooding Hits Palm Springs Heavy rain brought flooding to Palm Springs overnight, prompting police to shut down Indian Canyon due to flooding. Much of this video shows conditions along the Indian Canyon corridor as water inundated roadways. Drivers are urged to use caution and watch for changing conditions.
BREAKING NEWS: Head Trip Festival in Indio suspended its show Saturday night due to approaching severe weather and lightning. A message displayed on the stage screens announced: “Attention in the festival, this is a lightning alert. The show is suspended due to lightning.” Festivalgoers were told to leave the Empire Polo Club venue and return to their cars and camps. The festival was expected to draw approximately 70,000 attendees overall, though the number asked to leave Saturday night has not been confirmed. It remains unclear when attendees will be allowed back inside or whether scheduled performances, including headliners Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, will proceed as planned. The suspension comes as Tropical Storm Rachel brings rain and potential flooding concerns to Southern California. Stay with NBC Palm Springs for updates. #BreakingNews #HeadTripFestival #Indio #CoachellaValley #TropicalStormRachel WeatherAlert CalvinHarris NBCPalmSprings
BREAKING NEWS: Thalia Hayden and Jerry Steffen break down the latest forecast for Tropical Storm Rachel as it moves through eastern Riverside County Sunday morning. The Coachella Valley could see more than an inch of rain, raising concerns about flooding. The heaviest rainfall is expected from midnight through noon Sunday, with showers tapering off by Sunday evening. Stay with NBC Palm Springs for the latest updates. #TropicalStormRachel #BreakingNews #CoachellaValley #PalmSprings #WeatherAlert FloodWarning SouthernCaliforniaWeather NBCPalmSprings ThaliaHayden JerrySteffen
🌧️ Tropical Storm Rachel is bringing the threat of heavy rain and flooding to the Coachella Valley. Thalia and Jerry break down the hour-by-hour forecast, with the heaviest rainfall expected from midnight through Sunday morning and more than an inch possible in parts of the Valley. Flood watches and warnings remain a concern, with showers expected to taper off by Sunday evening. Stay weather-aware and stay with NBC Palm Springs for the latest updates! ⛈️ #TropicalStormRachel #CoachellaValley #WeatherAlert #NBCPalmSprings
🌊 Tropical Storm Rachel is bringing dangerous surf, flooding and destruction to Southern California’s coast. In Long Beach, parts of the boardwalk have been ripped apart, while a badly damaged home is on the verge of collapse. Newport Beach has declared a local emergency after pounding waves flooded at least 10 blocks of the Balboa Peninsula. Officials are urging people to stay away as the threat continues. 🌧️ #HurricaneRachel #SouthernCalifornia #LongBeach #NewportBeach #CoachellaValley