With the cooler weather on the way, outdoor activities are returning - like Saturdays @ Canyon Plaza South, Cathedral City's only open-air market.

It opens today with festivities that include live music and radio broadcast from KRCK 97.7, a special ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., complimentary Temecula Valley Wine tasting, free Aspen Mills coffee in the morning, free Hawaiian Ice shaved ice in the afternoon and a great gift certificate giveaway with weekly drawings continuing through October.

Enter the drawing at the information booth.

The market will take place 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday through the end of May. Find it directly off East Palm Canyon Drive across from Boomers, Trader Joe's and Target. Details: DALI Productions at 321-6879.

Teak me away

Speaking of the outdoors, the desert is “Going Green” outdoors everywhere.

Since teak is a renewable resource, teak patio furniture is sprouting up all around the desert — at homes, hotels, coffee houses, resorts, country clubs and malls. Here's a chance for you to join the movement for less.

Desert Teak is having a Blow-Out Parking Lot Sale Oct. 11-12. Huge savings on chaises, dining sets, sofas, armchairs, umbrellas and more let you create a “green” outdoor living room and relax in style.

Desert Teak is at 77-682 Country Club Drive — two lights west of Washington Street.

Saks loves women

To help raise money and awareness for women's cancers, Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Desert and the Entertainment Industry Foundation will partner with Desert Cancer Foundation to host 2008 Key to the Cure, a charity shopping weekend taking place Oct. 16-19.

A percentage of the weekend's sales will benefit Desert Cancer Foundation. The event will launch noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 16 with refreshments and, of course, shopping. Two percent of sales up to $1 million will go to local and national women's cancer charities from Saks stores, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and saks.com contributing.

Saks will also offer a limited-edition Key to the Cure T-shirt designed by Karl Lagerfeld, available for $40. More than $35 from the sale of every T-shirt will benefit EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund.

Saks Fifth Avenue is also launching “A Flake Like Mike,” a limited-edition hardcover children's book for the holidays. The book was published by HarperCollins exclusively for Saks Fifth Avenue and will be sold in all Saks full line and Off Fifth stores around the country and at saks.com.

A donation from the sale of each book will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The book goes on sale Nov. 24.

Only the best

I was at Best for Less recently, in downtown Palm Springs across from the Hyatt, where there were so many Escada outfits and many other designer garments with the tags cut out — I suspect they were BCBG.

The store has such great deals, with prices starting at around $25. I dare you to figure out which long dress I wear to an event this season came from there and was only $25.

Go see Joseph and tell him I said hello.

Hard time finding something or want to share a shopping tip? E-mail Lea at lea@goodsellgroup.com