Desert Dispatch: The Season Begins

📬 The October 2025 Issue

☀️🎃 October in the Desert: The Season Begins!

Get ready, October is shaping up to be an incredible month in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, with a packed calendar of events for everyone.

• Modernism Week (Oct. 16-19): This is the more intimate, fall version of the famous festival. Dive into all things midcentury modern with over 50 events.

• Epson Tour Championship (Oct. 2-5): Watch the future stars of women's golf tee off at the Indian Wells Golf Resort for the Epson Tour's season finale.

• Coachella Valley Firebirds Hockey (Home Opener Oct. 10): Hockey is back! Catch the Firebirds on the ice at Acrisure Arena for some fast-paced, action-packed hockey.

• Joshua Tree Music Festival (Oct. 9-12): Head to the high desert for a truly unique, music festival with global artists and a magical atmosphere.

• Concerts at Acrisure Arena: Don't miss out on some big-name shows! Blink-182, Trace Adkins, and Maroon 5 are all scheduled to hit the stage.

• Halloween Palm Springs on Arenas Road (Oct. 31): The biggest street party in town! Arenas Road transforms into a massive block party.

• Halloween-themed events throughout the month: Keep an eye out for more frightfully fun events, including the Halloween Chili Cook-Off and Car Show and The Living Desert's Howl-O-Ween.

🌴 Desert Life with Novelist Byron Lane 📚

🌴 Palm Springs has a way of drawing in storytellers, and novelist Byron Lane is one of them. After years in the noise of TV news and Hollywood, Lane and his husband, fellow author Steven Rowley, put down roots here in 2019 and never looked back.

In conversation with me for Life After News, Lane opened up about why the desert works so well for his creativity, how Palm Springs friendships and bookstores keep him inspired, and what he learned from working alongside Carrie Fisher.

Lane’s journey is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt—just like his novels.

👉 Read the full feature here

Byron’s Desert Shortlist

• Classic Night Out: Melvyn’s, old Hollywood, a little time travel.

• Modern Buzz: Bar Cecil, celebratory, scene-y in the best way.

• Forever Favorite: El Mirasol (South), legacy Mexican, patio forever.

• Sweet/ Savory Detour: Gabino’s Creperie, “incredible.”

• Pages: Best Bookstore Palm Springs, signed copies of Lane & Rowley novels.

🗞️ Palm Springs Now: The Big Stories

🚡 Tourism and Recreation

• Plans to modernize Palm Springs Convention Center move head.  Read more.

• PSP hopes to get flights from Europe and Mexico. Read more.

• Demuth Park pickleball courts for major expansion. Read more.

🏗️ Development and Infrastructure

• Residents push back against plan to allow taller buildings near homes.  Read More.

• Palm Springs approves AI-powered data tool. Read more.

• Commission approve extension for stalled uptown project. Read more.

• Desert sand heading to the beach to help protect eroding rail line. Read more.

🎭 Arts and Culture

• Is Coachella sold out? Read more.

• 2025 Pride Grand Marshals announced Read more.

• Palm Springs begins $40 million renovation of public library. Read more.

• Palm Spring gay bar celebrates 35 years on Arenas. Read more.

🇺🇸 Presidents in the Desert: From Winter Retreats to Permanent Homes 🌴

🇺🇸 Greater Palm Springs has always drawn a certain kind of visitor. Hollywood royalty, captains of industry, and yes, real royalty, have all found refuge in the Coachella Valley’s warm winters and wide-open skies. But few stories sparkle like those of the U.S. presidents who have walked these fairways, slept under these stars, and in some cases, called the desert home.

By our count, 15 of the last 16 presidents have visited the area and two have called it home.  Click here to find out who they are.

🗣️ Mrs. O’Donnell Corner: What’s Happening in Palm Spring 🌴

☕️ Coffeeism seems to be off to a good start (It’s packed every time we’ve been by). Looks like we’re getting another new coffee shop as well. The Orange County chain Coffee Dose is moving into the old KFC location on South Palm Canyon Drive. We hope the bridge project is done before they start brewing.

🍽️ The ever-popular Bar Cecil is expanding. They are opening a speakeasy at another location in the same complex. 

📚 Palm Springs based best-selling author Steven Rowley announced two new books, one partially based in Joshua Tree. The Dogs of Venice comes out October 14 and Take Me with You comes out in the spring. We are certain The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs will have plenty of signed first editions of both.

🍷 Speaking of the bookstore, a new wine shop is moving into its old location on Tahquitz Canyon Way. Chiselled Grape Winery is opening what they are calling the home of sexy wines. Can wait to find out what that means.

🥯 Toast’d has officially opened at 190 South Indian Canyon Drive. It’s in the old I Heart Mac and Cheese location. It’s open until midnight on weekdays and until 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. We are sure it will be popular with the Arenas after-bar crowd.

👙 Finally, Diane’s Bikinis is opening its first inland.  You may know the retailer from location in Huntington Beach and Redondo Beach.  The new shop will be at 155 South Palm Canyon Drive where Prickly Pear Boutique used to be.  If you didn’t know Prickly Pear moved down by the Palm Springs General Store.

If you know anything happening in Palm Springs, drop us a line. Email us

🎥 Lights, Camera, Palm Springs!

🎬 It’s easy to get caught up in the fantasy of Old Hollywood pool parties and swinging mid-century cocktail hours. But beyond the glamor lies the labor—the crews that descended on the valley with cameras and cranes, the local extras, the hot desert days turned into cinema gold. Read more

Here are just a few films and TV projects that show the desert putting in the spotlight:

• Palm Springs (2020)

• Behind the Candelabra (2013)

• Alpha Dog (2006)

💻 Pro-Tip: Book Direct & Save
Planning your next getaway? Skip the middlemen and book directly at oldranchinn.com to unlock the Private Rate — exclusive savings just for our inner circle (that’s you).

✔ Lowest rate guaranteed
✔ No extra fees
✔ Free Parking

🍾 The Season Begins

As October begins so does the season. We set out to capture the energy of a desert waking back up: restaurants reopening, visitors returning, and the calendar filling up.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and being part of this growing community of desert dwellers and dreamers. The beauty of this place is that every month has its own rhythm, and we’re just getting started.

See you in November.

— Jason and Troy

💌 Love the Desert Dispatch? Tell a Friend.

Forward this to someone who needs a little more sun and silence in their inbox.
→ Subscribe to Desert Dispatch
→ Follow @desertdispatchnewsletter and @oldranchinn