DECEMBER IN THE HIGH DESERT
December settles into the high desert a little differently. The nights get cold enough to see your breath, the stars sharpen, and the towns start to glow with their own kind of holiday charm. Here’s what’s happening around Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and 29 Palms this month — the events locals look forward to every year.
Yucca Valley
Yucca Valley kicks off the season early with its Holiday Celebration on December 6 (10 a.m.–3 p.m.) at the Community Center. Families bundle up, kids barrel toward the snow play zone, and someone’s always walking around with a steaming cup of cocoa.
The town’s annual Tree Lighting is happening on December 3 (5-7 p.m.) — the kind of small-town moment where people wander in from all directions just to watch the lights come on at once.
Twentynine Palms
29 Palms starts early, too, with its Holiday Festival on December 2-3 at Freedom Plaza. Think lights, music, vendors, and that warm community buzz that makes the desert feel smaller in the best way.
On December 5-6, the town hosts A One-Man Christmas Carol at the 29 Palms Cemetery — a strange-and-perfect high desert tradition: lanterns, storytelling, cold air, and cocoa.
Then just before Christmas, the Historic Plaza Christmas Stroll on December 21 (12–5 p.m.) brings out local makers, musicians, and families drifting from booth to booth.
Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree keeps things wonderfully eclectic. The Joshua Tree Philharmonic’s “A Medieval Christmas,” running December 11-14, fills the Blak Box Theater with music that feels bigger than the room itself.
On December 20, the Holidaze Hullabaloo takes over the Cultural Center Playhouse — a quirky, cheerful performance locals return to every year.
And if you’re feeling festive, JT Trading Post has its own little corner of holiday magic this year. We’re selling Christmas trees from December 5–25, filling the lot with the smell of fresh pine. Weekends bring live music, and our Christmas bar is fully decked out — cozy and ready for anyone who wants to warm up with a drink after a cold desert night.
We’ll see you out there.
