Things to Do in Joshua Tree This Week: Oct. 12–18, 2026

The big week in the Morongo Basin is Thursday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, when the City of Twentynine Palms throws its 90th Annual Pioneer Days: free Oasis Lights and the Outhouse Races at Freedom Plaza on Friday at 6 PM, the Pioneer Days Parade downtown on Saturday at 10 AM, and the 5K Walk/Run at Luckie Park on Sunday at 8 AM. The same weekend is the third and final weekend of the free Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours (studios open 10 AM–5 PM Saturday and Sunday), and Saturday night brings the free Levitt AMP concert with HuDost and Palo Xanto. The weather cooperates, too: sunny days in the 70s from Wednesday on.

Below is everything we confirmed this morning on the organizers' own pages, day by day, plus the weather and park notes you'll want before you drive in. For the full list, including shows further out, see our Around town events calendar.

What's the weather in Joshua Tree this week?

Fall has finally arrived. A storm is moving through today (Sunday), and the National Weather Service has a Wind Advisory and a Flood Watch in effect until 5 AM Monday for the area, with showers, thunderstorms, gusty southwest winds, and patches of blowing dust. Monday stays breezy with a chance of isolated showers and a high of 64°F in Joshua Tree.

After that it's a beautiful week. The NWS forecast for the town of Joshua Tree calls for sunny skies and highs of 66°F Tuesday, 71°F Wednesday, 75°F Thursday, and 77°F Friday and Saturday, with lows dropping to the upper 40s Monday night and the 50s the rest of the week. Twentynine Palms runs a few degrees warmer, reaching 80°F on Friday and Saturday. North winds pick up Wednesday night through Thursday night (gusts in the 20s mph in both towns), so tie down anything light if you're setting up a booth or a campsite. Saturday looks calm and clear, which is perfect for the parade and an evening outdoors. Bring a jacket for after dark.

Is anything closed in Joshua Tree National Park?

The National Park Service currently lists one trail closure: the Oasis of Mara Trail is closed past the oasis after flood damage. NPS also warns that some third-party hiking apps give inaccurate trail and safety information, and recommends the official NPS app. With today's Flood Watch, stay out of washes and don't drive through flooded dips on Sunday or early Monday. Check the park's alerts and conditions page the day you go.

All week: Romeo & Juliet at Theatre 29

Romeo & Juliet: A Mojave Reimagining, reimagined and directed by Liz Wessel with the Joshua Tree Shakespeare Company, is in its final week at Theatre 29, 73637 Sullivan Rd., Twentynine Palms. It closes Sunday, Oct. 18. Showtimes and prices are on the theater's ticket page, and Theatre 29 says it sells tickets only through its own website.

Monday, Oct. 12 to Wednesday, Oct. 14: weeknight shows

• Monday, Oct. 12: Y La Bamba with Vanessa Zamora and Las Tias at Pappy & Harriet's, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown. Doors 7 PM, show 8 PM, all ages, $25–$30.
• Wednesday, Oct. 14: Shiner at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $21–$26.

Thursday, Oct. 15: Pioneer Days begins

Pioneer Days opens Thursday with A Century in the Making, a ticketed community mixer at the Old Schoolhouse Museum celebrating the schoolhouse's 100th year. This year's festival theme honors the museum, which is housed in Twentynine Palms' original 1927 one-room schoolhouse. Details are on the city's Pioneer Days page.

Thursday night music:

• The Beths with Chelsea Jade at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 5:30 PM, show 7 PM, all ages, $31–$101.
• Night Tapes plays the late show at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $26–$31.
• Sidewinder at Z Club, 61877 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, 7–9 PM.

Friday, Oct. 16: Oasis Lights and the Outhouse Races

Downtown Twentynine Palms lights up for Oasis Lights, a free indoor and outdoor festival with live DJs, a vendor market, and activities, plus the return of the Outhouse Races at Freedom Plaza, 6547 Freedom Way, starting at 6 PM. The city calls the races "a hilariously competitive desert tradition unlike any other," and they're as good as that sounds.

Elsewhere Friday:

• ZoZo: TR-3B Release Show at Giant Rock Meeting Room, 1131 Old Woman Springs Rd., Unit A, Yucca Valley (Flamingo Heights). 7–10 PM, $10 presale or $15 at the door.
• Conan O'Brien and The Vigodas with Sam Evian at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $21–$26.
• Art Tours After Dark: Founders Friday Night with The Blank Tapes, Sarah Barlow, and Doug Legacy (listed under Art Queen on the Art Tours schedule), 3–8 PM, free.

Saturday, Oct. 17: parade, studios, chili, and free music

Pioneer Days Parade, 10 AM, downtown Twentynine Palms. Marching bands, classic cars, floats, community groups, and the military march through town. After the parade, Let's Play! KidsFest runs in the afternoon at the Twentynine Palms Community Center with games, activities, and local vendors. Free.

Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours, final weekend: The tours are free and self-guided, with studios across the basin open 10 AM–5 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Start with the tours' map, app, and catalog.

Out in the park (Desert Institute classes, registration required):

• Desert Ecology Bike Tour, 8 AM–1 PM, meets at the Wall Street Mill parking lot. $45. About 11 miles on dirt roads in Queen Valley, for experienced off-road cyclists 16 and up who bring their own bikes. Park entry isn't included.
• Introduction to Rock Scrambling for Families, 3–6 PM. $40.

Afternoon and evening:

• 100 Years of Route 66 opening reception, 4–6 PM, at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum, 57090 Twentynine Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley. The Journey is the Destination pairs panoramic color photography by Andy Romanoff and Brian Helder with scent by Sofia Collette Ehrich, the "Olfactory Contractor." Presentations by Romanoff and Ehrich. Free.
• Pioneer Days Chili Cook Off, 5–8 PM, presented by the 29 Palms Artists' Guild at the 29 Palms Art Gallery, 74055 Cottonwood Dr., Twentynine Palms. Dinner tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door, and kids under 5 eat free.
• Moonflower Film Festival, a free, spooky short-film festival at Más o Menos, 66031 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. Filmmaker mixer 5:30 PM, food vendors and a tiny cinema at 6 PM, films at 7 PM, and a DJ after-party until midnight. RSVP on Eventbrite.
• Levitt AMP Twentynine Palms: neo-folk world-rock duo HuDost with Yucca Valley's Palo Xanto at Freedom Plaza. The plaza opens at 6 PM and music runs 7–9 PM. Free and family-friendly. Bring a chair or blanket.
• Louise Goffin in Concert, presented by the Joshua Tree Cultural Center at the Blak Box Theater, 61231 Hwy. 62, Joshua Tree. Doors 7 PM, show 7:30–9:30 PM, reserved seating from $17.85 to $47.73.
• Art Tours After Dark: Edwards James at Spaghetti Western, 50048 29 Palms Hwy., Morongo Valley, 7 PM. Free.
• An Evening with Jay Buchanan at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8:30 PM, show 9:30 PM, all ages, $30–$35.

Sunday, Oct. 18: 5K, pets, and classic cars

• Pioneer Days 5K Walk/Run, 8 AM, at Luckie Park, Twentynine Palms, hosted by the 29 Palms Run Club. Register through the city. The Pet Parade follows at the park, with prizes for Best Dressed and Best Trick.
• Pioneer Days Classic Car & Motorcycle Show at the 29 Palms Historic Plaza, Adobe Rd. and Two Mile Rd., hosted by the Friends of the Historic Plaza. Hot rods, classics, custom cruisers, and motorcycles (1985 and older) wrap up Pioneer Days.
• Immersive Creative Writing Field Experience with Desert Institute, 2–4:30 PM in Joshua Tree National Park. $40.
• Art Tours studios are open 10 AM–5 PM for the last time this year. In the evening, Art Tours After Dark closes out with the Hilltop Hootenanny at Studio 69 (Texas Flag stage), 5:30–8 PM, free.
• Shovels & Rope at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $36–$41.

What's coming next week?

The fall Levitt AMP series closes Saturday, Oct. 24 with Nashville-based Mark Taylor and Los Poncho Tones at Freedom Plaza (free, 7–9 PM), and Giant Rock Meeting Room has Alien Probe, a psychedelic rock "educational theater" show, the same night at 7:30 PM. Dates, prices, and ticket links are on our Around town calendar.

Stop by while you're in town

We're on Highway 62 at 61716 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. Shop hours are Monday–Friday 12–5 PM and Saturday–Sunday 8 AM–5 PM. Come in between studio stops for a souvenir, a sticker for the water bottle, or a warm layer for those chilly fall nights. Everything in the shop is also at jttradingpost.com.

FAQ

When is Pioneer Days 2026 in Twentynine Palms? Thursday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. The highlights are Oasis Lights and the Outhouse Races (Friday, 6 PM, Freedom Plaza), the parade (Saturday, 10 AM, downtown), and the 5K (Sunday, 8 AM, Luckie Park).

Is this the last weekend of the Hwy 62 Art Tours? Yes. Oct. 17–18 is the third and final weekend. Studios are open 10 AM–5 PM, and the tours are free and self-guided.

What's the weather like in Joshua Tree this week? After Sunday's storm, NWS forecasts sunny days with highs in the mid-60s to upper 70s and lows in the 50s. It will be windy Sunday into Monday and breezy from the north Wednesday night through Thursday.

Are there free things to do this weekend? Plenty. The Pioneer Days parade, Oasis Lights, Levitt AMP at Freedom Plaza, the Art Tours studios and After Dark shows, the Route 66 reception at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum, and the Moonflower Film Festival are all free.

Is anything closed in Joshua Tree National Park? The Oasis of Mara Trail is closed past the oasis after flood damage. Check the NPS alerts page before you go, especially after this weekend's rain.

Sources

Checked the morning of Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026 PT:

• City of Twentynine Palms: 90th Annual Pioneer Days, plus the 5K registration page
• Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours and Art Tours After Dark
• Levitt AMP Twentynine Palms fall series, Visit 29 Palms
• Pappy & Harriet's live music calendar
• Theatre 29 tickets
• Giant Rock Meeting Room live shows
• Z Club events
• Hi-Desert Nature Museum: 100 Years of Route 66 reception
• 29 Palms Artists' Guild Chili Cook Off tickets
• Friends of the Historic Plaza: Classic Car & Motorcycle Show
• Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park Association: Desert Ecology Bike Tour, Rock Scrambling for Families, Creative Writing Field Experience
• Eventbrite organizer pages: Moonflower Film Festival (Más o Menos) and Louise Goffin (Joshua Tree Cultural Center)
• National Weather Service forecast and active alerts for Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms
• Joshua Tree National Park alerts and conditions, National Park Service

Hi-Desert Field Desk is JT Trading Post's events and guides desk in Joshua Tree. We check every date, price, and closure against official sources the morning we publish.