Things to Do in Joshua Tree This Week: Oct. 19–25, 2026

Updated Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, 8:15 AM PT

The big day in the Morongo Basin this week is Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. The Town of Yucca Valley's free Spooktacular Carnival and Car Show fills the Hi-Desert Nature Museum from noon to 4 PM, the fall Levitt AMP series closes with Mark Taylor and Los Poncho Tones at Freedom Plaza in Twentynine Palms (free, 7–9 PM), and Tuareg guitarist Mdou Moctar plays a solo show at Joshua Tree Retreat Center ($35 plus fees). On Sunday, Oct. 25, Más o Menos hosts the first Joshua Tree Wine Festival (4–8 PM, 21+, $23.18), and the Hunter's Moon turns full that night. Watch the sky midweek: the forecast has a chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday, then a cool, sunny weekend.

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?

Warm and sunny to start, then a cool-down. The National Weather Service forecast for the town of Joshua Tree calls for sunny highs of 79°F Monday and 77°F Tuesday, with lows around 60°F. South winds pick up Tuesday, with gusts to 22 mph in Joshua Tree and 25 mph in Twentynine Palms, so tie down anything light at a campsite or booth.

Wednesday is mostly sunny (74°F) with a slight chance of showers after 5 PM. Wednesday night and Thursday bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms, and Thursday's high drops to 67°F. Twentynine Palms has a 40% chance of rain Thursday afternoon, though NWS expects less than a tenth of an inch. The weekend clears out: sunny, 66°F Friday and 67°F Saturday in Joshua Tree, about 70°F in Twentynine Palms, with lows near 50°F. Sunday isn't in the seven-day forecast yet. Bring a warm layer for anything after dark, and don't hike exposed ridges if thunder starts Thursday.

Is anything closed in Joshua Tree National Park?

The National Park Service currently lists Geology Tour Road as temporarily closed after heavy rain and flooding, and asks drivers to use caution on all other park roads. Parts of the West Side Loop trail in the Black Rock area are closed for trail repairs, with reopening estimated for November (hikers and riders can bypass on connector trails along Black Rock Canyon). The Oasis of Mara Trail is still closed past the oasis after earlier flood damage. NPS also warns that some third-party hiking apps give inaccurate trail and safety information, and recommends the official NPS app. Check the park's alerts and conditions page the day you go.

Monday, Oct. 19 to Wednesday, Oct. 21: weeknight shows

• Monday, Oct. 19: Juice with Porcelain at Pappy & Harriet's, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $20–$25.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21: Spencer Krug at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $20–$25.

Thursday, Oct. 22: happy hour and a late show

• "Keep a Breast" Happy Hour, 5–7 PM at Más o Menos, 66031 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, according to the Pioneertown Gazette listing.
• Evanora Unlimited, the multimedia project of Oakland artist Orion Ohana, with Angus Scratch Green, Angel, and ZoZo at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8 PM, show 9 PM, all ages, $17–$21.

If Thursday's storms show up, check with the venue before you drive out.

Friday, Oct. 23: cabaret, drag, and a sold-out show

• Lady Chilane's Cabaret at Snake Bite Roadhouse, 55405 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley, 8–10 PM. The Joshua Tree drag performer brings a Halloween-themed "Bewitching Cabaret." Tickets are on Eventbrite.
• HorseGirl: The Horseless Headman, a drag show and costume contest at The Tiny Pony Tavern, 57205 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley. The show starts at 9 PM, DJs Jermii and Lizzii take over at 10 PM, and the Gazette lists a $10 cover.
• Jonah Kagen at Pappy & Harriet's (doors 8:30 PM, show 9:30 PM) is sold out. Pappy's says to watch its social media for late ticket releases.

Saturday, Oct. 24: Spooktacular, Levitt AMP's finale, and Mdou Moctar

Daytime:

• Spooktacular Carnival and Car Show, noon–4 PM, Hi-Desert Nature Museum, 57090 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley. The Town of Yucca Valley and the museum put on this free, all-ages Halloween festival inspired by Route 66 ghost towns, with music, carnival games, candy, classic cars, crafts, and pumpkin painting. The Magic of Murdock performs at 12:15 and 1:30 PM. Costume-contest sign-up runs noon–2:30 PM in the Community Center Courtyard, with judging at 3:15 PM in the Yucca Room. The first 300 kids get free corn dogs from J.T. Desert Drifters and shaved ice from Kona Ice.
• If you're in Twentynine Palms early, Visit 29 Palms notes the 29 Palms Farmers Market runs downtown 8 AM–1 PM on Saturdays.
• Dynamic Photography for Social Media Field Workshop, 4–7 PM, Quail Springs Picnic Area in Joshua Tree National Park. $40. Local photographer Rose Cefalu leads this Desert Institute class from golden hour into night-sky shooting, all on your own smartphone. It's limited to 10 participants; bring a fully charged phone with room for at least 30 photos.

Evening:

• Whispers & Embers, a dance showcase with live music from high- and low-desert performers, at The Firehouse JT, 65430 Winters Rd., Joshua Tree. Doors 5 PM, show 5:30 PM, all ages, $15, costumes optional (Gazette listing).
• An Evening of Sankirtan with Raas Leela Kirtana, 6–7:30 PM (doors 5:30 PM), Earth Yoga & Spa, 57272 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley. Call-and-response devotional singing, no experience needed, all ages. Sliding scale $20–$40 ($23.18–$44.52 with Eventbrite fees).
• Levitt AMP Twentynine Palms, season finale: Nashville's Mark Taylor brings '90s-style country, and High Desert trio Los Poncho Tones open with their "greasy tumbleweed" sound. Freedom Plaza, 6547 Freedom Way, Twentynine Palms. The plaza opens at 6 PM, music runs 7–9 PM, and it's free and family-friendly. Bring chairs or blankets; food and drink vendors are on site.
• Alien Probe with Chaki The Funk Wizard in The Annex at Giant Rock Meeting Room, 1131 Old Woman Springs Rd., Unit A, Yucca Valley. Doors 7 PM, music 7:30–9:30 PM, all ages, $10 online. Giant Rock calls it "psychedelic rock educational theater."
• Mdou Moctar (solo) with Isaiah Mitchell, presented by Sister Midnight and Desert Daze at Joshua Tree Retreat Center, 59700 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. Doors 7 PM, show 8 PM. General admission is $35 plus a $6.97 service fee.

Late:

• Tear Dungeon at Pappy & Harriet's. Doors 8:30 PM, show 9:30 PM, all ages, $16–$21.
• DJ Ben C of Flying Mojito Brothers at Más o Menos, 9 PM. The indoor bar is 21+.
• Mella Tarantella DJs at The Tiny Pony Tavern from 10 PM.

Sunday, Oct. 25: wine, puppies, and the full Hunter's Moon

• Puppy Brunch, noon–3 PM, The Tiny Pony Tavern, Yucca Valley. Adoptable dogs in the backyard, with the monthly brunch raising money for the Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter. Free admission (Gazette listing).
• Joshua Tree Wine Festival, 4–8 PM on the patio at Más o Menos, 66031 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. Taste 20+ wines from Nomadic Wines, ZRS Wines, Floraison, Springboard, and Más o Menos, and meet winemakers from Itri Wines and Wiley Wines. Ages 21+, $23.18 on Eventbrite. Much Ado Tacos sells food from 5 PM.
• Desert Ecology Night Walk for Families, 4:30–6:30 PM, Desert View Conservation Area, Joshua Tree. $40. A Desert Institute walk for kids and families. Black lights are provided, kids under 12 need an adult, and no park entry is needed.
• Full Moon Stargazing Sound Bath and Cacao Ceremony, 5:30–8:30 PM at the Hi-View Trailhead, 9800 Black Rock Canyon Rd., Yucca Valley, next to Black Rock Campground. Two sound baths, a cacao ceremony with snacks, and guided stargazing. $45, or two for $75. Bring warm layers and a chair or mat.

The U.S. Naval Observatory puts the full moon at 9:12 PM PT on Sunday, Oct. 25. In Joshua Tree the moon rises at 5:31 PM and the sun sets at 5:59 PM, so the moonrise over the rocks comes just before sunset.

What's coming next week?

It's Halloween week. Pappy & Harriet's has The Music of Hey Arnold with Jim Lang and the PS 118 AllStars on Monday, Oct. 26 ($28.50–$33.50) and its official Halloween party, DESIRE with Mothermary and Johnny Jewel, on Friday, Oct. 30 ($25–$30). Sister Midnight brings sunn O))) to Joshua Tree Retreat Center on Wednesday, Oct. 28 and The Black Angels' Passover 2026 Tour on Saturday, Oct. 31. The City of Twentynine Palms' free Halloween Bash with Trunk or Treat is Friday, Oct. 30, 6–8 PM at Freedom Plaza. On Saturday, Oct. 31, there's free trick-or-treating at Halloween on Mane Street (Pioneertown Film Museum, 3–4:30 PM) and Art Queen's HalloQUEEN in downtown Joshua Tree (3–7 PM). At night, four bands play Halloween at Más o Menos (6–11:30 PM, donation tickets, 21+), and Jesika von Rabbit, LANDROID, and Carnal Circus play the Haunted Masquerade at Coyote Run Studio (doors 8 PM, $15 and up). Daylight saving time ends early Sunday, Nov. 1, so sunset jumps an hour earlier. 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 the Spooktacular and the Saturday-night shows for a souvenir, a sticker for the water bottle, or a warm layer for full-moon night. Everything in the shop is also at jttradingpost.com.

FAQ

What's happening in Joshua Tree this weekend, Oct. 23–25, 2026? Saturday is the big day: the free Spooktacular Carnival and Car Show in Yucca Valley (noon–4 PM), the free Levitt AMP finale at Freedom Plaza in Twentynine Palms (7–9 PM), and Mdou Moctar at Joshua Tree Retreat Center (show 8 PM). Sunday brings the Joshua Tree Wine Festival at Más o Menos (4–8 PM) and the full moon.

Is the Yucca Valley Spooktacular free? Yes. The Spooktacular Carnival and Car Show is free and open to all ages, Saturday, Oct. 24, noon–4 PM at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum, 57090 29 Palms Hwy., Yucca Valley. It includes a costume contest, with sign-up from noon to 2:30 PM.

When is the full moon in October 2026? Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, at 9:12 PM PT, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. In Joshua Tree the moon rises at 5:31 PM that evening, just before the 5:59 PM sunset.

Will it rain in Joshua Tree this week? Maybe midweek. NWS gives a slight chance of showers Wednesday evening and a chance of showers and thunderstorms Wednesday night into Thursday, with little rain expected. Friday and Saturday look sunny, with highs in the upper 60s.

Is Geology Tour Road open? Not right now. NPS lists Geology Tour Road as temporarily closed after flooding. Check the park's alerts page before you go.

Sources

Checked the morning of Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026 PT:

• Hi-Desert Nature Museum: Spooktacular Carnival and Car Show, Town of Yucca Valley
• Levitt AMP Twentynine Palms fall series, Visit 29 Palms
• Pappy & Harriet's live music calendar and its See Tickets event pages
• Sister Midnight events and the Mdou Moctar ticket page
• Giant Rock Meeting Room: Alien Probe
• Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park Association: Dynamic Photography for Social Media and Desert Ecology Night Walk for Families
• Eventbrite organizer pages: Joshua Tree Wine Festival (Más o Menos), Lady Chilane's Cabaret, Evening of Sankirtan, Full Moon Sound Bath, Halloween on Mane Street, Halloween at Más o Menos, and Haunted Masquerade
• Pioneertown Gazette events (Keep a Breast Happy Hour, HorseGirl, Whispers & Embers, DJ Ben C, Mella Tarantella, Puppy Brunch, Art Queen HalloQUEEN)
• Z107.7 News: Twentynine Palms Halloween Bash
• National Weather Service forecast for Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms, plus active alerts (none this morning)
• Joshua Tree National Park alerts and conditions, National Park Service
• U.S. Naval Observatory moon phases and rise/set times

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.