September is one of those interesting transition months in Greater Palm Springs. Summer hasn't quite loosened its grip on the Coachella Valley, but you can feel the desert beginning to wake back up.
Restaurants that closed for the summer start turning their lights back on. Sunnylands reopens its gates in Rancho Mirage. Thursday nights in downtown Palm Springs are still buzzing with VillageFest. And this year, September brings a full month dedicated to one of the things our desert does exceptionally well: rest and relaxation.
For locals, September feels a little like the calm before the season. The crowds haven't fully returned, but there is noticeably more happening around town. For visitors, it can be a great time to experience Greater Palm Springs at a slower pace before the fall calendar really takes off in October and November.
Whether you're looking for Palm Springs events in September 2026, things to do in Rancho Mirage or Palm Desert, wellness experiences, art, culture or simply an excuse to get out of the house, here are some of our favorite things happening around the Coachella Valley this month.
Greater Palm Springs Spa Month
Dates: September 1–30, 2026
Location: Participating spas and wellness destinations throughout Greater Palm Springs
September is officially Greater Palm Springs Spa Month, turning the entire month into an excellent excuse to experience some of the valley's best spas, mineral springs and wellness retreats.
Greater Palm Springs has been associated with wellness for generations, long before luxury resort spas became part of the landscape. The natural hot mineral waters of Desert Hot Springs have drawn visitors to the area for decades, while today's resorts have expanded the desert wellness experience to include massages, facials, sound baths, yoga, mineral pool soaks and other restorative treatments.
Throughout September, participating resort spas, day spas, wellness centers and hot springs offer special packages and experiences. Some offers include individual treatments, while others incorporate day passes or overnight stays.
That makes Spa Month equally appealing whether you're visiting the desert for a weekend or live here year-round.
And locals shouldn't overlook this one. September is still part of our quieter season, making it a particularly nice time to spend an afternoon at a resort or finally visit one of those spas you've driven past a hundred times.
Reservations are recommended for many of the participating experiences.
Learn more: Greater Palm Springs Spa Month
Nights on the Oasis Trail at the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum
Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Last Entry: 8:00 p.m.
Location: Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, Palm Springs
Tickets: $25 adults / $12 children
Spend an evening experiencing the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum and Oasis Trail after regular hours during Nights on the Oasis Trail.
The evening is expected to include interpretive walks along the Oasis Trail with Tribal Rangers, Bird Singing, activities, light bites and giveaways. Visitors can also explore the museum galleries after hours and visit the ACCM Store during the evening.
The museum has become an important addition to downtown Palm Springs, providing an opportunity to better understand the history, culture and continuing presence of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians and the deep connection between the Cahuilla people and this desert landscape.
The Oasis Trail makes this particular evening especially interesting. Instead of experiencing the property during the heat of the afternoon, visitors can explore as the sun goes down and the desert moves into evening.
Date: September 17
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m., with last entry at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25 adults and $12 children
Sunnylands Reopens for the Season in Rancho Mirage
Reopening Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Location: 37977 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage
Center & Gardens: Free admission and parking
This is one of our favorite signs that fall is approaching in the desert.
After its annual summer hiatus, Sunnylands Center & Gardens reopens September 9 in Rancho Mirage.
If you've never visited, don't make the mistake of thinking Sunnylands is simply another beautiful desert estate.
The historic property was the home of ambassadors and philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg and has hosted U.S. presidents, international leaders and other notable figures. Today, Sunnylands continues to serve as a location for high-level meetings while also welcoming the public to experience its architecture, art, gardens and history.
You don't need a house-tour ticket to enjoy Sunnylands.
The 15-acre Center & Gardens are free, and you can walk the paths through carefully designed desert landscaping, explore the Center, visit the rotating exhibition, stop by the café or simply find a bench and enjoy one of the most peaceful spaces in Rancho Mirage.
The gardens are also a great example of what thoughtful desert landscaping can look like. Instead of trying to recreate a lush environment from somewhere else, the design celebrates the colors, textures and plants that belong in this climate.
For architecture and design lovers, the historic estate is another experience entirely. Guided tours provide access to the Annenbergs' iconic midcentury residence and explore its architecture, art collection and remarkable history.
September tour tickets went on sale August 15 and advance tickets can sell quickly.
Insider tip: Go early. September mornings in Rancho Mirage can still be very warm, and walking the gardens shortly after opening is considerably more comfortable than visiting later in the afternoon.
Learn more and reserve estate tours: Sunnylands
The Desert's Restaurants Start Reopening
One of the quirks of living in Greater Palm Springs is our summer restaurant season—or, more accurately, the lack of one for some establishments.
When temperatures climb and seasonal residents leave town, a number of independently owned restaurants take an extended summer break. Some close for several weeks while others use the downtime for vacations, renovations, menu changes and maintenance.
Then September arrives.
One by one, the lights start coming back on.
For those of us who live here year-round, restaurant reopenings are one of the first signs that another desert season is around the corner. By late September and October, reservations become a little more important, patios start filling again and familiar seasonal spots return.
There are also new restaurants preparing to make their debuts around the valley this fall, giving us a few new places to add to the list.
We've created a separate guide tracking the Greater Palm Springs restaurants reopening for fall 2026, including restaurants in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and elsewhere around the Coachella Valley.
See our Greater Palm Springs Restaurants Reopening for Fall 2026 guide
The Dinah Returns to Palm Springs
Dates: September 30–October 4, 2026
Location: Palm Springs
Host Hotels: Hilton Palm Springs and Hotel Zoso
September ends with the beginning of one of Palm Springs' best-known annual events.
The Dinah returns September 30 through October 4, bringing five days of pool parties, music, comedy, nightlife and community events to Palm Springs.
The festival has been a Palm Springs institution for more than three decades and describes itself as the largest and longest-running female and non-binary music festival in the world.
For 2026, events are centered around two host hotels—the Hilton Palm Springs and Hotel Zoso—with an expanded lineup that includes pool parties at both properties, nightlife events, comedy and programming for singles and solo attendees.
Even if you're not attending, major festival weekends like The Dinah are part of what gives Palm Springs its distinctive personality. This small desert city has an unusually packed calendar of internationally recognized events, from Modernism Week and film festivals to Pride, music festivals and major sporting events.
The Dinah essentially helps kick off that fall event season.
Learn more and view the 2026 schedule: The Dinah
Free Thursday Nights at the Palm Springs Art Museum
When: Every Thursday
Time: 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Location: Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs
Admission: Free Thursday evenings
Looking for something easy to do after work or before dinner downtown?
The Palm Springs Art Museum offers free admission Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
It's one of the better local combinations because Thursday is also VillageFest night. You can spend an hour or two exploring the museum, then walk a couple of blocks toward Palm Canyon Drive for dinner and VillageFest.
During Free Thursday Nights, docents are also stationed throughout the galleries and available to answer questions about works on display.
September visitors can catch several exhibitions, including A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit, which continues through October 18, and Alternative Palm Springs: Other Desert Architectures, which runs into January 2027.
If you haven't visited the museum recently, September is a good month to put it back on your list.
Learn more: Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs VillageFest — Every Thursday Night
When: Every Thursday in September
Time: 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Location: Palm Canyon Drive, Downtown Palm Springs
Admission: Free
VillageFest continues every Thursday evening throughout September, with Palm Canyon Drive closing to vehicle traffic and transforming into a pedestrian street fair.
Nearly 200 booths can line downtown with artists, craftspeople, food vendors and other local businesses, while many of the surrounding restaurants, galleries and shops remain open late.
September is the final month of VillageFest's summer schedule, which runs from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Beginning in October, the event moves back to its earlier 6:00 p.m. start time.
VillageFest is one of those activities that works whether you've lived here for years or you're visiting Palm Springs for the first time. Grab dinner downtown, wander through the booths, listen to the street performers and take an evening walk beneath the illuminated palms along Palm Canyon Drive.
On September 17, VillageFest will also host a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration featuring cultural performances, themed crafts, activities and snacks while supplies last.
That happens to be the same evening as Nights on the Oasis Trail, giving you the option of combining both events for a full evening in downtown Palm Springs.
September VillageFest hours: Thursdays, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Learn more: Palm Springs VillageFest
September Is When the Desert Begins to Wake Up
If October marks the beginning of the traditional Greater Palm Springs season, September is the warm-up.
There is still plenty of summer left—the afternoon temperatures will remind you of that—but the rhythm of the valley begins changing.
Sunnylands reopens. Restaurants return. Event calendars get busier. Seasonal residents slowly begin arriving. And suddenly you're making plans for weekends that looked completely empty a month earlier.
It's also one of the things we appreciate about living in the Coachella Valley.
Life here changes with the seasons, but perhaps not in the way people from other parts of the country expect. Our "winter" is when patios, golf courses, hiking trails, restaurants and events are at their busiest. Summer is quieter and slower. September sits right between the two.
You can still enjoy uncrowded restaurants and quieter resorts while beginning to see the first hints of the energy that will carry the valley through fall and winter.
Planning Your September 2026 in Greater Palm Springs
If you're visiting the Coachella Valley this September, don't feel like you need to stay in one city.
One of the advantages of Greater Palm Springs is how easily you can experience several very different communities in a single weekend.
Spend the morning exploring Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, book a Spa Month treatment in Palm Desert or Desert Hot Springs, have dinner in downtown Palm Springs and finish the evening walking VillageFest.
Another day might mean breakfast in La Quinta, shopping along El Paseo in Palm Desert and heading into Palm Springs for the museum.
The cities blend together geographically, but each has its own personality. That's part of what makes exploring—and living in—the Coachella Valley so interesting.
Welcome Back, Desert Season
September may not have the massive event calendar of January, February or March, but that's part of its appeal.
It's a chance to enjoy Greater Palm Springs while things are beginning to come back to life but before the busiest months arrive.
Spend a Thursday evening wandering VillageFest. Explore the Palm Springs Art Museum for free. Book the spa treatment you've been putting off. Walk through Sunnylands on its first quiet mornings of the season. Revisit a favorite restaurant when its doors reopen.
And keep your calendar handy.
By the time September comes to an end, Greater Palm Springs will be moving quickly toward another packed fall and winter season—and we'll be sharing our favorite events and things to do throughout it.
Mike Z. Haque Realtor® | Desert Cities Home brokered by eXp Realty DRE #01745484 760.808.5995
