VillageFest & Downtown Palm Springs

Downtown Palm Springs is compact, walkable and full of character, and the best time to meet it is Thursday night at VillageFest. For more than three decades, the city has closed Palm Canyon Drive between Amado and Baristo Roads every Thursday evening for an open-air street fair of nearly 200 booths selling handcrafted goods, art, jewelry, produce and food, with musicians and buskers along the way and restaurants, shops and galleries staying open late to join in. From fall through spring it runs from 6pm to 10pm; in the summer months, June through September, it shifts an hour later, from 7pm to 10pm, to avoid the triple-digit heat. A city information booth at Tahquitz Canyon Way and Palm Canyon Drive hosts special events through the year. Around VillageFest, the downtown core rewards a slow wander on any day of the week. Forever Marilyn, the 26-foot statue of Marilyn Monroe in her billowing white dress, stands in the new Downtown Park, which hosts free tribute concerts on the first Wednesday of each month from December to May. The Palm Springs Walk of Stars sets more than 400 stars into the sidewalks of Palm Canyon Drive and nearby streets, honoring entertainers, civic leaders, architects and philanthropists along a roughly one-mile self-guided route. The Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza and the Palm Springs Art Museum are both a short walk away, as are dozens of restaurants, rooftop bars and shops. North of downtown, the Uptown Design District lines North Palm Canyon Drive with vintage furniture stores, design shops and galleries — a dangerous place for anyone with an eye for midcentury pieces and room in the car.

VillageFest began in the early 1990s as a way to bring locals and visitors downtown on a weeknight, and it has become a Palm Springs institution. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly rather than rowdy: families with strollers, couples holding hands, retirees who have come every week for years, and plenty of dogs. The food ranges from kettle corn and tamales to date shakes and grilled corn, and the crafts lean toward local artists, jewelry, desert-themed home goods and photography. Arrive early for easier parking and calmer crowds, or come late for the liveliest stretch of the evening. Free parking structures and lots are scattered around downtown, and many hotels within a mile make it an easy walk.

Downtown has changed a great deal in recent years. A major redevelopment replaced the old Desert Fashion Plaza with new streets, shops, a hotel and Downtown Park, giving the core a fresher, more walkable feel. The Kimpton Rowan's rooftop restaurant and bar, 4 Saints, looks down over it all, and restaurant terraces and misters keep outdoor dining going even when it is warm. The First Wednesday Art Walk opens galleries and studios for a free evening each month, and the Backstreet Art District, a short drive south, gathers a dozen artist-owned galleries and studios.

To make the most of downtown, combine VillageFest with the Palm Springs Art Museum's free Thursday evening hours from 5pm to 8pm, then wander south along Palm Canyon Drive as the booths light up. On other days, start at the Cultural Plaza, have lunch on a patio, walk the Walk of Stars, pose with Forever Marilyn, and finish in the Uptown Design District for vintage shopping. Downtown is also a reminder that Palm Springs is famously inclusive — rainbow flags are everywhere, and the city's welcoming spirit is part of its charm.