What Is VillageFest in Palm Springs?
VillageFest is a night market/street fair comprised of local vendors and entertainers that occurs every Thursday night in Palm Springs.
Below, you will find answers to the following questions:
- When is VillageFest?
- Where is it?
- What is there to do?
- Do I need cash?
- Is it appropriate for dogs, children, elderly?
- Where is parking?
My husband and I lived in Palm Springs for 3 months, and VillageFest quickly became part of our weekly routine. Every Thursday, we would take our dogs for a walk through the market occasionally stopping at interesting booths. After walking, we would find a place to eat outside with the pups. It was a really nice way to enjoy people watching over dinner and a drink!
Overall, VillageFest is a great way to experience the culture of Palm Springs and to support local small businesses!
When Is Villagefest?
The market opens at 6pm every Thursday evening for most of the year. It is pushed back to 7pm during the super hot days of summer.
Booths and vendors start closing up roughly around 10pm.
Permanent shops and restaurants along Palm Canyon tend to stay open with the market on Thursdays as well.
So far, the only Thursday that I have found it not to occur is Thanksgiving Day. If you want to make sure before you go, you can visit the official VillageFest website at villagefest.org.
Another thing to keep an eye on- if the Thursday is close to a major holiday or event, VillageFest might have a theme or additional special vendors. For example, for Halloween, costumes were encouraged (though not required) and candy was handed out for kids.
Where Is It?
Villagefest runs along Palm Springs main strip, Palm Canyon Drive. The distance of the event varies a little with the number of vendors and time of year. If you are trying to find a spot to find it on your map, the Starbucks on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs will place you dead center.
For the event, the city of Palm Springs closes Palm Canyon Drive to vehicle traffic. Need to know where to park? See my “where is parking” section below for more information.
What Is There To Do?
Shopping is the main attraction as most booths are local vendors selling things like crafts, art, food and more. Personally, I am not a big shopper, but if I do shop, I prefer to support small businesses. Plus, I love that most of the vendors are selling unique handmade items.
The street fair also has performers that are really fun to watch. During my outings, I saw several young musicians saving for college funds (they are really good!), dancers (break dancing is a common one), and a violinist. The violinist was my favorite as he manages to make the violin really cool and fun with upbeat music (featured in the video below).
There are also several food trucks to choose from in addition to all of the brick and mortar restaurants that line Palm Canyon drive. Sitting on one of the outside patios during VillageFest is one of my favorite memories from Palm Springs!
If you are picky about where you are going to eat and what time, I suggest making a reservation with your intended restaurant ahead of time. If you are more flexible, then you should be fine without.
Do I Need Cash?
Probably not. Every time my husband and I chose to purchase from one of the vendors, they had a credit card scanner available. I can’t say 100% that every vendor has this, but in my experience, you are fine with just a card on hand.
The street performers do have tip buckets set up for cash, but many of them also have a venmo QR code that you can use instead.
Is It Appropriate for Children? Dogs? Elderly?
Yes, yes and yes! VillageFest is open to everyone regardless of age or species.
I didn’t see a ton of kids with the exception of specific events like Halloween as mentioned above. I didn’t, however, see anything inappropriate for kids during my walks through the market. It is considered a family-friendly event. The kids I did see seemed to be more babies or really young kids in strollers- which is something I recommend if your kiddo doesn’t do well with a lot of walking.
As I mentioned before, my husband and I usually took our dogs to the market. We noticed several other dogs as well. Just be sure to keep your dog leashed and that he/she behaves well in crowded areas. The street fair can get pretty crowded during the busy months.
If you are elderly or considering taking an elderly family member, keep an eye on the heat (more so an issue in the summer) and walking distance. Palm Canyon drive is pretty flat and easy to walk, but if you typically have trouble walking, you may consider a wheelchair instead.
Where Is Parking?
While I was lucky enough to live walking distance from Palm Canyon Drive, I noticed that many people had trouble finding a place to park. Because it seems to be a bit of a hassle to park, I did a little research and calling around to find the answer for you.
Option 1: Street parking – many people find free street parking one or 2 blocks over from Palm Canyon Drive. If you arrive early, this is a good option for you. If you arrive late, it’ll likely be full. I lived on Belardo Rd (one road over from Palm Canyon), and every Thursday watched tourists stress about trying to find street parking after 7pm on Thursdays.
Option 2: Free parking garages:
- 148 N Museum Dr -This is the Art Museum parking garage. As a bonus, it’s next to the Marilyn Monroe statue for photo ops! Note- this one has a 4 hour time limit
- 275 S Indian Canyon Dr – Between Baristo and Arenas Rd, this one is also free, close and without the time limit
Option 3: There are 2 parking lots off Belardo Rd. If you search for Kaiser Grill, one of the parking lots is behind it. You’ll be able to see the other lot from here as well (behind Happy Sushi restaurant if that helps). These also fill up, so arrive early if you want to park here.
I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding a spot somewhere between the above listed options. However, there are more free options around downtown Palm Springs than what is list here. There is also the option to use Uber if you are in a pinch.
I hope you get the chance to experience VillageFest during your stay in Palm Springs! While you are in town, you might want to check out some other Palm Springs specific attractions:
Or, if you want a general overview of what to expect in Palm Springs, and what it was like to live in Palm Springs for 3 months, check out this post: Living in Palm Springs for 3 Months.
Comment below if you have any further tips related to VillageFest, or if you want to share your own experience!
Julie (Juls for short) is the founder of travelingwithjuls.com. She is a registered nurse turned travel nurse. She loves adventure and learning about new places. Her goals are to help other nurses learn about travel nursing, and to share information about the locations/destinations she lives in for 3+ months at a time.
