Halloween is always one giant party in Palm Springs, and even though it’s a monster event, it’s just a warm up for the big bash, Pride 2025. But it is, nevertheless, a kick-ass warm-up because Halloween is Gay Christmas! And what better place to spend it than right here in Palm Springs, the heart of small town Gay California. 

For those that love the spooky, check out our small hotels like the Korakia Pensione, where music has been reported drifting through the air without a sound system in (or out of) sight. One just doesn’t exist. But the music does. While you’re there, if you’re into seeing yourself 10 years from now, in the back courtyard by the stone fountain it is said that if you frame the mountains just right, your reflection will look older — a Korakia quirk photographers swear by. Personally? I’m good.

And then there’s Melvyn’s at the Ingleside Estate, Ruth Hardy’s 1920s Spanish Revival inn. It has been said that Ruth’s gardenia perfume still wafts through when someone orders her old favorite, gin with a twist and a splash of soda. It has been suggested you request the corner booth nearest the piano. I’m also told you should ask the bartenders about the “Sinatra Séance Night” if you’re visiting Halloween week. They say the regulars dress like Rat Pack ghosts (or maybe they are). I’m just telling you what “they” say. 

We’ve got some cemeteries too, like the Welwood Murray, oldest in Palm Springs, full of pioneer headstones. You can stroll the sidewalk perimeter — the gate is locked after dusk, but the energy radiates outward. Local legend says a woman in a Victorian shawl sometimes appears beside the east wall, facing the mountains. She’s been seen since the 1940s, always silent, always at the same spot.

And now it’s time for the regularly scheduled spooky!

Halloween 2025 events in Palm Springs

Oct. 24-25 — Palm Screams: Horror Shorts Film Festival. Festival Theaters hosts a two-night horror shorts fest with a “haunted projection room” tour and after parties. 789 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Oct. 25-26 –– Wave Fest at the Palm Springs Surf Club. A two-day celebration of live music and desert vibes. Saturday brings the high-energy sounds of Chevy Metal with The Alive kicking things off. On Sunday, soak in island soul with Kaleo Wassman (Pepper), Geoff Weers (The Expendables), and Jason DeVore (Authority Zero). Enjoy craft bites and refreshing cocktails.

Oct. 25 — Air Museum Halloween Chili Cook-Off & Car Show. Classic cars and a chili competition at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

Oct. 26 —  Día de los Muertos at Palm Springs Art Museum. Music, dance, altars (ofrendas), art-making, and storytelling honoring loved ones. Free with museum admission. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 30 — Halloween at Palm Springs Village Fest. Downtown’s weekly street fair goes full spooky with trick-or-treating and costume fun starting at 6 p.m. along Palm Canyon Dr.

Oct. 30 –– Witch Please — A Halloween Comedy & Music Show. A campy variety night with Deven Green, Billy L’Amour, and Handsome Ned at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E Baristo Rd. 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Oct. 31 — Halloween Palm Springs on Arenas. The iconic LGBTQ+-led street party held every year on Arenas Road (between Indian Canyon & Calle Encilia). DJs, live acts, costume contest, VIP options. Free, with a $10 suggested donation. 4 to 10 p.m. If you want to be part of the costume contest ($2,000 in prizes!), registration starts at 6 p.m., with a 7:15 p.m. cutoff (will be earlier if all the slots are filled).

Oct. 31 — Graveyard Shift At PS Underground. A Halloween-themed multi-course dinner with live entertainment.

Oct. 31: Rocky Horror Halloween Pool Party at Ingleside Estate. Costumed, interactive Rocky Horror Picture Show night at the historic hotel, including a screening. 6 to 10 p.m.

Oct. 31 — Agua Caliente Casino Halloween Bash. Costume contest and concert/DJ night; official casino listing notes a 2025 Halloween Bash program.

Spooky tours around Palm Springs

I have never been on any of these tours, nor do I know anyone who has. But that doesn’t mean anything. I’m just saying if it doesn’t work out, you’ll probably be a story on the next ghost tour. (JK!)

Palm Springs: Ghosts Haunted Walking Tour — Local guides share eerie legends, tragedies, and haunted landmarks.

US Ghost Adventures: Phantoms of Palm Springs — A one-hour walking tour (~1 mile) through haunted downtown sites.

Lizzie Borden Ghost Tours (Palm Springs Edition) — Focused on darker histories and paranormal encounters. 

Eerie Echoes of Palm Springs (Self-Guided App Tour) — An interactive scavenger hunt–style ghost walk using your phone as guide.

Wishing you all the scares you can handle!