Dispatch: Week of October 25
List of the Basin's spook-tacular Halloween events, plus World Series match-up
Hello from California’s high desert. I’ve noticed the days are really starting to feel shorter, even though Daylight Savings Time will end in a few weeks. There’s a part of me that is sad — shorter, colder days make it harder to get outside and a lot of our animal neighbors go into hibernation. On the other hand, I enjoy the chance to hibernate myself, to rest up for what is hopefully another adventure-filled year ahead.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
There is no shortage of Halloween events this weekend and early next week, including:
The Dark Carnival at Giant Rock Meeting Room, hosted in partnership with Cliffhanger Guides. The Carnival features live music, costume contests, tarot readings, and more on Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $20 a person, and can be purchased here.
The Yucca Valley Elks Lodge is hosting trunk-or-treat from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, October 27.
Mas o Menos, the new lounge new Copper Mountain College, is hosting a weekend-long dog costume contest beginning today and running through Tuesday, October 31. It is also hosting live DJ sets by Phil Bronco, Tomas de la Noche, and Paul Silva on Friday, October 27. Costumes for humans are encouraged, and tarot readings will be available.
The Joshua Tree Certified Farmer’s Market will have trick-or-treating and candy apples this Saturday, October 28, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Yucca Valley is hosting its Halloween Spooktacular at the Yucca Valley Community Center on Saturday, October 28, featuring a haunted mansion with trick-or-treating, face painting, photo booths, pumpkin decorating and costume contest. The event is free to attend and runs from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m.
Milk Thistle is hosting an All Hallows Eve Party on Saturday, October 28, from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. featuring a Korean food pop up vendor and tarot reading.
The Joshua Tree Community Center is hosting a trunk-or-treat event from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 28. Tickets to attend are $3 per person and can be purchased at the door.
Copper Mountain College is hosting a trunk-or-treat from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, October 28, in the Ball Center Gym. The event is free to attend and food trucks will be available on site.
Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown is hosting a Halloween party on Saturday, October 28, featuring live music from Jesika von Rabbit and a late-night DJ set from Phil Bronco. The party begins at 8 p.m.
The Twentynine Palms Elks Lodge is hosting a free trunk-or-treat on Sunday, October 29, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
The Tiny Pony is holding Campfire Stories with Desert Oracle author Ken Layne on Sunday, October 29, at 8 p.m. The storytelling event is free to attend and will be held on Tiny Pony’s back patio, so dress warm and arrive early.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Hi-Desert in Yucca Valley is hosting a Halloween event on Tuesday, October 31, with vendors and games for all family members. The event is free to attend and will run from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Black Rock High School is hosting a teens-only Halloween event from 6:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. The event will include a food truck, but younger children are not recommended to attend.
The Tiny Pony is also hosting its second annual dog costume contest on Tuesday, October 31. Registration opens at 6 p.m. and judging will take place at 7 p.m. It will also host a human costume contest starting at 8 p.m. along with weekly karaoke.
In non-Halloween news, artist Ben Allanoff is facilitating a community art project called Sun Shelter #1 on Friday October 27, from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Twentynine Palms Art Gallery campus.
Participants are encouraged to bring long strips of fabric to weave into a giant outdoor loom – fabric with a color or pattern or history that carries personal meaning is especially encouraged.
President Joe Biden authorized Federal Disaster Assistance for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in response to damage claims from Hurricane Hilary.
The Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak this weekend, so be sure to look up while you’re out at your Halloween events.
An anticipated five-day strike at 11 Tenet Healthcare facilities throughout California, including three desert locations, has been canceled, though it is unclear why.
The strike was planned for Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio, and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree.
In state news:
Death Valley National Park has partially reopened after its “longest closure ever” following extensive damage from Hurricane Hilary earlier this summer.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked autonomous driving company Cruise’s permits to operate its fleet of vehicles in the state after a series of safety incidents.
Winter is back in the Sierra Nevada mountains, with the region’s first measurable snowfall expected this week. The state is expecting a wet winter this year due to the El Niño forecast in the Pacific Ocean.
California joined several other states in suing Meta, Facebook’s parent company, over alleged harm to young users.
In other news:
Multiple members of former President Trump’s legal team pleaded guilty to election interference and related charges in Georgia this week.
The Texas Rangers will face the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series, which begins on Friday.
Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, was 31 years and 165 days old, when he died last week. He was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, a livestock breed, and lived in Portugal.
Pupdate of the week: Alice loves the cooler temperatures, and is strategically making her morning playtime longer and longer each day. Oliver, on the other hand, is excited that it is blanket season once again.
Trail tip of the week: With those shorter days comes the need for a few extra essentials if you’re out hiking. I’m packing a few extra layers, including a windbreaker, now that it gets cooler once the sun goes behind the mountains in the afternoon. I’ve also got an extra headlamp with backup batteries in case I end up outside later than I had planned. These short days are a great time to see wildlife before they go to hibernate for the winter, though, so it’s worth getting out there!
Read of the week: In preparation for Tiny Pony’s Campfire Stories event this weekend, I am recommending Ken Layne’s incredible book Desert Oracle. It is the best collection of desert stories I’ve seen so far, and is a great spooky read to get in the mood for Halloween next week.
Watch of the week: We’re going through some of the classic Halloween movies this week to get ready for Tuesday. So far we’ve seen Practical Magic, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby is on tap for this evening. We’ve been stuck in a rut with the same few movies the last few years, so it feels good to mix it up a bit! That said, it’s not Halloween if I don’t watch Coco, so that will always be in the rotation.
That’s it for this week! I hope you enjoy this Halloween weekend and get outside at least once!
- Megan