Snow? No. Sandals? Absolutely.
Most people think of Christmas and immediately picture pine needles, slushy driveways, and heavy wool coats. But if you’ve ever spent a December in the Coachella Valley, you know that the "traditional" holiday vibe is actually kinda overrated. Palm Springs Christmas 2024 was a masterclass in how to do the holidays without the hypothermia. Honestly, there is something surreal about seeing a 30-foot inflatable Santa standing next to a 50-foot palm tree while you’re wearing a t-shirt. It’s a vibe.
The 2024 season wasn't just another year of hanging lights; it felt like the desert finally leaned into its own weird, mid-century brand of cheer. We saw the return of massive crowds, celebrity tree lighters, and that weirdly addictive smell of roasting chestnuts mixed with desert sage.
The Festival of Lights: Downtown’s Glittering Chaos
If you missed the Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade on December 7, 2024, you missed the absolute peak of the season. This isn't your average small-town parade where two tractors and a high school band crawl down the street. It’s a full-on neon spectacle.
Starting at Ramon Road and heading north on Palm Canyon Drive, the parade is basically a two-hour light show. The thing most people get wrong is the timing. If you showed up at 5:45 p.m. thinking you’d grab a front-row seat, you were sorely mistaken. Pros know that by 1:00 p.m., the lawn chairs are already out. The 2024 parade featured those iconic signature floats—basically giant, glowing balloons that look like they belong in a futuristic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The atmosphere is less "silent night" and more "block party." You’ve got local marching bands, equestrian units with lit-up saddles (yes, really), and enough LED lights to power a small country.
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High Altitude Holidays: The Aerial Tramway
While the valley floor stays balmy, you can find a "real" winter just ten minutes away. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway is the great holiday equalizer. You board a rotating car in the heat and get dumped out at 8,516 feet where there’s actual snow and a massive tree.
For 2024, the celebrity tree lighter was none other than Abi Carter, the Coachella Valley native and Season 22 American Idol winner. She officially kicked things off on Sunday, December 8. It was a local-heavy event, with the Palm Springs High School Choir and String Quartet performing outside on the Desert View Terrace.
One thing to keep in mind for next year: the temperature drop is no joke. It can be 75 degrees at the Valley Station and 30 degrees at the Mountain Station. I saw so many tourists in shorts shivering through the ceremony because they didn't check the weather. Don’t be that guy.
2024 Choir Schedule at the Tram
If you visited between December 4 and December 15, you likely caught one of the local high school choirs.
- Martin Luther King High School (Dec 4)
- La Quinta High School Chamber Singers (Dec 5)
- Cathedral City High School (Dec 11)
- Coachella Valley High School (Dec 12)
- Encore High School for the Arts (Dec 15)
WildLights at The Living Desert
Down in Palm Desert, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens hosted its annual WildLights event, which celebrated its 32nd year in 2024. They aren't kidding about the scale—over three million lights.
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They did something smart this year by adding an "Adults Only 21+" night on December 19. If you’ve ever tried to navigate a zoo full of strollers while holding a spiked hot cocoa, you know why this was a godsend. The African Safari section was the highlight, where the pathways were lined with light-up giraffes and rhinos.
Basically, it’s the most Instagrammed spot in the valley during December. The model train display—which is one of the largest in the country—gets a holiday makeover too, and even if you aren't a "train person," it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer detail.
Luxury Stays and The "12 Days" Strategy
The big resorts in the area don't just put up a tree and call it a day; they compete for the most elaborate programming.
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells ran their "15 Days of Festive Fun" from December 19 through January 2. They did this "Esmeralda Holiday Package" that actually included a mini Christmas tree in your room. It’s a bit over-the-top, but for families traveling from out of state, it makes the hotel room feel less like a temporary box and more like a home. They also had a $100 daily resort credit which, let’s be honest, just goes toward the $18 seasonal cocktails.
Then you have La Quinta Resort & Club. This is the place for people who want that old-school Hollywood feel. Their tree lighting happened early, on November 30, but the real draw was the "Chestnut Roasting" every Saturday night in the lobby.
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- The Vibe: Fire pits, s’mores, and screenings of Home Alone on the lawn.
- The Cost: It’s not cheap. Christmas dinner at their signature restaurant, Morgan’s in the desert, was around $95 per person.
The Desert Hot Springs Alternative
If downtown Palm Springs feels too crowded, Desert Hot Springs had its own Parade of Lights and Holiday Festival on December 14. It’s a much more local, "small-town" feel. The parade ends at City Hall with free carnival rides and face painting. It’s basically the place to go if you want the holiday spirit without having to fight for a parking spot for three hours.
What People Often Forget
Everyone talks about the parades and the lights, but the best part of a Palm Springs Christmas is the stuff that isn't on a flyer. It's the "secret" mid-century modern house tours where owners deck out their 1950s butterfly-roof homes in vintage ornaments. It's the hike in Indian Canyons on Christmas morning when the trails are empty because everyone else is opening presents.
Also, the food scene changes. You stop looking for iced coffee and start looking for the best tamales. In the Coachella Valley, tamales are the unofficial food of Christmas. If you aren't hitting up a local spot like Lord of the Tamales or a church fundraiser in Indio, you’re doing it wrong.
Planning for 2025 and Beyond
If you're reading this because you missed out in 2024 and want to fix that for next year, here is the reality check.
Palm Springs during the holidays is a high-demand market. Most of the prime hotels and VRBOs are booked out six months in advance. If you want to see the Festival of Lights, you need to book a hotel within walking distance of Palm Canyon Drive so you don't have to deal with the road closures. The city shuts down the main drag early, and Uber prices go through the roof.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Desert Holiday:
- Book the Tram early: Tickets for the tree lighting day sell out almost immediately. Check the website in October.
- Dress in layers: It’s a desert cliché because it’s true. 70 at noon, 40 at 8:00 p.m.
- The "Monday" Rule: If you want to see the lights at The Living Desert without the crowds, go on a Monday or Tuesday early in the month. Avoid the week between Christmas and New Year's at all costs unless you enjoy standing in line for popcorn.
- Restaurant Reservations: For Christmas Day dining, the big names like Spencer’s or Copley’s start taking reservations in early November. Don't wait.
The desert in December isn't just a getaway; it's a different way to experience the season. It swaps the stress of snow shoveling for the glow of neon palms. Honestly, once you’ve had a Christmas martini by a pool, it’s really hard to go back to eggnog by a radiator.