Friday Evening: What’s your scene? The Uptown Design District delivers artful meals in stylish spaces — try Eight4Nine or Bar Issi, both a stone’s throw from design-forward shops and galleries. For disco beats and rainbow lights, the Arenas District draws a lively LGBTQ+ crowd with DJs, drinks, and prime people-watching. For a low-key start, head to the Smoke Tree Commons shopping center, where comfort food comes without a waitlist.
Saturday Morning: Get breakfast downtown and snap a requisite selfie with “Forever Marilyn,” the larger-than-life sculpture at the Downtown Park. Then rent bicycles or hop in the car for a self-guided architecture tour. Start in the Historic Tennis Club neighborhood and chart your own course. You might even spot a bighorn sheep in the San Jacinto foothills
The Pupu Platter at The Tropicale.
Photo by david fouts
Saturday Afternoon: If you’re not spending the day on a flamingo float, it’s decision time. Ride the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to 8,500 feet, explore the Palm Springs Art Museum, or see vintage aircraft up close at the Palm Springs Air Museum. For a deeper dive into local heritage, the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza is home to two distinct spaces: a serene spa with access to an ancient hot mineral spring and a museum honoring the history and traditions of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
Saturday Evening: Make the most of your last night in town by scoping out your next stay. Hotel restaurants — like those at The Colony Palms, L’Horizon, and Parker — serve up dinner with a side of serious design envy. From there, it’s all about what kind of night you envision, whether that’s slots and table games at Agua Caliente Casino, a drag show at Reforma, or a live performance at the historic Plaza Theatre (reopening in late 2025).
Sunday Morning: Keep the fabulosity going with drag brunch (there are several options in town). Or get a proper boiled bagel from Townie Bagels and head to the Indian Canyons for a quiet morning picnic. If you’ve got time before you hit the road, swing by Palm Springs Art Museum’s Architecture and Design Center for one last dose of modernism.
View from the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Photo by david foutS
