Fall for Astronomy at This Popular Desert Stargazing Festival

DESERT CHILL-OUT: Springtime in the Golden State's glorious deserts can boast a happy hubbub, an air of bright busyness that sprouts from numerous corners. Those corners include the blossom lovers who go in search of epic wildflower displays, the people eager to explore the outsized outdoor art happenings, and anyone making the trek to one of the large-scale music spectaculars. There's room enough, of course, to do the things you'd like to do come the spring, but devotees of Joshua Tree's quintessential quietude begin to peer into the future, and seasons still to come, when the hum of the go-go-go spring season may have grown a bit quieter. Fall is prime desert time for lovers of big boulders, spectacular sunsets, and the atmospheric cawing of ravens, and the notion that an astronomy event is already on the 2023 calendar only adds to the region's autumn allure.

SKY'S THE LIMIT OBSERVATORY... and Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience are partnering on a two-night look-up happening, one that will include "activities for all ages." The 2023 dates for the Night Sky Festival are live — Oct. 13 and 14 is when the telescope-focused fun will shimmer — and details will become available in the months to come. But planning now? You might do so, especially if you'd like to book a stayover in the Twentynine Palms area. If you can't wait for October for this popular to-do, which sold out in 2022, feel the galactic goodness: The observatory features other cosmic meet-ups on its calendar, including a complimentary Night Sky Program on May 20, with more to come over the summer.