TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN PALM SPRINGS THIS WEEKEND – XMAS VIBE EDITION

For SQUAD Magazine — December 11–14, 2025

By Indi LaRoux

If you’ve been craving some sparkly desert magic, consider this your official invite to jingle-bell–jam your way through Palm Springs this weekend. The vibes? Immaculate. The outfits? Festively unhinged. The memories? Already loading. Pack your cutest holiday ‘fit, grab your besties, and let’s sleigh this 4-day fiesta.

1. Walk of the Inns — Thurs, Dec 11 @ 4 PM

The Walk of the Inns is basically Palm Springs’ answer to stepping inside a mid-century snow globe — minus the actual snow, plus lots of twinkle lights and aesthetic architecture. Start at the Palm Springs Art Museum, grab your map, and drop off an unwrapped toy for Well in the Desert (be the generous king/queen/royal you know you are).

As you wander the glowing pathways, you’ll stumble across iconic boutique stays like Casa Cody, Korakia Pensione, Lucille Palm Springs, and more — all decked out like Santa hired a mid-century modern interior designer. Expect live music, warm hospitality, and enough holiday vibes to melt Frosty twice.

**2. Craft Your Custom Scent — Scircle x PHYLUM Collab

Sat & Sun, Dec 13–14 @ 10 AM–5 PM**

If you’ve ever wanted to smell like the main character in a holiday rom-com, here’s your shot. Scircle a revolutionary new tech for crafting personal fragrances, lands exclusively in Palm Springs this weekend for a collab with PHYLUM — the coolest, cutest flagship boutique in town.

Book your 30-minute sesh at @shop.phylum on IG, then get ready to design your own perfume. Go sweet, spicy, moody, chaotic — whatever your elf heart desires. It’s giving “custom scent that only 12 people on Earth have” energy.

**3. Amy Armstrong: How The Diva Stole Christmas

KICKXY VIXEN’S Birthday BashSat, Dec 13 — Shows at 7 & 9 PM @ Toucan’s Palm Springs**

• If your weekend needs some high-octane queer holiday chaos (and whose doesn’t?), Amy Armstrong is delivering the Christmas comedy concert you didn’t know you needed. Her show, How The Diva Stole Christmas, hits Toucan’s with full diva force.

  
  

Then stay for KICKXY VIXEN’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, featuring killer performances from Judas Joe Manson, plus Rock M Sakura and April Carrion from RuPaul’s Drag Race.

RSVPs recommended at toucanstikilounge.com — but walk-ins are welcome if you’re lucky.

PS: Don’t ghost before hitting Frosty’s Christmas Bar Pop-Up. Opens daily at 4 PM. Imagine holiday cocktails, performances, and enough Christmas kitsch to power the North Pole.

**4. Kringle Mingle Pub Crawl — Arenas District

Sun, Dec 14 @ 3–5 PM**Ready to sleigh the streets?

The first-ever Kringle Mingle Pub Crawl kicks off at Streetbar and wraps at Hunter’s, just in time for the fiercest Santa attire contest at 5 PM.

Bring your feral Santa energy, your chaotic elf persona, or your full icy couture — think “North Pole runway meets Palm Springs heat.” You’re not just dressing up… you’re competing for holiday glory.

**5. Coffee & DJs — Cafecito Calaveras Cathedral City

Every Sunday @ 10 AM–2 PM (Cathedral City)

Sundays in Palm Springs = iced lattes + house beats + sunshine + your cutest little brunch-era ego. Cafecito Calaveras hosts DJs every Sunday, turning coffee hour into a vibe-heavy mini rave.

Pull up with your besties, sip something cold, and let the music kick off your Sunday reset. Energetic, effortless, très Gen Z.

**6. Richard Blade New Wave 80's Holiday Dance Party Fisherman's Grotto Palm Desert Saturday December 13, 2025 Starts at 7pm.

Get ready to dance through the decades The Holiday Wave Party is back at The Fisherman's Grotto in Palm Desert hosted by the legendary Richard Blade. Wear your best 80's attire. Tickets $20 online $25.00 at the door. Go to @Fishermansgrotto on IG for more info.

FINAL SLEIGH-BELL THOUGHTS

Palm Springs is going full festive mode this weekend — from retro-chic inn tours to queer holiday sparkle, custom perfumes, and DJ-powered caffeine highs. Whether you’re a local or just desert-hopping for a few days, make your holiday weekend unforgettable, unhinged, and absolutely iconic.

Happy holidays, babes. Now go sleigh.

About the Author

Born and bronzed under the Palm Springs sun, Indi LaRoux is the desert’s ultimate vibe curator and Squad’s go-to events writer. A Gen Z nepo baby with a flair for vintage glam and chaotic good energy, she’s been skipping red carpets in favor of underground DJ sets since high school. Whether it’s a poolside art pop-up or a moonlit cactus rave, Indie’s got the guest list—and the gossip—before anyone else.