A Desert Sun story from 1983 remembered parade-goers who showed up "in the 110-degree heat in their fur coats." Those crowds lined the street for a Palm Desert parade held in July, when the Chamber of Commerce was still trying to make decorated golf carts the high point of summer.
On Sunday, October 25, the 62nd Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade will head west on El Paseo with the theme "Better Together." The fur coats are gone, and so is the July date. The parade didn't fade out by leaving summer behind. It found the date that works for it, and that date now marks the start of El Paseo's busy months.
A Fix for the Slow Months
Nobody agrees on exactly where the parade came from. The Desert Sun cites local lore placing the first one in the 1950s, started either by radio personalities Phil Harris and Alice Faye or by actors William Powell, William Boyd and Ginger Rogers. In that version, the retired stars wanted a way to meet their neighbors and decided to "decorate golf carts and parade around the streets of Palm Desert." Palm Springs Life dates the tradition to the early 1960s. It says the founder is unknown and also mentions a story that credits local businessmen looking for a new way to advertise.
Both accounts agree on what happened once the Chamber got involved. The Desert Sun describes the goal plainly:
By 1965, the Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce began helping organize the event. Believing the parade could be used as a way to "pep up summer life in the desert," the chamber held it in July with the goal of turning it into a yearly happening.
The point was to give people a reason to come out during the hottest, quietest stretch of the year. Its names through the late 1960s show what it was meant for.
Five Names in Two Decades
The Desert Sun traces the changes in order:
- "Christmas in July" under the Chamber's July format, starting in 1965.
- "Summer Madness" later in the 1960s.
- "Mad Summer Days."
- "Mid-Summer Madness."
- "Palm Desert on Parade," the name adopted in 1973 when organizers moved the event to October.
The route changed often in those years as well, and the paper says spectators didn't seem to mind as long as the carts and bands came by.
The October move didn't save the parade right away. Interest dropped off by the mid-1970s, and the event wasn't held again until organizers brought it back in 1983. According to the Desert Sun, it has run every fall since. So the parade that came back was a fall parade, and that's the version that has lasted more than four decades. Once it stopped trying to create a crowd in July, it became a way to welcome the people already returning in October.
The themes reflect that change. Palm Springs Life lists "Goin' Fishin'" in 1975, "Through a Child's Eyes" in 2003, "Carnival Style" in 2011 and "Area 51" in 2015. None of them is about getting through the summer. Last year, KESQ reported that the 61st parade, on October 26, 2025, used the theme "California Dreaming." Thousands of people came out to watch dozens of decorated carts, sports cars and marching bands.
How October 25 Runs
The parade now takes up most of the day. Here's the schedule posted by Discover Palm Desert and Palm Springs Life:
Time | What's happening | Where |
|---|---|---|
8 a.m. | Palm Desert Rotary pancake breakfast | El Paseo and San Luis Rey |
9 a.m. | Sponsor and vendor booths open, classic car show | Along El Paseo |
Before noon | Flyover by the Palm Springs Air Museum | Over the route |
Noon | Parade steps off | Westbound from San Luis Rey toward Ocotillo |
1 to 2 p.m. | Awards announced as crowds disperse | Along El Paseo |
The official participation page lists floats, a custom golf cart show, the classic car show, marketplace booths, a kids' zone, food vendors, and marching band, dance and cheer groups. Discover Palm Desert also mentions a dedicated section for the parade's "Super Seniors."
Last year's awards included Best Overall Cart, the Mayor's Award and the School Spirit Award. The 2025 grand marshal was hockey Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr, and NBC Palm Springs personality Tim O'Brien rode in the parade. Past grand marshals listed by Palm Springs Life include Tom Flores, John Callahan and Steve Garvey. Garvey led the 2019 parade. As of early October, the official event pages haven't named a 2026 grand marshal.
Seats, Parking and the Closure Question
Curbside viewing is free, and Palm Springs Life suggests bringing chairs or blankets. If you'd rather not compete for curb space, VIP seats cost $30 each and senior seating is available. Both have to be reserved ahead of time through the Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce at 760-346-6111.
The parade's spectator guide recommends arriving early with water and sunscreen. It lists free parking at The Gardens on El Paseo parking structure and at the City lots at Presidents Plaza East and West. That page was last updated for the 2024 parade, so treat it as general guidance.
The 2026 road closure plan hasn't been posted yet. For reference, the 2025 parade closed El Paseo between Portola Avenue and Highway 74 from 4:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In 2019, the Desert Sun reported a closure from Portola Avenue to Sage Lane that ended at 3 p.m. If you live or have an appointment near El Paseo, check the City of Palm Desert's notice closer to the date before making Sunday-morning plans.
The Rest of El Paseo's October
The parade is the biggest event on El Paseo this month, but not the only one. On October 10, Paint El Paseo Pink takes over the street from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's organized by the Desert Cancer Foundation, and proceeds support the foundation's patient-assistance programs. A few blocks north, the City's free Thursday concerts at the Civic Center Park Amphitheater start at 6 p.m.: y2k2k! on October 8, Franklin Wall on October 15, 80'z All-Stars on October 22 and MJ Vibes on October 29. The month wraps up with Howl-O-Ween at The Living Desert, 47900 Portola Avenue, on October 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It has trick-or-treat stations, animal trading cards, keeper connections and face painting. On November 10, the McCallum Theatre hosts a Veterans Day Eve celebration, with plaza activities at 5:30 p.m. and a concert by The Hit Men at 7 p.m.
For lunch after the parade, two places along the route are new or recently back. Yozu Asian Bistro opened in the former Shorebird space at The Shops on El Paseo, 73-061 El Paseo, Suite 8. Its menu covers sushi, sake, cocktails, and Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes. A Palm Springs Bites reviewer who visited about a month after it opened wrote about the experience on September 30. Its posted hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., so it will be open when the carts finish. J's Deli reopened in September at 73655 El Paseo, on the east end near Larkspur.
The Chamber's 1960s plan was to fill a quiet July. By 2026, the parade falls between Paint El Paseo Pink, a month of free Thursday concerts and new restaurants opening along the route. That's the busy season the July parade never had.
Nicole has watched the Golf Cart Parade come down El Paseo for decades, and she's always glad to talk about where in Palm Desert's country-club communities a cart is part of everyday life. If you'd like that conversation before or after October 25, Nicole Cox is ready to help. Schedule a consultation.
