Welcome to the fourth Amado newsletter! Full of things to love and do in the hi desert (™️ forthcoming).
It’s late night musings for this edition as I’m recovering from this and this. Amado afterhours, if you will.
I would be remiss to not mention this week how much I blatantly adore Mon Petit Mojave. Part of that is due to my involvement (full disclosure: I volunteer as the assistant general manager). But it’s also because I come from a music background, having worked in events for the past 13 years. When I moved to Joshua Tree I was working remotely for a ticketing company managing festivals. Then, boom - March 2020, all events were straight up canceled or postponed. I was canned a month later from my dream job due to the carnage the music industry was experiencing.
I went to my first MPM shortly after becoming unemployed. Immediately afterwards, I volunteered to volunteer and the rest is history. I found myself diving in to steadfastly grow and produce shows in my new community. I wouldn’t realize until later that I was unknowingly making a difference to many people like myself who were struggling through the pandemic. Struggling hard. We talk a lot about the pain and absence of “normalcy” when we think about what we’ve lost during this heartbreak of a crisis. MPM taught me to think about the word “fulfilling” instead.
Saturday is the final show of the spring/summer season before we take a quick respite from the heat. Over 100 concerts, 250 musicians and artists, and a few thousand people collectively later, I still can’t quite believe we’ve arrived. So…to Jacqueline, Jeremie, Michael, Chelsee, Ryan, Troy, Michelle, Julie, Maurice...all the locals, regulars, performers, and businesses I have met through this endeavor...and to my absolute gem of a partner Spencer for coming along and supporting me as I dove right into the unknown...thank you. I love you. Let’s do it again in the fall.
...what can I say, my cold dead heart sometimes has feelings. Onto the fun stuff!
HAPPENINGS
Friday 7/16 - 6am: Summertime usually means an influx of animals at local shelters waiting to be adopted. Volunteer walkers are needed at the Morongo Basin Humane Society most Monday and Friday mornings to help walk the resident pups. If dogs are not your speed, all of the cats need cuddling at the shelter. And we mean all of them. Follow MBHS on socials here to find out when new walks being scheduled and how to sign up to volunteer. Advance notice required. Dusk walks will begin occurring in the coming weeks.
Friday 7/16 - 6-10pm: Arts fair and market BAZAART NIGHTS kicks off its first event at Yucca Valley Visual & Performing Arts Center, which is the arts facility and annex of Hi-Desert Cultural Center. The indoor event will be hosting food vendors, artisans, and a whole slew of other shopping options. Exotic cars and silent films also make appearances throughout the series. Recurring weekly on Fridays from now through September 3; free admission. Click here for more information and here to become a vendor (currently on waitlist).
Saturday 7/17 and Sunday 7/18 - 11am-5pm: The Institute of Inquiry is hosting a silent auction fundraiser and youth art show at La Matadora Gallery. Drop by to bid and view respectively. Bring your littles (ages 3-6) to participate in free drop-in art classes from 10-11am each day. Funds raised contribute to scholarships earmarked for students in need. Check out the participating creatives for the weekend.
Saturday 7/17 - 8am-4pm: Joshua Tree National Park Council for the Arts is throwing a fundraiser at the Old Schoolhouse Museum in 29 Palms. Find your newest score among vintage items, art, housewares and more at this summer’s Arts & Treasures Sale. A comfortable air conditioned shopping experience is promised. More info is here.
Saturday 7/17 - 7pm: Mon Petit Mojave is hosting the final drive-in concert of its spring/summer series up on the Yucca Mesa. Jeremie Levi Samson headlines for the season closer, bringing his improvisational loop show to life with special guests Micha Schelhaas, Jessie Payo, Deanna Bogart, and Shawn Oshmiansky. The event is currently on a waitlist; advance confirmations are required for attendance.
Sunday 7/18 - 8am-12pm: Joshua Tree Folk School is hosting a volunteer morning, and is seeking free and able folks to help build a stage at the venue. Constructing a viable performance space will help support local community organizations and groups throughout the year for events. Work gloves, drills, and water bottles are BYO. For directions and more information, click here.
Tuesday 7/20 - 4:30pm: Monument Bar & Grill is staying strong with their weekly Taco Tuesday nights, offering $2 tacos and $5 house margaritas. If your Tuesdays are booked, the bar is also doing Whiskey Wednesdays with $5 well whiskey on the menu, as well as a wing special. Check out their Facebook page for more info, for Bloody Mary inspiration, or when they’ll be doing the next Friday Fry Special (the theme game is strong).
DON’T MISS THIS
The Town of Yucca Valley released additional summer classes via their Parks & Recreation page, including aquatics programming and enrichment courses. Sign up online for drop-in lap swims at Yucca Valley High School Pool, or take a woodcarving at the Yucca Valley Community Center Tuesday mornings. Most classes begin at $3 for advance online registration. View available activities and their locations here.
Though the fall seems like a distant goal on the horizon, its arrival in a few short weeks brings two annual events back into the (desert) mix. The park announced the return of Night Sky Festival September 3-5, an annual fundraising event that celebrates Joshua Tree National Park’s (you guessed it) night sky. It also benefits non-profit organizations Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience (JTREE). Festivities include astronomy presentations, nature trails, night photo workshops, and a rock scramble through Chasm of Doom. View the full program of events and purchase tickets here.
Lastly - Joshua Tree Music Festival also announced they will be bringing music back to the lakebed October 7-10. Lineup, info, and tickets onsale are planned to be announced next week. After moving the fest twice from fall 2020 and spring 2021, the venue site hosted drive-in movies over the winter before stepping into the foray of pod-based, reduced capacity concerts. Learn more info in anticipation of next week, and click here if you were a previous ticket holder for affected iterations during the pandemic.
SHIT YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT
We all have a personal story about wreckless or unfortunate behavior off Highway 62. The combination of high tourist traffic and late night, long stretch driving continues to contribute to accidents. Nitty Gritty Antiques and Desierto Alto are helping signal boost a new survey Caltrans is circulating to collect public input regarding pedestrian and bicycle safety.
The Old Town Yucca businesses are asking citizens to visit https://survey.catplan.org/ and enter in “55735 Twentynine Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley, California, 92284” to add your concern about walking or biking challenges. I think it would behoove us all to do so, and then go back to add in additional addresses up and down 62 in spots that may need our attention to save a life.
WORTH THE DRIVE
The Garcia Center for the Arts in San Bernardino has been through a long and lengthy process in securing additional money to implement a community garden, and now the day is here to celebrate. Less than a decade ago, the Center was an abandoned building facing the possibility of being demolished. But community members recognized its potential and began the process of managing the historical building’s restoration. A huge undertaking, the Inland Empire Community News article linked above is an incredible look at the journey traveled so far. The grand opening of The Garcia Center Garden annex occurs Saturday, July 17 from 5-10pm with music, dance, children’s activities, and more. The event is free to the public and all ages. Band lineup and flyer information are here.
If you want to make the day into a mini road trip, visit the Original McDonald’s Site & Museum nearby first. You can view menus, signs, toys, and playground structures preserved in time at the first brick-and-mortar Mickey D’s in the nation. Fun fact: the owner of the museum, Albert Okura, also owns the landmark Route 66 town of Amboy, just around the corner from the hi desert.
That’s it for this edition. Thanks for reading!
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About me:
I’m Jenn, a hi-desert orb since 2019. I moved to Joshua Tree completely independent of the pandemic and now can’t imagine being anywhere else.
Amado in Spanish means “beloved.” It was important to me when naming this newsletter Amado that I focus on the center of it all: events that bring us together. As a new person in a new place, I wanted to immerse myself and get to know the community that would be my support system. In my short time as a local, I have found that the heart of the desert lies in its people - and the way we have formed communities to forge our bonds, especially during COVID-19, has been my own personal saving grace.
I love sharing things that I am interested in, and appreciate you are too! Til the next time.
Amado is published every Thursday. Sign up here so you don’t miss the next issue. Full archive of past newsletters can be accessed here.
Disclaimer: I founded and run The Grand Calavera, an events and production company for hire. Some events listed here from time to time may be special projects I am working on. Like me on Facebook and follow me on Instagram (shameless plug).
Feedback, ideas and more can be sent to thegrandcalavera@gmail.com.