Why does fall in La Quinta begin with a locked gate at the dog park on Avenida Bermudas? Every city dog park in La Quinta closed on September 28 for overseeding, and the city expects them to reopen on October 30. So the first month of the cooler season starts with less to do. The first sign that the season is coming is the city putting its grass and water on a new schedule.
That shapes the next three months. October takes things away, at the dog parks and the newly rebuilt Fritz Burns pool. November and December add them back, mostly within walking distance of Calle Tampico and Main Street in Old Town. Here is the order it all happens in.
The gate at Fritz Burns, and where the dogs go for now
The Fritz Burns Park dog run sits near the tennis courts at Calle Sinaloa, which is Avenue 52, and Avenida Bermudas. Normally it's open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it's lighted. The other city dog park, at Pioneer Park on Seeley Drive behind Homewood Suites, keeps the same hours but has no lights. Both are part of the overseeding closure.
Dogs aren't shut out entirely. The city says all its other parks stay open for dog walking during the closure, with dogs on a leash. The city calls October 30 an "anticipated" reopening date, so check the city's dog park page before planning a Halloween-week visit.
The off-leash area at Fritz Burns is newer than many people realize. An expanded dog park was part of the park's $8 million-plus modernization, which reopened on June 3, 2026. The same project added new playground structures, updated restrooms, shaded parking and EV chargers. So this is the first fall the rebuilt park has gone through, and its first overseeding.
The new pool goes to fall hours
The centerpiece of that rebuild is the aquatics complex. It got a new children's activity pool with water-play features, a refurbished main pool, a bigger deck and shade structures, as NBC Palm Springs reported at the June reopening. Fall is when it starts opening less.
Today, Sunday, October 4, is the last day of the posted September 28 schedule. The Desert Recreation District has posted the hours that start tomorrow.
| Day | Week of Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 | Starting Oct. 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Friday | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Closed |
| Saturday | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. | 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Sunday | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Closed |
Add it up and the pool goes from 35 open hours a week to 22. The children's activity pool loses more. Last week it was open about 18 hours, counting the noon hour Monday through Thursday, all of Friday from 9 a.m., two hours Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. Starting tomorrow it's open six: the noon hour Monday through Thursday, plus noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday. So Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. is now the only weekend time a child can use the water-play features.
The weekday mornings are now built around adult and youth programs. The schedule runs Senior Splash at 9, water aerobics at 10 and youth lessons at 11, with lap swim alongside each one. The city's September to December flyer runs adult water classes into the holidays. One water aerobics session meets Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 to 10:45 a.m., November 23 through December 16. Entry is $4 for adults and $3 for children, and kids under three swim free. The pool is at 78107 Avenue 52, and the phone number is 760-777-7111. Weekly schedules change often, so check the posted week before you pack a bag.
The pool's two special events show it isn't winding down for the year. On Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 4:30 p.m., the Floating Pumpkin Patch has kids pick a pumpkin out of the water and then decorate it at a station on the deck, with games around it. The city notes that the pool is heated. It costs $10 per participant, spots are limited, and you have to register ahead.
Sundays move to Calle Tampico
With the pool closed on Sundays from tomorrow on, the Sunday choice in central La Quinta moves a few blocks north. The Old Town La Quinta Certified Farmers Market runs every Sunday from October through May, according to the city's own events calendar. The listing places it at 78275 Calle Tampico. The market's long-running page lists morning hours from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., but that page dates back several seasons. Confirm the current start time before your first Sunday.
The calendar from here on keeps landing on this stretch. The market, the Civic Center campus and the Main Street storefronts sit close together. Most of what's scheduled for November and December happens within that small area.
The one evening across town
The exception comes first. The second annual LQ Fall Fest is Friday, October 16, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. at La Quinta Park, at Blackhawk Way and Adams Street across from the high school. The city's calendar lists food trucks, live music, face painting, a balloon artist and photo booths. It falls between the pool's Pumpkin Patch and the November art shows, and it's the only city event on this list held outside central La Quinta.
November and December fill in around the Civic Center
After Fall Fest, the dates move back to Old Town and get closer together:
- November 12 to 15: La Quinta Art Celebration ENCORE at the La Quinta Civic Center, 78495 Calle Tampico. It's the fall edition of a four-day show of jury-selected artists, with live music on the program. The spring show follows March 4 to 7, 2027. Details and tickets are on the event's site.
- November 28: Art on Main Street, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's free and draws more than 80 artists per show to Old Town.
- December 4: City Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Civic Center Campus, Friday, 6 to 9 p.m., free. The city lists Santa, train rides, live performances and snow.
- December 12: Art on Main Street, second date, Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Old Town.
- December 12: Poolside with Santa at Fritz Burns, 3 to 4:30 p.m., $10 per participant, with holiday music, seasonal treats and photos with Santa.
December 12 is the busiest day on the list. The Old Town art show ends at 3 p.m., and Santa arrives at the Fritz Burns pool at 3 p.m. that same Saturday. Both are back-to-back in central La Quinta. If you have kids and want both, you'll need to leave Main Street a little early. Register for the pool event ahead of time so the afternoon isn't left to chance.
The ENCORE weekend also comes before Thanksgiving. So the Civic Center's two biggest gatherings of the fall, the art show and the tree lighting, fall about three weeks apart. The Saturday art shows on Main Street fill the gap between them.
What's new is on Highway 111
The recurring events above have a set home. This year's new places to eat opened on the Highway 111 corridor instead. Keke's Breakfast Cafe opened August 27 at 79892 Highway 111 and held its grand opening on September 17. It serves breakfast and lunch daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and has a patio, according to The GEM's coverage. Vicente Rojas Miranda is the senior general manager. Keke's closes at 2:30 p.m., and the pool's fall weekday hours end at 1 p.m. That puts a lap swim followed by a late breakfast on the same weekday morning.
Shake Shack opened at 78-772 Highway 111 on August 12, 2026. On opening day, KESQ reported, it gave a dollar per sandwich sold to FIND Food Bank.
Old Town has one possible addition. In March, the Coachella Valley Independent reported that Gabino's Creperie planned a third location at 78015 Main St., Suite 108, in the former Disco Rabbit space. No opening date had been announced at the time. If it opens this season, it will be on the same block as the art shows.
The dog park gate at Avenida Bermudas is expected to reopen on October 30, a little more than three weeks from now.
At Bernal Smith Group, we follow La Quinta's calendar the way our neighbors do, from the farmers market to the last swim of the year. If you have guests coming for ENCORE or the tree lighting and they start asking what life in La Quinta is like the rest of the year, we're glad to talk with them. Contact us anytime.
