October is the biggest month of the year in Beaumont and the San Gorgonio Pass, and it just got bigger: new restaurants, coffee shops, and a boba bar have opened across Beaumont, Calimesa, and Banning, a new hotel is under construction in Banning, and the season's festivals are coming in waves. The Cherry Valley Fall Festival, the 21st Annual Morongo Rodeo, and the Fall Fest at the San Timoteo Canyon Schoolhouse kicked off the month on October 3 and have wrapped up for 2026, with Trunk or Treat on Halloween night still ahead. This guide rounds up everything new in the Pass Area this month, the can't-miss events with dates, and where to find pumpkins, apples, and autumn color nearby. Curated by Sam Silver, your local Pass Area community guide and expert.
October at a glance
Here is the month's calendar in one look, with the biggest dates up front. Full details, addresses, and organizer info live on the Beaumont Life events page.
Oct 3 (wrapped up) · Cherry Valley Fall Festival & Morongo Rodeo
Oktoberfest games, ghost tour hay rides, and pumpkin carving in the Cherry Valley village, plus the 21st Annual Morongo Indian Cowboy Ranch Rodeo in Banning and a free Fall Fest at the historic San Timoteo Canyon Schoolhouse (10 AM-2 PM) all celebrated the first weekend of October on October 3. They have wrapped up for 2026.
Oct 8-11 (wrapped up) · Desert festivals east of the pass
The Joshua Tree Music Festival (Oct 8-11) and the 11th Annual Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival (Oct 9-10) wrapped up a big high desert weekend of live music and stargazing, and Morongo's fall concerts continue with OneRepublic (Oct 13), Fountains of Wayne (Oct 23), and UB40 (Oct 24). All an easy drive east. The Hwy 62 Open Studio Art Tours wrap up their 2026 season October 17-18 (10 AM-5 PM) with some 226 artists opening their studios across Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and the Morongo Basin after the October 3-4 and 10-11 weekends wrapped up.
Oct 17 · Monster Mash & Pioneer Days
The free Monster Mash Halloween Party (1-5 PM) takes over the Chatigny Community Recreation Center in Beaumont, while the 90th Pioneer Days celebration runs Oct 15-18 in Twentynine Palms. Modernism Week's fall edition also fills Palm Springs Oct 15-18.
Oct 25-31 · Halloween week
Lavender Nights at 123 Farm closes its 2026 run October 25, Banning's Dia de los Muertos Art Competition (Oct 24, 1 PM) and Spooktacular Trunk or Treat (Oct 24, 4 PM) bring Halloween fun to the Banning Community Center, Beaumont's free Trunk or Treat fills Beaumont Sports Park on October 31 (5-8 PM), and Calimesa's Trunk or Treat brings decorated trunks and candy to Summerwind Park the same evening (5:30-7:30 PM).
New places to try this month
The Pass Area's small-business scene keeps adding reasons to stay local. Here are the newest kitchens, coffee counters, and community gathering spots, plus the big projects taking shape.
Beaumont Bean
A coffee shop with a beautiful purpose: it is run by students in the adult transition program at Beaumont Adult School, brewing up real job skills alongside the drinks. One of the sweetest additions to the community in years, and a fitting Pass Area story about opportunity and inclusion.
Down Right Brewed (DRB) Espresso Cafe, Calimesa
An inclusive, purpose-driven espresso cafe in Calimesa that hires and trains people of all abilities. Another local business putting community first, and a great stop before a hike at Wildwood Canyon or a morning at Summerwind Park.
Chaca Tea Bar, Banning
Banning's newer boba tea bar has quickly earned a loyal following for its milk teas, fruit teas, and toppings. Pair it with a walk down Ramsey Street or a stop at the Banning Farmers Market on Saturday evening.
La Popular, Beaumont
A newer Mexican restaurant in Beaumont that has climbed the local "hot and new" lists. Another welcome option on the city's growing dining map, alongside Frijoles Restaurant & Cantina, Kasama, and Pon Pho Noodle.
Big projects taking shape
- Oak Valley Village keeps rising at Oak Valley Parkway and I-10: the Target- and Sprouts-anchored retail center broke ground in November 2025, and construction is well underway with Target slated to open in 2027. When it lands, it will transform everyday shopping for the whole pass.
- Microtel by Wyndham broke ground on an 81-room, four-story hotel at 3610 W Ramsey St in Banning, with opening expected in early 2027. It adds another lodging option on the I-10 corridor, where the new Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites at Morongo already opened this year.
- Rancho San Gorgonio, a proposed 830-acre master-planned community south of I-10 in Banning with up to roughly 3,385 homes plus parks and open space, continues to move through approvals. It would be one of the largest residential projects in the pass in years.
- I-10 at Cherry Valley Boulevard heads up the corridor's next interchange upgrade: widening Cherry Valley Blvd, realigning and reconstructing the ramps, and adding I-10 auxiliary lanes through the Calimesa corridor. Expect construction updates from Caltrans as the project advances.
Seasonal fun: pumpkins, apples, and last-chance lights
October is when the Pass Area's location between mountains and desert really pays off. Here is where to lean into the season, all within an easy drive.
Oak Glen apple season
U-pick apple season runs through November at Los Rios Rancho and Riley's Farm, about 25 minutes north. The Los Rios pumpkin patch and corn maze opened September 19, Riley's Farm's Legend of Sleepy Hollow evenings run through October, and the Harvest Feast dinners return in November.
Local pumpkin patches
Banning's month-long Dia de los Muertos Pumpkin Patch brings inflatables, a petting zoo, and a Trunk-or-Treat finale, while Beaumont USD's Harvest Festival and ASB Pumpkin Patch supports students, and the district's Pumpkinfest is posted on the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation & Park District calendar.
Last call for Lavender Nights
Over half a million lights glow over the lavender fields and olive groves at 123 Farm in Cherry Valley through October 25. If you have not caught it yet, October is your last chance this season: weekdays 5-10 PM, weekends 3-10 PM.
Mark these dates now
Tuesday, November 3 is Election Day, when Banning voters decide the Sunset Crossroads referendum and Beaumont Unified asks for the Measure B school bond. Wednesday, November 11 brings Veterans Day ceremonies across the pass. Two more dates worth circling: Saturday, October 24 is Beaumont's Fall Community Cleanup (check beaumontca.gov for the drop-off site), and the City of Beaumont holds its State of the City at Morongo Casino on Wednesday, October 7. Vote early or by mail, and take a moment to thank our veterans.
Where to eat and drink this month
Beyond the newcomers above, these are the favorites worth building an evening around in October. The full list with links and addresses is on the Things to Do page.
Downtown Beaumont
Good Intentions Bar & Restaurant (410 E 6th St) for American comfort food and wings, Kasama Restaurant (383 E 6th St) for Filipino-Cantonese fusion, Frijoles Restaurant & Cantina (652 E 6th St) for ceviche, pozole, and chilaquiles, New York Pizzeria for slices, and Pon Pho Noodle for pho. Coffee is strong here too: Cafe Agape, Cafe Cultivate, and Ziggi's Coffee all pour downtown.
Banning's Ramsey corridor
Johnny Russo's Italian Restaurant (1335 W Ramsey St) and Consuelo's Home Style Mexican Food (1046 E Ramsey St) are the long-standing favorites, while Farm 2 Fork Cafe & Bakery (42 W Ramsey St) is the farm-to-table newcomer and Nosotros Cafe (3505 W Ramsey St) earned Banning's first Blue Zones Project Approved designation.
Calimesa & Cherry Valley
Fire Rock Burgers & Brews and The HAUS Bistro anchor Calimesa's dining scene, Flo's Country Cafe is the Cherry Valley breakfast institution, and Salamone's Italian Restaurant drew national attention when it was featured on America's Best Restaurants. Down Right Brewed and Juice It Up! (at The Marketplace) round out the newer spots.
Markets this month
The Calimesa Farmers & Community Market meets Wednesday, October 28 (4-9 PM at 1055 Calimesa Blvd), the Beaumont Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings at 6525 College St, the Banning Farmers Market is Saturdays at 5 PM, and the Cherry Valley Farmers Market meets the first and third Saturdays.
Weekend guides, ready to read
I have published detailed weekend guides for the busiest weekends of October. Start with the one for the weekend you are planning, then check the full events page.
Oct 3-4
Cherry Valley Fall Festival weekend
Fall Festival, Morongo Rodeo, San Timoteo Fall Fest, and Lavender Nights.
Oct 9-11
Desert stars weekend
Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival, Music Festival, and Morongo concerts.
Oct 17-18
Monster Mash & Pioneer Days weekend
Monster Mash, 90th Pioneer Days, Modernism Week, and more.
From Sam Silver
A month to fall for the pass
I have watched this community grow for a long time, and October is the month that shows off what we have built: a village festival in Cherry Valley, half a million lights on a historic farm, a coffee shop run by students with disabilities, and neighbors who line up their trunks to make Halloween safe and fun for every kid. That mix, heritage and heart, is the Pass Area.
Beaumont Life exists to help you find these moments, whether you have lived here for decades or you are just exploring the area as a future home. If you head out this month, enjoy every minute. And if you are ever thinking about buying or selling a home in the Pass Area, I would be honored to help.
Keep exploring
CalDRE 01412755 · Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not intended as a solicitation if you are currently working with another real estate broker. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified.