Event Coverage: BaT Meet-Up, February 21 at Desert Dunes in Palm Springs, California: A Practical Look
Event Coverage 2/27/26:
After days of uncharacteristic rainstorms and high winds, the Palm Springs area pulled the nicest day imaginable out of a hat for us on the morning of Saturday, February 21. Cars of all shapes and sizes gathered from the famous playground at the feet of the San Jacinto Mountains, the outer reaches of the Coachella Valley, and from points as far afield as Arizona and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Did we get the flamboyantly colored examples of mid-century Americana that one might expect from Palm Springs? We certainly did. Also of note: one of the nicest 240Zs you could ever hope to lay eyes on, an absolutely enormous four-door dentside Ford, a gaggle of Porsches, a very modified Nissan off-road racer, and a smattering of special Ferraris—including the sinister black-on-black TR brought out by none other than Ferrari mechanic @motoribruno, fresh off her recent appearance with the car on Jay Leno’s Garage.
We saw our greatest number of spectators at any BaT event to date, with many folks taking a break from their Palm Springs Modernism Week activities to amble in, spend a couple of hours at the show, and see what this whole BaT thing is all about.
BaT Local Partner @CompassRacing brought their sunny dispositions, a lovely Series 1 Lotus Elite, and their McLaren race car to greet and answer questions from the BaT community. If you’ve ever found yourself wanting to list a car on BaT but lack the time or ability to do it right, be sure to contact your nearest BaT Local Partner—they are here to help out and will use their expertise to ensure your best possible result.
Special thanks goes out to our host, Aaron Leider, who arranged the use of our wonderful venue along with the Oswit Land Trust. The former Desert Dunes Golf Club, currently undergoing a carefully managed process of reclamation by nature’s flora and fauna, made for a stunning and dramatic location with uninterrupted views of the surrounding snow-capped mountain ranges. Known on the site as @agl, Aaron was also kind enough to bring out the 1976 Pinto wagon he won for his partner on BaT as detailed in last year’s Time Machine: A Success Story in Motion from BaT and Pennzoil.
Speaking of valued BaT partnerships, we also thank Michelin and BFGoodrich for their continued support in the form of free tires for select BaT community members. We were charmed by the heavily patinated but mechanically solid black-plate 1960 Beetle brought by @AmericanClassix, a regular driver that rolled in from the far reaches of the desert on what could be charitably described as “well-seasoned” tires. That will no longer be an issue, as the car is set to receive a brand new set of Michelins—free of charge!
We couldn’t have asked for a better kickoff to the 2026 events season. If you’re not in Southern California and would like to join us later in the year, keep an eye out for announcements about upcoming Meet-Ups in Texas, Florida, Delaware, and other regions to come. Be sure to sign up for email alerts from our Promotional channel to get upcoming event announcements (no spam, we promise). We hope to see you at the next one!
A full gallery of photos from the event can be seen below:
Photo Gallery
Original Post:
Even if your holiday decor is still up (we won’t judge), heed the call of the calendar’s turning—BaT’s 2026 event season is here! We’re excited to announce that our first Meet-Up of the year will be hosted at the future home of Desert Dunes Preserve, a project of Oswit Land Trust, in Palm Springs. The event will take place on Saturday, February 21, from 9:00am to 1:00pm, and is free to attend for all!
Nestled just off Palm Drive north of Interstate 10, in the arid and dramatic landscape of California’s Coachella Valley, lies the former Desert Dunes Golf Club. The course served golfers from the 1980s until closing in the 2020s, and is now slated to become a nature preserve to provide a home for all manner of local flora and fauna.
In February, however, the paved grounds and iconic 1980s clubhouse will host something entirely different: an array of automotive goodness and a crowd of people to appreciate it, all set against a striking backdrop of mountains, valleys, and rolling hills. Also on hand will be the fine folks from BaT Local Partner Compass Collective, who are opening a new facility in Palm Springs as we speak.
This will be a casual affair—no registration is required, so just show up, bring a cool vehicle if you have one, and shoot the breeze with BaT community members and staff. We’ll be there to welcome you with complimentary refreshments and swag, while supplies last. And volunteers from Oswit Land Trust will be available to give tours of the preserve for anyone interested.
We should have lots of space, but these gatherings do get popular so please note that parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. We can’t wait to see you there!
Details:
BaT Meet-Up with Local Partner, Compass Collective
Desert Dunes
19300 Palm Drive
Desert Hot Springs, CA 92240
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
