So much more than Pappy and Harriet's, Pioneertown is having a renaissance

"The sun had just begun its descent when the Mane Street Band took the stage for their weekly Honky Tonk Sunday set at Pioneertown's Red Dog Saloon. Young adults in hiking gear sipped beers beneath chandeliers shaped like wagon wheels as old timers with gray ponytails and cowboy hats chatted with a tattooed bartender. Outside, a group of parents sat around long picnic tables, ignoring their kids who were messing around in the dirt."

"After years of upheaval that included skyrocketing home prices, a pandemic-fueled Airbnb boom, a failed proposal for a multi-use event space and a false claim by a reality TV star that she singlehandedly owned the town, residents of this small unincorporated community say Pioneertown is settling into a new equilibrium. The tumultuous era at the town's landmark roadhouse and concert venue Pappy and Harriet's appears to have ended as new management repairs relations with the surrounding community."

Evening gatherings at Pioneertown's Red Dog Saloon mix hikers, longtime residents, and families, creating a warm, neighborly atmosphere. The town, built nearly 80 years ago as a permanent movie set for western films, has evolved into an actual western town with its own identity. Years of upheaval included skyrocketing home prices, a pandemic-fueled Airbnb boom, a failed proposal for a multi-use event space, and a false claim by a reality TV star of owning the town. Pappy and Harriet's experienced tumult but now shows signs of reconciliation as new management repairs relations. Established businesses like the Red Dog Saloon and the Pioneertown Motel provide stable employment, and Mane St. buildings are being converted into small, locally run shops. Visitors can find alternatives to the main venue, including tacos, local bath products, and other activities.

Read at Los Angeles Times