Final day of Riverside County Fair & Date Festival draws crowds

The Riverside County fair and National Date Festival closed their gates for the 2018 season Sunday night.

It was the final and busiest day of the fair with folks taking a last opportunity to enjoy food, games, and rides.

“I’m eating a turkey leg. That’s the only thing I came for,” said Jesus Quilz, one of the many fairgoers. Another attendee added, “I like the rides a lot. That’s one of the things the kids look forward to.”

But even with all the attractions, Kimberly Wright, the Riverside County Fair marketing manager, said less people attended this years festival.

“Our attendance numbers were down just slightly, three to four percent from last year, so nothing huge, but [the cold weather] definitely kept people at home in their nice warm houses when it started to get cold especially in the evenings,” Wright said.

However Sunday brought plenty of sunshine and foot traffic.

“Beautiful weather, lots of nice people, and enjoying it to the most,” said fairgoer, William Silva.

Two arrests were made during the festival. One arrest was a misdemeanor for a gang injunction violation and the other a felony warrant.