Residents and local businesses react to the return of Date Festival in Indio
The Riverside County Fair and the National Date Festival are officially coming back to the City of Indio.
After years of uncertainty, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors finalized a partnership with Pickering Events LLC to oversee the Riverside County Fairgrounds.
The partnership is set to last 5 years, you can get more details here.
So what can you expect to see? We asked the event company.
Chris Pickering, principal partner with Pickering Events says, "We're making sure that we're going to be able to bring back the date festival the way people remember it, and its full capacity. So we're bringing back all the livestock, the competitive exhibits everything that you've loved about the National Date Festival that maybe you missed since it's been gone for the last couple years."
Pickering also shares that the company is bringing new ideas to the fairgrounds in the coming years.
“One of the benefits of our experience of having been at many fairs is we see what works across the industry, as well as what might be something unique to bring and build upon the traditions that we have here," says Pickering.
Melina Maza, TKB Bakery and Deli owner, says she's excited about the Date Festival's return.
"We love it, we want it back," says Maza.
She also adds that it helps bring a new crowd of people they wouldn't normally see.
"It brings a lot of people from like Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Riverside, like that come out to Indio because there's no festival in Palm Springs. There's no Date Festival up there. So it does bring more people from around the valley that come to this side, the east side of the valley," says Maza.
Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said the agreement includes plans for events year round. Saying in a statement, "This is a model that can also bring re-investment back to the Fairgrounds itself.”
The next Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival will be held February 17-26, 2023.
The Date Festival has been held at the county fairgrounds in Indio for 76 years.
