By the Numbers
Held since 1921 in California’s date-growing heartland, this fair pairs a full agricultural exposition with an Arabian Nights-themed pageant celebrating the local date and citrus harvest. For 2026 it shifted to three long weekends rather than a continuous run.
Source: County of Riverside (official)Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival Overview
The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival in Indio is an 18-day February spectacular combining an agricultural fair with the world's premier celebration of date palm culture, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Coachella Valley. A 1921 founding makes it one of California's longer-running agricultural traditions, still going after more than a century.
Good to Know
The camel and ostrich races are legendary — they run on the weekends and are not to be missed. The date shakes sold throughout the fair are the definitive Coachella Valley food experience.
Highlights
Expect the world-famous camel and ostrich races, date exhibits and tastings, carnival rides, a nightly Arabian Nights pageant, major entertainment, 4-H competitions, and the unique Middle Eastern-inspired festival atmosphere of date country.
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