Carnival & Fair News

Occasional rain showers and a bit of wind couldn't keep the crowds away from the 2025 addition of the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival in Indio. Now in its 77th year, the fair and festival brought scores of attendees to the annual February event which celebrates the date harvest.

Running February 13 through March 2nd this year, the fair added three extra days to the event from past festival runs. The fair's theme was, appropriately enough, “More Dates,” which also of course reflects the traditional date harvest that is such a big part of the festival's history.

According to Chris Pickering, CEO of Pickering Events, which runs the fair, “Our community has shown incredible support for the Fair & Date Fest… expanding to three weekends gives even more opportunities for visitors to enjoy the food, entertainment, and traditions that make this event special.”



Pickering took over running the event in 2023, and it has continued to grow under his company's purview. While attendance this year has yet to be tallied, the fair's gates saw a robust crowd throughout the expanded run at the Riverside County Fairgrounds in Indio.  There were of course carnival rides, games, food – including many date-centric dishes, cultural and craft exhibits, and a variety of competitions. The annual President's Day Parade took place on Monday, February 17th, adding to the festivities.

General admission was $12 presale for adults, $11 for seniors, and $10 for kids. At the gate, adults paid $18, seniors $15, and kids $12. A season pass was available for all 13 days of the festival for $25. Carnival wristbands for the rides and games provided by Butler Amusements, offered unlimited rides for $32 purchased online, and $42 at the gate. Fair attendees could experience unlimited rides on Thursdays for $32.

Also on Thursdays, kids 12 and under were admitted free to the fair; veterans and first responders received free fair admission on all dates. The fair was closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday with the exception of Presidents Day.

Butler provided several new major rides this year, and the Desert Beer Company launched a new brew especially for the fest, The Perfect Date, which was a date infused lager created in Viennese style.

As to the new carnival rides, they were thrillers. Butler brought the brand-new ride The King XXL to Indio, where riders swung back and forth on the tallest traveling claw pendulum ride on the west coast. Butler describes that ride, which takes riders into a 90-degree angle as the “biggest ride in the Western Hemisphere.” Also new was a KMG Invader, a spinning ride that reaches new heights as six seated passengers spin “up, down, and around” per Butler. With inclement weather hovering on the horizon, while a company spokesperson noted that rides could operate successfully even in rain, the company carefully tested rides taller than forty feet to assure stability even in windy conditions.



Along with the excitement of the new rides, other popular carnival attractions included the Chance Giant Wheel, the Jumping Jungle funhouse, the Crown Merry Go Round, a water log ride, and the shows State Fair Super Slide. The youngest carnival-goers could enjoy kiddie rides from a Rockin' Tug to the revolving Tommy Kanagroo, in which passengers sit inside the kangaroo cars.

The festival also provided a packed live entertainment schedule including a Monster Trucks event, Demolition Derby, and PRCA Rodeo. Monster truck rally attendees enjoyed both the monster trucks and freestyle Moto X team stunts and could also take a ride in a monster truck. Ticket prices ranged from $10-$40. For even more destructive action, the Demo Derby event was also ticketed with prices in the $10-$40 range.

This year's rodeo event ran on two separate days at the fair's final weekends and featured eight events that included bareback riding, roping, wrestling, and bull riding. The rodeo was ticketed with options between $10 and $40 as well.

The Gran Jaripeo-Tardeada de Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival musical showcase was extremely popular, with general admission at $35, and VIP priced at $57. Musical performers included Banda Maguey, Hijos de Barron, and Cohuich; there were also performances with bucking bulls and dancing horses.

There were many other fair events available that were free with fair admission, including the local school competition for the “most spirited” title High School Madness Event, the festival parade, and a strong collection of popular tribute bands including Queen Nation, a Taylor Swift Tribute, Outlaw Mariachi, The Selena Experience, and a trio of country tribute acts for Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Toby Keith.

Attendees could also enjoy the wide-ranging dance sounds of Radio Ready, performing tunes from the 1940s through present day in six performances. The all-female mariachi group Mariachi Divas also performed multiple times throughout the run of the fair.

Twice daily, fairgoers could enjoy lively pig races as well as performances of a popular stunt show featuring human cannonball “Rocketman” Valencia. The latter act came with not a little drama this year as the skilled stuntman was injured after falling from a safety net during his performance. He has since recovered.

Throughout the fair there were special events, from the opening celebration with parade and military recognition to Latino Heritage Week, which included a traditional Mexican rodeo event, and for the fair's closing dates, an All-American Country Festival which coincided with the rodeo and performances by country music tribute acts. Out at the Fair brought a vibrant and inclusive single day festival that included drag performances, giveaways, a dance party, and Bingo events.  

Area students also had cause to celebrate with the awarding of 12 scholarships to outstanding high school seniors from Riverside County. Each received $2,000 each, for a total of $24,000 in scholarships. The scholarship program, supported by both Butler Amusements and Pickering Events, is a continuation of the Fair & Date Fest's commitment to upholding local students and encouraging higher education opportunities in the Coachella Valley. This year, the scholarships award increased from ten to twelve with an additional donation from the Bailey-Findley foundation.  

Date Festival Scholarship Coordinator Dawn Pickering says, “Each year, we continue to be inspired by the talent and promise of our county's youth,” and she commends their “optimism and resilience.”

Food was essentially its own festival event, with all vendors offering twists on at least one date-inspired treat. Attendees could indulge in sweets including traditional date shakes, date shake ice cream with mini donuts, date Dole Whip or date cotton candy, cinnamon rolls topped with dates, and a date cheesecake funnel cake, among other dishes. On the savory side of things, there were date al pastor tacos, popular date beer-battered corn dogs, and bacon wrapped dates with chipotle dipping sauce. There were forty different date dishes on hand overall.



Fairgoers could indulge in free date tastings from local growers, too, including Cindy's Dates and Flying Disc Ranch.

Livestock exhibits and talks focused on sheep, goats, llamas, rabbits, and pigs, including one 300-pound pig named Hercules. The long-running tradition of the fair's renowned Arabian Nights Pageant offered music, dance, and stories.

Families were also able to experience a petting zoo, a seal show, and Jump The Ultimate Dog Show, a Las Vegas-based dog stunt show featuring rescue animals performing such feats as dock diving and frisbee-chasing leaps.



Also on tap this year: the tricks and stunts of the Bright Heart Circus, as well as balloon art from Ballonacy. Award winning magician Rafael also performed his tricks, and kids could receive skilled face painting, or visit with pets awaiting adoption – perhaps even convincing a few parents to adopt themselves.

And of course, the fair was packed with competitions from agriculture to fine arts, with competitive categories including baked goods, fruits and veggies, photography, painting, textile work and woodcarving, as well as school art and creative writing.

Since the fair's inception as the Indio Date Festival, this annual event has been an intrinsic part of the region's community.

Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor Manuel Perez asserts that “The Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival has been a cornerstone of our region for over 75 years.” And Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce Member John K Smith adds that “The National Date Festival is more than just a fair; it's a celebration of our community's heritage and agricultural roots…”

Sponsored by Fantasy Springs Casino, the event, which began in 1921 as the International Festival of Dates, continues to grow whether skies are bright or cloudy, while remaining a beloved local tradition in the Coachella Valley.