Top 10 reasons to visit the National Date Festival this weekend

A musical salute to America is performed each night at 6 p.m. before the pageant.  It includes presentation of colors and a tribute to all five branches of the military.  Remnants of the World Trade Center are also on display.From left to right:  Princess Dunyazade: Lina El-Mahmoud, Queen Scheherazade: Madison Givens, Princess Jasmine: Abigail Beckert   If it is thrill rides you seek, there is no shortage at this year's Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.  There are lots of high-flying rides.View the list »
Entrance to the National Date Festival

Generations newsletter

The 2013 Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival in Indio, Calif. concludes this Sunday. The festival features music, food, livestock, camels, monster trucks, a demolition derby and, of course, dates.

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The highlight of the festival is the pageant that takes place every evening beginning at 6:15 p.m. “The Sultan, the Sea Princess and the Hunchback” is this year’s tale told in the spirit of “101 Arabian Nights.”

The opening act is a presentation of the colors and a rousing round off patriotic songs along with presentation of the flags of all 50 states. “Salute to America” begins at 6 p.m. on the pageant stage.

The festival is held at the Riverside County Fairgrounds, 82-503 Hwy 111, Indio, Calif. Ticket prices are $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for youth ages 6 to 12 and ages 5 and under are free. Unlimited carnival ride pass is $25. Parking is $7. The midway is open until midnight. For more information, check out the website at www.DateFest.org.

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  • If it is thrill rides you seek, there is no shortage at this year's Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.  There are lots of high-flying rides.
  • From left to right:  Princess Dunyazade: Lina El-Mahmoud, Queen Scheherazade: Madison Givens, Princess Jasmine: Abigail Beckert   
  • A musical salute to America is performed each night at 6 p.m. before the pageant.  It includes presentation of colors and a tribute to all five branches of the military.  Remnants of the World Trade Center are also on display.
  • This year's production is entitled "The Sultan, the Sea Princess and the Hunchback."  Each year the cast puts on a show reminiscent of "101 Arabian Nights."
  • What would a date festival be without dates?  There are dates, dates and more dates . . . date shakes, date cakes, chocolate covered dates and date cookies.
  • For those who want something not quite as intense as an upside down roller coaster, a camel ride just might be your cup of tea.  A try at this old-fashioned mode of transportation is available for a fee.
  • That is just one little piece of information you can learn when you visit the community building.  You will also find John Deere, dates, gourds and other produce from the area.
  • So dates aren't your thing?  Well, there are lots of other choices.  A fair would not be a fair without funnel cakes, deep-fried everything, corn, brisket, kabobs, turkey legs, lemonade.  You name it . . . you will find it at the National Date Festival.
  • A large building is dedicated to the creativity of Riverside County's youth.  Even a quick glance will highlight how much talent they have.
  • You cannot have a festival without a carnival.  This fair has two, yes count 'em . . . two midways with rides and games to please thrill seekers and the faint of heart.
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, Americana Examiner

Sharon Gilbert and her Boxers travel the old roads, looking for the odd and the out-of-date, whether it is a hidden antique shop, a greasy spoon or a roadside curiosity. She enjoys photographing those things from a bygone era that remind us all of a simpler time. The Boxers, however, prefer the...

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