Heat, rain, immigration issues dampen Riverside County Fair
Butler Amusements
brings 26 rides to 13-day fair, festival
AT: B. Derek Shaw
bdshaw@amusementtoday.com
INDIO, Calif. — Several days of rain, four days of record-breaking heat, and a second consecutive year of community fears over potential immigration enforcement activity at large events dampened strong opening attendance numbers and record ticket presales. Even with those challenges, the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival welcomed over 240,000 during the 13-day, mid-to-late-February event.
The theme this year was “Return to the Oasis.”
“The 2026 fair presented a new set of challenges, with fluctuating temperatures and unpredictable weather. Rain on Presidents’ Day was a significant setback; however, the addition of a third weekend — implemented last year — once again proved invaluable in helping offset the impact of inclement conditions,” said Sean Butler, COO, Butler Amusements.
“The Fair & Date Fest continues to stand out not only as the county’s premier celebration of community achievement, but as a powerful economic driver in the valley,” said Chris Pickering, CEO.
A recent third-party survey by Johnson Consulting revealed the event delivers $92.4 million in economic impact, sustaining 600 ongoing jobs and creating $31 million in wages.
Butler Amusements again provided the midway, bringing 26 rides to that spot, with 16 catering to kids. New to the fair and festival this year were Soundwave (ARM Rides), an Alibaba-style ride and Pole Position roller coaster (Fabbri Group). The more popular rides included Giant Wheel (Chance Rides), Inversion (KMG Rides) and Pole Position. There were also 342 games and 19 food stands.
“We have proudly served as the carnival provider for the Riverside County Fair for nearly 30 years, and we’ve built a strong, collaborative relationship with the current management team at Pickering Events,” said Butler. “Their staff have proven to be excellent stewards of the fairgrounds, and we work closely together not only to plan future fairs, but also to promote each year’s event throughout the local community and across the Inland Empire.”
“Butler Amusements continues to provide a beautiful, clean and safe carnival for our guests year after year. Our event's February dates allow us unique access to such a premier midway provider, who also serves the California State Fair,” said Pickering. “Despite serious issues with the H-2B visa program this year, their team delivered a spectacular show.”
Pickering likes what sets this event apart from others. “Everyone has a county fair; there’s only one National Date Festival. Each concessionaire is required to offer a date item on their menu. We produce a printed 'Date Treat Finder' with item descriptions and a number-coded map. We also provide three-by-two-foot signs for each concessionaire to display, highlighting their date treat and its corresponding number on the printed checklist.”
Special promotions included 35,000 fourth-grade students across 143 schools, who received complimentary admission tickets. Veterans and first responders received free admission to the event through VetTix/1stTix. In addition, 3,071 students attended free educational field trips, augmented by the new STEM at the Dair & Date Fest Guide sponsored by the California Date Commission. Also, $26,000 in scholarship money was awarded to 16 graduating seniors.
In addition to traditional advertising buys across television, radio and print, the media mix incorporated social media, programmatic display and digital out-of-home. Meta and Google delivered the strongest results, driving the most engagement and ticket traffic.
In the food arena, a new hit was Tanghulu, a candied fruit on a stick, along with Korean corndogs. Unique items tied in with the date festival theme: date beer-battered corndog; date dry rub chicken wings, date Dole whip; deep-fried dates and even a date shake. Of course, popular classics are the country fair cinnamon rolls, along with a new Tres Leches cake flavor.
Highlights included the debut of the National Date Festival Museum in collaboration with the Coachella Valley History Museum and Deserted Films and the grand opening of the Oasis Lounge & Tiki Bar featuring a new Luau stage with daily hula lessons and nightly fire performances. Two new mascots were introduced this year: Sunny the Date and Cindy the Cinnamon Roll.
The Date Pageant, California’s second-longest-running outdoor play, continued with the sultan searching for his “perfect date.” Also, 927 community performers were showcased on the City of Indio Celebration Stage.
Entertainment included monster trucks, demolition derby and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Pro Rodeo. Also, a Gran Jaripeo-Tardeada was held, which is a traditional Mexican rodeo-style festival that includes bull riding along with music. The entertainment featured included Roberto Tapia and Montez de Durango.
The federal government shutdown last October created a backlog at the Department of Homeland Security, pushing H-2B visa approvals into the spring. Many of their business partners relied more heavily on the local labor pool than in years past. To assist, their team added available opportunities to their own seasonal hire application.
“At the Riverside County Fair, nearly 40% of our ride staff and 50% of our food and game employees were local or temporary hires sourced through TalentMovers,” said Butler. “Despite these challenges, our team rose to the occasion. With the support of the next generation of our family and the dedication of our management staff, we were able to deliver a successful fair. Special recognition goes to Chris Pickering and the entire team at Pickering Events for their partnership, flexibility and commitment throughout a very challenging labor season.”
“The Fair was awesome! 78 years in the making and representing the heart of the Coachella Valley and Riverside County, celebrating our agricultural roots, supporting our students, highlighting local talent and bringing people together,” said 4th District County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.
Since 1947, the annual festival has been held to celebrate the date palm harvest in the Coachella Valley. The fair and festival return February 11 through 28, 2027.
