Indio Does the County Fair Well

If your idea of February fun is an old-fashioned country fair with musical entertainment, carnival rides and a livestock show, head for the low desert and the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival. The fair, in its 46th year, runs Friday through Feb. 23 at Indio’s Desert Expo Centre.

As it has been since 1947, the theme of the festival again this year is “1,001 Arabian Nights.” Minarets and Middle Eastern marketplaces set the mood. Each evening, locals in full costumes play out an Arabian Night fantasy. During the day, costumed characters wander through the Casbah.

Fairgoers can join in the fun (and beat the $5 general admission charge) by showing up in some sort of Arabian Nights costume. It doesn’t even have to be authentic, just more or less complete.

Musical entertainment is scheduled throughout the run of the festival. This weekend, Sweet Sensation will be on stage with its Latin-oriented beat on Friday, followed by Baillie and the Boys on Saturday, Tierra on Sunday and Juice Newton on Monday. The Marshall Tucker Band and Big Daddy are two of the acts scheduled for next weekend.

Staying with the exotic theme, the annual fest also includes camel and ostrich races. Each afternoon daring riders mount the animals, trying to figure out how to get them to go where they should. That’s not always easy for the riders, but it’s fun to watch.

There are, of course, traditional county fair activities, festivities and exhibits, including midway carnival rides and games, arts and crafts and a home economics competition.

One favorite each year is the model railroad exhibit, with its extensive layout of miniature and sub-miniature trains. Another popular event is the Junior Fair and Livestock Show, where youngsters participate in arts, crafts, agricultural projects and livestock competitions.

More than 250,000 visitors are expected to attend the 10 days of the fair, but the atmosphere is relaxed and the crowds aren’t usually overwhelming.

The Date Festival actually started as an end-of-harvest celebration. The harvests have been good in recent years: Some 36 million pounds (94% of all dates grown in the United States) were grown on the quarter of a million producing palms in the Coachella Valley last year.

The quickest way to get to Indio is to take Interstate 10 all the way , but a more interesting drive is to take the Palm Springs exit off I-10 and head south along State Route 111. Before the freeway was built, that used to be the only way into the Indio area. The old highway winds through many of the landmarks that have made the region a favorite with tourists.

One interesting side trip is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up San Jacinto peak. At 10,800 feet, it’s the highest mountain in Southern California. When the weather is clear, the view from the tram--which takes riders up 8,500 feet--is spectacular.

But be forewarned: While it may be warm at the base of the peak, up top it’s cold and snowy. (You may even want to do some cross-country skiing before heading back down.) The tram runs every half hour and takes 15 minutes for each leg of the trip.

Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, Desert Expo Center, Indio. Runs Friday, Feb. 14, through Feb. 23. Admission: $5; children ages 5 to 11, $2. Information: (619) 342-8247.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Tramway Road turnoff, SR 111, Palm Springs. Operates daily, weekdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends and holidays from 8 a.m. Round-trip tickets: adult, $14.95; children ages 5 to 12, $9.95. Information: (619) 325-1391