A demolition derby is scheduled Sunday at the 77th annual Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival, in addition to a variety of rides, food and musical entertainment.
Gates are set to open at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Riverside County Fairground, located at 82-503 Highway 111, with the demolition derby slated to begin at 6 p.m.
The festival opened Thursday with the blessing of the dates ceremony and featured monster trucks on Friday and Saturday. City officials have already confirmed other upcoming spectacles such as a rodeo, mariachi band and tribute performances to the likes of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Toby Keith.
A county tradition, this year’s Riverside County Presidents’ Day Grand Parade is set for Monday at 9 a.m. and features a new route due to construction on Oasis Street, according to city officials. The procession will continue east on Miles Avenue to Towne Street, south to Highway 111 and west to the Riverside County Fairgrounds.
Organizers said Highway 111 will be the best viewing location along the new route for spectators.
“The Date Festival Parade is one of our community parades, and it’s one of the favorite events of the Fair that I remember going back to elementary school,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said. “As part of our Riverside County Fair and expanding the reach so more families and more generations experience the Date Festival, we want to get more cities and communities all throughout the county represented.”
This year’s festival, extended to 13 days (from 10 in 2024), will take place Thursdays to Sundays until March 2, as well as on Presidents’ Day.
Individuals and groups interested in marching in the parade can apply to participate at datefest.org/p/about/parade.