Riverside County approves $1.1 million for fairgrounds RV parking improvements

The improvements are part of an estimated $10 million investment in the fairgrounds to help modernize the property and facilities.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a $1.1 million project Tuesday to add water and electrical hookups to 42 RV parking spaces at the county fairgrounds in Indio.

The improvements represent the latest phase in a five-year modernization effort at the 92-acre facility that has seen “$8 million to $10 million” in total investments, according to Vincent Yzaguirre, director of Facilities Management.

The project will install water lines supplied by the Indio Water Authority and electrical connections from existing service at the southwest parking area to accommodate RVs in Lot 5 for vendors and customers.

Supervisor V. Manuel Perez described the improvements as part of ongoing efforts to upgrade and modernize the facility. “My bottom line is that is something that we’ve been discussing for years,” he said. “We continue to upgrade it, modernize it with landscaping, nicer buildings,” Perez said.

Perez added that the improvements would help the fairgrounds become more self-sustaining.

“We were in the red for years, that’s not the case anymore,” he said.

The fairgrounds hosts the annual Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival and serves as a venue for year-round events. Yzaguirre noted the facility’s proximity to the county’s Emergency Operations Center in Indio makes it valuable for disaster response.

The fairgrounds encompasses about 15 structures spread across the 92-acre site. The RV parking improvements will be funded entirely by the Facilities Management Community Centers Fund.