Claudia Lua Alvarado has invested in the rows of tall date palms on her property in a desert community near Los Angeles, where she lives with her family. The date palms not only produce delicious fruit but also offer ample shade and a picturesque setting, making them popular for hosting various events like weddings and quinceañeras for the predominantly Latino community in the Coachella Valley.
The region, known for its hot climate and the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, is also a significant producer of dates, accounting for over 80% of the country’s date production due to the arid climate and abundant groundwater. While most dates are grown by large-scale producers, small ranch owners like Lua Alvarado supplement their income by selling their harvest to larger companies and hosting events on their properties.
These small ranches, known as “ranchos,” have been serving as event venues for decades, growing in number along with the region’s population. However, complaints from neighbors about noise from the events led to fines and citations for code violations, prompting ranch owners to seek special authorization to host private events and maintain their date palm groves.
In June, Riverside County’s board of supervisors approved a plan allowing ranchos of a certain size dedicated primarily to agriculture and date cultivation to host events, with specific provisions for parking and safety. The goal is to support Latino farmworkers and their families in celebrating important milestones and upholding their cultural traditions affordably.
Dates have been cultivated in the Coachella Valley for over a century, with the region being the top date-growing area in the country. Mark Tadros, a date grower at Aziz Farms, believes that encouraging more landowners to plant date palms will benefit the industry as a whole, especially as some growers have exited the business in recent years.
Carlos Ulloa, who owns a ranch in Thousand Palms, recognized the value of date palms on his property and now plans to expand their presence to qualify for the new event hosting permit. The ranchos provide a space for families to celebrate without breaking the bank, preserving traditions like quinceañeras within the Latino community.
The ranchos in the Coachella Valley play a vital role in offering accessible and affordable event spaces while supporting the local date industry and cultural heritage.
