Her first date

(Conversation with Mariecar, a reporter.)

“I’m at the Date Festival,” she says. “I don’t know what my story should be – I mean, what can you say about a Date Festival?”

What do you got so far?

“My editors said to maybe try and talk to some teenagers, ask what they’re doing there, maybe talk about which rides they’re going on, or something.”

What’s the purpose of the Date Festival?

“To promote – dates. Dates are, like, this huge crop in Riverside County.”

So … let’s think about this for a second … there’s only one thing in the universe separating this festival from all the other festivals in California or anywhere else. What is it?

“Dates?”

Yep. It’s all about the dates. Nothing else.

(Four hours later, she files this sidebar: “I have a confession to make. I had my very first date Sunday. I was a little nervous and squeamish up front, but after the first I was on a roll …”)

I love smart young reporters …

By Mariecar Mendoza
The Desert Sun
I have a confession to make: I had my very first date Sunday.
I was a little nervous and squeamish up front, but after the first I was on a roll.
In fact, I had a total of eight dates by the end of the night - and they were all extremely sweet.
As a newcomer to the desert, I attended the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival in Indio on Sunday with a mission to understand what all the hype is over the Coachella Valley's signature fruit.
Described as "exotic," "divine" and "very healthy for you," dates look like oversized raisins and have a texture that reminds me of the prunes my grandparents used to make me eat when I was child.
But I wasn't totally turned off.
With the encouragement of several date experts and date lovers at the festival, I treated my tongue to an ultra-sugary experience.
When Don Smith of the Thermal-based growers Oasis Date Gardens saw me eat a whole date in my mouth and make a "Whoa this is sweet" face, he advised: "Think of it as tasting wine ... don't take a big bite."
With those words of wisdom, I nibbled on several dates from Deglet Noor to Zahidi and Thoory. My tastebuds enjoyed a rollercoaster ride through sweet, mushy, creamy, meaty - even nutty. At the end of the day, I was still longing for more - just as a good first date should end.

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Her first date

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