California Dates Take Over Times Square for National Date Month
Palm Desert, Calif. – October 02, 2026 -- The California Date Commission has kicked off National California Date Month, running throughout October, with a two-sided digital billboard in New York's Times Square and a nationwide recipe contest aimed at home cooks.
Coachella Valley supplies 85% of all U.S.-grown dates
California Dates are grown in Southern California's Coachella Valley, which produces roughly 85% of all dates cultivated in the United States. The fruit is picked at peak ripeness, washed, sorted, and shipped fresh with no added sugar or artificial processing. A 40-gram serving -- about two jumbo Medjool dates or six medium Deglet Noor dates -- provides 3 grams of dietary fiber, six B vitamins, seven essential minerals including potassium and magnesium, and antioxidant polyphenols.