People who haven't been to the Coachella Valley are often surprised to learn that 95 percent of all US-grown dates come from here. Specifically from Indio, where long hot summers, low humidity, and alkaline soil replicate the Saharan conditions dates need to thrive.
The Coachella Valley date industry is over a hundred years old. Some of the date palms at Shield's were planted in the 1920s. When you drive down Highway 111 and see those 80-foot palms lining the road, most of them are date palms, not ornamental ones.
If you're staying at The Cozy Cactus or Terra Luz in Indio, you're five to ten minutes from several of these farms. It's one of the most underrated things to do in the area.
Shield's Date Garden
Shield's is the one everyone knows, and for good reason. It's been operating on Highway 111 in Indio since 1924. The garden itself covers 30 acres of date palms, and the on-site shop is genuinely worth a stop.
The main draw is the date shake. It's made with vanilla ice cream and whole pitted dates blended right in, and it's the kind of thing you'll think about afterward. Thick, cold, with a caramel depth that artificial flavoring can't get close to. The medium size is enough. I made the mistake of ordering a large once.
Beyond the shake, Shield's sells dates in about a dozen varieties. The Medjool is the one most people recognize, but Deglet Noor, Honey, and Barhi are all worth trying if you're curious. They offer small sample boxes so you can taste before committing to a five-pound bag.
Shield's Date Garden Address: 80-225 Highway 111, Indio, CA 92201 Hours: Generally open daily 9am to 5pm (call ahead, hours vary seasonally) Phone: (760) 347-0996
The attached theater used to show a film called "The Romance and Sex Life of the Date." It ran for decades. Apparently people watched it seriously.
Hadley's Fruit Orchards
Hadley's is technically in Cabazon, about 35 minutes west of Indio near the outlet mall. If you're making a Cabazon shopping run, it makes a natural stop.
Hadley's has been around since 1931 and carries a wider range of dried fruit and nuts alongside their dates. Their date rolls (a compressed log of chopped dates, often mixed with walnuts or pecans) are a better road trip snack than anything you'll find at a gas station. They also do trail mixes, smoothies, and a solid date shake, though the Shield's version edges it out in my experience.
Oasis Date Gardens
Oasis Date Gardens is in Thermal, about 15 minutes southeast of Indio on Highway 86. It's smaller and less polished than Shield's, which is part of its appeal. This is more of a working farm than a tourist destination, and the dates are often cheaper per pound because of it.
They grow Medjool, Zahidi, and a few other varieties. Seasonal fresh dates (the soft, slightly translucent kind that haven't been dried) are available in late summer and fall. If you're visiting September through November, ask about fresh fruit. It's not the same product as the shelf-stable ones in the bags, and it's worth seeking out.
Phone ahead before driving down: (760) 399-5665.
Jensen's Fine Foods
Jensen's isn't a farm, but it belongs on this list. It's an independent grocery store with locations in Palm Springs and Palm Desert, and both carry a better date selection than any grocery chain in the valley. Local variety packs, date paste for baking, date syrup, and seasonal fresh dates when they're available.
If you want to pick up dates without making a full farm detour, Jensen's is the move.
What to Look For When Buying Dates
Medjool dates are large, soft, and sweet with a slight toffee flavor. They're what most people mean when they picture a date. Best eaten as-is or wrapped in bacon.
Deglet Noor dates are drier, smaller, and less sweet. They hold up better in cooking and baking.
Barhi dates are rare and best fresh. They look like small yellow cherry tomatoes and taste almost like butterscotch when ripe. Shield's occasionally has them in season (August to October).
Honey dates are a Shield's-specific variety, small and intensely sweet, like a concentrated fig.
When to Go
The date harvest runs roughly August through November, when fresh fruit is available at some farms. The rest of the year, you're buying dried or cured dates, which are still excellent and shelf-stable.
For the date shake specifically, there's no wrong time. Shield's serves them year round. That said, pulling up to Shield's on a 110-degree August afternoon with nowhere to be is a specific kind of Coachella Valley experience. I'd recommend it.
While You're in the Area
If you're doing the full Indio food tour, pair the date farm visit with a stop at Arriola's Tortilleria on Jackson Street (handmade tortillas, line out the door on weekends) and one of the taco trucks along Highway 111. The Indio local food scene doesn't get talked about nearly enough in the wider Palm Springs conversation, but there's a lot worth exploring in Indio if you know where to look.
Our properties at The Cozy Cactus and Terra Luz both sit less than two miles from some of the best date-adjacent eating in the valley. Guests who take the time to leave the pool for an afternoon almost always say it was worth it.
Eann is the founder of Indigo Palm Collective, which operates vacation rentals in Indio and Palm Springs. She's eaten too many date shakes to count and has no regrets.