WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25: AN EXOTIC FESTIVAL

Profile America — Saturday, February 25th.  The town of Indio, California has a way to beat the mid-winter blahs — the 66th annual National Date Festival, part of the Riverside County Fair, winding up tomorrow.  This is the only festival celebrating the chewy fruit that grows on palm trees, noted for its high food value and as an ingredient in baking.  While the festival has many of the trappings of most such gatherings, food, livestock exhibits and rodeos, it has its own offbeat touches, such as ostrich and camel races and an Arabian Nights pageant.  California is the leading producer of the 24,000 ton annual U.S. date crop, worth $28 million.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events, 2012, p. 132
www.datefest.org
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 864

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

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