Mark Your Calendar: 50+ Annual Events Coming to Riverside in 2026
From the Festival of Lights to DĂa de los Muertos, here are the annual celebrations, cultural festivals and community gatherings to pencil into your calendar now. Details will be added to our community calendar as they become available.
City Manager's Year in Review: $4.3 Billion in Growth Highlights Economic Momentum and Emerging Public Safety Pressures
Futrell highlights manufacturing, teaching hospital plans, and convention center expansion in second annual Chamber address.
Mission Inn's Future, Immigration Fears Top Readers' Picks for 2025's Biggest Stories
Gazette readers weighed in on the year's defining momentsâand their answers reveal a city questioning its identity.
Riverside's Top 5 Stories of 2025
From community milestones to stories of accountability, these five articles captured Riverside's attention in 2025.
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Latest
The Trials of the House in Riverside
A series by Anthony Solorzano exploring Riverside through the eyes of a transplant, as the memory of a hometown slowly fades.
Riverside Woman's Portrait to Ride Rose Parade Float for Organ Donation Gift
Jenny Fedele-Fennell's portrait will appear on OneLegacy's 2026 float after her cornea donation restored sight to four people.
The Raincross Gazette is on Holiday Break
The Gazette's 2-person newsroom is on a publishing break through holidays. Regular publishing will resume on Monday, January 5, 2026.
The Dust Never Settles at the Museum of Riverside
A year of momentum brings progress on exhibitions, historic sites, and digital presence as the museum looks toward its 2027 Downtown reopening.
William Smith Announces Bid for Ward 6 City Council Seat
Engineer and nonprofit leader enters open-seat race emphasizing technical approach to development and infrastructure decisions.
Frank Miller's Christmas Pageant Brought Mission Inn Family Together
For 20 years, the inn's founder staged an annual Nativity production blending California mission history with the Christmas story.
Holiday Window Painters See Business Boom After Gazette Feature
Raincross Window Painting picks up first business client and returns to childhood school.
Government
This Week in City Hall: December 15, 2025
City Council does not meet this week. Cultural Heritage Board to review the Riverside 2050 Plan's historic preservation policies and Planning Commission considers of a 117-unit apartment development.
Council Strengthens Ethics Defenses for Accused Officials After False Complaints
Board of Ethics must now give equal weight to evidence from both complainants and accused officials during preliminary review.
Riverside Reports Five Federal Immigration Notifications in First Two Months of Tracking System
City releases bilingual Know Your Rights materials as first monthly report shows zero community-submitted reports through new 311 system.
Riverside to Launch Rewards App Shopping at 500 Local Businesses
Council approves $50,000 pilot program offering points-based incentives; city projects millions in local spending if program continues.
Events
Friends of Mt. Rubidoux Launch Photo and Art Contest for Peace Tower's 100th Anniversary
Contest offers $250 prizes in two categories, with winning entries to be displayed at Mission Inn Foundation exhibit space.
Riverside History Walk Returns to Main Street After 13 Years in Storage
Commemorative stones marking city's defining moments will be rededicated Dec. 9.
Alternative Gift Fair Returns to Riverside with Handmade Gifts Supporting Local Charities
The annual event features vendors from Ten Thousand Villages, Inlandia Institute and dozens of nonprofits, with all proceeds benefiting community causes.
Festival of Lights Returns This Saturday
Whether you're a Switch On night regular or prefer quieter evenings, here's everything happening Downtown from this Saturday through early January.
History
Frank Miller's Christmas Pageant Brought Mission Inn Family Together
For 20 years, the inn's founder staged an annual Nativity production blending California mission history with the Christmas story.
Frank B. Devine: Pioneer of Riverside's Citrus Packing Industry
From New York businessman to Sunbeam brand founder, Devine shaped local citrus shipping for nearly four decades.
Riverside History Walk Returns to Main Street After 13 Years in Storage
Commemorative stones marking city's defining moments will be rededicated Dec. 9.
When Peace Flags Flew: How Mount Rubidoux Honored U.S.-Canada Friendship in 1927
For 17 years, Frank Miller hosted Armistice Day services atop Mount Rubidoux, raising flags from nations around the world. In 1927, Canada took center stage in a ceremony featuring bagpipes, doves and a tribute to cross-border friendship that endures today.
Art & Entertainment
Extra âMerryâ Artswalk Helps Connect Last-Minute Shoppers and Local Artists
Thursday December, 18 brings a second âMerryâ Artswalk Downtown this December.
Grown-Up Punk Rock Kids Document Their Community's Underground Musical Legacy
Lifelong friends bring "60 Miles East" to Riverside Art Museum, celebrating the city's hardcore, punk and ska scenes from the late 1980s to early 2000s.
November ArtsWalk In the Dark After Daylight Savings Time Change
Several gallery openings and a preview of the Mission Inn lights make this ArtsWalk a must-see.
'I Haven't Made It Until I Sell Out the Fox': Brandon Joseph's Riverside Dream
While many musicians claim vague 'LA area' roots, the 27-year-old proudly represents his Inland Empire hometown on debut album.