🗞️ Riverside News- February 19, 2026
Crack down on Nitrous Oxide & Kratom, Stray Dogs turns 1, Philharmonic upcoming intimate show...
Stray Dogs Coffee Marks One Year With a Month of Celebrations
The Downtown dog-friendly café is celebrating its first anniversary with events through the end of February, including a movie night, a matcha class and a two-day anniversary weekend.
Riverside Philharmonic Hosts Intimate Jazz and Conversation Event Feb. 28
The salon-style gathering at Loft .84 will feature live music and a candid discussion about the orchestra's future direction.
Council Committee Cracks Down on Nitrous Oxide, Kratom Sales
The committee's vote sends both bans to the full City Council, putting Riverside ahead of state lawmakers who failed to pass kratom regulations last year.
Photo Essay: Riverside Celebrates 46th Annual Black History Month with Parade and Expo
The annual parade, founded by two high school students in 1980, brought together community leaders, performers, and families for a day of celebration on February 14.
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Mayor's Ball Returns to Newly State-Designated Downtown Arts District
This year's Rock of the Ages celebration comes just months after Downtown Riverside earned state recognition as a California Cultural District.
Budget Commission Questions Its Role as Measure Z Locked Through 2028
Nonprofits seeking city support face three-year funding freeze as council prepares June tax vote.
This Week in City Hall: Feb 16, 2026
City Council does not meet this week. The Safety Committee will consider restrictions on nitrous oxide and kratom products after police found extensive sales and health officials linked them to fatal overdoses.
Opinion: Riverside Needs to Fund Fire Department Growth - And Soon
Extending Measure Z Is the Right Choice for Riverside's Fire Department.
A Peace Tower Built of Oranges
How Riverside honored Frank A. Miller's legacy with a citrus-covered replica at the 1926 National Orange Show.
Opinion - Buses Rock: Lessons From the RTA
A temporary transit rider discovers the kindness, humanity, and connections that make Riverside's buses more than just transportation.
Not a Drill
A prompt to encourage your practice of creativity this week from Riversider and local author Larry Burns.
Chicano Camera Culture Traces Six Decades of Photography as Activism
A first-of-its-kind exhibition at RAM and the Cheech explores how Chicano photographers have used cameras to document their communities and reshape American art history.
Government
Budget Commission Questions Its Role as Measure Z Locked Through 2028
Nonprofits seeking city support face three-year funding freeze as council prepares June tax vote.
This Week in City Hall: Feb 16, 2026
City Council does not meet this week. The Safety Committee will consider restrictions on nitrous oxide and kratom products after police found extensive sales and health officials linked them to fatal overdoses.
City Council Faces Lawsuits as Deadline Passes for $20.1 Million Housing Project
Legal threats mount as ACLU, property seller warn of lawsuits over Jan. 13 vote that rejected conversion of Quality Inn into 114 affordable units.
This Week in City Hall: February 9, 2026
City Council will discuss two potential lawsuits related to the rejected University Terrace homeless housing project and review the 2026 Book of Work outlining major city priorities.
Events
Mayor's Ball Returns to Newly State-Designated Downtown Arts District
This year's Rock of the Ages celebration comes just months after Downtown Riverside earned state recognition as a California Cultural District.
Dickens Festival Turns Focus to Social Justice With Oliver Twist Theme
The 33rd annual Riverside Dickens Festival will explore themes of poverty, resilience and community care when it returns to White Park Feb. 21-22, marking a shift toward social equity.
Finding Purpose in an Age of Anxiety
Blue Zones Project Riverside workshop helps residents navigate the question that defines a meaningful life: Why do you get out of bed every morning?
"Doing My Best for Those I Love": How Riverside's Valentine's Scene Celebrates Community
From coffee shops with Saturday markets to couples yoga and early morning runs, local businesses are redefining romance with creativity and heart.
History
A Peace Tower Built of Oranges
How Riverside honored Frank A. Miller's legacy with a citrus-covered replica at the 1926 National Orange Show.
A Voice from the Mission Inn: Ormonde Wilson's Journey from Watchman to War Hero
The tenor soloist who sang at Booker T. Washington's memorial service traded his Mission Inn post for the battlefields of World War I, earning a place on Frank Miller's banner of heroes.
Joseph Schneider Rode Into Flames for 46 Years
Riverside's longest-serving fire chief modernized the department, survived smoke inhalation and a bicycle crash, and never asked his men to face dangers he wouldn't confront himself.
Riverside's Building Boom: Four Landmarks from 1925
A century ago, the city issued more than $2 million in building permits for the third straight year, transforming downtown with structures that still shape our landscape.
Art & Entertainment
Kadir Nelson Finds Joy, History and Inclusion Through Basketball
The award-winning author and illustrator explores basketball's history and its power to bring people together in his new book "Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game"
Community Musicians Join Students in UCR Orchestra Concerts
The 70-member ensemble features Mozart, Bizet and Mexican folk traditions with tickets starting at $6.
Riverside Art Museum's Fourth Fridays Celebrates Underground Music History
Jan. 23 event includes DJ, new additions to '60 Miles East' exhibit, food and beverages.
RUSD Honors Musical Brings Students Together Under the Spotlight
High schoolers from across the district transform from strangers to collaborators through months of rehearsals, gaining professional theater experience and life skills that extend far beyond the stage.