The calendar says fall, but October looks like it's hanging on to summer a little longer. So grab a cold drink, keep the sunscreen handy, and plan for early mornings and cool evenings, because this month is packed with reasons to get out. You can run through downtown for a nearly 50-year-old tradition, climb Mt. Rubidoux in support of local cancer survivors, and step inside historic buildings that are usually closed to the public. Along the way there's live music, a blindfolded ceramics workshop, a book fair for history lovers, and plenty of Halloween spirit to close things out. Here's what's worth your time.
Run, Walk & Give
Sunday, Oct. 18
- Time: 8:30 a.m. to noon
- Location: Downtown Riverside
- Price: Registration starts at $60
One of Riverside's longest-running traditions laces up again for its 49th year, sending runners and walkers through the parks, landmarks, and historic neighborhoods around downtown. Choose from the 5K, 10K, or half marathon, or take it easy on the 5K walk, which welcomes kids and dogs. Every participant gets a race bib, a Mission Inn Foundation Run T-shirt, a finisher medal, and a tote bag. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Mission Inn Foundation and Museum, which is separate from the hotel itself.
Saturday, Oct. 24
- Time: 7:30 a.m. to noon (Mt. Rubidoux walk at 9 a.m.)
- Location: Ryan Bonaminio Park, 5000 Tequesquite Ave.
- Price: $30 adults; $20 ages 11 to 17 and seniors
The survivors who designed this breast cancer awareness walk chose the hard way up Mt. Rubidoux on purpose, and 15 years later Riverside still makes the climb together. The morning opens with an 8:30 a.m. Survivor Celebration and dove release, followed by the 5K mountain route and a gentler 1.7K Family Fun Walk around the park. Stick around for the Classic Car Show, the Family Fun Zone, team tailgates, and music before awards at 11:30 a.m. Every dollar supports The Pink Ribbon Place, which offers free support services to local families facing cancer.
Music & Performance
Friday, Oct. 9
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Spooktacular Tour with Nell Campbell
- Time: Doors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m.
- Location: Fox Performing Arts Center
- Price: Starting at $35
Kick off spooky season by doing the Time Warp with Columbia herself. Nell Campbell, who played the role in the original film, hosts this screening of a fresh 4K restoration, complete with a live shadow cast acting out the movie in front of the screen. Audience participation is not just allowed but expected, so come ready to shout along. The show is open to ages 3 and up, and every attendee needs a ticket.
Wednesday, Oct. 21
Poetry & Music Open Mic at Café Oro Dos Aztecas
- Time: 5 to 7 p.m.
- Location: Café Oro Dos Aztecas, 3521 Main St.
- Price: Free
Bring a poem, a song, or just an open ear to this midweek open mic in the heart of downtown. Café Oro has become a gathering spot for Riverside's creative community, and its open mic nights welcome first-timers and regulars alike. Grab a coffee, settle in, and cheer on your neighbors as they share their work.
Friday, Oct. 23
- Time: Doors 7 p.m.; show 8 p.m.
- Location: Farm House Collective, 1393 University Ave.
- Price: $38.65 advance; $44.87 day of show
Farm House Collective brings Los Angeles favorites Allah-Las to town for a night of sunny, reverb-soaked guitar rock. Since forming in 2008, the band has built a devoted following with its breezy, retro-leaning sound that feels made for a Southern California evening. Opening the night is Ojai singer-songwriter Sam Blasucci, known for his solo work and as half of the folk rock duo Mapache. Buy tickets ahead of time to save a few dollars.
Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Time: 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Riverside Community Players, 4026 14th St.
- Price: $20
Just in time for Halloween, Riverside Community Players brings Fleet Street's most notorious barber to the stage. This isn't the Sondheim musical but the Christopher Bond melodrama that inspired it, a darkly funny and deliciously grim tale of revenge and meat pies. Cindi East directs a local cast led by Aaron Pyle as Sweeney and Patricia Scarborough as Mrs. Lovett. Catch it on Halloween weekend for an evening that fits the season perfectly.
Arts, History & Culture
Sunday, Oct. 4
Riverside Historical Society Local History Book Fair
- Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Location: Villegas Community Center, 3091 Esperanza St.
- Price: Free admission; A History of Baseball in Riverside $40 at the event
History buffs, this one's for you. The Riverside Historical Society gathers dozens of books on local history under one roof, along with about a dozen authors, including Steve Lech, David Allen, Barbara Burns, Dan Bernstein, and Dr. Cliff Trafzer. The fair marks the debut of the Society's newest book, A History of Baseball in Riverside, with a talk on the subject at 1 p.m. and a demonstration inning or two of vintage baseball. Rare titles will also be up for grabs in a silent auction, and it's an early chance to shop for the history lovers on your holiday list.
Sunday, Oct. 18
Sensing Form: A World Beyond Sight
- Time: 1 to 4 p.m.
- Location: Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, 3933 Mission Inn Ave.
- Price: Free; registration required, spots limited
What happens when you make art without looking? In this hands-on ceramics workshop, blind potter Don Katz guides participants through hand-building a piece of their own while blindfolded, relying on touch and their other senses. It's a chance to slow down, get your hands dirty, and experience creativity from a completely new angle. Spots are first come, first served until supplies run out, so register early.
Thursday, Oct. 22
American Agitators Documentary Screening (Nights with the Museum)
- Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Location: Riverside Main Library Community Room, 3900 Mission Inn Ave.
- Price: Free
This documentary traces the legacy of labor organizers Fred Ross Sr. and his son, Fred Ross Jr. Ross Sr. is widely credited with shaping modern grassroots organizing, and the film follows his work with Dust Bowl migrants and Japanese Americans interned during World War II, as well as his role in training leaders like Dolores Huerta. The Inland Empire Labor Council presents the screening, and Executive Secretary-Treasurer Ricardo Cisneros will introduce the film and take questions afterward.
Saturday, Oct. 24
- Time: 1 to 5 p.m.
- Location: Various historic sites; see website for participating locations
- Price: Free
For one afternoon, some of Riverside's most beautiful historic buildings open their doors to the public, many of which are usually closed to visitors. Now in its eighth year, California's only Doors Open event is a partnership between the City, the Riverside Downtown Partnership, and the Mission Inn Museum and Foundation, and it earned the state's Governor's Historic Preservation Award in 2019. Mission Inn Museum docents lead tours in English. Check the website for this year's lineup and plan your route.
Health & Wellness
Wednesday, Oct. 7
- Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Location: Janet Goeske Center, 5752 Sierra St.
- Price: Free
Riverside residents 50 and older can take care of a whole checklist in one stop at this free health fair. Vaccine clinics and on-site health screenings share the room with safe medication disposal, a relaxing wellness spa, and fitness activities. Exhibitors will be on hand to connect visitors with local services and resources, and there will be food samples too. It's a friendly, practical way to invest in your well-being this fall.
Sunday, Oct. 25
The Pilates Café at Café Oro Dos Aztecas
- Time: 8 to 10 a.m.
- Location: Café Oro Dos Aztecas, 3521 Main St.
Start your Sunday with a stretch and a latte. Café Oro pairs a morning Pilates session with its welcoming downtown coffeehouse setting, making it easy to move your body and then linger over a warm drink with friends. It's a relaxed, community-minded way to wrap up a busy October weekend.
Food & Drink
Saturdays, Oct. 10 and 24
Slow Bloom x Hayet Albi Riverside Pop-Up
- Time: 9 a.m. to noon
- Location: 4019 Market St.
Get an early taste of a new downtown collaboration before it officially opens its doors. Slow Bloom, a worker-owned specialty coffee roaster, teams up with Hayet Albi, a worker-owned seasonal bakery, bistro, and wine bar inspired by the flavors of Lebanon and Palestine, for a pair of Saturday morning pop-ups at their soon-to-open shared space on Market Street. Come for a carefully roasted cup and fresh-baked treats, and stay to meet the people behind one of Riverside's most anticipated new spots. Arrive early, since pop-ups like this tend to sell out.
