🗞️ Riverside News- April 21, 2026

Tuesday Gazette: April 21, 2026

Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday! Just a reminder: the Ward 2 candidate forum is this Thursday. If you live in Ward 2 or just want to be in the room when candidates make their case, now is the time to reserve your spot. The Ward 4 and Ward 6 forums are coming up right behind it.

All three forums are free and open to every Riverside resident. Register today.

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GOVERNMENT

RTRP Construction Is Finally Underway — Here’s What Riversiders Can Expect in the Next Several Months

The Riverside Transmission Reliability Project is now under active construction — with lane closures expected across Jurupa Valley in the months ahead.

A decade-long effort to give Riverside a second connection to the state power grid is now under construction — bringing lane closures to parts of Jurupa Valley, Norco, and Riverside through 2029.

Why it matters: Right now, Riverside runs on a single grid connection. If it fails, the whole city loses power. The Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP) fixes that — but construction will disrupt local roads for years.

What to expect near you: This April and May, watch for intermittent traffic near Tyler Street and Mandalay Court.

• Jurupa Valley sees the heaviest near-term disruption: lane closures on Wineville Avenue and 68th Street, plus road closures on Pat's Ranch Road with detours.

The backstory: CAISO identified the need for this project in 2006; RPU began planning in January 2007. The joint RPU–Southern California Edison project has been nearly two decades in the making.

By the numbers: The underground and overhead line route runs 10 miles, stretching from Jurupa Valley east along the Santa Ana River to an SCE substation.

What's next: Construction wraps in late 2029. Affected neighborhoods will receive "Dear Neighbor" notices in English and Spanish before disruptions begin.

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COMMUNITY

Sazón and Cultura Bring Riverside's Tamale Festival Together

The Spanish Town Heritage Foundation's 13th annual Tamale Festival returned to White Park on April 18, bringing food, ballet folklórico and Ozomatli in honor of the Trujillo Adobe's historic designation.

Hundreds gathered at White Park on April 18 for the Spanish Town Heritage Foundation's Tamale Festival, celebrating Chicano culture and the Trujillo Adobe's recent historic designation.

Why it matters: The festival offered a rare opportunity to experience regional ballet folklórico, authentic tamales, and live music — all rooted in Riverside's Chicano cultural heritage.

Driving the news: This year's theme, "Todos Juntos" ("All Together"), marked the Trujillo Adobe's addition to the National Register of Historic Places last May.

What was there: Food vendors including The Original Tamale Co. drew long lines, while the White Park gazebo hosted mariachi and Ballet Folklórico de Riverside throughout the evening.

• Ozomatli — the L.A. band known for blending cumbias and rancheras with reggae and hip-hop — closed out the night.

What they're saying: "All of us came from different places, different traditions and different music," said Ozomatli's Ulises Bella. "But the common factor was trying to get people to dance."

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This Week in Riverside

Today

• Earth Day Storytime at Marcy Library
• Karaoke Tuesday Competition at The Hideaway
• National Library Week Scavenger Hunt at Marcy Library
• ScotSurplus Public Sale at ScotSurplus, UCR Corporation Yard

Tomorrow

• Stretch & Dance Class at Janet Goeske Senior Center
• 2026 Earth Day Festival at UCR-Pierce Lawn
• Bordwell Park Advisory Committee at Stratton Community Center
• Celebrate Earth Day at the Marcy Library at Marcy Library
• Earth Day Painting & Mixed Media Artivity at Marcy Library
• Eastside Library at Lincoln Park | Earth Day Storytime and Scavenger Hunt at Eastside Library at Lincoln Park
• History on the Rocks - Round Two! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation ($71.21)
• Reading Assistance Program at My Learning Studio
• Riverside East Rotary Club at Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern
• Riverside Mission Belles at Victoria Presbyterian Church
• Riverside Open Mic Music Series at BACK TO THE GRIND
• Until Help Arrives Emergency Preparedness Training at Community Room Riverside Main Library

Save the Date

• April 23-25: Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Woodcrest Christian School Royals Pavilion ($15- $20)
• April 18: Blue Zones Project Riverside: Moai Launch Party at North Park
• April 18: Fant-A-She’s at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($37- $97)
• April 18: Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Woodcrest Christian School Royals Pavilion ($15- $20)
• April 18: MAGIC UNDERGROUND at Back To The Grind ($30- $45)
• April 23: Raincross Gazette: Ward 2 Community Forum at UCR Alumni & Visitors Center
• April 24: Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting at Zacatecas Café
• April 25: 78th Annual Riverside Flower Show and Garden Tour at Riverside Elks Lodge (free - $10)
• April 29: Raincross Gazette: Ward 4 Community Forum at Riverside Citrus State Park - Sunkist Center
• April 30: Raincross Gazette: Ward 6 Community Forum at Altura Credit Union (10725 Magnolia Ave.)
• May 3: "The Sound of Riverside" - The 2026 Riverside Arts Academy Gala at UCR University Theatre ($150- $325)
• May 6: Senior Conference at Janet Goeske Center
• May 13: Level Up Your Network: The Pick Group 2026 Membership Summit at Killer Queens Social House
• May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House
• June 1: REEF's 27th Annual Golf Tournament at Canyon Crest Country Club ($140- $175)

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