The 301-day design-build project will relocate the City Clerk's Office to the ground floor and add a grab-and-go food area, funded partly through Measure Z reserves.
A rider takes a swan boat out on Lake Evans at Fairmount Park, with the historic boathouse visible in the background. (Ken Crawford) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Tuesday Gazette: April 28, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Tuesday! Today is National Superhero Day, though the heroes it honors don't have capes or superpowers. They're the firefighters, nurses, soup kitchen volunteers, and neighbors who show up for people every day. If someone in your life fits that description, nominate them for Neighbor of the Week. Questions? Reach us at newsroom@raincrossgazette.com.
From Farm Stand to Farmers Market: Woodcrest Collective Takes Root
What started as a shuttered farm stand became the foundation for a thriving Riverside market.
Vendors and visitors fill the grassy field behind the Woodcrest Library during the Woodcrest Collective on Saturday, April 18. (Erik Chen)
A Riverside resident turned a shutdown farm stand into a thriving community market — and it's already expanding.
Why it matters: The Woodcrest Collective brings local vendors directly to a neighborhood that doesn't have a dedicated marketplace, with everything from açai bowls to fresh produce available twice monthly near Woodcrest Library.
The backstory: Laura Wright and her husband Brandon launched the market in December 2025 after the city shut down their Groovy Gopher Lavender Farm stand weeks after it opened.
"When that door closed, we realized it was an opportunity to do something bigger and better," Wright said.
Driving the news: The collective held its latest market April 18, drawing vendors ranging from Whitegates Country Cottage (jams, jellies, nut butters) to Viuearth Water, an Irvine-based company selling vapor-distilled water.
What's next: Starting in June, the market shifts to morning hours — 8 a.m. to noon — while keeping its first-and-third-Saturday schedule.
Location: Behind Woodcrest Library, 16625 Krameria Ave. Follow @woodcrestmarketcollective on Instagram for vendor updates.
Riverside 4-Year-Old Is One Vote Away From a National Wildlife Win
Zephyr Bolaños, born and raised in Riverside, is in first place in the Ranger Rick Jr. Ranger contest — but the voting window closes Thursday.
Zephyr Bolaños poses near a garden pond. (Photo courtesy of Jr. Ranger/National Wildlife Federation)
Zephyr Bolaños, a Riverside boy raised on Mt. Rubidoux hikes and backyard monarch butterflies, is currently in first place in the 2026 Jr. Ranger contest — and needs local votes to advance.
Why it matters: Riverside readers can vote free, once daily, to help Zephyr win a $20,000 education fund and a national feature that his mom says would spotlight the city that shaped him.
Driving the news: The voting window for the current round closes Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. PDT at jr-ranger.org.
The backstory: Zephyr, born at Parkview Community Hospital in 2022, has grown up exploring Riverside's outdoors — sunrise hikes up Mt. Rubidoux, visits to California Citrus State Historic Park, and wildlife encounters in the San Bernardino mountains.
By the numbers: The grand prize includes a hands-on wildlife experience with biologist and TV host Jeff Corwin, a feature profile in Ranger Rick magazine, and $20,000 in education funds for Zephyr and his older brother.
What's next: Cast a free daily vote at jr-ranger.org through Thursday. The overall contest runs through June 4, 2026.
Sherman Indian High School's 40th Annual Youth Pow Wow returned to Riverside on April 18 after a year's absence, drawing Native American tribal members from across North America for dancing, drumming, and cultural competition on the school's football field.
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