Thursday Gazette: March 26, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Thursday! Baseball is back. Today is MLB Opening Day, one of those dates on the calendar that, for some, feels like a genuine fresh start: new rosters, new hopes, and that first crack of the bat that reminds you summer is coming. If you want to catch the Dodgers opener with some company tonight, Riverside has options. Route 30 Brewing, The Farm House Collective, and Devereaux House are all opening at 5:30 p.m. for the game. Route 30 is streaming on the big screen with Dodger-blue slushes and $5 pints, Farmhouse is setting up in the backyard, and Devereaux House has $20 pitchers all night. Pick your spot, find your people, and enjoy the game.
See you tomorrow!
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GOVERNMENT
City Council Awards Contract for Riverside Civil Rights Walk
The Downtown trail will link 24 civil rights history sites, with construction set to break ground in May and a ribbon-cutting planned for fall.
City Council unanimously approved a $2.7 million pedestrian trail linking 24 civil rights history sites through Downtown — funded entirely by the state.
Why it matters: The trail costs the city's general fund nothing, and brings Riverside's civil rights history into the streets — from the original Press Enterprise building to Harada House to the Peace Tower on Mount Rubidoux.
Driving the news: Council awarded the construction contract Tuesday to Universal Construction and Engineering of Palm Desert, with a 10% contingency bringing the total to just under $3 million.
What's included: Twenty-four stops along a Downtown core loop and expanded outer loop, each featuring three-sided educational pillars developed with the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California, Museum of Riverside, and Riverside Public Library.
- Pillars include archival photos, children's-height content, and QR codes linking to a multilingual city website.
- Infrastructure improvements include reconstructed sidewalks, accessible pedestrian signals at 10 intersections, and four decorative crosswalks designed by a local artist.
Yes, but: The César Chávez monument on Main Street — one of the 24 stops — remains a point of community debate. Interim Public Works Director Nathan Mustafa said monument installation will come last, allowing time for additional dialogue with the Riverside Latino Network and other groups.
What's next: Construction begins May 2026, with completion targeted for early fall. A ribbon-cutting is planned for October, potentially tied to the U.S. 250th anniversary. The Main Street Pedestrian Mall stays open throughout.
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FOOD & DRINK
Restaurant Week Returns With 20 Participating Eateries
Diners can explore specially priced menus at restaurants across the Downtown core from March 28 through April 5.
Twenty downtown restaurants are offering exclusive menus and deals March 28–April 5 as Riverside revives an event that went dark in 2016.
Why it matters: Nine days of curated specials at 20 Downtown restaurants — some as low as $7.50, others as high as $65 — designed to draw diners back downtown with offers you won't find on the regular menu.
Driving the news: The Riverside Downtown Partnership is relaunching Restaurant Week after a nearly decade-long absence, keeping it strictly downtown this time.
- The original run, 2013–2016, faded after eligibility expanded citywide and specials lost their distinctiveness.
By the numbers: 20 participating restaurants — price range $7.50 (Copper Goat Coffee pistachio coffee or pastry) to $65 (ProAbition three-course dinner).
What they're saying: Riverside Downtown Partnership Executive Director Janice Penner said the goal is specials worth a dedicated trip — distinct from what's already on the regular menu.
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Noteworthy
Jen Spalding has been named RCC's new Dean of Kinesiology and Athletic Director, becoming the first woman to hold the title at a school where she once earned All-American honors as a water polo goalie.
UCR researchers identified a two-stage stress response that allows plants to instantly pause growth during extreme heat or light — a breakthrough published in PNAS that could help scientists develop more drought- and heat-resilient crops.
What's Happening in Riverside
Today
- Volunteer Interest Hour at Riverside Meals on Wheels
- Lunchtime Jazz Concert Series at Center for Social Justice and Civil Liberties
- She Built This City: Women and the Making of Riverside at Riverside Main Library
- History on the Rocks! Presented by The Mission Inn Foundation at Mission Inn Foundation Store ($60)
Tomorrow
- Courthouse, Murals and Heroes Walking Tour at Mission Inn Foundation ($23.18)
- 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture at Civil Rights Institute Inland Southern California
- Club 90's Presents Benito Bowl (18+) at Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- LA ORIGINAL BANDA EL LIMÓN - 60 ANIVERSARIO at Fox Performing Arts Center
Save the Date
- March 28: The 4th Annual Citrus Festival at California Citrus State Historic Park
- March 28: Goeske Spring Festival at Janet Goeske Center
- April 2: Hays Press-Enterprise Lecture at University Theatre
- April 5: Easter Celebration at First Congregational Church of Riverside
- April 11: Olivewood Cemetery Tour at Olivewood Cemetery ($21.20)
- April 12: The Expeditions of Juan Bautista de Anza through Riverside County at Riverside Medical Clinic Basement Meeting Room
- April 17: Frozen: The Broadway Musical at Woodcrest Christian School Royals Pavilion ($15- $20)
- April 18: Fant-A-She’s at Riverside Municipal Auditorium ($37- $97)
- May 17: Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at Riverside's Heritage House
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