Wednesday Gazette: June 4, 2025
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! Summer Concerts in the Park are back—and it all starts tonight at Fairmount Park! 🎶 Stone Soul takes the stage with their high-energy mix of classic hits. There’ll be food vendors, a beer garden, and plenty of space to stretch out and enjoy the music. Grab your crew, your picnic blanket, and your best dance moves—summer starts now!
SPORTS
Riverside Athlete Has Strong Showing at Special Olympics State Games
Former Poly High track athlete participated in multiple events at the Southern California Summer Games
Darren McDevitt, a 20-year-old Riverside resident, secured multiple medals at the 2025 Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games. The Poly High School graduate earned bronze in individual running events and gold as part of a relay team.
Driving the news: McDevitt's performance highlights the growing competitive depth of Special Olympics athletics programs in California.
- He placed third in both the 100-meter (17.04 seconds) and 200-meter (36.39 seconds) runs.
By the numbers: McDevitt's medal haul includes two individual bronzes and one team gold.
- He also competed in shot put, finishing sixth in the men's 4-kilogram division.
The big picture: The Special Olympics competition brings together hundreds of athletes from across Southern California, divided into ability-based divisions for fair competition.
Why it matters: McDevitt's success demonstrates the impact of year-round sports training and competition opportunities provided by Special Olympics.
- His transition from high school track to Special Olympics showcases the organization's role in supporting athletes beyond their school years.
What's next: McDevitt's next competition has not yet been announced, but his recent success suggests a promising future in Special Olympics events.
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NATURALLY RIVERSIDE
The Double Life of the Brown Garden Snail
Riverside’s most common garden pest is also a culinary delicacy, offering a surprising story of global migration, gourmet appeal, and invasive impact.
Whether you spot them sliming up your tomato plants or sizzling in garlic butter, Riverside’s most common snail is also the world’s most common: Cornu aspersum, the brown garden snail. Introduced to California in the 1880s as food, not pests, these gastropods live a double life—gourmet delicacy on one hand, garden nuisance on the other. Learn how they move, mate, and munch (often on your basil), and why some experts say the best way to control them is to eat them.
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ART & ENTERTAINMENT
Quitapenas Returns with New EP and a Message of Joyful Resistance
Tropical Afro-Latin band Quitapenas celebrates the release of its new EP, “¡Retumba!,” Friday night at the Farm House Collective.
Inland Empire band Quitapenas is set to release their new EP "Retumba" at a show Friday night at the Farm House Collective. The group's music, rooted in Afro-Latin dance rhythms, aims to create spaces for joy and community during challenging times.
Driving the news: The band's evolving sound reflects a deeper study of their musical roots, incorporating grittier textures inspired by champeta, soukous, and Caribbean guitar styles.
- Their new single "Que Tumbao" features a music video directed by longtime collaborator Richie Velasquez, blending humor with meaningful messages.
Why it matters: Quitapenas, meaning "to remove your worries," uses music as a tool for liberation and community building.
- The band draws from musical traditions of Angola, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil to create what they call "rhythmic contagion."
The details: The album release party, featuring El Santo Golpe, takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Farm House Collective, a recently opened venue in a converted 1953 motor court.
- "Retumba" is now streaming on major platforms, with vinyl records and merchandise available at the show.
What's next: The band plans to bring community resources to attendees, furthering their mission of using music as a catalyst for positive change.
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What's Happening in Riverside
Today
- Certified Farmers Market at 10th & Lemon Streets
- 8 Bit Canvas Painting at Marcy Library
- Family Storytime at Casa Blanca Library
- Finance Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Level Up Your Self-Care at Main Library
- Riverside Open Mic Music Series at Back to the Grind
- State Assembly Candidates Form at Mission Grove Neighborhood Alliance at Orange Terrace Community Center
Tomorrow
- Budget Engagement Commission at Riverside City Hall
- Mobility and Infrastructure Committee at Riverside City Hall
- Education Through Imagination at Westmont Village
- Noteworthy Puppets "Sherlock Homerun" at SPC. Jesus S. Duran Eastside Library
- Pierce Street Jazz at La Sierra University
- Sensory Play: SLIME! at Arlington Library
- Drag Queen Bingo Supporting the Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center at VIP Nightclub, Restaurant, and Bar ($25)
Save the Date
- June 14: Avenue Art Night at The Avenue Church
- June 27: Museum of Riverside Groundbreaking at Museum of Riverside
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