The Festival of Lights will return to downtown Riverside starting November 21, according to a local news report. The event begins the Saturday prior to Thanksgiving with a switch-on ceremony at 5 p.m., presided over by representatives from the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, Riverside City Council members, and other guests. Kelly Roberts, the Mission Inn's chief operating officer and widow of fest founder Duane Roberts, is expected to lead the main podium.
The 34th annual festival will feature millions of lights, holiday displays, carnival rides, caroling, Santa Claus, and a special musical performance during the ceremony by Gavin DeGraw. Festivities run on the pedestrian mall through December 31, with lights remaining on through the first week of 2027. New this year is 'Holiday Magic at Candy Lane,' a ticketed event inside White Park featuring an illuminated photo trail, a snowball arena, and an artisan marketplace.
