Depending on which official page you check, the 34th Festival of Lights ends on one of three dates. The Mission Inn says the festival runs through January 3, 2027. The City of Riverside says December 31. The Riverside Arts Council, which now runs the Main Street vendors and stage plus the new Candy Land attraction, says its programming ends December 27.
Last year's season ran on one shared calendar. The Raincross Gazette reported that 2025 activities ran through December 31 and the lights and decor stayed up through January 6. In 2026, the hotel has a new owner and the City has handed its programming role to the Arts Council. Each one publishes dates for its own part of the festival. Once you know who runs which part, the calendar makes sense.
The Mission Inn begins its first season under new owners
The biggest change happened in the spring. The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation's investment authority completed its purchase of the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa on May 29, 2026, and Pyramid Global Hospitality took over daily management that same day. When the deal was announced, the Raincross Gazette reported that the Tribe had confirmed the Festival of Lights would continue.
The same Gazette story quoted Janice Penner, executive director of the Riverside Downtown Partnership. She said the switch-on ceremony "has been a joint effort of the hotel, the City, and the Chamber of Commerce," and added, "so it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes are made." The Gazette called the November season "the first major test of the transition."
The hotel's plans for that test are now public. A September 30 release from the Mission Inn lists these additions and returning features:
- A first-time partnership with Build-A-Bear Workshop, with pop-up events on select dates during the season
- An all-new Festival of Lights gift shop that stays open year-round
- Nightly snowfall at the hotel
- Returning meet-and-greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus, the lobby Gingerbread House and the Holiday Market with hot cocoa
"We're thrilled to welcome new and returning guests back to experience the original magic," general manager Alfredo Anguiano said in the release. The hotel's own festival page lists Breakfast with Santa from November 22 through December 20, Santa photos from November 22 through December 23, a Thanksgiving Day brunch on November 26, and Lights & Delights Tours beginning November 23.
The hotel's festival runs through January 3 because the Inn sets its own dates, and that date matches the Press-Enterprise's October 5 preview.
Main Street now belongs to the Riverside Arts Council
The second change started before the sale and has nothing to do with it. The Gazette reported in May that the Riverside Arts Council was taking over parts of the festival from the City this season, "for reasons unrelated to the sale," and summed up the shift this way: "The hotel is changing hands; the City is transferring its role to the Riverside Arts Council."
The money shows up in a May 18 Parks Department budget report. It says an "additional $400,000 was allocated" to fulfill the "Council-approved agreement transferring management" to the Arts Council. The agreement came up the same spring the department proposed $2.7 million in cuts, according to the Gazette's May 28 budget story, which quoted staff saying reductions were needed "to support the city's overall fiscal stability while economic conditions and tax revenues recover."
The Arts Council describes its role as partnering with the City to lead arts and community programming. Here's how that works on the ground. The free part centers on Main Street between University Avenue and 10th Street. It includes the Artisans Collective of local artist vendors, holiday food vendors, and community performances on the Benjamin Franklin Stage by City Hall. Hours are 5 to 10 p.m., Thursday through Sunday until December 17, then daily through December 27. That's why its calendar starts November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, not on switch-on night. The City's page also lists two Merry Artswalk nights, December 3 and December 17.
The City's look for the street is spelled out on its own page: a "classic holiday look" with warm lights in the Main Street trees and red bows on downtown light poles.
The new attraction in Albert S. White Park is ticketed
The other new piece of the Arts Council's program sits off Main Street. The City calls Candy Land at Albert S. White Park, 3936 Chestnut St., "new this year," and it runs Thursdays through Sundays from November 27 to December 27. It includes a Holiday Light Maze, an illuminated photo trail, a Holiday Games Village, a Snowball Arena with soft snowballs, a Holiday Art Trail of installations commissioned from local artists, and an artisan marketplace with food, wine, hot chocolate and cider. The Arts Council sells the tickets and says Candy Land will stay open during both Merry Artswalk nights.
Admission is where Candy Land differs from everything else downtown:
| Ticket | Thu, Fri, Sun | Saturday and Dec. 18–27 |
|---|---|---|
| General admission | $15 | $20 |
| Riverside resident, proof of residency at the door | $13 | $20 |
| Family 4-Pack | $50 | $70 |
Children 2 and under get in free, and discounts can't be combined. Riverside residents save the most on a Thursday, Friday or Sunday before December 18. After that, every day is priced like a Saturday.
Who runs what, on one page
Put the parts side by side and the mismatched end dates line up with who publishes each one.
| Part of the festival | Run by | Where | Dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch-on, hotel lights, Santa events | Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, operated by Pyramid Global Hospitality | The Inn and Orange St. at Mission Inn Ave. | Nov. 21, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 | Switch-on free; hotel experiences bookable |
| Artisans, food, stage performances | Riverside Arts Council, in partnership with the City | Main Street, University Ave. to 10th St. | Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 | Free |
| Candy Land | Riverside Arts Council program | Albert S. White Park | Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 | $13 to $20 |
| Downtown season overall | City of Riverside | Arts & Culture District | Nov. 22 to Dec. 31 | Varies |
The City's page notes the festival is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Main Street and Candy Land wrap up December 27, the City's downtown season follows on December 31, and the Mission Inn keeps its lights on alone until January 3.
Still unannounced before switch-on night
The switch-on details are set. The ceremony starts promptly at 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, at Orange Street and Mission Inn Avenue, with fireworks afterward, and the City asks people to arrive by 4:30 p.m. The crowd will be large. The Press-Enterprise reported that last year's switch-on alone drew 50,000 people, according to the city. The hotel's release promises live performances but doesn't name the performers or who will flip the switch.
Last season, the ice rink sat at Mission Inn Avenue and Orange Street and the carnival at Mission Inn Avenue and Lime Street. Neither one appears on the 2026 schedules from the City, the Arts Council or the hotel. No one has announced a cancellation, either. Their status is still an open question, not a confirmed change.
Parking is also pending. The City's festival page says event parking information and maps are coming soon. For a baseline, the City's general downtown rates are $1.25 per 30 minutes in City-owned garages with a $20 daily maximum. Special-event rates are $15 prepaid or $20 at the event, and charging can begin up to three hours before an event. Last year's festival map listed $20 at entry and $15 for advance reservations. Check the City's festival page for the 2026 map before you head downtown.
Downtown's calendar before the lights go on
The weeks between now and November 21 already bring crowds to some of the same streets the festival will use.
- Sunday and Monday, November 1–2. The downtown Día de los Muertos Festival, a free event with community altars, music, dance, wrestling and lowriders, according to the Raincross Gazette's 2026 annual events guide.
- Thursday, November 5. The free Riverside ArtsWalk, run by the same Arts Council that takes over Main Street three weeks later.
- Monday, November 9. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar opens at 3777 Mission Inn Ave., on the northeast corner of Mission Inn Avenue and Market Street in The Mark, the mixed-use development on the former Stalder Building site. It covers 8,751 square feet, seats more than 275 guests, and holds a ribbon-cutting on November 10. The Press-Enterprise reported that it will also serve Thanksgiving dinner on November 26.
- Saturday, November 14. The free Veterans Parade, listed for this date on both the City's event calendar and the Raincross Gazette's October 24 weekend guide. It starts at Magnolia Avenue and Ramona Drive, travels via Market, 10th and Main streets, and finishes with an expo near the Historic County Courthouse.
- Saturday, November 21. The switch-on at 5 p.m., with the Mission Inn's season running from that night through January 3.
Fleming's operating partner Dewayne Glass told the Press-Enterprise that the restaurant will be ready for both the festival crowds and Thanksgiving, with about 30 associates from other Fleming's locations helping train the new staff.
If you live in Riverside and want to talk through how downtown's busiest season plays out around your street, your commute or a home you're thinking of listing near the Arts & Culture District, Lisa Costa follows these changes all season long. Let's Connect.
