Early start date for 31st Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·2 min read
Several High Desert residents shared plans to attend the 31st Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside on Nov. 18.
Several High Desert residents shared plans to attend the 31st Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside on Nov. 18.

Last year, the Festival of Lights' “Switch-On Ceremony” drew over 50,000 visitors to the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in downtown Riverside.

Innkeepers and co-owners Kelly and Duane Roberts said this year, the hotel will kick off the holiday season when the dazzling lights illuminate the property at 5 p.m. on Nov. 18. The early lighting of the inn breaks with the yearly tradition of flipping on the switch the day after Thanksgiving.

Mission Inn Hotel & Spa's Festival of Lights is one of the nation's largest holiday light collections, voted "Best Public Lights Display" by USA Today.

“Visiting the Festival of Lights has been a family tradition for nearly 20 years,” said Barbara Curtis of Oak Hills. “We usually park, grab some dinner and wait for the lights to come on, which includes a fireworks show.”

Curtis plans to attend the newly scheduled ceremony, which she believes “officially kick off the holiday season early.”

Several High Desert residents shared plans to attend the 31st Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside on Nov. 18.
Several High Desert residents shared plans to attend the 31st Annual Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside on Nov. 18.

This year's Festival of Lights will stay illuminated until Jan. 7, 2024.

“It brings us happiness to see children and people of all ages light up when they watch the property lights switch on,” Duane Roberts said. “The Festival of Lights is a celebration that our family looks forward to every year.”

Opening night at the event will include festivities, food, vendors and a concert lineup with celebrity performances by:⁣⁣⁣⁠

  • ⁣⁣⁣⁠Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray⁣⁣⁣.

  • Skip Martin, Grammy Award winner of the Dazz Band, Former lead singer of Kool & The Gang for 20 years.⁣⁣⁣⁠

  • Jason Scheff, longtime lead vocalist of the band Chicago.⁣⁣⁣⁠

  • Wally Palmar, lead singer of The Romantics⁣⁣⁣⁠.

  • Elliot Lurie, lead singer of Looking Glass.⁣⁣⁣⁠

  • Pop band Tommy Tutone.⁣⁣⁣⁠

  • Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean.⁣⁣⁣⁠

  • Back up band Live 61.

⁠There will also be a special guest appearance by comedian and actor, Cheech Marin. The iconic actor played a "pivotal role" in establishing The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture in partnership with Riverside Art Museum and the city of Riverside⁣⁣, organizers said.

Reserving a parking space on the Park Mobile app is suggested when planning a trip to the Mission Inn, which is located at 3649 Mission Inn Avenue Riverside.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Early start date for 31st Annual Festival of Lights in Riverside