Mission Inn Hotel & Spa Festival of Lights Changes Switch

Published: 8/24/2023

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Phil Pitchford

Public Information Officer

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Mission Inn Hotel & Spa Festival of Lights Changes Switch-On Ceremony Date

The annual Switch-On Ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 18th.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Switch-On Ceremony at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa Festival of Lights is being moved to the Saturday before Thanksgiving after being held for many years on the Friday after the holiday. The new date is Nov. 18th at 4:30 p.m.

The Switch-On Ceremony ignites the holiday season with dazzling lights, holiday-inspired dining, captivating performances, and family-friendly activities. The revised date allows for an extended celebration, giving families extra time to immerse themselves in the holiday festivities, which continue through Dec. 31 with light displays remaining until Jan. 7.

The Switch-On Ceremony has been a celebration for over 30 years led by the Keepers of the Inn, Duane and Kelly Roberts, and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. The ceremony is celebrated with spectacular fireworks show above the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa followed by a live musical performance.

“The Festival of Lights is a Riverside tradition, and I look forward to getting started a few days earlier, which should also benefit our downtown merchants,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “This will be a great opportunity for Riversiders to bring their families downtown after kids get out of school for the Thanksgiving break.”

The Festival of Lights features a variety of holiday inspired foods from hot cocoa and sweet treats to savory bites. Food Vendor applications are currently available on the website at www.RiversideFestivalofLights.com for Switch-On Ceremony and the duration of the event (Nov. 18th to Dec. 31st).

The Festival of Lights has become a hallmark of the holiday season in Riverside, attracting visitors from near and far, welcoming over 450,000 visitors during the six weeks. Attendees can enjoy live entertainment from local groups, purchase artisan gifts, patronize the downtown business, and indulge in a sweet treat from one of the food vendors.

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