Festival of Lights at Mission Inn in Riverside, CA

Mission Inn Festival of Lights

Rating: You Should Go

This was the first year I had heard about the Festival of Lights at Mission Inn, so I really wanted to check them out.  I had been to the Mission Inn twice before - once to get ready for a wedding and once just for fun because the place is so beautiful.  My next visit was very different
from those.  The first night I went, it was more crowded than I had expected.  I arrived with a group of people on a Wednesday night at around 6:30pm and it took 45 minutes to maneuver around traffic and find a place to park.  There is parking all around the hotel and down side streets around it.  Most is paid parking but we were fortunate enough to find a structure that was free after 7pm.  Once we parked, we took a look around.

Live Reindeer

There's a strip of very wide sidewalk to the west of the Mission Inn called Main St. where they had setup an ice skating rink, food stands, and a stall with a live reindeer in it for the holiday festivities.  There were vendors selling beanies, carriage rides on every corner, and a place to take pictures with Santa.  The place was alive with smells, sounds, and lots of people.  We walked around this area for a bit before walking around the Mission Inn.  They have figures of carolers and elves all around the building, not to mention lights covering every branch of every plant they own.  Most of the figures are very dated but I'm glad they've kept them the same - it makes me feel like I've gone back in time.  We were able to go along the walkways leading up to the lobby and inside the lobby itself, but they were careful not to let anyone who wasn't a guest into the rest of the hotel (which is worth a walk-through even on regular days).  There's something to see on every side so I suggest you take the time to walk around.

Caroling Figures

The second time we went was during the day.  The food stands were still setup but the lights were all turned off until night fall.  It was much easier to park (again for free, this time because it was the weekend).  We browsed a little used book shop and an antique store on Main St. and looked at the figures that were setup around the Inn.  If we hadn't been so tired from the week, this would have been a great way to see the lights - arrive early, do some shopping, and then wait until the lights turn on.  Instead we bought some mini doughnuts (which were AMAZING and melted in my mouth) and went on our way.  It's a lot of fun for people of all ages and nice to be able to walk around safely while viewing lights.  This place is definitely worth a trip.

Caroling Pandas

Carriage Rides