Location
3649 Mission Inn Ave.
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 784-0300
November 26, 2010 to January 2, 2011
Admission
Free
Parking
Street and hotel parking
Stroller/wheelchair accessibility
Yes
Restroom facilities
Restrooms inside restaurants and shops; restrooms inside the Mission Inn are for guests only
Food/concessions
Restaurants, coffee shops, concession stands
Activities
Sightseeing, carriage rides (fee), reindeer viewing, ice skating (fee)
My family and I enjoyed touring the block-long spectacle. Thousands of lights glowed all around the mission. Since it was the second to the last night of the festival, it was difficult to find parking and the sidewalk was very crowded. Despite these, the trip was well worth it. My son and nephews just loved seeing all the lights outside, as well as inside, the historic mission. Even the Cinderella-like carriages and wagons which provided visitors a tour of the festival, glowed with twinkle lights. From animated figures to the pair of Santa's reindeers to the over-sized Christmas tree, there was much to see during our hour-long visit at the festival.
Tips
If you want to see Santa Claus, go before December 24 as he goes back to the North Pole thereafter. This is a popular annual event so be prepared for crowds. Bring hot cocoa to sip while walking to keep warm, because even with all that body heat, it is cold outside. You may want to have dinner Downtown while waiting for the sun to go down. This is one way to secure parking.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are solely mine. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are solely mine. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
