IT MAY HAVE SEEMED LIKE a tall order, but Duane Roberts wanted a holiday celebration fit for a queen.

"The Mission Inn is beyond bricks and mortar — it's like a living entity," said Roberts, who purchased the property on Christmas Eve 1992." People all over the country have an attachment to it — they've been here, their parents were married here. It's really a special place."

Special indeed. Just like the 16th annual Festival of Lights, which has the historic Riverside landmark draped in more than 3.5 million colorful lights and decorated with thousands of feet of garland and hundreds of holiday characters. The celebration has been featured in People magazine and USA Today, and travel writers rank it among the top Christmas lighting displays in the country.

During the festival's run through Jan. 4, an estimated 300,000 people are expected to come to downtown Riverside and take in all that it has to offer. [Read More]

Story by Jerry Rice
Photos courtesy Mission Inn

The success of the organization — which ended last year with assets of more than $56 million — is because of its commitment to serve all charities and causes, plus offer aid during periods of crisis and disaster, says Dr. James H. Erickson, president and CEO. [Read More]

She has 40 years of experience as a professional working with children and in the education and health-care fields, and is a self-described "people person" who is outgoing, sociable and loves to talk — all traits that serve her well as she runs the foundation's programs and connects with supporters. [Read More]

Pamela Jordan learned that after the death of her father when she was 16. [Read More]

To make your shopping a little easier, here are some gift suggestions that can be found right here in Riverside. [Read More]

Led by Upland dentist and minister of music Alan Woodson, the 42-member choir recently swept the Verizon Wireless How Sweet the Sound gospel competition in Los Angeles, winning every prize it was eligible for, before moving on to the national competition in Atlanta. [Read More]

Twenty of that city’s best artists will return the favor by displaying their works during "Ensenada Views,”Jan. 8 through Feb. 6 at the Riverside Art Museum and Riverside Community Art Association. [Read More]

As the deadline for this piece approached, so did the likelihood of Barack Obama being elected the first African-American president of the United States. [Read More]

These are the words that longtime and new residents alike use to describe Riverside's Canyon Crest neighborhood, a well-established and mostly residential community near UC Riverside. [Read More]

Such a thing exists — the Segway. [Read More]

We can’t think of a better place to live, except perhaps during those hot summer days when temperatures reach 100 degrees and beyond. Come late fall and winter, you’ll find me frequenting Coffee Roasters 1 to savor one of my favorite delights in life — coffee! The first thing you notice after entering Roasters is the heavenly aroma, making it the perfect place to wake up and smell the coffee. [Read More]

Unlike routines — such as mowing the lawn on Saturday morning or changing the oil in the car every 3,000 miles — traditions have meaning and significance. [Read More]