Mission Inn Festival of Lights: 2025 Ceremony Details & New Attractions

Festival of Lights Overview

• 💡 The 33rd annual Mission Inn Festival of Lights ceremony is set for Saturday, November 22nd, marking a major holiday tradition in Riverside.
• 🚀 The event will feature approximately 11-12 million dazzling lights illuminating the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa, accompanied by fireworks.
• ⚠️ Despite some rain, the event is expected to proceed as planned with any necessary cleanup handled beforehand.

New Attractions and Features for 2025

• 🏠 This year boasts the biggest gingerbread house ever constructed for the festival.
• 🎡 An increased number of amusement rides for children have been added to enhance family fun.
• 🔍 Brand new Festival of Lights tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at event preparation, proving to be very popular.

Honoring Visionary Dwayne Roberts

• 🌟 The festival will honor its late founder, Dwayne Roberts, a Riverside native who initiated the event 33 years ago as a free community gift.
• 🏆 Roberts' vision transformed the event into a nationally recognized spectacle, rated by USA Today as the number one light show in the country.

Event Scale and Expectations

• 👥 An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people are expected to attend the switch-on ceremony.
• 🎶 The event will include a concert with various bands, fireworks, and appearances by local and potentially celebrity guests.

Planning and Logistics

• 🗓️ Planning for the next year's festival begins immediately after the current one concludes in January, with lights being reinstalled around June and July.
• 💡 The extensive use of LED lights has made the display more energy-efficient.
• ⏰ The switch-on ceremony begins tomorrow at 5:00 PM, with the festival running through January 6th.