The Most Flavorful Festivals in Riverside

Olive Festival

★★★★☆ 3.5 (2)

"We went to the Olive Festival during the last weekend it was held. Its located in the same venue that houses The Lavender Festival at Highland Springs Ranch. Having been to the Lavender Festival over the summer, this Festival was definitely low key in size, vendors, and ambiance which is not a bad thing at all. I was able to really take my time and peruse the area. I didn't feel rushed at all. I'd recommend purchasing the sour dough bread that is exclusive to the Ranch. I was able to purchase their Fig jam, the newest product they were offering. There weren't any food trucks this time around however, the food selections were on par. Definitely take advantage of building your own charcuterie board with their selections of cheeses, meats, and olives. Great wine selections. Because this Festival was markedly smaller, the venue also included a Pumpkin Patch for children with an array of activities and goodies. I brought my niece and nephew and they had fun. They got dressed for the occasion. We took advantage of the chicken egg harvest which included a tour, chicken interaction, and a chicken egg to bring home.Tickets were $7 this year. Free for the kids 12 and under. Parking $5 at the event. No shuttle. Definitely worth the trip for a low key fun weekend."

Chino Valley Foodie Festival

★★★★☆ 3.5 (2)

"A good variety of trucks to graze from!. The music wasn't great. It was a pretty good long walk from the parking lot to the actual food trucks. If you had children or things like beach chairs with you, the walk was a bit much. I liked that it wasn't overly crowded and was able to get food without a huge line.Over all, not bad! At least some of the money went to charity."

Nocturnal Wonderland

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"Lots of fun! Noctural.... Such a great time. It was a little hot when we went. So definitely wait until the sun goes down to show-up. In the middle of the San Bernardino desert... lol It got hot and sweaty really fast. We caravanned it up and moshed together to the Glen Helen spot. I remember we got there and had to wait in a long line, just to park. It was funny because people were getting out of there cars and opening some drinks since we were stuck there waiting in the long line for so long. Finally we got to park and then we pre-gamed in the parking lot to get a good buzz going before entering. Yeahhhh by the end of the night a couple of us were throwing up lol I'm not even gonna lie about it. It was a good time though! Lots of people and after the sun went down it was perfect weather. There was a cool tunnel you could go through and if you put on paint you would glow. That was fun! Naturally we had to do it! And I had paint all over me by the end of the night lol"

Nocturnal Wonderland

★★★★☆ 3.9 (19)

"Picture this ~You're nestled into the mountains and as the sun comes down you can watch the mist settle on top of them. Talk about beautiful...This venue is great but be prepared to walk a far distance from parking your car to the entrance and then walking some more from one stage to the next up & down the mountains. I really don't mind because you get a serious workout but you'll be exhausted once you factor in dancing your ass off as well.I remember telling myself that I would go nuts once a year at EDC but here I was a few months later. It was a lot more personal as the amount of visitors per night was around 22K vs EDC at around 135K. This creates a much better overall experience with so many less crazy people. When it comes to the acts themselves you actually get a little closer to them. The crowd is all over the place from your old school ravers to young kids, hippies, artists & musicians. Everyone is here to feel the music and get lost in the beauty of it all. As the cool breeze started to come in it felt pretty amazing when you find yourself in the middle of a large crowd going crazy. The visuals on the big screens are amazing and it's very artistic, especially when the wolves come out in the wolves den. This is the largest stage and goes the hardest. I found myself here most of the evening and am already itching to dance under the stars once again."

5th Annual Riverside Tamale Festival

★★★★☆ 3.5 (13)

"4.5 stars. I'm a fan of these types of festivals and it doesn't take much to make me happy: offer free/cheap admission, plenty of parking, and lots of vendors hawking the main attraction and I'm in. The Riverside Tamale Festival hit all the right notes on a warm Saturday in April. Admission was only $1, parking was free in many of the nearby lots and streets, and there was a plethora of vendors selling tamales.White Park was a great place to host this festival. It was airy and spacious, with various spots of shade. The vibe was family-friendly and relaxed. Everybody enjoyed the free entertainment as local musicians and mariachi groups played contemporary and traditional music. Naturally, the crowd loved the kids doing their recitals and dances.The only reason this festival doesn't get five stars is the lack of variety among the tamale vendors. It's a minor quibble, but it seemed like every other one was a branch of the La Luz Del Mundo church and served similar items. I would've preferred a few more chefs experimenting with the traditional recipes, since there are only so many green pork tamales I can eat before I want something different. Thankfully, my wife and I found a vegan/vegetarian vendor (excellent poblano and cheese tamale) and another seller whose chipotle BBQ tamale was one of my favorites. There were also a lot of non-tamale vendors, from kettle corn and sandwiches to clothing and accessories. I enjoyed the pepinos (cucumbers) and raspados (snow cones) and it was nice having a variety of food available.Overall, it was a fun day of eating various tamales and other foods. I'm looking forward to next year's festival."

Riverside Flower Show

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"The Riverside Flower Show and Garden Tour is in its 71st year! The show includes a flower show which anyone can enter for free - not just flowers but other plants as well. An entry schedule is available on the Flower Show website if you want to check out the categories. I entered some roses and a snip of parsley one year and won blue ribbons on both! It was pretty cool! There are raffle prizes, vendors selling garden-related and other items, food, and garden seminars running all weekend. With the admission price (only $10), you get admission to the gardens on the garden tour too. These are always really cool to check out and get ideas from.If you're into gardening even a little bit, you'll enjoy the Riverside Flower Show and Garden Tour."

Taste of The Valley

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Moreno Valley conference & recreation center was our venue host for Taste of the valley Food and wine festival. Looking online for various local events I stumbled upon this event not too far from home. What a delight! Plenty of vendors for the evening to your hearts content. From savory to sweet, lemonade to wine. This place was filled with wonderful local vendors with a slice of their style. Informative, friendly and generous! These were full sized portions. Free water stations were much needed and located throughout the venue. Standing cocktail tables inside and a large patio with outdoor seating for larger groups to gather with their plate loads. Live saxophone musician held the elegant ambiance as we enjoyed the evening with delicious food and wonderful hosts. Kudos to the water refill staff you were awesome! Free parking. Tickets were $40 prior to the day of. $5 extra the day of. Given a plate tray with wine glass and insert by Moreno Valley flower box. It was perfect to one hand these tasty offerings. Tap to pay available. From the parking lot head straight through the main entrance and head left towards the grand valley ballroom. A wonderful venue for events. Would definitely come back next year!"

Koroneburg Old World Festival

★★★★☆ 4.2 (88)

"First time ever going to a Ren Faire! I guess technically it's an Old World Festival so all "Old World" things were there from Nordic vikings, dragon slayers, wizards, pirates, fairies, knights, and even a Medieval themed Luffy from One Piece was there! I have to say, I think this is what I imagine conventions to be like for more casual nerds or boomers. Lots and lots of people were dressed up and role playing the characters that they were. People were singing, speaking in accents, etc. I want to mentioned that we were able to get a Groupon for 2 people so the entire entree fee was less than $20 for the both of us. Huge savings ! Parking is $5 for regular parking. There's VIP parking for you. I thought it was amusing that there were actual Parking Pirates that were guiding the incoming traffic. Easily could spend the entire day here. We came here on the last weekend, about 2 hours after the festival just opened. So most things were staffed and there was a good amount of people there already. Lots of shops and vendors of all sorts of things! Chainmail, shields, armor, swords, other Medieval weaponry, wands, wings, elf ears, candles, crystals, etc. I even got a taxidermy Ratatouille. As for food, I thought this was just okay. Lots of beer and ale (they even have a pub crawl). Some fair food like corn, wings, and some other supposedly period appropriate food like meat pies or scotched eggs, but lots of funny things like a teriyaki chicken bowl. I got a fruit ice for $6, kinda pricey but refreshing during the increasingly hot afternoon. As for things to do, there is SO MUCH. I can imagine spending an entire day here to thoroughly enjoy everything or if you have kids. So many people are dressed up and love playing their roles, even if they are not staff there. Remember to ask for pictures, but everyone was really chill about this. Multiple stages with all sorts of shows to watch such as a birds of prey show, story telling, comedy shows, aerial acrobats, and other interesting and neat feats. Knights riding their horses, people with their dogs and even a cat, and a small petting zoo with a donkey and other farm animals are there for petting and animal enjoyment. There are carnival games and I think a medieval carousel as well. Some PRO-TIPS are: 1) Bringing your own water since it gets so so so hot2) Wearing comfortable shoes since it's all a dirt lot and there's lots of walking around. 3) Dousing yourself in sunblock and bringing that sunblock since there's not much to.4) Bringing sunglasses and a hat, because once again, there's LOTS of sun. Definitely going to go back to this. I had such a fun time and next time I might just cosplay as Saber since it's so appropriate to show up as the King of England!"

City Of Corona's 4th Of July Celebration

★★★★★ 5 (4)

"What a wonderful night of entertainment and fireworks in the city of Corona on 4th of July. I decided at the last minute to go see the fireworks with my family. We came little after 730pm and found the free parking close to the church and we walked about 10 minutes to the park. It was at Santana Regional Park. They had an entrainment at 5 p.m. Fireworks began at sundown. It was spectacular and beautiful especially at a close view. We left the park area and decided to stand at the fence near the area where the firework were. They had a good selection of food vendors Many of the park goers brought in food with them. We tried 24Vegan and Luzzie"s kitchen. It was good and pricey. Majority of the people brought their own picnic essentials items. BBQs are not allowed only in the designated area.We definitely recommend this fun event."

Taste of Brews

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"Oh Taste of Brews, after this event I've pretty much been a legacy beer drinker at all of your events. Yes, I've been to the first one at Lantern Bay Park, the second one in Long Beach, another Dana point one the year after with the BBQ trucks and now this one in the middle of BFE. Yes, this should not have been called Taste of B R E W S, more like Taste of B F E. If you had to drive out eastbound on the 60, and exit Archibald, you would've encounter what I had to go through. Some detours that made you loop an additional 3 miles. I would've loved if there was some kind of update on the website stating traffic conditions. This, and the fact that the location was close to SC village, my GPS kept looping me back and forth. So I was already 30 minutes behind. Once I found this place at Riverview Park, it was $5 to enter. Oddly enough, you can probably park across the street and walk over if you didn't mind walking in the heat for about 1/2 mile. I paid the $5 and we were given a paper stating:"Please be careful. We have had a bumper crop of invasive weeds and squirrels due to the drought. The ground is uneven and there are a lot of holes. Park only on cut areas"WTF? You know you're in cowtown when you have weeds and squirrel problems. And after I parked, I still had to walk through 800 yards of dry nothingness. It looked like a night time, it could pass for one of those ghost haunt houses. So that was all what's wrong with this, here are the great parts. I was lucky enough to be given tickets from YelpOC to this event. I was given a cup and the usual plastic 5 oz cup for the taste of brews with 10 tasting wristband. I met a couple who also won but the tickets were given to her friend Ivy. The event seemed small enough that there was practically NO WAIT. I saw two food trucks and there were ample shade from the buildings. I saw a lot of Inland Empire breweries and I was excited as I never usually get to taste most of them since they were so far away from each other. Some of the brewers were cool enough that once they got my ticket and I came back, they poured me additional without taking an additional ticket. There was Bootleggers-pumpkin ale and Hefe on tap. Always solid brew, wished they had Knuckle.JT Schmid-Strange they are here, I always see them at the Anaheim events since they have good food.BlackMarket brewing-This is my favorite brewery currently in the IE. Love Love their Rye IPA, 4th anniversary, 1945. But they poured 4 taps including Aftermath, Superstition (I think), Invasion (TIED for best beer of the day) 4 Sons Brewing-Had a Not so Dum Rasperberry Blond (which was ok, too sour for me and doesn't quite taste like a sour) but the one that blew away was their double IPA (TIED with Blackmarket on best beer of the day) Full body and malty in your face goodness. Firestone Walker-Served Pale 31 and Union Jack. I love your beers FW but honestly I would've preferred something like Velvet Merkin, Lil Opal, Bretta Weise, Sucaba and pretty much anything else beside what your brought.I also had Sons of Liberty and Wiens Brewing which also had some decent beers. There was Sam Adams (didn't try) as well as Shocktop (didn't even bother)I didn't find anyone with anything really different. Right by the entrance there was a truck that had a stout. I believe it was a blueberry stout. It didn't taste like blueberry, nor a stout for me. Either that or I was just given a bad batch. There was also a ginger beer by the entrance poured by the bottles. That was quite refreshing, maybe a nice beer as a finisher. There was small bottles of water, music , and that horde of ladies with a bachlorette who had a wristband full of tickets. I bought her a drink because frankly, I had to leave early for a wedding. I hung out with a couple of new friends Luis and Frank throughout my time here and I would say this felt more like a small, intimate event. It reminded me of my time back in UCR when I was going there for undergrad. One of the reason I chose Riverside was how intimate the institution was. I really enjoy the fact you can just talk to people and enjoy the beer. Maybe not by manure (I kid you not, there was a pile of free manure that is about 3 miles away) land since the other Taste of Brews are all by the beach. I can easily come up with 3 or 4 possible alternatives to this location that would've been so much better. I hope Mike , the event organizer, will consider another location that is easier on navigation and view. However, I did enjoy this event because I would never be able to drive all the way to Temecula or Redland for a beer. Thanks for organizing and thanks to YelpOC for the tix!"

Christmas on Euclid Experience

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"For decades, downtown Ontario has been graced with a dozen wonderful and unique nativity scenes, and other decor, along the historical and picturesque Euclid Avenue median each Christmas season. Various annual holiday festivities are held here. "Christmas on Euclid Experience" is a name used for the Christmas decor and festivities of downtown Ontario. It can also refer to the non-profit organization responsible for preserving this longstanding tradition. It is funded by donations, rather than by tax dollars. Christmas on Euclid provides a wonderful, free, holiday tradition for families from near and far. For many, the holidays wouldn't seem quite complete without a walk down Euclid Avenue to view the nativity scenes."

The Dickens Festival in Riverside

★★★★☆ 3.9 (15)

"Inoculated with healthy doses of intellectualism, academics, and music, this festival is indeed a delight! Yes, there is even the small parade of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria and her court. The parade includes fine gentlemen and ladies, a chimney sweep, a properly-kilted Scotsman playing his bagpipes, and another Scotsman that has to be at least 10 feet tall. Too bad they only do it one weekend each year. You will discover well-delivered lectures by 19th Century impersonators of notable people (such as Dickens, Van Gough, Emily Dickens for starters), imaginatively anachronistic storytellers (you cannot miss the zany Professor Peanut!), poetry lovers, and a wonderful collection of musicians.The Promenade in downtown Riverside, once known as Main St., is actually no longer a street at all. Instead, you will find a broad, public walkway lined with small and medium sized storefronts, graceful shade trees, benches to stop and breathe a spell, special water features, sculptures, and entertainment. The eye-catching historic Mission Inn, a glorious testament to old California architecture, is located about a block down from this delightful activity. This is all part of a permanent Downtown City of Riverside transformation. But during the festival, the walkway is infused with food vendors and retail booths, street entertainers, and strategically positioned stages scheduled with well-organized programs, so there is never a dull moment. Very ADA compliant, you will find little something for everyone...even friendly vibes if you wish to bring the family dog. For the kids (of the human variety), there was a goat petting tent. But later, we saw their appropriately 19th Century-garbed caretakers rambling down the promenade, mingling with the crowds. There are an eclectic list of street musicians to amuse, a Punch and Judy puppet theater to captivate your inner-child, and other regularly scheduled events (indoors and out, some free, some requiring tickets). The point is, slow down, allow yourself to be distracted, and absorb the full experience. Don't feel intimidated that this is only for the artsy types; costumes are fun but not necessary to have delightful memories. So, whatever your preference, come one, come all. Best of all, with the exception of having to pay for parking (in one of several large parking structures nearby), there is no entrance fee. The festival is active during daylight hours only."

123 Farm

★★★★☆ 3.9 (383) • $$

"The Mrs and I went to see the Christmas lights and it was so pretty to see all the colors and wildly cool to go see Santa before we started looking around the area, the drive in was so nice seeing all the lights on top of the small plants. Everyone seemed to be very friendly from the gentleman scanning our ticket in to the young lady taking our order for some treats.We tried the donuts and the hot coco. They were fine, the whole experience was what really set it off though. From walking down the main area with lights strung up really high to the presents you could stand inside and take pictures. It was a nice little drive to the place taking some of these freeways aren't the business but it was a great event to go to and we will for sure come during another season."

Sip n Shop and Winter Wonderland

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"Location: A little tricky to get to the community center. Off of the 15 Fwy exit Limonite head West to Harrison Ave go left on Harrison (South) go to Schleisman Rd turn right (West) then immediate right turn into the parking lot. Lots of parking spaces including many handicap. There were a lot of vendors with not the usual items. As you entered the building there was a drink serving booth where you could pick up a nice glass of wine or a beer. They also had other liquor drinks. A lot of people walking around enjoying sipping their drinks while shopping. It took us over an hour to go through all the booths. Many items were perfect for stocking stuffers. We picked up several items. We also had some delicious homemade cupcakes, toffee brittle and Apple strudel! We bought several Christmas Tree ornaments for our grandkids. Many beautiful hand made items. I was very impressed because it was a local small scale event but had a lot to offer! Looking forward to next year's event!"

Ghost Walk Riverside

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (6)

"I've heard about Ghost Walk Riverside for the past few years, but only got around to going this year. Gotta do some homework, so here's the gist:Short walking tour with 4 stops. Each stop has a horror vignette put on by actors from the local high schools. There are several tours available ranging from PG to PG-13; so even if you have little ones, you can still go with them without being too worried about them being scared.PROS:Great family funSupport the California Riverside BalletHorror vignettes!Nice dance to Thriller - the dancers had Amazing makeup!CONS:It can get a little pricey, especially if you've got a large groupFelt a little shortIf you're stuck in a large group, you may miss out on the storyTIPS:To follow."

Chinese Lantern Festival

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (39)

"The Chinese Lantern Festival at the Fairplex in Pomona (gate 17, parking cost $12 per car) is available for a visit Thursdays through Sundays now through January 6, nightly beginning at 5:30 pm until 10 pm. This outdoor event features over 1000 beautiful lanterns that can be pretty tall and large, not a typical lantern that you would imagine from China (like those typical red hanging lanterns, although there are some of those too). For the theme of the lantern festival, "The Wild", features locations from America, Oceania, Asia, Africa and Antarctica. Wild animals (the lanterns) in each location represents those animals that includes pandas, elephants, jellyfish, cheetahs. For some reason, there are also dinosaurs as well. Oceania was my favorite land to visit. In addition to seeing the sights, there are also a few shows performing that includes a shadow puppet show and acrobatic kung fu and tai chi performance. The shadow puppet show was actually pretty interesting to me and thought the 2 stories that we watched was rather interesting. I liked how the 2 performers used their puppets to tell a story, which is different from a typical puppet show (you just have to see it). This show, which is near the flamingo lanterns, is only performed twice nightly (at least when we went yesterday evening, the show time board only showed 2 times). For the kung fu and tai chi performance, my husband and I caught the show at 7:45 pm which lasted for about 30 minutes. This show can be found at the stage by the dolphin lanterns. Six very talented young men performed various kung fu moves with and without weapons/ props to the music. In between, a much older gentleman performed tai chi rhythmic moves. This show was interesting but the music was way too loud, blasting from the speakers. I had to cover my ears during the entire show. Please note that there is very limited seating (benches) and so if you wish to watch, you may find some "seating" on the grass and rock walls. Anyways, as for the lanterns itself, they truly are impressive. I loved seeing all the different animals once we were in a different "land". It was really neat to see that some of the lanterns also moved (movement of the head, the arms, the tongue, etc). In one part of the event, vendors are selling some of their handcraft items that includes clay animals and other creations, Chinese knotting designs of animals, hearts, etc, animal silhouettes, honey lollipops that can be made in an intricate design, silk paintings/ embroidery. If you have ever been to tourist places in China, you would know what I am talking about. It shouldn't come as a surprise that these items are rather expensive, but they are handcrafted and this is the appropriate place to charge the high places. My husband and I were here for about 1.5 hours since we watched 2 shows. But you could probably see everything and take your photos within an hour (but what's the rush?). We really did enjoy ourselves and would do this again again.I do want to mention that there are 3 restrooms available at this event. There are 2 inside once you walk inside but there are also clean restrooms right outside the entrance (please note that there are no paper towels or warm water and the automatic dryer is blowing cold air on you). When we arrived, around 6:25 pm, there was a long line because there was only 1 person at the entrance scanning tickets. If you have a ticket that does not have a scanable ticket, then you can walk to the tent by the side and get tickets there. There were a few food options at this event, which included Americanized Chinese food (can't miss it, this little eatery looks like a white Chinese take out box, even fitting with one of those photo head cut outs) and 1 food truck on site. There is also a small little place (in a different location from the food truck and Chinese take out box) where you could get ice cream. Please note that because this event is outside, it is pretty cold. I would highly suggest that you dress warmly, including having a scarf, gloves, hand warmers, beanie and ear muffs. If you are a southern California native like me, then you will need all of these things to stay warm while you walk around and admire all the sights and take your photos. Tickets are cheaper on line than at the door, so if you are interested in attending, be sure to check it out before coming. Definitely a great event if seeing lights and beautiful lanterns make you smile (if you already love the photos on this Yelp page, including mine, then maybe you should check it out)."

Desert Daze

★★★☆☆ 3 (3)

"Getting there:So just fair warning, getting to Lake Perris in general is a mission because it's one way in and one way out. Leaving the festival on Saturday took us at least an hour and a half to get out of the parking lot. Also, you have no cell reception once you're inside the camping area so plan accordingly.Experience:This was a really unique and cool festival. It's what I imagine Coachella used to be back in the day. It's right on the lake; you can actually bring floaties inside to get in the water. We didn't though because it was quite chilly that day. To be honest, I really went to see Tame Impala and he did not disappoint. He performed 'Lonerism' in its entirety and it was one of the best performances I've seen. The main stage is kinda tucked into the back corner of the festival, but oddly enough you can still have a clear view from in the back. We didn't even attempt to go up to the front because it seemed impossible to make it up there.I really liked that this festival had a little farmers market type area with fun unique vendors of all types. I would recommend this festival for anyone that is into Indie (house) vibes."

Kaboom!

★★★★☆ 3.9 (14)

"Double the price of parking from last time i went.Plusbyou have to pay extra to get inside. The fireworks that shot up in the air started at 9:30 pm and ended about 15 minutes later. Not as spectacular as last time I was here. Seems like the show was run by poppers this year"

Lavender Festival

★★★★☆ 3.9 (194)

"I feel, the lavender haze creeping up on me! Surreal, trying to taste everything that people make! I just wanna stay, in this lavender haze!If you enjoy most things lavender then this is something worth checking out. Before I write on about this experience, it's not a fair where they have rides or a lavender climbing contest!Just drinks and food infused specialties plus a variety of other items you'll find enjoyable. I'm not going to run down everything because that would take a lot of space. But I can tell you that they have a wine and tapas bar, tea house and little shops where they sell little knick knacks. I would recommend coming real early to line up plus pace yourself because I made the mistake of trying to eat and drink within the hour! No!!! Plenty of shaded areas to eat and sit and a live band is in effect! Photo op spots are scattered throughout the space. If you don't want to pay for parking, again come early but you have to walk up a little fat to get there. But seriously, I recommend you checking it out for yourself or with a group. And that's my take on it, Peace..."

Beaumont Cherry Festival

★★☆☆☆ 2.4 (25)

"This was the year of the 100th cherry Festival. I figured I had to go seeing as I graduated high school on the occurrence of the 50th cherry Festival. The Cherry Festival was a little Small Town Event. All the usual sell this and that Barker's that we're pushing their products all religions or events leading to the Midway with a nice collection of rides that kept all the people screaming for more as they purchase their tickets and got thrown around in these rides. Great fun for that age group. Additionally all the balloon popping sharpshooting and other games of skill and luck we're spread around the Midway so that you could win that big fluffy teddy bear. All in all a nice little small town event. I liked the Historical Society and their pictures of a Time long gone by. It was a fun weekend. Thank you Cherry Festival"

Bellamy Place Lights

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"So glad I found out about this light show from a SoCal Halloween events and happenings listing. A must if you 're in the area since it's completely for free and it's fun to watch, especially if you love Halloween Disney (The Haunted Mansion, the Nightmare Before Christmas, etc.). They also have themed music to Stranger Things, Thriller, Ghost Busters, etc. We came here Halloween weekend on Saturday and found parking right next to the house (not at the street because they close that off) and walked a short distance. The show is decently long and features lots of Halloween songs with the lights syncing up to the music, "talking" Jack-O-Lanterns, inflatables, projected animations, a spooky vehicle on the driveway, and we made it there in time to see the Ghostbusters arrive! People and kids were in costumes, candy was being handed out, and everyone was in good spirits! Just know that it WILL get super chilly. So bring a jacket cuz I saw a dude in a tank top and shirts shivering throughout the entire show. For 2022, it runs every night from 10/22 to Halloween from around 7 - 10 PM. Happy Halloween everyone !"

illuminate silverlakes

★★☆☆☆ 2 (21)

"We came here with some friends on a Saturday night; it's not busy at all not sure if it's due to the cold weather or the cost. We got our tickets online on the Black Friday sale (40 percent off); however, later when I checked the website, they had another promotion for 50 percent off. We reached out to see if they can do a cost adjustment, but no response. The original forecast said it might rain, we also reached out to them to see what they are going to do if it's raining, but again no response! The parking is big but very expensive (18 dollars per car) on top of the tickets. The security line was short and fast. They have a main stage for some live performances and most younger kids loved it. There were not that many vendors or not that many interesting ones to check out. Most of the activities required additional costs (10 bucks per person for cookie decoration). We think the costs are high (5 bucks might be more reasonable)...Santa pic is free if you taken on ur phone. The side with all the lights was festivaly and they also have snow falling every 15 mins with music. The kids still had a good time and we spend about 2 hours there.I would say the cost is high. So keep checking for promotion, I would not pay full price for the event. Trying to carpool with friends and family to split the parking. Eat before you come (not many food vendors we saw, just a few depressing ones). The parking accepts cash and credit card and most vendors do too."

New Life BBQ

★★★★★ 4.9 (14)

"Where to start - OMG this is the best brisket we have ever enjoyed. We got 3 plates 2 brisket & 1 rib. Everything was amazing - fall of the bone ribs, fall apart brisket, creamy mac N cheese, top notch baked beans, and perfect coleslaw. To add to this EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. We were in and out with in 15 minutes - if you are on the 60 fwy F-Sun, pull off on Pedley Road make a right and there is that big beautiful truck waiting to make your tummy happy. Be sure to check their instagram for times they are their."

Tater Tots & Beer Festival

★☆☆☆☆ 1 (5)

"To be succinct this event sucks! If you're planning on going any of there others they have scheduled. Stay away, stay far away. This is aTater Tot and Beer Festival. Let's go in reverse order and talk about the beer the real reason they had the event. As you enter the venue you are given a 4oz little shot glass and sheet allowing you to sample up to 30 beers if you do responsibly. 30 x 4oz is a lot of beer you would think but unfortunately, they only sever about 2oz's in your little mug. That's after you've wait 20 to 30 minutes in line to be severed and that's if you're lucky enough that they don't fun out of beer while you're in line. At each booth the stamp your card to indicate that you've visited booth. The card is printed on slick paper. If you fold it in half the ink from the stamp smears in the check off boxes on the other side of the card. They try to cheat you by saying you used that spot even though the stamp is backwards and it's obvious that the ink is transfer from the other side. You have to argue with them to correct this.The tater tots were awful. These were nothing more than Ore Ida frozen tater tots that were sort of rewarmed and served with some pretty cheap topping. One combination bragged that is was "Not You Mama's Pizza" and it sure wasn't. My Ma'am serves her pizza hot. This was a cup of three tater tots with COLD marinara poured on trop and quarter slice of pepperoni. Another gourmet choice was the Sour Cream & Onion Tots. This is described as Freshly-Cooked Tater Tots, Green Onions, Season Sour Cream, Topped with Smashed Potato Chips. Again, three tots in a small cup with onion dip on top of them and nothing else. What a fail. This event was designed to do nothing other than separate you from your money. It was a complete waste. If you're signed up to go to one cancel and demand your money back!"

Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest

★★★☆☆ 3 (173)

"This is just plain local corny fun. I've now been here a few years in a row. Truthfully, I can take it or leave it, but my wife and our friends want to go every year and we all end up having a good time. The place is pretty big and spread out between the main hall and the outside back lot. Get here early for the best seating locations. A few different price option based on age, and "preferred" seating. The beer is great and we always choose the mini kegs which is actually not a bad value and the beer is delicious. $17 for a yummy plate of bratwurst, roll, German mustard, kraut, cabbage and potato salad. Fun and corny band an MC, silly games and fun people. The staff is terrific."

Lavender Nights

★★★★☆ 4.1 (45)

"Although the lavender plants weren't in bloom, the farm itself was adorned with gorgeous lights. The event was worthwhile for the $9.50 price tag. Highly recommend arriving at 5PM to snatch a free parking spot. General parking was $12 and preferred parking was $25 otherwise. Parking had sold out within a week of my planned visit. Tickets were cheaper online but they was purchasable the day of for $5 more. Service wasn't the greatest so it's best to have the tickets downloaded beforehand. S'mores pits were also available for purchase on select days but they sold out quickly.We were given a map after checking in. However, there were only one set of bathrooms available in the buildings. All the portable restrooms were unfortunately nonfunctional. Thankfully the bathrooms were clean and maintained well. Despite the rain, everything was still open albeit a bit damp. There wasn't much overhead so I would bring an umbrella. There were tours, live music, and photo ops all over the farm. Food options included pizza, BBQ, vegan sushi, and lavender based desserts. However I stayed until 7PM and the dessert stand still hadn't started selling funnel cakes. The food was noticeably marked up and took a long time to make so I would eat preemptively. The souvenir stands had a variety of merchandise, toiletries, and jarred goods. They were priced fairly and I nabbed myself a beanie, tea cup and magnet. All purchased items were wrapped and bagged carefully. Given general admission was only $9.50, I found the decor and ambiance to be worth the price. However, I'm glad I saved tons of money on parking and food. Come early to avoid the crowd and lines."

Riverside Greek Fest

★★★★☆ 4.3 (4)

"Really good gyros & bougatsa. The church is interesting, looks really cool from the outside. Everyone is friendly and ready to feed you. Bring your appetites. Pay the $10 for VIP parking, it's worth it."

Panana Riverside Lunar Festival

★★★★☆ 4.2 (13)

"The lunar festival was a beautiful day out in downtown. Pretty hot! Had to find some shade while we ate our munchies. Flavorful scents of Asian bbq dishes, noodles, egg rolls and steamed buns. Tastings from several of the vendors was a bountiful lunch. Friendly and welcoming atmosphere as the crowds grew. The streets were sectioned off with food trucks, vendors and center stage with live music and performances. Outdoor seating was hard to find after the tables were full but luckily we found a spot of shaded curb. Walking around the inviting environment and seeing the celebration of a new year was a fun filled day."

Upland Lemon Festival

★★★☆☆ 3 (88)

"I have lived here in the City of Upland for over 23 years now. Coming to this downtown Upland area during the Lemon Festival is what intrigued me to live in this area. It has definitely changed over the years. Many vendors here. It is a family pass down to come here as my younger daughter came here all three days this year. She took me here on Sunday, which was Father's Day!!! We had some frozen pink lemonade and mini cinnamon pretzel bites from the Wetzel's Pretzels food truck. I love walking around and looking at all the crafts and different things you can buy. We bought a Minnie Mouse hat for my 3 year old granddaughters upcoming birthday party! Next, we bought asada nachos from another food vendor. It was a good portion for $20, which my daughter and I shared. Steep cost, but really good. We definitely were full. The highlight of our going to this Festival was our friend Michelle played on one of the stages there. The band she is in is called the Skinny Ties. They played and sang a cool set of 80's songs, which brought me back some younger memories. My daughter and I had had a blast here as I was truly blessed this Father's Day Weekend! Can't wait to come back here next year!!!"

Craft Fair Festival

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"I love coming to the craft fair every year, they have great homemade craft, good entertainment, and great food. I would recommend it to anyone. Jim, and Tammy put on a nice family friendly event."

Southern California Fair

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (29)

"I went to the fair this past weekend. Like the other yelper said it's different than OC or the LA County Fairs. It's more of a hometown country fair with a good size carnival and a lot of food and entertainment. It's a relaxed atmosphere and isn't commercial like the other big fairs. If you have kids it's a great family event to take them and enjoy the day."

Hunter's Pumpkin Patch

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (71) • $$

"Gourd I love fall! This patch is named after a sweet boy who is now a heavenly angel. His family, who honors his name by running this pumpkin patch and the ride operators and the food vendors are all amazing. There are plenty of photo opportunities with more than one selection. You do have to buy tickets for the rides but each ride last for five minutes no adults allowed to ride or jump in the bounce houses sorry. Let's give them something to pumpkin about. Plenty of pumpkins to choose from with all sizes let the gourd times roll! The pumpkin prices range between $6-$24. The food vendors are pretty good too. Crave out some fun this fall and let the gourd times roll!!!"

Eastvale Lantern Festival

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"This annual event was held over the weekend in the city of Eastvale.There were jumpers for kids, crafts, vendors ,food for purchase ,and entertainment . It was put together in collaboration with the City of Eastvale, Panama Events,and the Chinese American Foundation of Eastvale. Parking and secure entrance were free."

Munchathon

★★★★☆ 3.7 (17)

"Woohooo! It was food truckin' all the way this weekend in Santiago Canyon!Thanks to the awesome Hazel Q, I snagged myself some complimentary tix to the food truck festival at the Munchathon event this past Saturday!Although it took awhile to find this elusive event, as soon as I did, it was like finding a gourmet food oasis in the middle of the dessert! There were loads of gourmet trucks serving up tasty street fare to hungry athletes and spectators alike! With that said, I wasted no time in diving into the food frenzy and sampling some new tasty food truck fare for myself!I hit trucks like the Cheeseball Wagon, Short Stop BBQ, Lime Truck, Vchos Papusa Truck, Kona Ice and Tornado Potato to name a few! Everything I tried was fantastic and I must say I left totally full and satisfied!To my surprise, Adam from Man Vs. Food was spotted filming on the grounds and folks started snapping tons of photos! Unfortunately the crew trumped most of us from nabbing a snapshot of the food star. As you can see, I said some of us... I did in fact manage to get a photo! Of his back, of course! Buzzkill!In any case, it was good fun and although I missed my Yelp buddies, I was able to hit up some really awesome food trucks that I've never tried before! Here's to tasty new discoveries and awesomely good times!Happy Eats!"

Claremont Village Venture Art & Crafts Faire

★★★★★ 4.7 (13)

"I wasn't kidding when I said I'd "be back next year." Here it is, one year later, and being a person of my word, I kept it. This "Village Venture Art & Crafts Faire" always falls on the last Saturday of October. Always. Last year, it was 92 ridiculous degrees, but thank goodness, it was a few degrees cooler this year (84 today), as it made it much more desirable to walk the streets and linger among the many fine artisan booths. Very cool stuff, although this year, I didn't buy anything. The crafts seemed to be more expensive this year, but then, it might've just been what I was looking at. Doesn't matter, though. I had a great time, and I really enjoyed looking at all the amazing art, jewelry, clothing, home décor, etc. etc. Lovely things and sooooo much color. I LOVE LOVE LOVE things with color ! Check out my photos !It's actually quite wonderful for children, too. They have a costume contest, lots of things for kids to do and look at. Even pets are welcome. Can't tell you how many dogs we saw walking with their families. This is a really nice event for the entire family, and the town of Claremont is so peaceful, friendly, and quaint. I just love it there. I so wish more places were like this in Southern Calif."