Editing Riverside, California (section)

===Festivals and events===
Several festivals occur throughout the year in Riverside, many focused on the downtown area.

Each year in February The Riverside Dickens Festival is held to "enhance a sense of community among citizens of Riverside County and Southern California by creating a series of literary events and to provide educational, family-oriented, literary entertainment and activities such as plays, musical performances, pageants, living history presentations, workshops, lectures, classroom study, exhibits and a street bazaar with free entertainment, vendors and costumed characters."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dickensfest.com |title=Welcome to the Frontpage |publisher=Dickensfest.com |access-date=June 1, 2010}}</ref>

The Riverside Airshow takes place in March at the [[Riverside Municipal Airport]]. The event attracts around 70,000 people and includes aerial performers, over {{convert|200|acre|km2}} of aircraft displays, a car show and military vehicle display, children's activities, food and refreshments, helicopter displays and community group exhibits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.riversideca.gov/airshow/default.htm|title=Riverside Airshow - Riverside Airport|work=riversideca.gov|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060924231011/http://www.riversideca.gov/airshow/Default.htm|archive-date=September 24, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thingstodoinlandempire.com/riverside-airshow-2011/|title=Riverside Airshow 2011 - Photo Review|work=thingstodoinlandempire.com}}</ref>

The March Field Airfest, also known as Thunder Over the Empire, is a biennial air show held at [[March Air Reserve Base]]. The air show is among the largest events in the Inland Empire and Riverside County. The show has featured such performers as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, the [[Air Combat Command]] demonstrations teams and many other military and civilian demonstrations. 2010 saw the Patriots Jet Team as the highlight demonstration team of the show. Attendance for the 2010 show was estimated at over 150,000.

The [[Riverside International Film Festival]] (RIFF) takes place in April and features films from around the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=Riverside International Film Festival|url=https://www.riversidefilmfestival.org|access-date=February 21, 2023}}</ref>  Sponsored by the city of Riverside, local universities, and many businesses, past festivals have featured over 175 films.

Old Riverside Foundation,<ref>{{cite web|title=Old Riverside Foundation|url=https://oldriverside.org|access-date=August 1, 2022}}</ref> a local nonprofit focused on historic preservation of the built environment, hosts an annual Vintage Home Tour in May that showcases private historic homes, open to the public for one day only.

In October, the California Riverside Ballet sponsors the Ghost Walk, which in 2013 celebrated its 22nd year. The event is a walk around some of the city's oldest and most historic buildings, with volunteers leading tours and telling ghost stories.

The Riverside Festival of Lights centers around [[The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa]], located downtown. Decoration of the Inn begins in October and a lighting ceremony that includes speakers, fireworks, and live musicians takes place the day after [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving Day]]. Carolers, horse-drawn carriage rides, and ice skating all color the festival. Restaurants, cafes, and community groups all contribute to the festival. The festival runs through New Year's Day.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/riversides-festival-of-lights-ready-to-switch-on-millions-of-lights/article_a0ea746d-2770-5dee-a2e2-814a467b2b83.html |last= |first= |title=Riverside's Festival of Lights ready to switch on millions of lights |date=November 16, 2022 |website=KPVI |access-date=November 16, 2022}}</ref>

Also during the week of Thanksgiving, the [[Festival of Trees]] is held at the [[Riverside Convention Center]]. Held since 1990, the event seeks to raise money for the [[Riverside County Regional Medical Center]] children's units including the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Child Abuse and Neglect Unit, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Attracting 25,000 people per year, the event has raised over $5 million since its inception.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcrmc.org/foundation/festTrees/festTrees_main.html|title=Festival of Trees Web Page.|access-date=July 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070517192614/http://www.rcrmc.org/foundation/festTrees/festTrees_main.html|archive-date=May 17, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the Festival of Trees, many professionally decorated Christmas trees are judged, auctioned, and then displayed for public viewing.