ECONOMY: Riverside’s Festival of Lights affected the economy of the city.
By Kate Weggeland, Staff Writer
The Festival of Lights generally takes place over a six-week period, beginning on the Friday after Thanksgiving and ending the first weekend in January. Featuring over 3.5 million lights, animated holiday figures, vendors, reindeer, Santa Claus and an ice skating rink at the Mission Inn in downtown Riverside, the Festival of Lights attracts nearly 50 thousand people on its opening night each year and several hundred thousand people over the entire six-week period.
Since its inception 20 years ago, the Festival of Lights has had a dramatic and increasingly positive impact on downtown Riverside’s economy. Merchants who would otherwise be closed in the evenings stay open during the festival to capture sales from visitors. Many store owners and operators appreciate the much-needed boost. One store, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, is rumored to be one of the top-selling stores in its chain throughout the festival.
The anchor of the festival, the Mission Inn Hotel and Spa, experiences increased hotel room occupancy and sales at its restaurants during the holiday period. Part of the sales tax revenue that is brought in during the festival makes its way into city coffers and can be used for services like police and fire protection.
There is interest in starting the Festival of Lights the weekend prior to Thanksgiving so that Riverside’s visiting friends and family can experience the festival throughout the Thanksgiving week.
The Festival of Lights has been ranked by People magazine as the second best holiday lighting in the nation next to Rockefeller Center. It has also been featured on ABC’s Good Morning America.
“The Mission Inn and the City of Riverside have teamed up to present a holiday festival that is the envy of all cities on the west coast. Its economic impact is considerable and the pride it instills in the community is immeasurable,” Ted Weggeland, President of Raincross Hospitality Corporation, said.