Visiting in Riverside

Riverside shines as a unique Southern California location. Now, after a $1.6 billion transformation, the NEW Riverside has elevated into a complete destination of choice that is reliably affordable, yet refreshingly original.

Strategically located at the crossroads of Southern California, Riverside offers a variety of experiences for every person and season. Downtown Main Street offers fine dining restaurants, coffee shops, day spas, and pubs, that are all walking distance from world-class hotels and meeting centers. Witness spectacular events like the world-famous Festival of Lights, the Dickens Festival, the Ghost Walk, Festa Italia, and weekly Farmer’s Market in Riverside.

Awarded Intelligent Community of the Year in 2012 and known for its long standing emphasis on art, technology, education, and innovation, Riverside is a thriving city with much to offer its residents, businesses, and guests. From the buzz of the big-city, legendary entertainment and nightlife to small boutique shopping or exploring the historic heights of Mount Rubidoux, you will find it all in Riverside. Learn about the City’s rich military history and enjoy the unique cultural centers, stunning galleries, and renowned museums. No matter who you are or where you are from, Riverside has what you are looking for and more.

Topping the charts of many national and international rankings, it’s no wonder Riverside was placed #6 for The 10 Happiest Cities for Young Professionals by Forbes. Aligned with the Seizing our Destiny vision, Riverside, California is a city that honors and builds on its assets to become known as a location of choice; attracting creative, entrepreneurial, dynamic, and diverse people as residents, workers, business owners, and visitors alike.

Economic interest has unquestionably risen in the area and Riverside residents and visitors now have more choices for dining and shopping with the recent opening of several new businesses such as: Heroes Restaurant & Brewery, ProAbition Whiskey Lounge & Restaurant, Lift Coffee Roasters, Mission Martini, Salad Buzz, Magnone Trattoria, Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurant, Molinos Coffee, and Augie’s Coffee House, just to name a few. For instance, remodeling an 11,000 square foot 125 year-old-building that was a carriage-house-turned-pawn-shop was no easy task. Yet, answering the community’s desire for more places to eat, drink and gather, local Riverside business owners met that challenge with a vision and a lot of perseverance and opened up D-Dogs, a fast-casual All American Cuisine restaurant with 13 flat-screens. Furthermore, shoppers equally delight at the exciting arrival of new storefronts such as: Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, and White House Black Market.

Completely transformed in 2014, the new Riverside Convention Center features over 65,000 square feet of indoor event space and 20,000 square feet of usable outdoor meeting space, smartly designed for the “social” side of meetings and for revolutionizing the way meetings are done. Enjoy cocktails among wooden trellises, graceful arcades, and an open-air plaza. Boost your productivity with leading-edge technology, which includes theater-quality audio/visual features, high-efficiency LED lighting, occupant sensors for energy management, recycled materials, and drought tolerant landscaping. No matter your agenda, the Riverside Convention Center has what it takes to make your experience exceptional.

Rejuvenating like never before, Riverside provides a wide variety of options for meetings, conferences, conventions, and events. From the $40 million renovation and expansion of the Riverside Convention Center and $10 million restoration of the Riverside Municipal Auditorium to the historic Fox Performing Arts Center and the NEW Riverside Aquatics Complex, discover how the $1.6 billion city-wide Renaissance has re-energized every side of Riverside.