14 Great Ways to Celebrate the Holidays in Riverside, CA!

Opportunities to Share

Volunteer with The Salvation Army: Whether you like to get out and interact with the community or work behind the scenes, The Salvation Army is the perfect place to volunteer. Whether it’s dressing up like Santa Claus to collect donations or picking out personal gifts for kids or a family in need, there’s an opportunity for everyone to enjoy. 

Merry & Bright Pop Up & Toy Drive: Help out underprivileged children by donating toys at the Merry & Bright Pop Up and Toy Drive on November 18. Simply bring a new, unwrapped toy to give to the toy drive. These donations will go directly to children in need, making their holiday season a little brighter. While you’re there, you can enjoy a wide range of vendors, live music, delicious food and drinks, henna, micro tattoos, and permanent jewelry.

Shopping

The Mission Inn’s 31st Annual Festival of Lights: Want your holiday shopping to be lit up by beautiful lights? Then this annual festival is perfect for you! The 2023 Festival of Lights returns this holiday season for the 31st time, featuring lighted decorations, photo opportunities, food vendors, and activities. Join for a total experience of live music, rides and attractions, holiday treats, downtown businesses, and more!

Christmas World at Patio World: If you’re looking for a full-experience Christmas store, Christmas World is the place to go. This festive store is Inland Empire’s oldest and largest Christmas store, offering unique designer ornaments, decorations, trees, and more. Here, you won’t just feel like you’re shopping—you’ll enter your very own winter wonderland!

Grinchmas Holiday Market: Shopping local is a great way to find sentimental and loveable Christmas gifts for everyone in your family. At the Grinchmas Holiday Market hosted by Whoop Axe Throwing in Lake Forest, CA, you can enjoy a fully festive holiday experience with a variety of vendors offering homemade gifts, delicious treats, and unique gifts for you and your loved ones.

Activities

Wickerd Farm Christmas Trees: Pick out your favorite live tree in a safe and controlled environment by visiting Wickerd Farm in Menifee. Choose-and-cut Monterey Pines are grown on site, and precut firs are shipped in from Oregon.

Baking Class for Kids - Special Holidays: This baking class is designed to help children learn about making desserts and goodies from around the world—including delicious Christmas cookies from Italy, France, and Denmark! Hosted on December 4 and 11 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., your little one will have a couple of chances to learn how to make great baked goods—and share them with the rest of the family!

The Festival of Trees Holiday Fair: Kick off the holiday season right at the 2023 Festival of Trees Holiday Fair! At the festival, families can enjoy over 46 beautiful holiday trees, 50 local craft vendors, amazing holiday treats, and fun kids activities—including Santa. Your little ones will love the opportunity to create holiday cards and crafts to take home, as well as visit Santa for the perfect Christmas card photo!

Irvine Park Train of Lights: The Train of Lights will once again get on track at Irvine Regional Park in Orange this holiday season on December 24–30! Not only is the train ride free, but it also takes families on an adventure through thousands of holiday lights and festive scenes throughout the one-mile loop in Irvine Park. There are also plenty of things to do and experience in Santa’s Village, where entry is free but attractions are ticketed. The park is open 4–9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.–9 p.m. on weekends from November 24 to December 23.

Safe Celebration

While the holidays are hopefully a time of joy for you and your family, there are also extra hazards that come into play. We urge safety in both the use of lighted candles and live Christmas trees this year. Up to 7,400 fires are started each year because of household candles, so please take extra care. Consider using battery-powered candles or scented spray instead to address all your aroma needs while avoiding any inherent dangers. And if you do decide to use candles, please don’t leave them unattended.

Live Christmas trees, naturally, can create another fire hazard. If you’ve brought a real tree into your apartment for the holidays, take every precaution to keep it watered so it doesn’t dry out. Also, take care to keep all open flames away from the branches, and make sure you turn all lights off when you’re not at home. Stay safe and enjoy the holidays!

With activities, performances, shopping opportunities, and more, Riverside, CA, is the place to be this time of year. From all of us at The 3900 Apartments, we wish you a very merry and happy holiday season!