Mission Inn Hotel & Spa – Festival of Lights

Something to do on a chilly evening in the Season, Horse carriage rides are available but the lines for tickets are too long. Walking around bundled up was nice though.

The Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside was something I’ve heard about for years. The hotel is said to have gone all out on their decorations for the holiday season. If it weren’t for all the hype and even the rave reviews on Unilocal,I would have probably loved the charm and décor. But unfortunately the hype was real, I went on a Saturday night, where my friends and I waited 30mins in line to enter the hotel and a quick walk through the lobby area and a picture in the corner with a tree, we were out the door. It was a quick walk through! The real amazing spectacle are the lights in front of the hotel, but they only allow hotel guests to walk through that area. Outside visitors get to look from afar. I would recommend getting a reservation at one of the restaurants to make the visit well worth it and to avoid the wait in line.
During this time the streets of Downtown Riverside surrounding the hotel are filled with vendors and live music. It gets pretty lively. Would be a nice little outing for kids/​families. Parking in the area is not as hectic, you can either park on the street for free or in a lot (there’s signs that direct you to a lot). The lights are up from the end of Nov till the beginning of January, check their websites for specified dates.

I expected more out of the Festival of Lights at Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside. Perhaps my expectations were too high. At the very least, I expected the lights and displays to be much better than anything available in my hometown. Alas, it was not better than my hometown.
The evening that we dropped by, the place was swarming with people. Maybe that is why I was turned off because I hate crowds! Anyways, the hotel was nicely lighted and decorated throughout its exterior. Did not go inside the hotel so cannot comment on the interior of the hotel. Being the foodie that I am, I did like the food stands that were outside.
Because of the fact that my expectations were not met, I am giving the Festival of Lights 3 stars. It was not worth the 90 minute drive to get here. If we lived close by, then I’d consider it worth the time to go to this Festival of Lights.

Hotel does not let you go into the courtyard on Sundays waited about an hour to be told this before we were let in. Like really I brought family from out of town to be told this. And all you get to see was the Christmas Tree however they have security infront of the tree so you can’t take good picture not worth the wait. If you come during week then they let you into courtyard.

Definitely a must visit! The whole street is lit up and mission inn is decorated so well! You have to wait in a certain line to go into mission inn’s courtyard but i only waited about 30 min which isnt too bad. Parking can get pretty busy but after a certain time, it’s free. There’s a lot of people so you’ll never be able to capture a picture without someone in the back. But more company makes it more merrier!

After reading the reviews, I concluded the Festival of Lights is relative to your experience and expectations.
I personally learned about it from a local years ago and had great expectations. The website makes it look amazing too and it shows the Mission Inn Hotel very magical and full of lights. The front/​main entrance of the hotel is quite beautiful and bright, with huge nutcrackers and lots of lights. The sides don’t have that many lights but have characters standing on the balconies, etc. One reviewer complained that the lights were not up to date unlike the LED lights that blink along a song. Though I do agree, I also know what an investment this must be for a hotel and for them to do such a display every year is not an easy task and can’t imagine them replacing the décor to keep up to date with technology.
What I did not expect were all the food stands selling holiday treats and crafts, the ice skating rink and the entertainment. It’s definitely somewhere you can take your family and spend a few hours.
With that said, I did enjoy coming though it may not be as impressive as other lights I have seen elsewhere.
Tips:
*Valet parking at the Mission Inn is $ 20 but there is a structure across that is $ 5, cash only
*You cannot get too close to the front of the hotel due to barricades and security UNLESS you have a reservation. Dine at any of the hotel’s restaurants and you not only can you see the lights but also walk around and skip the line to see the huge tree inside the lobby (there was a 45min-​1hr wait to see it). We ate at Bella Trattoria and entrees were reasonably priced under $ 20. There is also a Mexican restaurant inside the hotel
*Be prepared for crowds and chilly weather at night. Dress warm with comfy shoes
*STAY for the fireworks! Unfortunately, I didn’t know about them until I saw the video on Unilocal and it looks amazing!

Festival of Lights was everything I had expected it to be! Busy, festive, photo ops everywhere and so many things going on all around you (ie. street entertainment, bands, horse drawn carriages, etc.)
Monday night at 8pm was ideal– busy but not overly packed. I can only imagine the weekend crowds…
Do:
–Get hot chocolate to warm up-​they sell it everywhere.
–Indulge in Mom’s Mini Donuts –delish and the tray is a good size for two people.
–Ice skate or atleast watch the ice skaters attempt to skate, we had some good laughs!
–Browse inside the stores
** The street vendors take card but charge a 50 cent fee so cash is the way to go.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year when I visit the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn.
I’ve been coming here for years and, with every visit, it always feels so magical to see all these lights around the Mission Inn Hotel and the horse-​drawn carriages circling around it, to hear the chatter of people walking in and around the hotel, the sounds of Christmas music, the scent of Mom’s Mini Donuts, etc. All these elements always bring out the holiday spirit for me and is a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner.
BEST TIME TO VISIT /​PARKING
Although I’ve never been to the Festival of Lights’ kick off the night after Thanksgiving due to large crowds, I’ve never had any problems coming here. The best time to visit is during the week nights. Sure, you still get a crowd but it’s not as bad compared to the weekend crowd. My best advice is to arrive early or be patient when finding parking.
WHAT TO BRING
It’s a great place to bring a date, a group of friends, or your family. It’s a great place to bring your kids — and your cameras! I recommend bringing a pair of comfy walking shoes, a scarf, and a jacket to keep you warm. Bring small bills or coins for parking or tipping performers, if you like. They sell hot cocoa in the shops for $ 2.00 (Dec. 2015).
WHAT TO SEE
Besides the lights and, as mentioned before, they have horse-​drawn carriages. You can also walk inside the Mission Inn Hotel to see all the décor and, some years, take photos with Santa! There’s a «Gingerbread House» (not made of gingerbread) that sells a bunch of baked treats, Mom’s Mini Donuts, roasted nuts, and other vendors. It smells so wonderful when you’re walking around! There’s also an ice rink in the middle of the plaza!
Overall, a great place for locals or anyone who loves the holidays!

I think this place used to be magical once upon a time, but now it’s just crowded and full of rude people. You would think with all the beautiful lights and festivities, people would be in the holiday spirit but that is not the case here.
I took my family here Saturday night because I remember it was a magical experience a couple of years ago but boy was I wrong. When we arrived, we found street parking and headed towards the main area. Lines of people everywhere and certain roads were blocked off for hotel guests or valet parkers.
Line to get into the hotel, line to get out of the hotel. Once in, they didn’t allow is to see the courtyard or anywhere else. We literally stood in line to walk from one end of the hotel to the other and had to circle all the way around because the roads were blocked.
Don’t think I’ll be coming back or taking anyone else here.

We walked into this hotel after the long line waiting outside. The decorations was nice. You will have a merry feel for Xmas. There are restaurants and bar on the first floor. The decorations on the outside of the hotel was nice also.

Drove a long way for animated mannikins sitting on the balconies and really basic Christmas lights. What I had read online about this event made it sound like a really nice place to take the wife and kid.
I really had no idea just how over run with people this even’t would be. It’s Not Worth it. The Hotel is very pretty but you can’t go on the property as there are security guards keeping people out unless they have reservations for the Hotel. The Surrounding area is just a Crappy outdoor strip mall with hardly any Christmas lights so the only thing to really look at is the Mission Inn then your done and might as well go home.
Way Way Too Crowded and lots of the people are just plane rude. total lack of Holiday Spirit. Without the lights you wouldn’t even know it was about to be Christmas here.
There is a few minutes after you get there where you think it’s going to be really neat and fun but once all the mass of Nutty People make you start wishing you were not there, the magic is over. 15 minutes of fun tops. At least I can check it off my list of things to do. Never again though total waste.

amazing show! so crowded, but worthy. On this day of after-​Thanksgiving.

Truly enjoyed the Lighting of the Mission Inn, as usual! The outside of the buikding was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the fireworks display was so much fun to watch! We really appreciated that the show started on time this year, as sometimes it’s been a few hours after its expected to begin.

If you have nothing better to do and no where to go, this is worth a visit. It is also free if you don’t pay for parking or buy anything. Like a garage sale it looks so interesting from a far and after spending an hour there it does not look so interesting anymore.
The Inn itself is a historical gem but the Festival of lights is only worth a visit from me. The courtyard display is not worth the half hour wait. The pool area of the courtyard is only open to patrons and diners so it was not worth my time lining up to see a few stuffy elves or whatever. Just walk on the outside and enjoy the lights from there. There is not much inside.

As a local, I try to attend each year because of the beautiful lights and wonderful Christmas atmosphere, but I had never experienced the switch-​on ceremony (the only time they have a firework show)! So this year I got to experience the count down along with thousands of other spectators, and it was truly amazing!
I arrived around 2 pm, and there were already people saving their spots with their chairs and blankets. I was amazed! Since I had good timing, it was no trouble finding parking. I parked right by the Heroes restaurant for $ 5. Before the show started, I bought some caramel kettled popcorn… delish!!! Of course, there were other vendors: funnel cakes, mini donuts, hot chocolate, etc. I even saw some bounce houses for the little kids:)
Soon the entire street crowded up, drones flying in the sky, and even a helicopter starting roaming around recording the epic event! The Christmas spirit was so alive with the music, the RCC band, and with the many jovial faces.
Finally, 5:30pm arrived and the countdown began… the lights were magnificent, the firework show was impressive, and the «oohs» and «awws» from children and adults were very much present. It was an amazing night.
Albeit a ton of people were present for the ceremony, the significance of the event was very much alive and felt throughout the night. Families gathered, smiles were exchanged, and a sense of unity was shared among spectators. We all welcomed the Christmas season with holiday cheer.

Love coming here but it’s sooo crowed! Get here early!!! And bring lots of $$$ it’s expensive. $ 25 per person to ride the carriage, the parking is a lot, the lines for food are long, the gas goes up, the lights are beautiful and the hotel is gorgeous. Book a year in advance if you want to stay during the holidays.

A couple of years ago, the Festival of Lights would have been reviewed at a 4. I thought the twinkling walls, trees, arches, etc. surrounding the Mission Inn were a charming little adventure to observe. When I first came, it seemed like a romantic stroll.
Fast forward to this last holiday season, which turned out to be a circus attraction. With blocked off streets, carriages, lines of people, ice rinks, and a bunch of portable food/​drink stands, it’s become the kind of headache I’d rather avoid.
My main issue with the visit was not the parking nor people, but the staff who kept telling visitors to go other entrances. Each time we got to another point, we would be told to go back where we started so we were bounced back and forth without being able to see anything in the courtyard. It felt like an unnecessary goose chase.
The Festival of Lights is something you could see at least once and maybe bring guests to see during the holidays. As Mission Inn is a historical landmark, I wouldn’t mind exploring without the crowds and bouncers falsely redirecting people around each corner.

Truly a prime Christmas and New Years experience. The Mission Inn is a very old mission which has a few churches on site built into the property. A few things to make sure you do:
Get here for the holidays and park on Mission Inn Ave. cheap parking and only til 5 then it’s free.
Go into the mission inn and explore. One idea take elevator to 2^nd floor then make a right and another right and find yourself on the second floor balcony overlooking the restaurant in the courtyard. Walk through to the over look of the church. Walk up stairs wherever you find them and walk to the back of the building where there is a circular staircase that goes up about four flights. This is where they take lots of photos whenever there is a wedding here.
Great Christmas trees for picture taking in the lobby.
The courtyards next to the Mission Inn are decked out for the holidays. All kinds of vendors. And walk across the street where they have a phenomenal street back. Heard an awesome rendition of a Taylor Swift song with a sax, trumpet, drummer, guitar and bass player. Awesome!

A must see especially if you live in Southern California. Yes– ice skating, carriage rides and food vendors are pricey, but the true focal point of the event is visiting the hotel and appreciating the millions of lights and holiday décor throughout its grounds. Note-​some areas of the hotel are limited to hotel and restaurant guests. The interior light tour of the hotel is quite short.
Tips
Tip1. Free parking in a city multi level parking lot just one block away from hotel.
Tip 2. Avoid the long food vendor, coffee shop lines. We took our own hot chocolate in a thermos and some holiday cookies.
Tip 3. The lines can be long. so expect a good wait especially to enter the hotel.
Tip 4. If youre taking young kids a stroller is ideal… young kids can get overwhelmed with having to walk amongst the large crowds.

I dunno, in the year 2014, if you really want to impress with a light show, you use technology. You know, those Christmas lights that blink in rhythm to your favorite Christmas carol.
I see more elaborate displays every year at private residences. Just take a drive through Huntington Harbor. Or just about any housing tract in Garden Grove. Or just down the street.
However, my first visit to downtown Riverside was made worthwhile by other discoveries. The Mission Inn itself was impressive with its history and décor. Also nearby was the Riverside Art Museum, Fox Performing Arts Center, Riverside Metropolitan Museum, an outdoor mall…
And the restaurants! Mario’s Place, Las Campanas, Simple Simon’s, The Gourmet Detective, Elephant Thai Cuisine, Heroes Restaurant & Brewery… and of course, Casey’s Cupcakes… all worthy of future visits.
The Festival of Lights? Sorry, just not that impressive. Maybe I expected too much, what with all the great reviews. The only way I would recommend the Festival of Lights to anyone is if they have never been to downtown Riverside.
«A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.» — Steve Martin