Riverside is packed with fun, free things and stuff to do with kids or just out with friends! Here are a few of our picks of where to go today, tonight or this weekend in and near Riverside, California!
Best in Riverside
Mission Inn – Visit this historic hotel with its storied history.
- Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn starting the day after Thanksgiving and stretching to the second weekend of January. Free!
- Lunar Festival – January around Chinese New Year
- Dickens Festival in Downtown Riverside-Feb
Hiking
- Mt. Rubidoux – Riverside’s popular and iconic mountain hike
- Hidden Valley Nature Center & Wildlife Area-25 miles of hiking and equestrian trails
Biking
Breweries in Riverside
- Heroes Restaurant and Brewery
- Inland Empire Brewing Co.
- Packinghouse Brewing Co.
- Stone Church Brewing & Bistro
- The Brickwood
- Thompson Brewing
- Wicks Brewing Company
- Route 30 – 2 Locations in Riverside! It would be carless not to visit them!
Cupcakes in Riverside
- Creme de la Creme
- Casey’s Cupcakes – at the Mission Inn – Winner of Food Networks “Cupcake Wars-Walk of Fame” in 2011
- Cupcakes and Curiosities
- Isabellas Cupcakes & More
Drive-in Movie Theatres in Riverside
Food and Restaurants in Riverside
- Gastropubs in Riverside
- Salted Pig – Upscale burger and beer joint
- ProAbition Whiskey Lounge– Downtown Riverside
- Burgers in Riverside
- Burger Boss – Build your own burger with grass-fed beef, organic chicken breasts, ground turkey (also organic), or a black bean patty!
- The Beach– Huge juicy burgers! Located in Jurupa.
- Five Guys Burgers & Fries– In the Eastvale/Mira Loma area.
- Johnnys Burgers
- Zorba’s Burgers – Tied for best burgers in the Inland Empire!
- Montys Good Burger– Vegan Burgers!
- Sushi in Riverside
- Asahi Sushi – Southern California’s most Yelped sushi restaurant outside of Little Tokyo in LA!
- OK Sushi– Fresh fish and a great appetizer selection
- Joe’s Sushi – Wild atmosphere all-you-can-eat sushi
- Ooka Japanese Restaurant– In the Riverside Plaza
- Sushi 91
- Anchos Southwest Bar & Grill
- Oasis Vegetarian Cafe
- Backstreet Cafe
- Fusion Restaurant & Bar
- Mario’s Place – One of the Inland Empire’s signature upscale restaurants
- Mission Inn– Famous for Sunday brunch.
- Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood – USDA Prime steaks and fresh seafood, all fittingly in Riverside’s most prestigious hotel
- Palenque Riverside(Mezcal)
- Simple Simon’s Bakery & Bistro – One of Riverside’s most popular breakfast and lunch spots
- Substation @ UCR
- The Upper Crust Sandwich Shoppe – Conveniently located near the Mission Inn, and very popular.
- The Lobby Riverside– Good food, Craft Cocktails
Coffee
- Back to the Grind Coffee Shop – Downtown Riverside
Night Clubs and Bars in Riverside
- Bars in Downtown Riverside – Check out our full list of DTR’s hottest bars!
- Lake Alice Trading Co. – Downtown Riverside
- Worthington’s Tavern – Downtown Riverside
- Mission Tobacco Lounge (MTL) – Downtown Riverside
- Pepito’s Cantina– Near Riverside Plaza
- Romano’s Concert Lounge – Canyon Crest
- Salted Pig Gastropub – Downtown Riverside
- The Lobby
- DTE- Downtown Experiment
- The Menagerie – Popular Downtown Riverside gay bar
- Kims Sports Bar & Grill
- The Sire -Riverside Plaza
- The Brickwood
- VIP Nightclub
- Fairmount Park – Feed the ducks, go fishing, enjoy a walk and cruise on the paddle boats at this famous Riverside park
- UCR’s Botanic Gardens
- Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park – Hundreds of acres of wilderness for hiking and biking
- California Citrus State Historical Park – Have a picnic or a stroll along trails lined with citrus and palm trees. Come on the weekend and take a free guided tour and tasting, and learn how the city of Riverside flourished alongside its abundant citrus groves.
- Castle Park Amusement Park
- The Cove Water Park – Nearby in Rubidoux
Entertainment & Arts
- Fox Performing Arts Center (Fox Theatre) in downtown Riverside – Beautifully restored in 2009
- Landis Center at Riverside Community College
- Art’s Walk – First Thursday’s in downtown Riverside
- Glo Mini Golf– Glow in the dark mini golf, and virtual realty arcade!
Ice Rink / Ice Hockey
Museums
- March Field Air Museum– Riverside
- UCR/California Museum of Photography – Downtown Riverside
- Riverside Art Museum – Downtown Riverside
- Heritage House -1891 Victorian showplace depicts life in turn-of-the century Riverside
- Riverside Metropolitan Museum– The Museum houses over 100,000 artifacts in its collections and 2000 linear feet of archives in the disciplines of Natural History, Anthropology, and History.
Shopping
- Main Street in downtown Riverside
- Mission Galleria– 4 stories of antiques. Furniture, clothing, vintage 80’s, books- if you haven’t been here, it’s worth checking out! (Located in Downtown Riverside)
- Downtowne Bookstore– A second hand bookstore exactly how you would want it to be. Old dusty books and all! (Located in Downtown Riverside)
- Tiggy-Winkles– Neat knick-knacks and gift ideas. They have fun novelty near the cash register! (Located in Downtown Riverside)
- Riverside Certified Farmer’s Market in Downtown Riverside every Friday morning
- Galleria at Tyler Mall
- Riverside Plaza
- Canyon Crest Towne Centre
- University Village @ UCR
Rock Climbing
Nearby cities: