City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 6, 2026 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION AND COMMUNITY WARDS: ALL
SERVICES DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: FUNDING FOR THE RIVERSIDE ARTS COUNCIL UNDER THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR FISCAL YEARS 2026/2027 AND 2027/2028 IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $900,000 ANNUALLY ISSUE:
Authorize the funding and reimbursement for Riverside Arts Council Memorandum of Understanding for Festival of Lights scope and activities for Fiscal Year 2026/2027 and Fiscal Year 2027/2028; not to exceed the amount of $900,000 annually.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Approve funding to the Riverside Arts Council under the Festival of Lights Memorandum of Understanding for Fiscal Years 2026/27 and 2027/28 in an amount not to exceed $900,000 annually; and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute agreed upon terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, including making minor and non-substantive changes.
BACKGROUND:
The Riverside Arts Council (RAC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to provide, develop and sustain the arts.” RAC encourages the advancement, participation and integration of visual, literary and performing arts into the fabric of the communities it serves by connecting artist and art organizations. RAC’s programs range from networking and regional arts and cultural infrastructure development to neighborhood revitalization, outreach and collaborative projects.
On August 19, 2025, City Council approved the Memorandum of Understanding with Riverside Arts Council for the administration and management of the Festival of Lights effective through March 1, 2028. For Fiscal Year 2026/2027, RAC will be responsible for the full program at White Park including but not limited to the development of the program; procurement of contractor services; call for entertainment and participating vendors; event sales and sponsorship; and development of run of show, technical and logistics, and event coordination including required event permits. The program at White Park will tentatively take place starting on November 27 through December 31, 2026, on Thursday-Sunday and holiday week. It will include an attraction, vendors, entertainment and décor providing attendees with a festive experience.
DISCUSSION:
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Riverside Arts Council for the administration and management of the Festival of Lights effective through March 1, 2028, and currently in the second year of the MOU. The 2026 Festival of Lights will take place starting with the Switch-On Ceremony on November 21 through December 31, 2026. Administration and planning for the event is currently underway. The City has agreements for most service providers, however there are several services and new components that are led by RAC requiring new agreements directly with RAC.
RAC is leading the production and implementation of several components of the 2026 Festival of Lights including Candy Lane at White Park; Merry Artswalk (two); live community entertainment; and support at the Switch-On Ceremony. Administration of these programs for 2026 is included in the scope of services to successfully produce the event. This is the second year of the MOU for Festival of Lights.
Funding Allocation
In this second and third year of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the not to exceed amount of $900,000 will be allocated:
$200,000 will support the annual Switch-On Ceremony in collaboration with The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. This funding will cover costs associated with public-facing and accessible holiday programming, including musical performances, fireworks, and audio/visual components; $200,000 will support staffing and administrative processes for RAC; and Up to $500,000 will be to reimburse RAC for normal programming expenses for Festival of Lights that are already budgeted such as programming, Santa, décor, sponsorship, etc.
In this second year of the MOU, RAC is dedicating significant staff time to program and manage the programming elements of this year’s event. This year RAC is leading and managing:
Candy Land at White Park: New programming of an immersive holiday experience with a lighted maze, artisan shopping, lit photo ops, Holiday Art Trail, local artist commissions, music, food and more. This will be a ticketed event, like what the Ice Rink experience was in activity and cost; Santa Experience;
Community Music Stage; and
Merry Artswalk (two)
In the third year of the MOU, RAC will take on additional responsibilities. Some aspects of the event such as security, traffic control, and public safety will stay with staff as multi-year contracts were in place.
One of the key elements of Festival of Lights has always been the collaboration of the key partners of the event. From the beginning, this event has been a commitment of The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce, and the City. That will not change.
The Festival of Lights is a cultural treasure for the City and our community. As the event has grown, so has its complexity and associated costs. By transitioning to a nonprofit-led model, the City can ensure the festival' s long- term sustainability, creativity, and financial health, allowing it to continue to evolve while preserving public resources and creating stronger community ownership.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of the action will not exceed $900,000 annually. The funds are budgeted and available in the General Fund, Arts & Culture, Festival of Lights account number 5240000-453225 and were budgeted through the budget process for this MOU.
Prepared by: Gema Ramirez, Senior Project Manager
Margery Haupt, Deputy Director
Approved by: Pamela M. Galera, Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachment: Executed Memorandum of Understanding
Riverside Arts Council FOL ● Page 2