Riverside
Again this year, the Inland Regional Center (IRC) transformed downtown Riverside into a Halloween-themed street fair for its annual Fall Festival. The Festival serves as a vehicle to connect IRC clients and their families with services available in the region to assist those with developmental disabilities. The IRC expanded this year’s celebration to include shopping vendors and food trucks. As a result, the event attracted more members of the local community than ever before. The festival’s location—downtown Riverside’s Main Street between 10th Street and University Avenue—also added to the ambience. That section of the city is home to fountains, public art, and the City Hall stage served as a perfect backdrop for the celebration. Over 70 agencies participated in the Fall Festival, each hosting Halloween or Fall themed and decorated booths. In addition, to providing attendees with information about the services they offer, those who hosted exhibits also provided games, activities, raffles, and giveaways. There were also vendors selling items that ranged from books and art to jewelry and t-shirts, etc. in addition to a variety of food options including tacos, nachos, hot dogs, etc. Children and other attendees came in costume which added a celebratory flair to the community event that was free to the public thanks to the generous sponsorship of Pathway, Inc. , In-Roads Creative Programs, California Mentor, Creating a Legacy, United Cerebral Palsy of the Inland Empire, Ability Center, and Independent Options. The nonprofit IRC which works to enable greater independence for people with developmental disabilities in the Inland Empire has supported those with intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy since 1972.
