Downtown Riverside Event to Celebrate Arts, Education, Innovation

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Singers, dancers, artists, scientists and robots will greet visitors to downtown Riverside Thursday evening as the city hosts its annual "Long Night of Arts & Innovation."

The event will get underway at 5 p.m. and wrap up about midnight on the Main Street pedestrian mall, between City Hall and the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa.

"The Long Night showcases inland Southern California's exceptional talent in the arts, science and technology," Mayor Rusty Bailey said. "You will experience exhibits in which the science is so beautiful that it feels like art, and others in which the art is so technical it feels like science. You will hear music that will make your heart soar and see demonstrations of technology that will challenge and amaze you."

According to organizers, the inaugural Long Night in 2012 featured 900 presentations, and some of the same popular attractions will be returning Thursday evening.

There will be speakers from Cal Baptist University, Riverside City College, UC Riverside and other campuses. Operatic performances, synchronized dance routines, literature readings, mathematics contests and mini plays will be among the fare.

Working professionals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields will be on hand to answer questions and offer pointers to youths seeking STEM-oriented careers.

International eats will be available for sampling, along with a variety of tasty sweets.

The "Curious Kids Zone" will offer a range of activities for youths 10 and under.

La Sierra University professor Enoch Hwang will be giving visitors an opportunity to get hands-on with a variety of robotic instruments, and UCR professor Suveen Mathaudhu, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will deliver a lecture titled "The Science of Superheroes Explained!"

More information is available at www.longnightriverside.com.

— By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock