Inland Empire Community News

Free summer arts programming brought more than 600 people to the Riverside Art Museum and The Cheech Museum on June 28, filling the downtown museums with salsa dancing, handmade zines and accessible cultural experiences for visitors of all ages. The events were part of Free Summer Sundays, which offer free admission every Sunday throughout the summer at both RAM and The Cheech.

Launchpad Collective broke ground July 7 on a 32-unit affordable modular housing project at 125 W. Baseline St., a development its founder said is intended to become a model for housing, economic opportunity and neighborhood reinvestment along the Baseline corridor. The project is expected to be completed in April 2027, with the first residents moving in shortly after.

Fiesta Village Family Fun Park, a longtime family destination for Colton and the Inland Empire, will close its doors for good July 11 after more than 50 years in business, while neighboring Nickelodeon Pizza is making clear that it remains open. Current Fiesta Village owners Michelle and Patrick O’Brien announced the closure last week, saying the decision was difficult after decades of serving local families, schools, employees and community partners.

A new $3.88 million adult residential facility in Muscoy is expanding San Bernardino County’s behavioral health housing system with 30 additional beds for adults experiencing serious mental illness, housing instability or reintegration challenges.

Fifty-six high school and incoming college students recently completed three weeks of hands-on STEM coursework at California Baptist University, presenting their projects to family members during Familia Day, the culminating event of CBU’s Tres Pasos Summer Bridge Program.

San Bernardino County has broken ground on a sewer expansion project that will give about 170 Bloomington properties the opportunity to transition from septic systems to public sewer service. The Bloomington Sewer Expansion Project, led by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Works Special Districts, will extend sewer service along Marygold Avenue, Locust Avenue and Linden Avenue. The project includes the installation of about 7,500 linear feet of sewer main, county officials said.

Chaos, mistaken identities and nonstop physical comedy are taking over Prospect Park as the Redlands Theatre Festival launches its 2026 summer season with “One Man, Two Guvnors,” a fast-paced British farce that opened June 26. The festival’s season runs through Aug. 1 and features five outdoor productions: “One Man, Two Guvnors,” “Men on Boats,” “Native Gardens,” “Blithe Spirit” and “The Drowsy Chaperone.” Tickets and full season information are available at rtfseason.com.

Preschool University, a licensed child care program of the YMCA of the East Valley, is positioning itself as more than a preschool in Redlands. The program serves children from 18 months to 5 years old, offers financial aid for qualifying families and draws parents from across the Inland Empire, including Redlands, Highland, San Bernardino, Fontana, Colton, Riverside, Mentone, Loma Linda and surrounding communities.

The 1.5-mile Cactus Trail between Rialto Avenue and Baseline Road will soon be illuminated. The Rialto City Council unanimously approved a nearly $730,000 work order on June 23 with St. Francis Electric to install solar lighting along the path. Completed in 2023, the trail connects residents to schools, parks and businesses, while linking northern Rialto with the city’s downtown and the Pacific Electric Trail. Without proper lighting, however, its use is limited and potentially hazardous.

Before sunrise at the San Bernardino Depot last week, Metrolink and California Operation Lifesaver delivered an urgent safety message to commuters: know the blue-and-white emergency signs at railroad crossings before seconds matter. The outreach, held in partnership with California Operation Lifesaver’s Emergency Notification System Sign Awareness Day initiative, highlighted the signs posted at every railroad crossing.