Riverside planning 150th birthday celebration

Next year, the city of Riverside will mark its sesquicentennial — its 150th birthday.

A committee of Riverside residents has begun discussions on ways to celebrate the milestone.

Committee Chair Mary Jane Stumpf said that the committee’s primary focus is putting together a special book to highlight the past 50 years in Riverside.

“They did one in 1972 for the 100th anniversary,” Stumpf said. “We’re interested in capturing the past 50 years of our history.

“We’d like to put together something to show where we’ve been.”

She said that she would like the book to highlight businesses that have opened in Riverside over the past 50 years.

The plan, according to Stumpf, is to sell advertising as well as having short stories about some of the businesses.

Stumpf plans to draft a letter to send to Riverside businesses later this year.

As for an actual celebration, the committee agreed that it would be best to incorporate it into the 2022 TrekFest in late June.

“We could start it Thursday night,” Stumpf said. “We’ve got that stage at the park, and we ought to utilize it.”

Chris Kirkwood suggested that it could feature music from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as a costume contest highlighting that same time period.

“It’s something you can have fun with,” Kirkwood said.

The question was raised regarding who would organize the celebration.

“To me, it’s a city celebration,” Stumpf said. “We don’t have the manpower to do it. They should be planning the celebration.”

The committee plans to meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the Voyage Home Museum in Riverside.