The free, family event celebrates science, art and student achievement from all grades

Riverside, Calif. – The fourth Long Night of Arts & Innovation will fill the streets of downtown Riverside on Oct. 12 with hours of science, technology, dance, engineering, math, music and art programs for young people and adults.

The regional event, which draws speakers and performers from all four of Riverside’s colleges and universities, and the city’s most innovative high-tech companies, runs from 5 p.m. to midnight on and around the Main Street mall in historic downtown Riverside.

“The Long Night of Arts and Innovation brings together some of our community’s best and brightest to celebrate the joy of discovery,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. “If you love to learn, the Long Night is a great way to spend a beautiful evening with your children or grandchildren, exploring the arts and sciences.”

The free event offers families an opportunity to enjoy the best of the city’s educational institutions, as well as art, entertainment, music and food. Teachers, professors, and scientists will mingle with singers, dancers, playwrights and poets.

Competitions will include a middle and high school math competition; middle and high school art competition; and the California Baptist University Engineering Puzzler. Winners and their teachers will receive iPads, and the artwork will be displayed at the Riverside Art Museum.

Returning to the Long Night of Arts and Innovation will be two popular features introduced in 2013: Curious Kids Zone, an exploration zone full of innovative, interactive activities for children ages 10 and younger; and a passport program that enables students to get stamps at various presentations to record their attendance and share their Long Night experiences with classmates and friends.

The Long Night of Arts and Innovation also plays a key role in the development of future artists and scientists by encouraging school children to seek challenging careers in the arts and sciences. Students who attend the Long Night can interact with presenters, ask questions and get inspired by the real-life stories of local people who have enjoyed great success in the students’ chosen fields of study.

“Riverside is home to four colleges and universities with groundbreaking research underway every day,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Perry said. “The Long Night of Arts and Innovation is a great way to encourage school children to seek innovative careers in the arts and sciences by connecting them to professors, artists, professionals and performers from these institutions.”

The event also boosts the local business community by encouraging the development of future generations of artists and inventors, entrepreneurs and advocates. Students have their choice of hundreds of possible demonstrations, exhibits and gallery talks, all of which are provided at no charge.

Organizations that will be part of the event this year include Metropolitan Water District, Western Municipal Water District, San Bernardino Community College District, Loma Linda University, Bourns Inc., SolarMax and California State University, San Bernardino.

Riverside’s Long Night of Arts and Innovation, held every other year, was inspired by the Long Night of Science in Erlangen, Germany, one of Riverside’s Sister Cities. The inaugural Long Night of Arts and Innovation in 2012 showcased more than 900 presentations, from art demonstrations at the Riverside Art Museum to a robotics display and a demonstration on Leonardo Da Vinci Machines.

Admission is free and all events are open to the public. For more information, visit our website at www.longnightriverside.com.