Santa's Ride-Along
Published: 12/04/2025
The City of Riverside Fire Department is excited to announce the 28th Annual Santa's Ride-Along. The program is a cooperative effort between the City of Riverside Fire Department and the Riverside City Firefighters Association Local 1067 (RCFA 1067).
The fire engine and Santa will begin the evening at the designated park from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for meet-and-greet visits, photos, and candy cane distribution before continuing along the planned route. The fire engine will then travel slowly through the surrounding neighborhoods with lights on and occasional siren bursts, stopping at select locations to hand out candy canes.
Santa’s Ride-Along dates are December 9 -11 & 15-18, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily. Two stations per night will be escorting Santa through their neighborhoods.
Fire Engines will remain in service throughout the event, and Santa will accompany Firefighters if an emergency call arises. If Santa is not present at the park, he is likely assisting with an emergency response. Please note that there will be no make-up visits in the event of inclement weather or emergency activity.
Santa Ride-Along Schedule, Routes, and Assigned Units:
December 9th Station 3 – Shamel Park; Station 11 – Orange Terrace Park
December 10th Station 13 – Sycamore Highland Park; Station 12 – Rancho Loma Park
December 11th Station 14 – Andulka Park; Station 5 – Nichols Park
December 15th Station 4 – Patterson Park; Station 7 – Bryant Park
December 16th Station 9 – Castleview Park; Station 8 – La Sierra Park
December 17th Station 6 - Reid Park; Station 2– Hunt Park
December 18th Station 1 – Bonaminio Park; Station 10 – Villegas Park
The program distributes nearly 4,000 candy canes throughout the city.
