"We'll have a full stage for live entertainment, full kitchen, full bar, of course all the Hangar 24 beers." Hangar 24 founder Ben Cook said this in an Instagram video in early 2024. The video showed him walking through the stripped-out interior of what had been Romano's Canyon Crest.
The stage mattered because of what Romano's had been. Gary Romano, a Riverside native, opened the restaurant in 1999. For nearly a quarter century it was both a pizza restaurant and a concert room, known as the Concert Lounge. It was linked with ska and pop and hosted frequent shows by the English Beat. It closed in June 2023. Hangar 24 opened in the space over Labor Day weekend 2024. Two years later, the shopping center at 5225 Canyon Crest Drive has two places to hear live music on most October evenings. The free series that started in May runs until the last Tuesday of the month.
A summer series still playing in fall
The Towne Centre's free concerts go back further than many people assume. A July 2015 downtown business bulletin listed free shows there on Tuesdays and Saturdays in July and on Tuesdays in August, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., with crafts for children. In 2017, a Press-Enterprise roundup of free summer events listed weekly Tuesday concerts starting June 6, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Those two years mark the size of the change. In 2015 the series ended with August. In 2026 the centre lists its "Summer Music" event from May 5 through October 27. The time slot hasn't changed since 2017, still Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m., but the season now runs into the fall. The public record doesn't show when the October dates were first added.
The location changes too. The May and June shows were held in the courtyard by Hallmark, and audiences were asked to bring lawn chairs. The October shows move to the Starbucks Food Court, which the centre describes as "an evening under the lights." The Hallmark frontage is booked for other events this month. More on that below.
The October lineup, and who's playing
Several October performers already played the spring series, and the season starts and ends with the same act.
| Tuesday | Performer | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 6 | Travis Dagget | Played May 26 with Neil Morrow, billed as Roots/Americana |
| Oct. 13 | Raincross Drive | Inland Empire trio that also played June 2 |
| Oct. 20 | D-Squared, Darryl & David | First appearance on this year's posted lineup |
| Oct. 27 | James Alexander, the one man band | Opened the season on May 5 |
On its website, Raincross Drive describes itself as three longtime Southern California friends. They play 1970s rock, R&B, country, and jazz, with vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, piano, and percussion. A 2023 PBS/KVCR segment called the group an Inland Empire cover band and named its members as Mike Geoghegan, Kelly McGuire, and Ralph Torres.
The centre's October listing calls the closing act James Alexander. In May it used "Jim Alexander, The One-Man Band," and that's also the name on his own site. His bio says he started the one-man show in Riverside in 2012. He plays guitar and piano over backing tracks to sound like a full band. The centre also spells Travis's last name two ways: "Daggett" in the spring schedule and "Dagget" in October.
Two stages on Tuesday nights
The free series doesn't have Tuesday evenings to itself. Hangar 24's Riverside calendar runs Trivia Tuesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. on all four October dates when the free concerts play: Oct. 6, 13, 20, and 27. Trivia starts an hour before the music, and both end at 9 p.m.
On October 13 Hangar 24 also lists a Navy Birthday event. That's the same night Raincross Drive plays the food court.
Weekends at the taproom follow a set pattern. Most Fridays and Saturdays in October have a live dinner set from 5 to 8 p.m., followed by Boots on the Runway line dancing from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. The posted dinner sets include:
- Oct. 2: Coleslaw
- Oct. 3: Cynfull Band
- Oct. 9: Emo Night Karaoke
- Oct. 10: Heather in Bluem
- Oct. 16: Jaybird & Adair
- Oct. 17: The Fulltimers Band
- Oct. 23: Tribute Night featuring AFI, Bad Religion, and Sublime
- Oct. 30: Crossroad Kings
The room also books larger shows. The calendar just before October lists ticketed concerts by Primer 55 & Friends on Sept. 29 and Eyes Set To Kill on Sept. 30. The biggest date this month is a ticketed Oktoberfest on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Children 12 and under get in free all day. Weeknight football screenings fill Monday and Thursday evenings, and the Sunday Ticket series runs on Sundays. Hangar 24 is at Unit 58 and stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
Halloween on the Hallmark frontage
The courtyard by Hallmark, where the free series played in spring, hosts both of the centre's Halloween events. The main one is Saturday, Oct. 17, from 1 to 7:30 p.m., with a published schedule:
- 1:00 to 2:30 p.m.: Dog show hosted by Pawlished Paws
- 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.: Costume contest
- 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.: Trick-or-treating
- 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: Magic show
Spooky games and a raffle are also on the list.
The schedule overlaps with the taproom. Trick-or-treating ends at 6 p.m., an hour into The Fulltimers Band's dinner set at Hangar 24. The magic show ends at 7:30, which leaves an hour before line dancing starts at 8:30.
Twelve days later, on Thursday, Oct. 29, the same spot becomes an outdoor theater. The Halloween Spooktacular Movie Night shows Hocus Pocus at 7 p.m. Popcorn will be available, and the centre asks people to bring blankets and chairs. This follows a summer movie night the centre held on July 23. On Halloween night itself, Hangar 24 lists a Happy Halloween event and Boots on the Runway from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Food before and after a set
Since mid-2024 the centre has added tenants that keep later hours. Slice House by Tony Gemignani held its grand opening on May 17, 2025. The Highlander reported that it serves pizza by the slice every day and planned fundraisers with UC Riverside student groups. The centre's directory lists its hours as 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the same time the Tuesday concerts end.
Handel's Homemade Ice Cream opened at the centre on June 6, 2024. The Press-Enterprise placed it next to the Rite Aid at the time. Other dining spots on the centre's current featured list include Smoke and Fire Social Eatery, Bushfire Kitchen, Pepito's Mexican Restaurant, East Coast Bagel, and the Starbucks next to the October stage. The centre groups its restaurants as "The Restaurant Collection," which covers breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, light bites, and cocktails.
Planning the month
Both calendars are live pages that can change, so check them on the day you go. As they stand on October 4, the October 2026 dates are:
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Tue., Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 | Free concerts, 7 to 9 p.m. | Starbucks Food Court |
| Tue., Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27 | Trivia Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m. | Hangar 24 |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Halloween event, 1 to 7:30 p.m. | In front of Hallmark |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Oktoberfest, ticketed, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Hangar 24 |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Hocus Pocus movie night, 7 p.m. | In front of Hallmark |
Jim Alexander opened the free series by himself on May 5. He closes it the same way at the Starbucks Food Court on October 27, from 7 to 9 p.m.
If you live near Canyon Crest Towne Centre and wonder how easy access to its evening calendar affects the value of your home, Brad Alewine Group can talk it through with you. Contact Us.
