Mission Inn Gala to Honor IE Black Leaders

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Phi Upsilon Chapter is bringing a scholarship gala to Riverside’s Mission Inn on May 17 to honor Black leaders from across the Inland Empire. (sb-american.com) The inaugural Golden Renaissance Scholarship Gala is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, May 17, 2026, in the Grand Parisian Ballroom at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. Tickets are priced at $150 through May 15. (sb-american.com) Organizers said the Harlem Renaissance-themed evening will include dinner, live jazz, silent and live auctions, and lifetime achievement awards. Phi Upsilon Chapter President Terrance Williams said the gala is meant to recognize Black trailblazers whose work shaped education, public service, and community empowerment in the region. (sb-american.com) (dameroncommunications.com) The event is also a fundraiser. Proceeds are tied to scholarships and community programs backed by Phi Upsilon and 10th House Education, which says it co-hosts the Golden Renaissance Gala to raise money for those efforts. (10thhousefoundation.org) That makes the gala part awards ceremony and part education drive: public recognition for established Black leaders, and cash support for younger students coming behind them. The chapter’s public announcement frames both goals as part of the same project. (sb-american.com) (10thhousefoundation.org) The venue adds some local weight. The Mission Inn says its downtown Riverside property dates to 1876, spans a full city block, and includes the Grand Parisian Ballroom among roughly 20,000 square feet of event space. (missioninn.com 1) (missioninn.com 2) Mission Inn materials describe the Grand Parisian Ballroom as a formal banquet space used for large gatherings, while other event pages list the hotel’s larger Duane R. Roberts Ballroom separately. That suggests the gala announcement’s ballroom detail refers to a specific room inside a venue already known in Riverside for civic and ceremonial events. (missioninn.com 1) (missioninn.com 2) Alpha Phi Alpha says its chapters focus on community engagement through national and local programs. In Riverside, Phi Upsilon is using that model to link a black-tie-style public event with scholarship fundraising and recognition for regional leadership. (apa1906.net) (10thhousefoundation.org) For now, the next date is May 15, when advance ticket sales close. Two days later, the chapter plans to turn the Mission Inn ballroom into a Harlem Renaissance-themed fundraiser and awards night. (sb-american.com)