In an open letter released Tuesday, the city said tens of thousands of dollars remain unpaid nearly a year after the 2025 festival, raising concerns about how vendors, public agencies and local partners were treated.

Among the unpaid balances is roughly $76,000 owed to Riverside County Parks for the use of Lake Skinner Recreation Area, where the festival has traditionally been held. County officials say repeated attempts to collect payment over the past 10 months have not led to a resolution.

The issue escalated this week when the Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to terminate its agreement with the festival effective April 30, signaling a break in what has long been a close partnership.

City leaders said the situation has been especially troubling given the event’s decades-long history in Temecula.

“The City of Temecula has proudly supported the Balloon & Wine Festival for many years,” the letter states. “However, it is deeply concerning that essential services — including those provided by the Sheriff’s Department, school groups and small businesses — remain unpaid months after the event.”

Officials described the delay as unacceptable and said it undermines trust with the many local groups that help make the festival possible.

According to Riverside County Parks Director Kyla Brown, the final invoice for the 2025 event was issued in mid-August but never paid. The county followed up with multiple notices throughout the fall and into early 2026, culminating in a final demand earlier this year.

Despite those efforts, no payment plan had been formally established, and organizers had not secured a date for a 2026 event.

Festival representatives say they are working to resolve the situation. Spokesperson Lynn Shaver said remaining payments are expected to be completed by the end of April.

“We’re grateful for the patience of our local vendors and partners as we work through these final steps,” Shaver said, adding that the organization has faced financial and operational challenges following its transition to Events.com, which acquired the festival in 2025.

According to Shaver, Events.com has invested more than $3.4 million to stabilize operations during what she described as a difficult transition period.

Organizers are now exploring the possibility of bringing the festival back later this year, potentially shifting it to a fall date at Lake Skinner. However, county officials say any return would require a new agreement — and that won’t happen until all outstanding debts are cleared.

“If a new application is submitted, it would be considered, but only after all past obligations are resolved,” Brown said.

The financial issues extend beyond the county. The city noted that several service providers — including law enforcement and local organizations — are still waiting to be paid.

“The failure to meet these obligations jeopardizes long-standing relationships built over many years,” the city wrote.

For now, Temecula is holding firm on its decision to withdraw support, though officials expressed hope that the situation can still be resolved.

If the outstanding payments are addressed, the city indicated it would be open to rebuilding the partnership and restoring the festival as a staple community event.

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During next year’s Palm Springs International Film Awards, the 51-year-old actor and director will receive the Desert Palm Achievement Award for his performance in the critically acclaimed 2025 movie “One Battle After Another,” officials announced Tuesday.

The awards will take place on Jan. 3, 2026 at the Convention Center at 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, with the accompanying film festival running from Jan. 2-12.

From Warner Bros. Pictures, “One Battle After Another” was written, directed and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It follows washed-up revolutionary Bob (DiCaprio) who exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti). When his evil nemesis (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years, she goes missing, and the former radical scrambles to find her, as father and daughter both battle the consequences of his past.

In what some describe as the greatest car chase scene in cinema since 1971’s “The French Connection,” the California desert takes center stage in a climatic “One Battle After Another” finale . A hilly road known as the Texas Dip in Borrego Springs was the chase’s shooting location. The film crew called the spot the River of Hills. It’s situated near Highway 78 and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Road.

Unlike other turbo-charged chase scenes in movie history, the speed is slow in the desert pursuit — prolonging the adrenaline rush.

“In ‘One Battle After Another,’ Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a riveting and emotionally charged performance, embodying a man pushed to his breaking point in the face of relentless adversity,” Festival Chairman Nachhattar Singh Chandi said. “Across his career, DiCaprio, has continually redefined what is possible in screen acting— bringing emotional depth, artistic integrity, and fearless commitment to every role.”

Past recipients of the Desert Palm Achievement Award include Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”), Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”) and Bradley Cooper (“Silver Linings Playbook”).

DiCaprio has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, 11 Screen Actors Guild Awards, 13 Golden Globe awards and won an Academy Award for his performance in 2015’s “The Revenant.”

He began his film career in the 1990s, with early roles including “This Boy’s Life” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” before gaining worldwide superstardom with 1997’s smash “Titanic.”

He has since earned critical acclaim for films such as “The Departed,” “The Aviator,” “Inception” and “Wolf of Wall Street.”

DiCaprio also advocates for climate change through his production company, Appian Way, which has produced numerous documentaries, including “Ice on Fire” and “Path of the Panther.” Additionally, he is a founding board member of Re:wild, a brand aimed at protecting and restoring the diversity of life on Earth through collaborations.

The post Leonardo DiCaprio​ Being Honored In Riverside County appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Residents are invited to explore more than 20 food trucks at Murrieta Hot Springs as the Wanerlust Food Truck Festival rolls onto the resort this Friday and every upcoming Friday for the foreseeable future.

The gathering happens every week from 5 to 10 p.m. Entry and parking are free.

Wanderlust brings its food truck festivals to locations all over Riverside County, including Lake Elsinore, Perris, Banning and Hemet.

“Each festival features delicious food trucks and a fun, family-friendly atmosphere that everyone will love,” the organizers wrote on Instagram.

The fest offers everything from Mediterranean food to Hibachi, tacos, vegan fare and beyond. Guenther’s Lounge, a mobile bar, also offers beer, wine and cocktails.

The event is also family-friendly and packed with activities for kids, organizers said.

“Whether you’re indulging in gourmet tacos, savoring sweet treats, or exploring international cuisines, there’s something for every taste.”

Here are some of the food trucks that regularly pop up on Tuesdays: Arayaki Hibachi, El Reaper Chicken, Jamaica Love, Momma Mondragon, Rafs Shawarma, Rice Yo Way, The Ice Cream Trucks, The Sip Station, Wicked Sausage, Big Shrimp Sushi, Biikho Columbian, Fries Galore and much more.

For more information about the weekly food festivals, check out Wanderlust Events’ Instagram or Facebook page.

The post This Food Truck Festival Pops Up In Murrieta Every Week appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

On Wednesday, June 17, the 54-year-old celebrity mingled with guests at Wahlburgers, his family’s namesake fast-casual restaurant at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon.

Wahlberg joked with starstruck fans, posed for selfies, traded hugs, and shared stories with patrons and Wahlburgers’ employees. He later posted a video of the visit to his official Instagram page.

Founded by brothers Mark, Donnie, and Executive Chef Paul, the Wahlburgers chain was established in 2011 in Hingham, Massachusetts, near Boston. The region is where the Wahlberg family planted its roots.

The Morongo Wahlburgers location at 49500 Seminole Drive opened in 2021 and features a stage for live music and a 30-foot video wall where guests can catch their favorite sports events while partaking in the Wahlburgers family-favorite burgers, sandwiches, hoagies, wings and shakes.

There are just three other California Wahlburgers locations, according to the eatery’s website: Jamestown, Los Angeles, and Oroville.

“We’re delighted to have welcomed Mr. Wahlberg back to Morongo for another visit to the first Wahlburgers in the nation to open in a tribal casino,” said Morongo’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Bean. “It just goes to show that you never know what celebrity you’ll bump into next at Morongo.”

Besides opening a restaurant and making surprise drop-bys, Wahlberg is no stranger to Morongo, which served as the backdrop for scenes in his 2014 film, “The Gambler.”

“Our guests were beyond thrilled to meet Mr. Wahlberg, and I suspect this won’t be the last time he pops in to spend some time at Morongo,” Bean said.

It isn’t the first time Mark Wahlberg has made a Riverside County appearance. In 2022, he was spotted in Southwest Riverside County checking out area gyms. Last year, he visited a church in Temecula.

Mark Wahlberg does get around. His restaurant was the subject of A&E Network’s Emmy-nominated 10-season reality show, “Wahlburgers,” which premiered in 2014. It was about the restaurant and the lives of the Wahlberg family.

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