Mount Rubidoux, for the uninitiated, is mildly strenuous, but not a traditional hike or climb. All you’re doing is walking on an asphalt path that spirals around the mountain to the 780-foot summit.

By 8:25 p.m., Mount Rubidoux was in darkness, outlined in sharp relief against the glow of the sun setting behind it. At 9 p.m. sharp, the first firework was shot. The “oohs” and “aahs” began.

Friends of Mount Rubidoux gather with the mountain as the backdrop to talk about the documentary they commissioned. From left, Chuck Beaty, Glenn Wenzel and Nancy Cox with filmmaker Tim Roche, right.

Mt. Rubidoux was donated to Riverside by the heirs of Frank Miller in 1955. The park is open daily from dawn until dusk. Tracy Conrad is president of the Palm Springs Historical Society.

Fans of a cross that sits atop a peak in Mt. Rubidoux Park can have some peace of mind now that the group Totally Mt. Rubidoux has won the auction to buy the 0.43-acre site with a $10,500 bid.