Source: Bonitafest Melodrama

Photo:  Ella Aldridge plays the star-crossed Sadie in the 47^th annual Bonitafest Melodrama "Thin Skins and Hayseeds."

August 26, 2024 (Bonita)--South County’s 47^th annual Bonitafest Melodrama will look a lot like the first.  “Thin Skins and Hayseeds,” the popular musical-comedy produced as the first ever Melodrama in 1978, returns in September, freshened up and still rich with local history. It is the true story of the epic Sweetwater Valley Flood of 1916, sprinkled with poetic license, including a dash of “Romeo and Juliet.”

“Thin Skins and Hayseeds” runs September 25-28 at the Sweetwater Church Theater, 5305 Sweetwater Road. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and available by calling (619) 850-7126.

“The flooding of the Sweetwater and Otay Valleys in January 1916 remain the most remarkable historical events of this region,” said Bonitafest Melodrama Artistic Director Max Branscomb, a journalism professor at Southwestern College. “Weeks of epic rain caused the Sweetwater Dam to wash out and the Otay Dam to fail. Hundreds of people were killed and everything in the path of the water was destroyed.”

The flooding occurred after the city of San Diego pledged $10,000 to a purported rainmaker, Charles Hatfield, if he could end a drought. Hatfield promised to fill the Lake Morena reservoir and set up operations in Campo. Days after his efforts, heavy rains overflowed the dam at Lake Morena, causing devastation downstream throughout the Sweetwater river valley.  Coincidence, or did Hatfield truly have rainmaking secrets?  

East County News Service

August 15, 2024 – The Element Dance Center in La Mesa announces its upcoming charity event, "A Night of Hope," gala benefiting Dancers Against Cancer. This extraordinary evening of compassion, talent, and philanthropy is set to take place on August 24 at Joan Kroc Theater, just east of La Mesa at 6611 University Ave., San Diego.

The Element Dance Center has consistently demonstrated a commitment to nurturing young dancers' dreams while fostering unity and giving back to the community. "A Night of Hope" is designed to raise awareness and funds for Dancers Against Cancer, a nonprofit organization providing essential support and assistance to dancers and their families affected by cancer.

By Michael Howard

July 27, 2024 (San Diego) – For a filmmaker, making your first full-length feature film is a milestone worthy of celebration upon its own merits. It usually has meant years of short films, social media clips, and late-night editing sessions that slowly builds your confidence to finally take the plunge and produce a 90-to-120-minute story. 

But it’s a whole different celebration when that same first-time feature film sweeps your premier home-town film festival and wins best picture, direction, writing, editing, lead actor, supporting actor, cinematography, and musical score. 

Network for Good Heartland 33-0792600 - Paypal East County Media 83-1108634

By Jonathan Goetz and Miriam Raftery

July 17, 2024 (El Cajon) -- El Cajon’s Dinner and a Concert series continues each Friday night in August from 6 to 8 p.m. on the Prescott Promenade in downtown El Cajon.

The lineup features Stone Soul on August 2, Ronsatadt Revival on August 9: Ronstadt Revival, Trey Hill Band on August 16: The Heroes August 23, and on August 30, Billy Nation. 

By Susan Taylor

July 15,2004 (La Mesa) -- Neil Simon’s timeless comedy, The Odd Couple, is playing at Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa through July 28, a play worth seeing.  Directed by Diane Jones and produced by Cydney King, it is billed as the “female version”, so the cast is all female, with the exception of two male roles introduced in the second act.

The show retains the game-playing friends in a 1980’s New York apartment, and the principal roles of the jilted spouse and the slob.  Yvonne Nguyen portrays Florence Unger, the insecure wife in need of a place to stay and a best friend’s compassion. Erin Grayce plays Olive Madison, a hard-working sports writer who cares nothing for a tidy home.  Olive invites Florence to temporarily share her apartment until they get laughingly on each other’s nerves. Viewers come away with the realization that this very odd couple teaches valuable lessons about friendship and differences among people here and abroad.

By Miriam Raftery

July 3, 2024 (Jacumba Hot Springs) – The Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel hosts a variety of events coming up in July, including 4th of July at the Ritual Pool, the monthly  Bathhouse Bazaar, to DJ nights in the Exotic Desert Hideaway Bar, and concerts with live local bands at the Old Bathhouse. 

Come for an evening, a weekend, or buy a day pass to soak in the mineral pool or rent a poolside cabana to relax before enjoying nightlife after dark.  

Below is the July calendar of events; for full details visit https://jacumba.com/.

East Councy News Service

June 14, 2024 (Ramona) -- Relive the history of protest music and experience the sounds of Bob Dylan, Barry McGuire, Neil Young, and more on Saturday, June 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ramona Library.

Desert Crossing is a musical duo that specializes in vocal harmonies in covers and originals across a variety of musical genres. Sponsored the Friends of the Ramona Library.

East County News Service

May 21, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) -- The County of San Diego’s free “2024 Summer Movies in the Park” season starts at 6 p.m., Friday, May 24 with an event and sunset showing of the Oscar-winning blockbuster “Barbie” at the Waterfront Park downtown.  The full season includes more than 100 movies at dozens of parks countywide, including many in East County.

To celebrate the opening, there will be a variety of features and free fun for kids and families, including music, games, bounce houses, themed crafts, and other free activities. Although the movie starts at dusk, about 15 minutes past sunset, a host of free activities are expected to begin at 6 p.m. Make sure to bring a chair and blankets to cozy up for a night under the stars.

The first  East County showing will be on June 8, with “The Little Mermaid” 8 at Sweetwater Place Park Spring Valley and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” at Dos Picos County Park in Ramona.

East County and inland San Diego locations for future movies now through August include Campo, El Cajon, Escondido, Flinn Springs, Julian, La Mesa, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, Pine Valley, Potrero, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Rolando, San Carlos, Skyline, and Spring Valley.