DESTINATION EAST COUNTY: TOP FESTIVAL & EVENTS OCT. 19-NOV. 30

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East County News Service

October 17, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes HauntFest on Main in El Cajon, a Julian melodrama, Borrego Days Desert Festival, the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, pumpkin patches filled with festive fall activities, a haunted amusement park, spooky camp overs, safe trick or treating options for children, and a haunted train ride.

Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions including a presentation of It’s a Wonderful Life by Pickwick Players in Santee, the Mother Goose Parade in downtown El Cajon, and Tony Orlando in concert at Sycuan.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!

HAUNTFEST ON MAIN OCT. 19 IN EL CAJON

The 7th Annual “HauntFest on Main” is back on Friday, October 19 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the 200 block of East Main Street in Downtown El Cajon.

This fun, family-friendly Halloween-themed community event features live music, costume contests, carnival rides & games, candy challenge activities, Monster’s, Inc. & Monster’s University outdoor movies, face painting, craft booths, inflatables and more! Admission is free, but some of the rides will charge a nominal fee.

For more information, visit Hauntfest.org or call (619) 441-1754.

JULIAN MELODRAMA CONTINUES THROUGH OCTOBER 27TH

The Julian Triangle Club presents a Julian melodrama titled “Lady Sophie’s Secret” running now through October 27th.  You’re invited to join the floozies, boo the villain, cheer for the hero and laugh until you cry.

You can find tickets for this production written by Patricia McFarlane exclusively for the Julian Triangle Club at www.JulianMelodrama.com or at the Julian Town Hall.

BORREGO DAYS FESTIVAL OCT. 20-21

An air parade will sweep the skies with over 30 vintage and military aircraft as part of this year’s parade in Borrego Springs on Saturday, October 20th at 10 a.m., followed by a 10:30 street parade complete with floats, equestrians, trick-riding cowboys, marching bands and more.

It’s all part of the two-day, 53rd annual Borrego Days Festival October 20th and 21st. Borrego Days also includes crafts and vendors, kids’ activities including rock climbing, carnival rides and inflatable slides, food and beverages, plus live music to dance the night away.

For more information, you can visit Borregodays.com/.

LAGUNA MOUNTAIN RENDEZVOUS OCT. 12-21

You’re invited to step back in time to an 1800s era Rocky Mountain fur trading camp at the 30th annual Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, which continues this weekend, October 19th through 21st at the Mataguay Scout Reservation in Santa Ysabel.

You can view demonstratives of survival skills such as tool making, cooking, tomahawk throwing, archery and black powder shooting. This event draws hundreds of participants from across the western U.S. 

Period campers and day visitors are welcome. For more information, visit LagunaMountainRendezvous.com.

NAWNEE’S PUMPKIN PATCH

Nawnee’s Pumpkin Patch, run by Burgio Feed and Supply (39605 Old Highway 80) in Boulevard is open Saturdays through Halloween. The patch is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with games from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. including a barrel race, mummy wrap, costume contest, and candy prizes.

Visitors are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item for a food drive and receive a 10% discount on any pumpkin purchased.

OMA’S PUMPKIN PATCH

Now in its 19th year, Oma’s Pumpkin Patch at the Van Ommering Dairy in Lakeside is open for the season now through October 31st.  You can visit Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Activities include Cottonseed Mountain for kids to climb and slide down, a playground with swings, covered hay rides around the farm, a hay bale maze, a petting corral, a pedal cart and tricycle race track, kid-powered games, and a pumpkin patch with pumpkins ranging from small sizes to over 100 pounds.

Also available for purchase are Indian corn, corn stalks, gourds, hay bales, honey, crafts, souvenirs and seasonal items. There’s also a Cow Country Café snack barn.

For admission details and directions, visit http://www.omaspumpkinpatch.com/.

PUMPKIN EXPRESS OCT. 6-28 IN CAMPO

You're invited to come ride the Pumpkin Express aboard vintage railcars through the San Diego county mountains as fall descends upon Campo. Walk through a themed Display Building at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum complete with two haunted trains, a pumpkin patch, and a creepy cast of ghosts and ghouls.

For details, visit the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum at PSRM.org.

HAUNTED AMUSEMENT PARK OPEN NOW THROUGH OCT. 28

The Haunted Amusement Park, a Halloween “scare trail’ and haunted house is open now through October 28th on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  The trail leads guests through the abandoned grounds of Marshal Scotty’s Playland in Flinn Springs, just east of El Cajon. The Ferris wheel, roller coaster and bumper cars are now the backdrop to this annual Halloween haunt.

The hours are 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

For more information or tickets, you can visit www.ScareTrail.com.

TREAT OR TREAT IN BOULEVARD OCTOBER 28

The Backcountry Resource Center in Boulevard, the former Boulevard Fire Station, will offer free trick-or treating for children and a costume contest for all ages on October 28th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Dinner will be available (for a donation of $5 for adults, $3 for children), provided by Jay’s Southern Café. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, snack walk and kids’ games.

Prizes will be awarded for most creative costume, most fun costume, and judge’s choice.

SPOOKY CAMP-O-WEEN WEEKENDS IN OCTOBER AT LAKE JENNINGS

Lake Jennings in Lakeside is hosting Spooky Camp-o-Ween events the two weekends before Halloween, Oct. 19-21 and Oct. 26-28, complete with ghost stories, s’mores, a campsite decorating contest, trick or treating and creepy crafts.

On Friday nights, get in the spirit with ghost stories and smores at 7 p.m.  Then on Saturdays, there will be campsite trick or treating from 4 to 5 p.m. followed by a campsite decorating contest with judging at 6 p.m.  Prizes include an all-inclusive camping weekend. On Sundays, you can also enjoy creepy craft time at 10 a.m.

For more information, visit LakeJennings.org.

LIONS, TIGERS AND BEARS HOSTS SPOOKY CAMPOVER OCT. 26-27

Come for a wild and ghoulish night under the stars with the rescued exotic animals of Lions Tigers & Bears in Alpine on Friday night, October 26th through Saturday morning, October 27th. The annual Spooky Campover at this world renown non-profit animal sanctuary is a family favorite. Enjoy pumpkin carving, s’mores, campfire songs, special animal feedings and more.  A costume contest will be held Saturday morning, followed by a special feeding visit to watch the big cats and bears enjoy their pumpkin treats. 

Don't forget to bring: camping gear, food, a pumpkin to carve, and of course your best costume. For tickets and details, visit lionstigersandbears.org.

VIEJAS OUTLETS TRICK OR TREATING OCT. 31

If you’re looking for a safer trick-or-treating option for children, Viejas Outlets in Alpine invites you to visit from 5-8 p.m. on Halloween night, Wednesday October 31st, for a treat.  The movie “Hocus Pocus” will also be playing on the big screen at the ice rink at 6 p.m. (The ice rink will be opening for the season on Nov. 2.)

Viejas Outlets is located at 5005 Willows Road ∙ Alpine, CA 91901 ∙ (800) 847-6537 https://viejas.com/san-diegos-premier-outlets-mall/

NOW FOR A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS…

MOTHER GOOSE PARADE NOV. 18

The 72nd annual Mother Goose Parade will roll through the streets of downtown El Cajon on Sunday, November 18th beginning at 1 p.m.

Hundreds of entries come from across the county to share in the excitement. The line-up includes spectacular floats, marching bands and drill units, eloquent equestrians, animated clowns, special characters, performing artists, Hollywood celebrities, giant helium balloons, specialty vehicles, and Santa Claus. Each entry is selected to bring enjoyment to children and adults alike.

The parade starts at Main Street and El Cajon Boulevard, proceeding 1.25 miles to its conclusion at First and Main Street.  Afterwards, celebrity child stars may be found signing autographs at the Downtown Café and Urbn Pizza.

For more information, you can visit www.mothergooseparade.org/.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY NOV. 30-DEC. 15

Pickwick Players in Santee will present It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play opening November 30th and running through December 15th.

The production recounts the classic story of George Bailey’s Christmas Eve, when the depressed man is visited by a guardian angel who shows him the lives he has touched and then shows him how different his community of Bedford Falls would have been without him.

On opening night, a champagne reception will also be held.  For tickets, visit www.PickwickPlayers.net.

TONY ORLANDO AT SYCUAN NOV. 30

Singer Tony Orlando will perform at Sycuan’s Live and Up Close Theatre on November 30th at 8 p.m.

The Grammy nominee celebrates five decades of endearing entertaining including five hit records: “Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Ole Oak Tree,” “Knock Three Times,” “Candida,” “My Sweet Gypsy Rose” and “He Don’t Love You Like I Love You.”

Tie A Yellow Ribbon” was the number one Billboard Song of 1973 and became Orlando’s theme song. For tickets, you can visit www.Sycuan.com.

That’s all for this week! You can find details on all of these events and more in the calendar and events section at our website, www.EastCountyMagazine.org.

If you have an event you’d like added to our calendar, or if you would like to sponsor the Destination East County column on our website, or the Destination East County show on KNSJ Radio, you can contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.  Destination East County is the most-read feature on our website.

We’ll be back next week with more festivals, events and attractions in San Diego’s East County!


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