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East County News Service
October 3, 2018 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County includes the Ramona Air Fair, a fishing class at Lake Morena, Oktoberfest in El Cajon, Oma’s Pumpkin Patch, the Pumpkin Express in Campo, and a Haunted Amusement Park in Flinn Springs.
Plus, we’ll have a preview of coming attractions including spooky campouts at Lake Jennings in Lakeside and at Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine, the Laguna Mountain Rendezvous, the Borrego Days desert festival and parade, fair trade shopping in La Mesa, HauntFest on Main in El Cajon, and trick or treating at Viejas Outlets in Alpine.
So scroll down for all of these events and many more!
RAMONA AIR FAIR AND FLY-IN OCT. 6
The Ramona Air Fair and Fly-In will take place at the county’s Ramona Airport on Saturday, October 6th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Visitors can see vintage airplanes, Cal Fire and U.S. Forest Service firefighting aircraft, and home-made planes. Rides in a tethered hot air balloon as well as Young Eagle airplane rides will also be available on a first-come, first service basis.
You can also see classic cars, enjoy live music, tour the control tower and a helicopter museum, enjoy kids’ activities such as face painting and pinatas, savor foods and a beer garden for adults.
For details, visit the Ramona Airport website (https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/dpw/airports/ramona.html).
FISHING CLASS OCT. 6 AT LAKE MORENA
You’re invited to drop a line at a free fishing class at Lake Morena County Park in Campo (2550 Lake Morena Drive) this Saturday, October 6th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Meet at the boat dock to get tips on how to catch fish such as trout, bass, bluegill or catfish. You’ll also learn about lures, baits, how to rig tackle, tie knots and cast.
For more information, call the Lake Morena County Park at (619) 579-4101.
GERMAN-AMERICAN SOCIETIES OKTOBERFEST IN EL CAJON CONTINUES OCT. 5-7
The German-American Societies of San Diego continues their Oktoberfest at their headquarters in El Cajon this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 5th through 7th.
Guests can enjoy authentic German food such as bratwurst, ox roasted on a spit, potato salad, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, red cabbage, pretzels and Bavarian pastries – and of course, German beers. Entertainment includes the Guggenbach-Baum band flown in all the way from Germany for your polka and oompah-pah pleasure.
For advance tickets and details, visit germanclubsandiego.org/.
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.
NOW FOR A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS…
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 October 12th 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.
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.
FAIR TRADE SHOPPING IN LA MESA OCT. 14
You’re invited to “shop with joy and purpose” at the annual La Mesa Fair Trade Shopping event on Sunday, October 14th from 8 a.m. to 1 :30 p.m. at St. Martin of Tours Parish Hall in La Mesa.
Enjoy fair trade ice cream and food samples while perusing handmade baskets, jewelry, leather goods, clothing, toys, pottery, Christmas ornaments, gift baskets, coffee, tea, chocolate more.
You can make a difference with your purchases this season by improving people’s lives and the environment. The goal of the fair trade movement is to pay farmers and artisans in developing countries a fair price for their goods to help alleviate poverty around the world.
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.
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/.
WITCHES WINE AND DINE AT GRANITE LION CELLARS OCT. 27
East County Dining Club invites you to Witches Wine and Dine at Granite Lion Cellars Winery in Jamul on Saturday, October 27th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Start with wine samples in the tasting room, then enjoy a catered feast in the haunted oak grove. Proceeds benefit East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts and East County Media to support our nonprofit reporting.
There will also be a treasure trove of prizes that you could win, and a costume contest. Advance reservations are required, with early bird rates through Oct. 20th for the Oct. 27th event. Get tickets and details at www.EastCountyMedia.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/
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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