DESTINATION EAST COUNTY: TOP FESTIVALS & EVENTS APRIL 23

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April 23, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) --This week’s Destination East County includes our own Spanish Fiesta in Ramona to benefit East County Magazine, as well as Cuyamaca College’s Spring Garden Festival and the East County Garden tour. Plus we’ll also have a preview of coming attractions including … So stay tuned for all of these events and more!

SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE APRIL 25

Like honey bees to a hive, the public swarms Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego (900 Rancho San Diego Parkway) each year for its immensely popular Spring Garden Festival.  This year, the 22nd annual free event takes place on Saturday, April 25th from  9 a.m to 3 p.m.

From urban farming to water-conserving landscaping ideas, the festival is the place to go to learn about sustainability. The event showcases the college’s Ornamental Horticulture program, as well as the Water Conservation Garden and Heritage of the Americas Museum on campus. Over 50 vendors, craftspeople, and artisans will be present. In addition, activities, exhibits, tours, and demonstrations of sustainable gardening and landscaping will be offered.

For more information visit www.Cuyamaca.edu and click on events.

EAST COUNTY GARDEN TOUR APRIL 25

Friends of East County will host a garden tour on Saturday, April 25th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The tour features five gardens with an amazing variety of settings including water-wise gardens, themed gardens, flowering plants including a one-acre rose garden, and vendors offering crafts and garden creations.

Friends of East County Arts, Inc. is a non-profit philanthropic organization that supports the performing and fine arts in East County. For garden tour tickets ($15 in advance, $18 at th4e door) call Christy Klock at 619-442-8515 or visit: http://www.friendsofecarts.org/

SPANISH FIESTA WITH EAST COUNT MAGAZINE APRIL 26 IN RAMONA

East County Magazine invites you to attend our Spanish Fiesta on Sunday, April 26 from 12 to 2 p.m. at Hacienda de las Rosas Winery in Ramona.  Proceed will benefit our nonprofit news reporting and wildfire alerts. Guests will enjoy flamenco guitar music, winetasting, foods from Jeremy’s on the Hill and Grove Pastry Shop, an equestrian demonstration with Jorge Valenzuela and Peruvian Paso horses, a silent auction and opportunity drawings. 

For tickets or details, visit www.EastCountyMagazine.org or call 619-698-7617.

CAJON CLASSIC CRUISES CINCO DE MAYO

Cajon Classic Cruises is celebrating Cinco de Mayor on Wednesday, April 29th from 5 to 8 p.m. on Main Street in downtown El Cajon. For  more information, visit www.downtownelcajon.com.

Now for a preview of coming attractions….

CAMPO-LAKE MORENA ROUNDUP

The 9th annual Campo-Lake Morena Roundup is set for Saturday, May 2nd at the Camp Lockett Event and Equesterian Facility (799 Forrest Gate Rd.) in Campo. Gates open at 7 a.m. with opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. and presentation of this year’s grand marshall at 10 a.m. Guestes are welcome to wear period costumes.

You can enjoy a day in the country and witness how the cowboys ride, rope and brand cattle in the Ranch Branding Competition. Watch or try your luck in the Gene Martinez Memorial Horseshoe Tournament An all day Gymkhana for kids and adults will also take place – that’s games on horseback. There will also be a Miss Roundup Pageant, relay races, three legged races, tug-of-war, roping, and a hula hoop contest.

Gunfight Skits will be hosted by The Hole in the wall Gang with special guests The Gaskills, who will reenact the famous Campo Gunfight of 1875. There is also a “mutton busting” competition for kids under 50 pounds, as well as a stickhorse race.

(Admission: $5 for Adults and Children age 6 and over) The Camp Lockett Event and Equestrian Facility is located in Campo on the old Camp Lockett Army base. For more information you can visit www.campocleef.org/roundup

SAGE AND S ONGBIRDS MAY 1-3

The 18th annual Sage & Songbirds Garden Tour on May 1-3 will feature five private home gardens plus a hummingbird haven and a raptor rehabilitation facility for close-up viewing of wildlife.

The tour includes water-wise plants such as succulents and native plants from Australia, the Mediterranean and California, as well as garden-related vendors, plant sales, music, , live butterfly releases plus Kruisin’ Kritters Reptiles & Insects. For tickets ($20 at the door, or $17.50 by April 15)  and a schedule visit http:/www.Chirp.org.

INKOPAH CLASSIC DESERT CONCERT MAY 2

The second annual In-Ko-Pah classic desert concert will be held  on May 2nd .   This outdoor high-desert concert will be held at the Desert View Tower, a state historical monument perched on a rocky hillside overlooking the Anza-Borrego Desert. The In-Ko-Pah offers music lovers and naturalists alike a chance to experience an overnight event featuring multiple bands within our Southwest region. For tickets and details visit http://inkopah2.brownpapertickets.com/.

COYOTE MUSIC FESTIVAL MAY 2

You’re invited to have a howling good time at the Coyote Music Festival at Cuyamaca College on Sunday, May 2 from 12 to 4 p.m.  

Six homegrown bands playing an eclectic mix of folk, jazz, pop and rock will perform on two stages on the grand lawn of Cuyamaca College at the Coyote Music Festival noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2. Now in its seventh year, the entirely student-run festival will provide the community a free afternoon of live music by local talent in a family-friendly venue, where picnic blankets and lawn chairs are the best seats in the house.

For students enrolled in Music Industry Studies, the festival represents a term project, the culmination of a semester’s work learning every aspect of putting on a big music event, preparing for careers in the music industry.Along with the music, vendors selling jewelry, kettle corn and more will be a part of the festival.

For details see http://www.Cuyamaca.edu

CAFÉ MURDER DINNER THEATRE MAY 1-3 IN EL CAJON

“Café Murder” will be presented by The Circle Players of East County, a new community theatre group, May 1 through May 3 at Richardson Hall in El Cajon (551 Farragut Circle).

This fun murder mystery comedy is for all ages. The leading character, who is allergic to water, is celebrating her birthday at a restaurant with her sisters. The birthday girl disappears and is presumed murdered. Everyone has a motive and everyone is a suspect. Was it one of Rosemary’s sisters or the self-taught detective or the passionate French chef or the sarcastic waiter?

You will find lots of laughs while trying to figure it out! The only witnesses in the restaurant are the audience members who get involved by casting their vote. The Circle Players is part of the First Presbyterian Church of El Cajon’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program established as a drama/theatre outreach to the East County.

Reservations are required. For information on show times or tickets ($20)  visit

 http://www.FirstPres-ElCajon.org

SAN DIEGO FESTIVAL CHORUS & ORCHESTRA CONCERT MAY 3

The San Diego Festival Chorus and Orchestra will present “Two for the Show” on Sunday, May 3rd at 3 p.m. at College Avenue Baptist Church (4747 College Avenue, San Diego). The concert features two major choral works:  Gioacchino Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” and John Rutter’s “Feel the Spirit.”  For tickets ($17 at the door, discounts for advance purchases from $5-$15) visit www.SanDiegoFestivalChorus.org.

VINTAGE ALPINE MAY 3

The 25th annual Vintage Alpine will be held on Sunday May 3rd from 1 to 4 p.m. at Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs. Vintage Alpine will feature tastings of 40 wines plus foods from fine restaurants across our region.  This event attracts over 500 people annually, with all proceeds used to benefit services and programs for the children of San Diego.

Vintage Alpine, a wine experience in the country, is presented by the Kiwanis Club of Alpine Foundation.. This event is limited to persons 21 years of age and up. Tickets ($70 in advance, $80 at the door) can be reserved at http://www.VintageAlpine.org.

BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL MAY 9

The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College in Rancho San Diego hosts is annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Activities include tours of a butterfly pavilion and butterfly discovery lab, workshops, a pollinator party with Ms. Smarty Pants and Miss Metamorphosis for kids, live music, food, crafts and jewelry by local artisans. 

Children are encouraged to dress as a caterpillar or their favorite winged pollinator for the Pollinator Party at 11:30 am. (Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children ages 3-17).  For more information visit  http://www.thegarden.org/butterfly

RAMONA WESTERN DAYS MAY 9

Ramona Western Days, a living history encampments and gunfighter skit competition will be held Saturday May 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 10th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the   : Ramona Rodeo Grounds (421 Aqua Lane in Ramona).

Hosted by Ramona Old West Days and Guns of the Round Table, the encampments will feature people representing the conditions people endured in the 1800s including mountain men, pioneers, Civil War soldiers and cowboys.

New this year is a gunfighter skit competition on Saturday and Sunday showcasing comedies dramas, melodramas, history and more.  For details contact RamonaOldWestDays@gmail.com

MOTHER’S DAY AT GRANT JAMES VINEYARD MAY 9-10

Grant James Vineyard in Ramona will be celebrating Mother’s Day on May 9th and 10th, with flowers and chocolates for every Mom. For more information, visit http://www..VineyardGrantJames.com.

AMERICA ON MAIN STREET MAY 16

America on Main Street, a fun-filled family event, is being held this year on Saturday - May 16th, in the downtown El Cajon area, beginning at 8:00 a.m. and lasting until 8:00 p.m.

Admission is free--as are miniature pony rides, a kid friendly petting zoo, large Ferris wheel, and varieties of games & crafts for the children. There will also be four different stages featuring live entertainment and music for your listening pleasure. For details visit http://www.AmericaonMainStreet.org.

That’s all for this week! You can find details on all of these events and more on our Calendar and in our Festivals and Events section online at http://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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