March 8, 2011 (Rancho Jamul) – Rangers at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Rancho Jamul invite you to join in an easy to moderate “”Discover Wildflowers” hike with a U.S. Fish & Wildlife service ranger, featuring native plant experts from RECON Environmental Inc. The hike will be held on Saturday, March 26 from 9-10:30 a.m.

March 3, 2011 (Santee) -- Grab your gardening gloves and head on out to the SanTree Fest, a fun family event in Santee.  Guests can volunteer to help plant  over 50  trees or assist with river cleanup, enjoy live musical entertainment, sample healthy foods, enjoy kid crafts, and visit interactive environmental booths.

On our visit last year, some booths were also giving away plants, flowers, and even a potted pine tree. Kids and grown-ups had fun getting dirty--while helping to beautify the community.

February 24, 2011 (San Diego) -- Young Audiences of San Diego and The Salvation Army Kroc Center invite the public to a free Family Arts and Literacy Night Thursday, February 24th at 6:30 pm. Hundreds of families will gather in the Kroc Center Multipurpose Room-Education Building for an evening of fun for the “Carnaval Around the World” event and each child will take home a brand new book.

For this family-friendly Carnaval event, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Brazilian dance group Sol e Mar will perform. There will also be Capoeira and Samba workshops with musician and dancer Claudia Lyra.

February 11, 2011 (Escondido)--What could be sweeter on Valentine’s Day weekend than to indulge at the second annual “For the Love of Chocolate and SweetArt Festival” on February 12? Bring your sweetheart—or just your sweet tooth.

February 6, 2011 (San Diego) -- The second annual San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase series starts this month. With a total of 30 concerts taking place at twelve libraries across the county from February to June, the Acoustic Showcase series offers a variety of some of San Diego's best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers. These concerts are free to the community.

THE JIM AND ANN SHOW, LIVE IN THE LEE HOUSE MARCH 3

February 5, 2011 (Lemon Grove)--Jim and Ann Elliott, for 30 years the last word in printing, mailing and political consulting at Western Graphics in Lemon Grove, will bring tales from the trenches and little-known backstories of politicians on the prowl to "History Alive," the monthly lectures series sponsored by the Lemon Grove Historical Society on Mar. 3 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

January 31, 2011 (Escondido) – As part of its “Free First Wednesdays” series, California Center for the Arts in Escondido will present Billy Lee & The Swamp Critters on February 2 from 4-7 p.m. in the Center Theater.

January 27, 2011 (Escondido) – The California Center for the Arts in Escondido and Mike Pettite Presentations will present the musical comedy Forever Plaid on Saturday, January 29 at 7 p.m.

Artist’s reception for Abigail Kurtz Migala  on February 6

 January 16, 2011 (Borrego Springs) – Famed night-sky photographer Dennis Mammana announces a series of photography classes and lectures in Borrego Springs in January, February and March, plus a celestial overnight campout in the Anza-Borrego desert January 29-30.

January 14, 2011 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Arts Alliance will present its third annual theatrical production, “Radio Daze…Again” on Thursday, February 10 in the La Mesa Community Center Arbor Room.

“Last year’s Radio Daze was so enthusiastically received that we decided dot do another evening of the wonderful old scripts from the days when the radio was the major source of information and entertainment in the home,” said LMAA' spokeperson Patricia O’Reilly. “It is a trip down Memory Lane for some of us and an introduction for others to a whole new world.”

January 14, 2011 (El Cajon)--El Cajon Wesleyan Church presents a free Southern gospel concert that is open to the public. Greater Vision - the most awarded trio in the history of gospel music, will be performing Saturday, January 15th at 6 p.m. (Doors open at 5 p.m.)

January 6, 2011 (Anza-Borrego) – On Saturday, January 8 from 12 noon to 4 p.m., San Diego State University seismologist Tom Rockwell will lead a field trip to Coyote Creek Fault to discuss the geology of the area and its recent activity. Visitors should meet in the back parking lot of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center for the short off-trail walk, wich costs $35 (or $25 for Anza Borrego Foundation members).

January 6, 2011(LMt. Helix)--Kick off the New Year with a January 8 neighborhood walk from the San Miguel Fire Station, at 10105 Vivera in La Mesa, up to the amphitheater in Mt. Helix Park starting at 10 a.m.

The walk, co-sponsored by the Grossmont-Mt. Helix Improvement Association and the Mt. Helix Park Foundation, is a chance for neighbors to get to know each other.