November 21, 2015 (El Cajon)—St. Michael’s Chaldean Catholic Church will host its first annual “Gift of Giving Christmas Gala” on Friday, December 4 at 8 p.m.  The 21+ wine and cheese gala will feature a silent auction, raffle items, a selection of wines from local wineries, craft beers and donated foods.

East County News Service

Lions, Tigers and Bears invites you to a Christmas Festival on  Saturday, December 5^th from 1 to 4 p.m.  You can watch the animals open their Christmas presents –and get holiday shopping all in one day at the exotic animal rescue facility east of Alpine.

There will be also be many local vendors, food, entertainment and a special appearance by the man in red--Santa Claus.

November 10, 2015 (Alpine)--Viejas Casino & Resort has officially opened its holiday ice rink for the winter season. Hundreds of guests arrived at Viejas Outlets for the opening night, October 30, to enjoy some holiday fun by spinning and gliding on Southern California’s largest outdoor ice skating rink.

November 10, 2015 (Flinn Springs)--You are invited to start your holiday season at Summers Past Farms, which is hosting a holiday open house on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. featuring fall and Christmas gifts plus home decor. The barn will be filled with lights and the trimmings of the season. The store will glisten with holiday sparkle and  scents of the season. The Soap Shoppe will also be open with special holiday soaps and gifts .

Making this an old fashion open house please bring a plate of your favorite homemade cookies for the cookie table. Summers Past will have Christmas music & hot wassail for you to enjoy at this most enjoyable event under the Christmas lights.

East County News Service

November 7, 2015 (Ramona) – One of East County’s most unique holiday traditions is Pomegranate Days at the Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona. 

Instead of battling crowds at the mall on the post-Thanksgiving weekend, why not head up to the Pomegranate Festival to enjoy feeding pomegranates to camels, camel rides for kids 3-14 (just print the coupon below)  watching a turkey stampede  (as seen at the county fair),  tropical bird show, and this year, circus performers as the high-flying McCandles family brings their aerial show to the site.

You can also buy holiday gift items such as a new product this year, Camel Milk Bath Bombs. Owners claim, “Cleopatra herself never had such a luxurious milk bath!”

November 1, 2015 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Chamber is beginning to gather items for the 22 seniors that the Chamber adopts each year during the holidays. It is the goal of the Chamber to collect, purchase and assemble items and place them in large gift baskets. These gift baskets are delivered along with a hot turkey dinner, with all of the trimmings to the selected seniors by the La Mesa Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol.

Join East County Magazine at our Halloween Eve Masquerade Party at our editor's "haunting" home on Mt. Helix!

Friday, October 30th, 6-10 p.m.

Savor a "spook-tacular" feast, hear local spine-tingling ghost stories, watch classic '50s suspense films, listen to live original and variety music with Paul Nichols, and win wonderful prizes!  Free, fabulous masquerade masks for the first 50 RSVPs. 

Suggested donation: Just $10 and bring a dish to share. Happy Halloween Eve!

This event is open exclusively to East County Magazine subscribers. Our subscriptions to our weekly e-newsletter are FREE. Sign up here: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/wild-fire-alerts  and then reserve your space!  Reserve space now!  Call 619-698-7617 or email editor@eastcountymagazine.org to RSVP and get the address.

East County News Service

October 17, 2015 (El Cajon)--East County’s only haunted amusement park trail debuts this Halloween season at the abandoned Marshal Scotty’s amusement park in El Cajon (14039 Ridge Hill Road, at the Lake Jennings exit).  Rumored to be haunted by past park employees, Marshal Scary Scotty’s “Scare Trail” will be open October 28-31, 2015 from 6 to 11 p.m.

This year, see the bumper car carnage, try to stay in one piece through the slaughter trailer and the haunted park offices, visit the frightening Ferris wheel….and don’t forget to brace yourself as you walk through the remains of the death coaster.

Get your team ready or just come to watch the pumpkins fly!

October 14, 2015 (Alpine)--The 2nd Annual Alpine Education Foundation Punkin Chunkin is set forSunday, Nov. 8th, at 10 a.m. at Joan MacQueen Middle School. This family friendly educational fundraiser to benefit Alpine schools requires teams to create a launching device to chunk their pumpkins for accuracy and distance while competing for nearly $2,000 in cash prizes for distance and accuracy. Entry fee is $100. Admission is free.

On October 22/23/24, 2015 millions of Jews in over 500 cities in 65 countries around the world will join as one in celebrating a traditional, cohesive and momentous Shabbat

October 9, 2015 (San Diego)-- On October 22, 23 and 24, 2015 millions of Jews in over 500 cities in 65 countries around the world will join as one in celebrating a traditional, cohesive and momentous Shabbat, a day of rest and rejuvenation. Locally, Shabbat San Diego (www.shabbatsandiego.org) is coordinating and planning, in conjunction with local congregations, community organizations, schools and youth groups, a unique free three-day experience to inspire more than 20,000 Jewish San Diegans to join in and experience the uniquely joyful mind-body-spiritual restorative powers that a personally evocative Shabbat experience promotes.