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East County News Service
October 8, 2015 (San Diego's East County)--This week’s Destination East County includes a production of Stage Fright, a craft and harvest festival, Oktoberfest, Fall Fest at Grossmont Center, and a Fair Trade Gift Fair. Plus we’ll have a preview of coming attractions including the Enchanted Garden Gala, Tournament of the Phoenix and Festival of History, Haunt Fest on Main Street, and a Trick or Treat dog show.
Cajon Classic Cruises: Every Wednesday through Oct. 28
Cajon Classic Cruise continues through Oct. 28 in downtown El Cajon and features an amazing array of cars and different themes each Wednesday from 5-8 pm. with free admission. October 14 will be Cajon Speed Week, followed by the Best of the Best October 21st and on October 28th, the season ends with Trunk or Treat. For details, see www.cajonclassiccruise.org.
Alpine Country Craft and Harvest Festival Oct.. 9-11
Alpine Country Gifts & Crafts is hosting its 22nd annual “Something to Crow About” Craft and Harvest Festival October 9th, 10th and 11th. The event features crafts and homemade items, including “Owl Nesting Boxes” at the Alpine Women’s Club (2156 Alpine Boulevard).
The hours will be 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information call 619-445-4212.
Stage Fright: Oct. 9-Nov. 8 in La Mesa
Lamplighters Community Theatre in La Mesa continues its season with a mystery. Stage Fright opens on October 9th and runs through November 8th.
This eerie tale focuses on a drama critic who is led by an attractive production assistant into a recently discovered 19th century theater. There, he is to film an interview for a documentary on actor John Wilkes Booth, who once acted on these very boards.
But when the critic, notorious for his venomous reviews, downs a glass of drugged wine, he awakens to find himself tied to a Shakespearean throne on the stage of the old theatre--beside an actress he has savaged in reviews—who is not plotting murderous revenge. For tickets and details, you can visit www.lamplighterslamesa.com.
Fall Deep Pit BBQ in Alpine Saturday, October 10, 2015
The Alpine Veterans of Foreign Wars will host a fall deep pit barbecue in Alpine this Saturday, October 10th starting at 2 p.m. The menu includes beef, pork, and turkey with all the fixings. The event includes live music entertainment by Good Mojo Band from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. and a live auction. Tickets ($15) are on sale at the Post, 844 Tavern Rd., Alpine. (Children 6 and younger are free.)
Fire Prevention Week Open House in La Mesa Oct. 10
La Mesa Fire Station 11 on 8034 Alison Ave. (next door to the library) will be open to the public on Saturday, October 10 from 10:00 a.m - 2:00pm. This is a free event to educate the community and meet and greet the Heartland Fire and Rescue firefighters. The event includes disaster preparedness information and fire station tours, and more.
Oktoberfest in El Cajon continues Oct. 9-11
The German American Societies of San Diego is hosting its traditional Oktoberfest, which began last weekend and continues this weekend, October 9-11 in El Cajon. This family-friendly festival promotes traditional German culture, including entertainment provided by a German band plus folk dances, games, contests, vendor and craft stands, and a Kids’ Fun Zone. On Saturday nights, the clubhouse is open for dancing from 8pm to midnight with live German music. You can also taste authentic German food such as bratwurst, ox-on-the-spit, potato salad, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, and red cabbage, plus a variety of German pastries and pretzels, and of course, German beer. There will be prize drawings including a trip for two to Germany.
This annual celebration takes place at the German American Societies’ headquarters at 1017 South Mollison Avenue in El Cajon. Free shuttle service is offerered from the El Cajon Transit Center. For more information, visit www.oktoberfestelcajon.com.
Fair Trade Gift Fair in La Mesa Oct. 11
A Fair Trade gift faire will be held in La Mesa at St. Martin of Tours Parish Hall (7710 El Cajon Blvd.) on Sunday, October 11th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free fair will offer hand-crafted baskets, jewelry clothing accessories, chocolate, coffee, tea and more.
Fair Trade certification means artisans and farmers in the poorest areas of the world receive fair, livable wages for their product or ingredients, offering the public “socially responsible” shopping. In addition, production standards must protect the environment, build economic sustainability, provide opportunities for education and health care for families, and protect young children from forced labor. For more info, you can visit www.LaMesaFairTrade.blogspot.com.
NOW FOR A PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS…
Latino Film Festival at Grossmont College Tuesday, October 13
Grossmont College is hosting a free Latino Film Festival that explores Latino/a culture and history The final film showing,“Tambien la Lluvi” inspired by the real life Water Wars in Bolivia will be shown on Tuesday, Oct. 13. The film starts at 6 p.m. at Grossmont College (8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon) in Building 26, Room 220.
Aztec Dancers at Grossmont College Thursday, October 15
Aztec Dancers will perform in full costume at the Main Quad on Grossmont College on October 15th at 11:00 a.m. The dancers will explain the significance of their performance as it relates to the indigenous people who once dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the 14th to 16th centuries.
Women in Leadership Luncheon Oct. 16
The San Diego-East County Chamber of Commerce Annual Women in Leadership Luncheon will observe its 13th year at the Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley.
The luncheon honors San Diego County women, recognized by their peers as exemplary leaders. Women will be honored in seven fields: Arts/Media/Culture; Business; Education/Academia; Hospitality; Government/Defense; Healthcare, and the Non-profit Sector. This year’s nominees include our very own East County Magazine Editor Miriam Raftery.
Nominees must be San Diego County residents and have demonstrated exemplary character, integrity and outstanding leadership, not only in their field, but in their community. You can visit www.eastcountychamber.org for more information and to purchase tickets for the Leadership luncheon.
Fallfest in La Mesa Oct. 16-17
La Mesa’s Chamber of Commerce will present FallFest, a new festival to be held October 16 and 17 at Grossmont Center in La Mesa. This event features country and rock ‘n’ roll musical artists including Brent Payne, winner of the best country song of the year award at the Hollywood Music Awards in 2012 for his hit single, Now and Forever. He’s nominated again this year for his song, Midnight Prayer. A beer garden, food and more are also part of the fall festivities at this event.
For more information on FallFest visit www.LaMesaChamber.net
Concert at Mission Trails Regional Park Oct. 18
A free concert at Mission Trails Regional Park on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. will feature Yale Strom, an artist-in-residence at San Diego State University in the Jewish Studies Program. A skilled violinist who also has a band called Hot Pstromi in which he is accompanied by an accordion player, his primary focus is Klezmer – Jewish music – and Roma gypsy music. In addition to performing, Strom enjoys teaching his audience about the history and development of Klezmer and Roma music.
Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center is located at: One Friar Junipero Serra Trail in San Diego. For more information, visit www.MTRP.org
"Enchanted Garden” Gala Oct. 17
The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College will once again be transformed into "The Enchanted Garden" during a gala event on October 17th. Wander a magical path through illuminated gardens as you enjoy ethereal music, delicious, garden-inspired fare and captivating entertainment. This year’s theme is “Water—More Precious Than Gold.”
The event includes a silent auction, seated outdoor dinner and live program Proceeds will support The Garden's award-winning youth education program, as well as programs and services educating residents of all ages about conserving our most precious natural resource – water
The Water Conservation Garden is on the campus of Cuyamaca College (12122 Cuyamaca College Drive) in Rancho San Diego. For more Information go to www.thegarden.org/gala
Tournament of the Phoenix and Festival of History Oct. 17
An international jousting competition, lifestyle camps from Rome to the Renaissance and squires’ equestrian skills are all part of the colorful line-up at the Tournament of the Phoenix and Festival of History. The event takes place Saturday, October 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Poway Rodeo Grounds (14336 Tierra Bonita Road in Poway).
The event also feature live music, foods, demonstrations and display, exhibitors, shopping, games and activities. For more information or tickets, visit www.tournamentofthephoenix.com.
Borrego Days Desert Festival Oct. 23-25
The 50th annual Borrego Days Desert Festival will be held October 23rd through 25th. This year’s theme is “Those Were the Days.” Borrego Days Desert Festival has a long history of welcoming in the desert’s peak season, enticing locals to come together after a long hot summer and to welcome snowbirds back for a warm desert winter. On Saturday, festival goers will line the main street for the popular parade that includes a flyover, equestrians, marching bands, floats, clowns, dancers, and more.
There will also be live entertainment, arts and crafts, food vendors, children's activities, a beer and beverage garden, carnival fun zone with inflatable water slides, obstacle course, bull ride and more. For details you can visit www.BorregoDays.com.
Haunt Fest on Main Street Oct. 23
Get your costume ready for the fourth annual “HauntFest on Main” in downtown El Cjaon on October 23rd from 5 to 10 p.m. Admission is free, but some rides will charge a nominal fee. This fun, family-friendly Halloween themed event features live bands, a haunted car show, a variety of local vendors, and food available for purchase. Visit the special children’s craft and game booths, face painting, outdoor movies, and enjoy carnival rides. You can also dress in your favorite costume and enter the costume contests for a chance to win prizes! For more information, check out http://hauntfest.org/
Trick or Treat Dog Show Oct. 24
The Alpine Stagecoach Lions Club is holding a “Trick or Treat” Dog Show on Saturday, October 24, at Summers Past Farms in Flinn Springs (15602 Olde Highway 80). The dog show runs from 1 to 4 p.m. with a costume contest, prizes, and trophies, food and fun—plus you can visit the pumpkin patch to pick your jack-o-lantern. All proceeds from this event go directly to purchase a seeing-eye service dog for someone in need. For details, see www.AlpineLions.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 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.
Audio:
Destinatoin East County 10-9-15
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