By Miriam Raftery

September 21, 2022 (El Cajon) – Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, started more than 200 years ago with the community-wide celebration of a German prince’s wedding. In El Cajon, the German-American Club will host its own authentic Oktoberfest over two weekends: Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and Oct. 7-9 at the Club’s headquarters, 1017 S. Mollison Ave. in El Cajon.

 East County News Service

September 19, 2022 (Spring Valley) – Mt. Miguel High School Foundation, the nonprofit organization devoted to helping Mt. Miguel High School, is hosting Quartermania on Saturday, October 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

East County News Service

September 11, 2022 (Lemon Grove) – The Lemon Grove Improvement Council invites you to stand up comedy open mic night at the Hamlett coffee house.  The fun begins at 7 p.m. 

Want to perform?  Sign up by emailing Teresa Rosiak at teresa.rosial2019@gmail.com or call 619-991-1004. 

 

The Hamlett is located at 7801 Broadway in Lemon Grove, on the corner of Broadway and Lemon Grove Avenue.

Story and photo courtesy of Courtesy of Parkway Plaza 

September 7, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Parkway Plaza, El Cajon’s premier shopping destination, is hosting the 2022 nationwide beauty summit series, CosmeCon. Celebrating female entrepreneurs, body positivity, self-confidence and owning your glow at Parkway Plaza, the event takes place on Saturday, September 10 from 12-3 p.m. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 3, 2022 (Lemon Grove, CA)  -- You’re invited to celebrate International Literacy Week at  the new My Space Learning Time childcare center in Lemon Grove. Bring your children to enjoy different themed events each day from September 5-10.

Come early for a meet and greet starting at 2:30, following by an afternoon and evening of free, fun events from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day including:

• Mon. Sept. 5:   Alphabet crafts
• Tues. Sept. 6:  Alphabet puzzle
• Wed. Sept. 7:  Matching and rhyming words
• Thurs. Sept. 8: Building your family story
• Fri. Sept. 9:      Sensory bits
• Sat. Sept. 10:   Grand celebratory day of literacy in our community
  

By Miriam Raftery

Aug. 17, 2022 (Julian) – The Julian Grape Stomp Festa celebrates its 25^th anniversary on September 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., when guests can continue an Old World tradition of kicking off your shoes, rolling up your pant legs and letting grapes squish beneath your feet.  Visitors can also sip samples from local wineries, enjoy food, shopping, live music and even kick up your heels with some extemporaneous dancing.

East County News Service

August 28, 2022 (El Cajon) – You’re invited to Alley Cat Art Walk, a free evening event Friday, September 16 from 4 to 8 p.m.  Eight art galleries, two art studios, a museum, and other local small businesses will participate, encouraging the public to discover the arts in downtown El Cajon while enjoying fine art, art demonstrations, live music, food and beverages.

San Diego’s newest film festival screens nominated features, shorts, documentaries, and music videos

July 5, 2022 (San Diego) -- Celebrating the spirit and achievements of independent filmmakers, the San Diego Movie Awards holds its inaugural festival August 2-5, 2022. The festival highlights films with budgets under $1 million, and seeks to promote the work of independent film makers, not only in San Diego, but across the globe. The three days of screenings will take place in-person at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in Balboa Park. View trailer.

The festival also includes a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association/San Diego and Imperial County on August 2, with a showing of “Not to Forget.”

By Miriam Raftery

July 29, 2022 (San Diego's East County) - This week’s Destination East County highlights upcoming East County events including the Julian Natural Wonderfest, an art show at a winery, a grape stomp in Julian, the Ramona Country Fair, a Star Party at Mission Trails, a Laurel and Hardy comedy night, community concerts and car shows in several communities, a concert to benefit the homeless in El Cajon, candlelight concerts, the Mt. Helix Food and Wine Festival and more.

East County News Service

July 17, 2022 (Julian) -- On Saturday, Aug. 20, the Julian Natural Wonderfest provides a free community celebration of the world of nature from 4 to 10 p.m. at Jess Martin Park in Julian.

Source: Julian Chamber of Commerce

July 17, 2022 (Julian) -- On Saturday, July 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Julian Chamber of Commerce is co-hosting the 7th annual Sip of Julian. The Sip features many of Julian’s alcoholic beverage purveyors.

By Miriam Raftery

July 11, 2022 (Borrego Springs) – Famed night sky photographer, columnist and instructor Dennis Mammana is offering several fascinating events sure to put stars in your eyes.  They include a Nightfall Star Party, Borrego Night Sky Tours, and Celestial Overnight Campout all in Borrego Springs. For the adventurous at heart, Mammana is also leading an astronomy trip to Alaska to view the Aurora Borealis, or Norther Lights.

Below are details.

By Elijah McKee

July 6, 2022 (Lemon Grove) — Looking for weekend family fun with free admission? On Saturday, July 9, the inaugural Citrus Festival will take place at the Lemon Grove Recreation Center from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring food trucks, inflatables, vendors, games, contests, prizes, entertainment and more.

By Miriam Raftery

June 12, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – East County’s most beloved Independence Day celebrations are back, after a hiatus during the pandemic.

Here are the many fun and festive Fourth of July activities in our inland region, including fireworks, a parade, a music festival and more.

By Henri Migala

Photo, left: ECM editor Miriam Raftery with Allan Durden, organizer of La Mesa’s Juneteenth event.

June 21, 2022 (La Mesa) -- Several hundred people came out to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth at MacArthur Park in La Mesa on Sunday, June 19, with food, music, history, entertainment, including the MLK Choir, step-show dance groups, bounce house with slide, crafts, and family fun.

This La Mesa Juneteenth and Friends celebration is a grassroots community effort to bring the rich heritage, culture, and fun of a Juneteenth Jubilee to La Mesa, East County and the wider San Diego region.

Juneteenth commemorates the official end of slavery in the U.S., when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedoms on June 19, 1865, over two years after U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The inaugural commemoration of it was in 1866, and it was officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.