April 18, 2013 (Descanso) – The Descanso Town Hall will be honored on Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m. and you are invited to join in the festivities.  The historic Town Hall has been selected by E Clampus Vitus, a national primer historical society, to be honored with a monument and plaque.

This historical preservation society, under the leadership of Descanso’s own Warren Geiske, will be unveiling the monument on April 20.

What determines a structure as a historical building includes age, era in which it was built and style. Descanso’s Town Hall was built in 1898, during the time when town halls were being built across the United States.  The purpose for town halls was to build a meeting place where one could get married, have a wake, enjoy a square dance, a pot luck, or even attend church—much the same ways in which Descanso’s town hall continues to be utilized to this day.

By George Dominguez

April 13, 2013 (Jamul) -- Saturday marked the first Jamul Hot Rod and Chili Cook Off  held at Pio Pico / Thousand Trails Family Camping Resort this year. This annual event had been previously held at Simpsons Nursery for the last several years but was moved to Pio Pico because of closure of the nursery.

The Jamul Hot Rod and Chili Cook Off is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club to benefit the “Serving the Children of the World” charity.  Pio Pico Thousand Trails donated their campground for the one day event.   This year’s Hot Rod and Chili Cook Off was highly successful, with an estimated 60 hot rods and 32 vendors participating, according to Myrna Thornton, Pio Pico event Vendor Coordinator.

National tour of “films to change our world” comes to East County

April 13, 2013 (Julian) -- May 17-19 brings the 2nd Annual Julian Wild & Scenic Film Festival-Films To Change Your World, with countless inspiring titles, to the Julian High School for the benefit of the Volcan Mountain Foundation and its work to protect and preserve Volcan Mountain in its natural state for all generations.

“The selection committee believes these are the best of over 100 films screened at the annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival hosted every January in Nevada City, California,” said Nancy Kramer, co-founder of the Julian Film Festival.  Click here for a full list of films.

April 11, 2013 (Spring Valley)-- The County of San Diego invites you to "go play, get fit, be healthy!"  The 8th annual "It's How We Live" community festival will be held this Saturday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Spring Valley County Park, 8735 Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley.

The event is free to the public and includes games, activiites, healthy food samples, free health and dental screenings, a bounce house, live entertainment, information booths, prizes and giveaways.

April 10, 2013 (Julian) – Restaurants, wineries and breweries in the historic gold mining town of Julian will be offering up tastes to savor at the Taste of Julian this Saturday, April 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. This is a self-guided culinary tour that this year will also include an art tour.

April 5, 2013 (El Cajon) – The ancient Babylonians celebrated the New Year during the spring equinox with an 11-day festival.  On Sunday, April 7, Iraqi Chaldeans—descendants of the Babylonians-- will host Akitu, a Chaldean New Year celebration.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 3-8 p.m. in Prescott Premenade Park. Chaldean live music and folkloric dance will be featured; food and beverages will also be available.

April 2, 2013 (Borrego Springs) – The Colorado Desert Archaeology Society (CDAS) will be holding its 10th Annual Archaeology Weekend on April 6-7, 2013 from 9:00 to 5:00 at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center in Borrego Springs, California.  CDAS is a volunteer group that works with the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to document, preserve and protect its cultural resources.

The theme of this year's event is Stewardship . . . Caring for our Cultural Heritage. There will be displays, lectures, field trips, silent auction, activities for kids, archaeology lab tours, hands-on pottery making, and Native American crafts for sale.

For a schedule of events, click here.

April 1, 2013 (Campo) – The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum will be hosting a gala gourmet food and wine tasting event April 20 from noon until 5 p.m. to celebrate its 52 years of service and education, along with the Chefs de Cuisine. The event will be held in the Museum’s Display Building, amidst the historic railroad trains and artifacts.  The Museum is located off Highway 94 in Campo.

Savor the flavors from more than 20 restaurants to suit your fancy at the College Area Taste on Sunday, April 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. 

To purchase tickets, visit   https://tix.extremetix.com/Online/?siteID=1526&cartID=edf319ce-ae52-424b-b4cb-0413e46ffdbd.

March 25, 2013 (Lemon Grove) – At the Lemon Grove Historical Society’s next "History Alive" lecture, Garry McClintock, the renowned saddle maker and CEO of McClintock Saddle Works, Descanso, and authority on cowboy history, will explain what makes a great saddle andwhy the cowboy was central to the story of the American West.  The event will be held on April 4 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove

See McClintock's gorgeous, hand-crafted saddles and hear why the life and times of the cowboy and his trusty horse became rooted in the American psyche.  From the gritty outback, to the open plains, to sprawling ranches, to the silver screen, the often harsh realities of the cowboy's world became the stuff of myth and legend, song and poetry. 

Celebrate The Big Read: Imagine a World without Books: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

March 12, 2013 (La Mesa)--La Mesa's San Pasqual Winery will be hosting an overview of Bradbury’s celebrated novel, and a dramatic reading of his poignant short story The Love Affair of Laurel and Hardy on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room (8364 La Mesa Blvd).