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By Miriam Raftery
September 3, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Fall is in the air –ushering in some of East County’s most iconic festivals including Oktoberfests, Alley Cat Art Walk, Julian Autumn Jubilee, Sycuan's Powwow, and haunting Halloween happenings. Plus comedians Randy Rainbow and Paula Poundstone will be performing in El Cajon and music legend Crystal Gayle will be onstage at Sycuan.
Scroll down for these events in San Diego's inland region, and more.
SYCUAN POWWOW SEPT. 8-10
The 2023 Sycuan Powwow will be held September 8-10 at the Sycuan Resort in El Cajon.
The annual celebration will feature tribal dancing contests each day as well as bird singing competitions on Sept. 9. Other activities include peon games at dusk, traditional Native American arts and crafts vendors, and refreshments.
For more information, visit the Sycuan Powwow page on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070664753260.
CRYSTAL GAYLE IN CONCERT AT SYCUAN SEPT. 9
Country music legend Crystal Gayle will perform at Sycuan’s Live and Up Close Theatre on Saturday, September 9 at 8 p.m.
She was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2017 by her sister, Loretta Lynn. Her signature songs include Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue, You’ve Been Talking in Your Sleep, When I Dream, Half the Way and her duet with Eddie Rabbitt, Just You and I.
She has released over 20 number one hits and has been awarded numerous times by the Grammy’s, the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, the American Music Awards, and the American Music Operators Association—and she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
For tickets, visit https://www.sycuan.com.
ALLEY CAT ART WALK SEPT. 15
Galleries and businesses in downtown El Cajon invite you to the 12th Annual Alley Cat Art Walk, on Friday September 15 from 4-8 pm. The event is held along Main Street and Rea Avenue in downtown El Cajon.
Visitors can see fine art, a juried art show, crafts, giftware, live music, and refreshments. The event is open to the community.
Find details at https://downtownelcajon.com/alley-cat-art-walk/.
JULIAN AUTUMN JUBILEE: WEEKENDS FROM SEPT. 23-OCT. 29
The Julian Autumn Jubilee will be each weekend from September 23 through October 29. Enjoy Julian’s famous apple season with activities including a hayride, cider pressing demonstration, hoedown and jug band show, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, reptile interactions, candle dipping and painting craft.
There’s also an adventure package option if you want to try your hand at archery and tomahawk throwing. Other options include U-pick veggies, herbs and berries, fairy and dinosaur garden crafts and more.
For tickets and details, visit https://www.fortcross.com/autumn-jubilee.
LA MESA OKTOBERFEST SEPT. 29-OCT. 1
From Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, La Mesa Oktoberfest will be celebrating 50 years of Bavarian festivities in an effort to top its traditions for the past half-century.
Festivities include three stages of non-stop music featuring everything from traditional Bavarian and German music to live oompah bands, traditional rock bands, DJs, cover pop and more, plus German cuisine and multiple beer gardens.
The family-fun event also features dachshund races, a kinder carnival, Ferris wheel, rock climbing wall, Glüclich games, an artisan market and food fair, Deutsche dance square, and keg tapping ceremony.
For more information, aschedule of events and biergarten tickets, you can visit https://www.lamesaoktoberfest.org/
COMIC PAULA POUNDSTONE PERFORMS IN EL CAJON SEPT. 29
Paula Poundstone will be performing at The Magnolia in El Cajon on Friday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. The iconic comedian has starred in several HBO specials, hosts a weekly comedy podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone, and is a panelist on NPR’s comedy news quiz show, Wait Wat…Don’t Tell Me!
She was the first female comic to perform standup comedy at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Her HBO special, Cats, Cops and Stuff, marked the first time a female comedian won Best Comedy Special in the Cable Ace Awards. Paula’s awards.
For tickets, visit https://concerts.livenation.com.
EL CAJON OKTOBERFEST SEPT.28-OCT. 1 and OCT. 6-8
The German-American Societies of San Diego will host two weekends of Oktoberfest at their El Cajon headquarters on Sept. 29-Oct. 1 and Oct. 6-8.
An opening day parade and keg tap kicks off the festivities Friday event, Sept.29 when the Oktoberfest Queen will be crowned.
Direct from Germany, the band Die Guggenbach Baum will perform traditional German music just as you’d hear in the beer gardens of Bavaria. You can also watch folk dancing, compete in games and contests, visit craft vendors,and take children to a kids’ zone. Plus savor authentic German food, such as bratwurst, ox-on-the-spit, potato salad, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and German pastries as well as German beers.
A raffle will also be held – and the grand prize is a trip for two to Germany.
Tickets are available online at https://events.germanclubsandiego.org/.
RANDY RAINBOW COMEDIAN AT THE MAGNOLIA OCT. 14
The “Randy Rainbow for President” comedy show is coming to the Magnolia Theater in El Cajon on October 14.
Randy Rainbow is a three-time EMMY nominated American comedian, producer, actor, singer, writer and satirist best known for his popular YouTube series, The Randy Rainbow Show. His musical parodies and political spoofs have garnered him worldwide acclaim and two EMMY® nominations. In 2019 he landed a spot on The New York Times Best Performances list, and in 2020 The Washington Post proclaimed Rainbow as Best Parody.
For tickets, visit https://www.magnoliasandiego.com/.
HAUNT FEST ON MAIN OCT.20
El Cajon presents Haunt Fest on Main, a family friendly Halloween season festival on Friday, October 20 from 4 p.m.to 9 p.m. in downtown El Cajon.
The 10th annual Haunt Fest on Main features live music on two stages plus other performances, costume contests, expanded carnival rides and games; a car show; candy challenge, Kidz Zone, face painting, pumpkin patch, craft and game booths; LED rock wall; Inflatables for kids; plus a surprise feature of Movies In The Park.
Find more information at http://hauntfest.org/.
BORREGO DAYS DESERT FESTIVAL OCT. 21
The 57th annual Borrego Days Desert Festival, produced by the Borrego Chamber of Commerce, will be held Oct. 21st and 22nd at Christmas Circle Community Park in Borrego Springs.
The festival includes live musical entertainment, art exhibits, a kids’ zone, food vendors, artisans. a beer garden, a car show and more. For details, visit borregodays.com.
SPOOKY CAMPOVER AND PUMPKIN BASH OCT. 28-29
Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine invites you to two wildly eerie events: A family-friendly pumpkin bash on October 29 and a Spooky Campover October 28-29. These events sell out quickly, so early reservations are recommended.
Camp out in the countryside and sleep under the stars with the sanctuary animals during the annual Spooky Campover fundraiser. This family-friendly spooktacular overnight event includes campfire songs, pumpkin carving, a Halloween costume contest, and an all-ages haunted house. Enjoy the fun of the animal trivia challenge, make s'mores by the campfire, and sip hot cocoa at the big cat and wildlife sanctuary.
The next morning is the Pumpkin Bash, during the morning sanctuary visit. Come dressed in your best costume and watch the rescued big cats and bears devour their pumpkin treats. Pumpkins carved by campers the night before are stuffed with all kinds of delicious goodies. This event will take place rain or shine..
For tickets and details, visit https://www.lionstigersandbears.org/our-events/
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