By Miriam Raftery

San Diego’s inland region has a variety of cinema options, including several movie theaters (some with upscale options), outdoor movies in the park for six months each year,  summer “dive-in” movies at a pool, and a desert film festival.

Beyond popcorn, many local theaters also offer a wide array of foods and even alcoholic beverages.

Scroll down for listings of movie theaters in our inland communities,  as well as where to find movies in the park and more.

By Karen Pearlman

April 25, 2025 (San Diego’s East County  – The Anza-Borrego Desert in inland San Diego County is captivating with its beauty and expansiveness, humbling and powerful in its quietness. A landscape of extremes -- sun-scorched earth and hidden blooms, rugged canyons carved by time, and sudden spring wildflowers when the rain gods have been kind -- the desert has a raw quality that strips everything down to the essentials of light, shadow, stone and sky.

Our desert region includes Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, famous for its spring wildflowers and rugged terrain; the city of Borrego Springs, the nation’s first “Dark Sky” community and ideal for stargazing; Agua Caliente State Park, known for its thermal pools; Ocotillo Wells, a wildly popular draw for off-road vehicles; and Jacumba Hot Springs, a town that has reinvented itself and become a destination on its own merits.

By Miriam Raftery

March 21, 2025 (San Diego) - San Diego has a long and diverse heritage. Our inland region reflects the historical influence of Native Americans, Mexicans, Spanish, pioneers, cowboys, gold miners, railroads, the military, as well as refugees and immigrants from countries around the world. Below you’ll find a historical overview of our region, followed by a directory of museums and other historical sites in San Diego’s eastern areas.   

Looking to chow down on an all-American burger, steak, or seafood dinner?  Or savor regional cuisine such as Cajun, Southern, soul food, California cuisine, or Texas-style barbecue?

Perhaps you’re hankering for health food, jarm-to-table fresh meals, or vegan options.  Or you're craving a sub sandwich or Jewish deli.  You can even sample exotic foods from Hawaii or U.S. territories including Guam and Puerto Rico—all in San Diego’s East County!

Our guide below lists many delicious options, arranged alphabetically by category.  Note:  Many of these eateries also offer options beyond American. Click each link to view full menus.

Photo, right, Sycuan pow-wow dancer

East County News Service

San Diego’s inland region is home to 19 Native American tribes and 18 reservations—more than any other county in America. Local tribes trace their history here back more than 12,000 years.

Many of our local tribes welcome visitors to enjoy facilities on tribal lands, which are each sovereign nations. Attractions include casinos, hotels, golf courses, spas, concerts and other live entertainment, restaurants, an outlet shopping mall, restaurants, buffets and bars, a speedway, a paintball range, a museum, Native American pow-wows, a brewery, a vineyard, a dispensary, hiking trails, campgrounds, a water park, bike park, and a zip line.

All local tribal lands are in San Diego County’s inland areas, including northeast, southeast, and central east locations. View map here, or scroll to the bottom of this article.

Each year, San Diego County’s inland communities host many special events and festivals that reflect our region’s colorful history, arts and music, cultural heritage, diversity, beautiful environment, and holiday celebrations. 

Parades, outdoor concerts and movies, country fairs, classic car shows, powwows, rodeos, Oktoberfests, ethnic events, wine and food tastings, seasonal and holiday festivities are just some of the many annual events held in our inland region.

For current and complete calendar listings, visit http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/calendar . Also see our seasonal articles on major festivals and our Destination East County column listing top festivals and events.

Some of the major annual festive events in East County include the following. Actual dates vary from year to year, and  new events are frequently added:

East County News Service

Photo: Blue Morpho butterfly, by Amanda Martinez, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

April 6, 2025 (Escondido) – The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is offered a “butterfly safari” at its Butterfly Jungle open now through April 20.

Become immersed in the vibrant world of pollinators as you explore the Safari Park's Butterfly Jungle. Once a year, this aviary transforms into a world of color. As butterflies fly around you, snap amazing photos and experience wonder while discovering the important role butterflies play in nature.

Many people and their dogs came together at Town Center Community Park East for the ninth annual Fido Fest in Santee. 

By G.A. McNeeley 

Photos by Scott Lagace and G.A. McNeeley

February 26, 2025 (Santee) - The city of Santee invited lots of people (and their dogs) for fun times at this year’s Fido Fest. People were also able to adopt their own furry friend from one of the many rescue groups present at the event hosted by the city of Santee on February 22 at Town Center Community Park East in Santee. 

Source:  San Diego Zoo and Safari Park

January 29, 2025 (San Diego) - The San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomes guests aged 65 and older to enjoy free admission throughout February during Seniors Free Month. To participate, guests 65 and older simply need to present a valid photo ID upon arrival. Visitors can immerse themselves in the Safari Park’s vast 1,800-acre landscape, home to over 3,000 animals representing more than 300 species, alongside a botanical collection featuring over 1.3 million plants. This unique experience provides educational opportunities and unforgettable moments for all ages.

By Alyssa Hiestand

May 26, 2024 (El Cajon) -- Just fifteen minutes from Downtown San Diego lies El Cajon, bustling with small businesses, delicious eateries, and more to make any day or night well-spent. Offering an insider perspective, here’s what we’d recommend doing for the ultimate day on Main Street in El Cajon:

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Dennis Mammana

May 24, 2024 (Borrego Springs) – Astronomy writer and night sky photographer Dennis Mammana snapped these stunning photos of the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, which made a rare appearance over our region on May 11.  The photo,  left, taken from his backyard in the Anza-Borrego Desert, also shows the Milky Way.

“I aimed my camera with 14mm lens toward the east-southeast. The right (south) side of the frame shows the Milky Way as it appears on a normal night. The left (north) side shows how far southward the aurora extended that night, and how it nearly overwhelmed the Milky Way,”  Mammana told East County Magazine.