East County Magazine
Lemon Grove Pride Drag Brunch coming on June 6
East County News Service May 24, 2026 (Lemon Grove) — J Lau Farrow-Halston of Escondido Drag is hosting the Lemon Grove Pride Drag Brunch next month. The 2 1/2-hour show will include performances by Amore Envy, Gabby Link Aux and Drag Latina’s Rosalinda and will be held starting at noon on Saturday, June 6. Doors open at 11 a.m. at
Destination East County: Joyful June events
By Miriam Raftery May 21, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) – June is jumping with joyful events including Santee Summer Knights—a Medieval festival, star parties on Mount Laguna, Wild in the Country at Lions, Tigers and Bears in Alpine, open farm tours at Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona, a ballet production of Snow White at Kroc Theatre, Cajon Cruise nights,
Al Awael Brings Authentic Iraqi Cuisine to El Cajon
Review by Philicia Tonangoye May 16, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) –On the corner of Avocado and Chase Ave in El Cajon, Al Awael is a new family-owned Mediterranean restaurant that offers a wide range of flavorful and affordable Middle Eastern food options for individual diners or family occasions. Al Awael, meaning “the first,” holds special significance for the owner.
Photos of the Week: Two winning shots from Lake Jennings Photo Contest
East County News Service May 17, 2026 (East County) — The Helix Water District has announced the winners of the Lake Jennings 2026 Photo Contest: Sunrise to Sunset! and East County Magazine is featuring two for our “Photos of the Week.” At left and top, first-place youth category winner Hannah Hedrick’s “A Dusky Walk,” and below right, second place youth
Mount Laguna Observatory summer visitors program starts May 23
East County News Service May 17, 2026 (Mount Laguna) — Star parties are back at Mount Laguna with the return of the Summer Visitors Program at the Mount Laguna Observatory. The public programs will be held on Saturday nights from 8 to 11 p.m., May 23 through August 15, with a special bonus mid-week viewing scheduled for Wednesday, August 12.
Frontier Airlines’ ‘GoWild’ Pass: the deal that sounds too good to be true — because it is
A San Diego traveler’s firsthand account of an all-you-can-fly promotion that delivered nothing at all By Henri Migala May 16, 2026 (San Diego) – Imagine paying a flat annual fee and then flying anywhere an airline flies — as many times as you want — for nothing more than government taxes and fees. That’s the promise behind Frontier Airlines’ GoWild
‘Snow White’ coming to Joan B. Kroc Theatre on May 30 and 31
Photo by Trystan Loucado East County News Service May 12, 2026 (San Diego) — San Diego’s BalletCenter Studios is set to to debut its latest production, “Snow White,” at the end of the month for three performances at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre inside The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Rolando. Scheduled for Saturday, May
Santee to transform into medieval kingdom for ‘Summer Knights’ Community Festival
Photo courtesy Santee Kiwanis East County News Service May 11, 2026 (Santee) — A coalition of East County community service organizations led by Santee Kiwanis will debut Santee Summer Knights, a new regional medieval festival, next month. The three-day event from June 5-7 will be held on the grounds of the Historic Barn, 9200 Magnolia Ave., in Santee. A public-private
Lions Tigers & Bears ‘Wild in the Country’ event is May 30
East County News Service May 9, 2026 (Alpine) — Lions Tigers & Bears, Southern California’s premier accredited big cat and bear sanctuary, is holding its signature fundraising gala, Wild in the Country later this month. The event is set to take place from 2 to 6 p.m., Saturday, May 30 at 24402 Martin Way, the organization’s 142-acre ranch in Alpine.
SD & Imperial Small Business Development Center Network hosting expo June 11
East County News Service May 9, 2026 (La Mesa) –The San Diego & Imperial Small Business Development Center Network will host the Small Business Expo La Mesa on Thursday, June 11 at the La Mesa Community Center. The half-day event is designed to support local entrepreneurs, is scheduled to run from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at 4975 Memorial Drive.
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Our Guide to Live Entertainment venues
CHEAP CHIC: SAVOR A RESALE FASHION SHOPPING SPREE
By Miriam Raftery September 22, 2008 (LA MESA) – If your budget is tight amid today’s rising prices, take heart! A fun way to shrink your clothing budget without sacrificing style is to treat yourself to a shopping spree in a delightful East County resale shop. My personal favorite resale outlet is Act II, which has two stores in downtown
HUNDREDS FLOCK TO JULIAN BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
By Miriam Raftery September 21, 2008 (JULIAN) – “We’ve had at least 500 people here so far,” Dick Thilken, president of the Julian Lions Club said of the 38th annual Julian Bluegrass Festival on Sunday afternoon, September 21st. “Each day we’ve had six musical groups playing.” Besides officially scheduled acts, players from various areas joined in for some impromptu musical
PHOTOS FROM OUR READERS & STAFF
October 1, 2008 (EAST COUNTY) – BEST PICS FROM EAST COUNTY LAST MONTH Printer-friendly version
PEOPLE POWER – WORLD’S LAST CASES OF POLIO?
Local Rotary Members Strive to End Global Scourge By Miriam Raftery October 1, 2008 (San Diego’s East County) — Polio, once the most dreaded childhood disease which killed or paralyzed millions of people, may soon be eradicated worldwide – and members of local Rotary chapters are eagerly pitching in to rid the globe of this silent killer. Since the World
IN SEARCH OF THE GREAT PUMPKIN
Our Guide to East County Pumpkin Patches Article and photos By Daisy Sharrock Leon Thompson. Bear Padilla checks out pumpkins at Bates Nut Farm. There is something wonderful about autumn. Even here in East County, where the temperature dips only a fraction compared to much of the country, you can still feel a tinge of crisp coolness ushering in the
People Power – On the Trail With the Rock “Doc”: Bringing Natural Science to Reservation Children
By Miriam Raftery October 1, 2008 (Mesa Grande reservation) – Bouncing down a dusty dirt road with hairpin turns so narrow that we have to honk our horn to warn oncoming drivers, we descend past Lake Sutherland into a deep gorge. We emerge in a hidden valley—home of the lower Mesa Grande Indian reservation. The most remote tribal village in
HEROES HELPING HEROES
By Miriam Raftery What can be more heartwarming than a tale of heroes banding together to help victims of two devastating tragedies—East County wildfires and the 9/11 terrorist attacks? On September 11th, the City of La Mesa held a memorial service honoring rescue workers and victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks. The event, held at the City’s 9/11 memorial at
FUN-FILLED FESTIVALS: SEPT. 12-30th
By Miriam Raftery Fall is in the air – the perfect time for an end-of-summer celebration or a visit to East County’s back country towns in the early days of autumn. Find details on these at many other events at our calendar, which covers all communities east of I-15. Julian Apple Days are here! Time to head up to the
Citizens “Take Action!” Guide
Whose interests are your elected officials representing: the people–or the special interests? Too many voters haven’t got a clue—so East County Magazine is shedding light into those smoke-hazed back-rooms in Washington D.C. and Sacramento, enabling you to keep up with what your elected officials are doing – and decide whether or not they deserve your vote next election. You can
DYING TO COME TO AMERICA – Immigrant Death Toll Soars; Water Stations Sabotaged
By Miriam Raftery September 1, 2008 (Holtville)–“These people came here looking for opportunity. Not one of them expected to die,” said Enrique Morones, erecting a hand-made wooden cross at a gravesite marked only by a brick engraved with the name Jane Doe. A few years ago, there were twenty bricks in this pauper’s graveyard at Holtville in Imperial County, final
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
Our Guide to Live Entertainment venues