Here's something you might be interested in.
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Your Week — Daily event picks
Suburban
Cajon Classic Cruise, Wednesdays at 5 p.m.
Cactus Park BMX
Cactus Park BMX is a 900-foot-long dirt race track with banked turns and jumps located in San Diego’s East County. First-time visitors can purchase a temporary membership for $25, good for 30 days, to be used during open practice times. Open riding takes place every Monday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. It’s not uncommon to find Olympic BMX racers training on the course. Cactus Park hosts races every Monday and Thursday at 7 p.m.; sign-ups begin at 5:30 the day of. Throughout the year, BMX pros put on beginner clinics. The price per clinic is $15. Clinics are held most Tuesdays from 6–8 p.m. — Siobhan Braun
Curds and Wine
Making wine’s not rocket science, but it does require equipment most of us don’t own. A two-class Basic Winemaking course offered by Curds and Wine for $75 teaches the basics of fermentation and aging. Or, dive right in with its $80–$180 winemaking kits, which start you with six gallons of pressed juice and yeast to ferment. For additional fees you may use the shop’s gear to ferment, rack, fine, and bottle your personal vintage, a process that will take four or five visits and up to six months, depending on the varietal you choose. — Ian Anderson
Pixie Stixx Burlesque
Learn how to shimmy and shake that thang with Coco L’Amour, the choreographer, director, and “Pixie Queen” of Pixie Stixx Burlesque. Classes for beginners and intermediate burlesquers are held on Monday mornings, Wednesday and Thursday nights, and Sunday mornings. Single-class rate: $15. Package discounts also available. — Elizabeth Salaam
Walker Preserve Trail
9500 North Magnolia Avenue, Santee
Along the north side of the San Diego River, there’s a new 1.3-mile multi-use trail in Santee. For decades, the Walker Preserve land on the east side of Magnolia Avenue was used for sand mining, so it was off-limits to the public. Now, a 14-foot-wide graded trail — perfect for bicyclists, horses, and walkabouts with or without strollers — runs through it, ending at the Lakeside Baseball Field. The kiosks and interpretive nature signs inform of the land’s history and endangered birds. Park benches, a drinking fountain, picnic tables, and even a bicycle-repair station at the trailhead make this a comfortable hiking/riding experience. — E.V. Hepworth
Thursday Family Fun Nights at San Diego Botanic Garden
Bring a picnic to the Hamilton Children’s Garden on Thursday evenings, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m., May 28 through August 27. There will be live music and entertainment from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The Summer 2015 lineup includes Buck Howdy, Zimbeat from Zimbabwe, Puppet Potpourri, Hullaballoo, and more. Food will be available for purchase. Admission to the Garden is $8–$14. — Elizabeth Salaam
Be a Volunteer Bunny Caregiver for the House Rabbit Society of San Diego
Every one of them has a distinct personality, your basic pet rabbit, a fact of life not usually completely understood until one gets low to the ground and conducts business on the rabbit level. And nothing satisfies that equation quicker than the cleaning out of stalls, the changing of litter boxes, and feeding and watering the 60 or so bunnies waiting there to be adopted on any given day. Potential volunteers for the House Rabbit Society are asked to attend an introductory session prior to being sent into the adoption center for some bunny time with the furry inmates at the House Rabbit Society. Yes, it’s kind of like doing farm chores, but cooler. — Dave Good
Cymer Digital Studio at the Mission Valley YMCA
Cymer, Inc., a high-tech manufacturing company, has sponsored a digital studio at the Mission Valley YMCA. The studio is stocked with professional quality equipment for kids to come and learn and work on. A small music-recording studio, digital video equipment, robotics, graphic design, video-game development...there is plenty to keep kids creating. And the studio offers some classes throughout the month for adults. Open lab time offered from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday for middle-school and high-school aged students. — Eve Kelly
Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College
Back in the early 1990s, during yet another multi-year drought, a small community college in El Cajon funded an educational landscape project that would become five acres of themed gardens on the campus of Cuyamaca College, which sits in one of San Diego’s more arid micro-climates. Whether decorative, native, or edible gardening, it’s all about growing the most greenery with the least amount of that boom-or-bust Cali resource — water. Open daily, they offer plants for sale, guided tours of the property, classes in water-conservation gardening, and kid-friendly field trips. 619-660-0614, x10. — Dave Good
San Diego Plein Air Painters of El Cajon
Let nature be your art teacher! These artists like to leave the studio behind to paint what they see in the great outdoors, try to capture the light in the tradition of plein air (French for “open air”) pioneers like Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir. Beginners welcome. Very supportive group meets most Saturday mornings at one of the visually interesting spots in the county, such as Rawhide Ranch in Bonsall (with a great Western main street) or Key’s Creek lavender farm in Valley Center (the colors!). Sometimes exhibitions result. Main organizer, Julie Bradbury-Bennett. Check activities on their meetup.com page. — Bill Manson
Krause Family Skate/Bike Park
The Krause Family park invites all sorts of human-powered wheels and skill levels, from beginner to pro (mini-ramps and a beginners’ course are available), from skateboards, BMX bikes, and roller blades to scooters. The intermediate course includes jump boxes and gaps, or you can challenge yourself in the concrete pool. The advanced course features an X-Games-level vert ramp and an advanced BMX bike course. There’s a snack bar for refueling and two viewing areas for spectators. Group and private skate lessons are available. Admission for YMCA members is $40 for a one-month unlimited session pass and $5 for a daily pass. For non-members, it’s $10 for a daily pass. Open sessions: 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 2–5 p.m., 5–8 p.m. (or until dark). — Deirdre Lickona
Cajon Classic Cruise
Centered on Main & Magnolia, El Cajon
Fans of American metal and its display in all forms of ostentatiousness won’t be disappointed here — a weekly lineup focuses on tuned and polished muscle cars from the ’50s and ’60s, but everything from 1920s classics to modern-day race machines has its place at one of East County’s biggest motorhead gatherings. Weekly themes throughout the summer celebrate everything from custom motorcycles to British rarities to local NASCAR hero Jimmie Johnson. The party runs every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. through October 28. — Dave Rice
Kensington Library Hullabaloo in the Park
Bring your child’s best dancing shoes and head to Kensington Library on the third Tuesday of the month for Hullabaloo in the Park. Kids are encouraged to get up and dance to “free range, kid folk” courtesy of Hullabaloo’s Steve Denyes and Brendan Kremer. Denyes, on guitar, and Kremer, on wooden percussion, play original children’s tunes including “Dad Upside Down” and “Raise a Ruckus.” Be sure to arrive early for banners and a prime dance spot. — Dorian Hargrove
Palomar R/C Flyers
Johnson Field, N.E corner Highway 76 and I-15 (Pankey Road), San Marcos
You don’t need to have built your own model plane, but pretty soon you’ll want to. Five-foot-wingspan flyers turn this into a busy airport on the weekends. Models range from ancient to visionary, from biplanes to helicopters. Palomar has its own 600-foot asphalt runway, four helicopter pads, a pit area, and a bunch of fanatics who live to see their replicas take off, do aerial combat, aerobatics, and come in for a beautiful landing. Even if you only have a little balsawood model with a rubber band-powered prop, you’ll be welcome. 760-723-1335. — Bill Manson
La Mesa’s “Secret” Stairs
7974 Windsor Drive, La Mesa
“La Mesa is one of the few areas in San Diego County that have a system of public stairways,” the city’s website boasts. Starting on Windsor Drive, climb a total of 245 (sometimes very steep) stairs crossing two streets to reach Summit Drive and take in the view from one of the city’s highest perches at an elevation of 830 feet. Circle left, away from the cul-de-sac dead end, and take another flight of 184 steps down. Turn left and continue descending, going right on Sheldon and left onto Pasadena to return to your starting point, or follow Sheldon to its end to find a third stairway to explore. — Dave Rice
Here's something you might be interested in.
Suburban
Suburban
Cajon Classic Cruise, Wednesdays at 5 p.m.
Cactus Park BMX
Cactus Park BMX is a 900-foot-long dirt race track with banked turns and jumps located in San Diego’s East County. First-time visitors can purchase a temporary membership for $25, good for 30 days, to be used during open practice times. Open riding takes place every Monday and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. It’s not uncommon to find Olympic BMX racers training on the course. Cactus Park hosts races every Monday and Thursday at 7 p.m.; sign-ups begin at 5:30 the day of. Throughout the year, BMX pros put on beginner clinics. The price per clinic is $15. Clinics are held most Tuesdays from 6–8 p.m. — Siobhan Braun
Curds and Wine
Making wine’s not rocket science, but it does require equipment most of us don’t own. A two-class Basic Winemaking course offered by Curds and Wine for $75 teaches the basics of fermentation and aging. Or, dive right in with its $80–$180 winemaking kits, which start you with six gallons of pressed juice and yeast to ferment. For additional fees you may use the shop’s gear to ferment, rack, fine, and bottle your personal vintage, a process that will take four or five visits and up to six months, depending on the varietal you choose. — Ian Anderson
Pixie Stixx Burlesque
Learn how to shimmy and shake that thang with Coco L’Amour, the choreographer, director, and “Pixie Queen” of Pixie Stixx Burlesque. Classes for beginners and intermediate burlesquers are held on Monday mornings, Wednesday and Thursday nights, and Sunday mornings. Single-class rate: $15. Package discounts also available. — Elizabeth Salaam
Walker Preserve Trail
9500 North Magnolia Avenue, Santee
Along the north side of the San Diego River, there’s a new 1.3-mile multi-use trail in Santee. For decades, the Walker Preserve land on the east side of Magnolia Avenue was used for sand mining, so it was off-limits to the public. Now, a 14-foot-wide graded trail — perfect for bicyclists, horses, and walkabouts with or without strollers — runs through it, ending at the Lakeside Baseball Field. The kiosks and interpretive nature signs inform of the land’s history and endangered birds. Park benches, a drinking fountain, picnic tables, and even a bicycle-repair station at the trailhead make this a comfortable hiking/riding experience. — E.V. Hepworth
Thursday Family Fun Nights at San Diego Botanic Garden
Bring a picnic to the Hamilton Children’s Garden on Thursday evenings, from 4:30 to 8:00 p.m., May 28 through August 27. There will be live music and entertainment from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The Summer 2015 lineup includes Buck Howdy, Zimbeat from Zimbabwe, Puppet Potpourri, Hullaballoo, and more. Food will be available for purchase. Admission to the Garden is $8–$14. — Elizabeth Salaam
Be a Volunteer Bunny Caregiver for the House Rabbit Society of San Diego
Every one of them has a distinct personality, your basic pet rabbit, a fact of life not usually completely understood until one gets low to the ground and conducts business on the rabbit level. And nothing satisfies that equation quicker than the cleaning out of stalls, the changing of litter boxes, and feeding and watering the 60 or so bunnies waiting there to be adopted on any given day. Potential volunteers for the House Rabbit Society are asked to attend an introductory session prior to being sent into the adoption center for some bunny time with the furry inmates at the House Rabbit Society. Yes, it’s kind of like doing farm chores, but cooler. — Dave Good
Cymer Digital Studio at the Mission Valley YMCA
Cymer, Inc., a high-tech manufacturing company, has sponsored a digital studio at the Mission Valley YMCA. The studio is stocked with professional quality equipment for kids to come and learn and work on. A small music-recording studio, digital video equipment, robotics, graphic design, video-game development...there is plenty to keep kids creating. And the studio offers some classes throughout the month for adults. Open lab time offered from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday for middle-school and high-school aged students. — Eve Kelly
Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College
Back in the early 1990s, during yet another multi-year drought, a small community college in El Cajon funded an educational landscape project that would become five acres of themed gardens on the campus of Cuyamaca College, which sits in one of San Diego’s more arid micro-climates. Whether decorative, native, or edible gardening, it’s all about growing the most greenery with the least amount of that boom-or-bust Cali resource — water. Open daily, they offer plants for sale, guided tours of the property, classes in water-conservation gardening, and kid-friendly field trips. 619-660-0614, x10. — Dave Good
San Diego Plein Air Painters of El Cajon
Let nature be your art teacher! These artists like to leave the studio behind to paint what they see in the great outdoors, try to capture the light in the tradition of plein air (French for “open air”) pioneers like Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir. Beginners welcome. Very supportive group meets most Saturday mornings at one of the visually interesting spots in the county, such as Rawhide Ranch in Bonsall (with a great Western main street) or Key’s Creek lavender farm in Valley Center (the colors!). Sometimes exhibitions result. Main organizer, Julie Bradbury-Bennett. Check activities on their meetup.com page. — Bill Manson
Krause Family Skate/Bike Park
The Krause Family park invites all sorts of human-powered wheels and skill levels, from beginner to pro (mini-ramps and a beginners’ course are available), from skateboards, BMX bikes, and roller blades to scooters. The intermediate course includes jump boxes and gaps, or you can challenge yourself in the concrete pool. The advanced course features an X-Games-level vert ramp and an advanced BMX bike course. There’s a snack bar for refueling and two viewing areas for spectators. Group and private skate lessons are available. Admission for YMCA members is $40 for a one-month unlimited session pass and $5 for a daily pass. For non-members, it’s $10 for a daily pass. Open sessions: 11 a.m.–2 p.m., 2–5 p.m., 5–8 p.m. (or until dark). — Deirdre Lickona
Cajon Classic Cruise
Centered on Main & Magnolia, El Cajon
Fans of American metal and its display in all forms of ostentatiousness won’t be disappointed here — a weekly lineup focuses on tuned and polished muscle cars from the ’50s and ’60s, but everything from 1920s classics to modern-day race machines has its place at one of East County’s biggest motorhead gatherings. Weekly themes throughout the summer celebrate everything from custom motorcycles to British rarities to local NASCAR hero Jimmie Johnson. The party runs every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. through October 28. — Dave Rice
Kensington Library Hullabaloo in the Park
Bring your child’s best dancing shoes and head to Kensington Library on the third Tuesday of the month for Hullabaloo in the Park. Kids are encouraged to get up and dance to “free range, kid folk” courtesy of Hullabaloo’s Steve Denyes and Brendan Kremer. Denyes, on guitar, and Kremer, on wooden percussion, play original children’s tunes including “Dad Upside Down” and “Raise a Ruckus.” Be sure to arrive early for banners and a prime dance spot. — Dorian Hargrove
Palomar R/C Flyers
Johnson Field, N.E corner Highway 76 and I-15 (Pankey Road), San Marcos
You don’t need to have built your own model plane, but pretty soon you’ll want to. Five-foot-wingspan flyers turn this into a busy airport on the weekends. Models range from ancient to visionary, from biplanes to helicopters. Palomar has its own 600-foot asphalt runway, four helicopter pads, a pit area, and a bunch of fanatics who live to see their replicas take off, do aerial combat, aerobatics, and come in for a beautiful landing. Even if you only have a little balsawood model with a rubber band-powered prop, you’ll be welcome. 760-723-1335. — Bill Manson
La Mesa’s “Secret” Stairs
7974 Windsor Drive, La Mesa
“La Mesa is one of the few areas in San Diego County that have a system of public stairways,” the city’s website boasts. Starting on Windsor Drive, climb a total of 245 (sometimes very steep) stairs crossing two streets to reach Summit Drive and take in the view from one of the city’s highest perches at an elevation of 830 feet. Circle left, away from the cul-de-sac dead end, and take another flight of 184 steps down. Turn left and continue descending, going right on Sheldon and left onto Pasadena to return to your starting point, or follow Sheldon to its end to find a third stairway to explore. — Dave Rice
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