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El Cajon’s Favorite Newsletter

El Cajon news, events, and recommendations delivered free every morning.

El Cajon, CA
72Events this week
5Free things to do
92New spots
91New stories

● Checked this morning, before the 6 AM send.

This week in El Cajon

Five picks from this week's calendar. See all 72 events, day by day →

San Diego Small Business Expo 2026

Friday 10am · Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

Motley Crue

Friday 4pm · North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Nat at Night

Friday 5pm · San Diego Natural History Museum

Killers of Kill Tony

Friday 7pm · San Diego Civic Theatre

Viva la Mamma!

Friday 7pm · Light Box Theater

New in El Cajon

Places that opened, reopened, or earned a mention this month — the ones we'd go back to.

Lyzoo

Bakeries & Sweets

Candy with a plot twist: If your El Cajon snack stash needs some chaos, Lyzoo does burst-filled gummies that ooze flavor in the best way possible.

lyzoo.com ↗

C.A.R.G.O. Cases And Rugged Gear Outfitters

Sporting Goods

Gear for real life: Whether you’re prepping for a desert overnighter or just want to keep your gear safe from daily chaos, C.A.R.G.O.

cargostores.com ↗

Taka Restaurant

Restaurants

Fresh, artful sushi: When you want top-tier nigiri without leaving the neighborhood, Taka Restaurant keeps it dialed in with a modern approach to traditional techniques, skilled chefs, and fish sourced direct from Japan.

takasushi.com ↗

El Cajon’s best businesses

Every spot worth knowing, in one place.

The restaurants, shops, and services the newsletter recommends, all in one place — every listing checked, and paid pins marked every time.

Browse El Cajon’s best →

Most read in El Cajon

The five stories El Cajon readers clicked most this month, from the daily editions.

  1. Fall into art this September in Downtown El Cajon

    The highly anticipated Alley Cat Art Fest is set to take place on Saturday, September 12 at Main Street in Downtown El Cajon, bringing together two of the city's signature creative events, Artivál and the Alley Cat Walk.

    Full story at eccalifornian.com ↗

  2. 'Cowboy: The Spirit, The Lore, The Legacy'

    The Olaf Wieghorst Museum in San Francisco will present Larry Maurice, the Cowboy Entertainer, for a one-man show on September 12, 2026 in Downtown El Cajon.

    Full story at kpbs.org ↗

  3. Somber anniversary for family of missing East County man

    Elijah "Bear" Diaz, a member of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, disappeared from his home in El Cajon, California, 11 years ago.

    Full story at fox5sandiego.com ↗

  5. Waymo accelerates robotaxi expansion with launches in Denver, San Diego and Tampa

    Waymo has launched its robotaxi service in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa, extending its commercial operations to 14 U.S.

    Full story at techcrunch.com ↗

Explore El Cajon

The rest of what BaseLocal keeps current for the city.

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