Articles by The Grapevine

Carlsbad’s iconic Flower Fields doing its colorful thing

It’s that time of the year again. Carlsbad’s iconic Flower Fields opens for the season Wednesday, March 1, 2023. That’s 55 acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus and a variety of new events through May 14. The attraction’s new theme, “Live Colorfully,” covers everything from the ranunculus, a flower known for its large, double-petaled blooms that sit atop tall, straight stems, to the seemingly endless rows of…


Mike Bickle, North Bar owner, memorial JamFest Sunday

Tributes continued to pour in this week for Mike Bickle, 53, well-known bass player and owner of Escondido’s iconic North Bar, who died in his sleep on Jan. 15, 2023. Cause of death is as-yet not known. Friends and family will host a special, free with music and food as well as spoken word, Memorial Jam Fest from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb….


Hip hip hooray, it’s Mardi Gras, grab a king cake

It’s Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Time for king cake. Americans usher in the new year with diets and lifestyle resolutions galore, but many people across the globe — particularly those from predominantly Catholic countries — celebrate the calendar change with a sweet pastry known as king cake. It first appears in bakery cases at the beginning of each year and can be…


Meet the Cosmic Ray Deflection Society of North America (RIP Also Aswell)

 (RIP CHUCK ALSTON AKA ALSO ASWELL, GRAND FOUNDER AND POOBAH OF THE COSMIC RAY DEFLECTION SOCIETY AKA KRUDZNA INK. A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, Aswell worked for many years as a chef at New Orleans. Also, a prolific artist and thinker, Aswell led the way for numerous storied events and adventures. Following a long series of health battles, he died peacefully in his sleep…


Walk-up weddings all the rage at SD County office

Love is in the air? San Diego County will be issuing marriage licenses and performing ceremonies on Valentine’s Day for those love birds wanting to tie the knot or renew their wedding vows. Nearly 100 San Diego couples said no to expensive dinners, bouquets and treats last Valentine’s Day, instead they opted to take it a little bit further and say ‘I do.’ “San Diego…


Business briefs: Mall changes, store closings, zero-waste

For your consideration: Westfield Mall has yet another new name and owner, Bed Bath and Beyond closes stores, former Yale women’s soccer player goes zero waste at Encinitas…. Meet the new Westfield Mall, sort of the same as the old mall except… Escondido’s Westfield Mall has been sold to a California partnership that hopes to revitalize the nearly 40-year-old center with new shops, restaurants and…


Charles Manson and the ‘American Dream’

When Charles Manson died in November 2017, his name carried weight even among those who weren’t alive when he committed his crimes. For decades, Manson was the symbol of evil, a real-life boogeyman who loomed as the American conception of wickedness incarnate. His death ended 48 years of imprisonment for a series of murders in August 1969, some of which he committed, most of which…


Animal Kingdom edition of mammals behaving badly

Move over Dallas Zoo, San Diego Zoo red panda climbs tree to escape enclosure A red panda climbed a tree to escape her enclosure at the San Diego Zoo, prompting hours of efforts to lure her back to her habitat, officials told news outlets. Adira, a 2-year-old red panda, broke out of her enclosure by climbing a tree into a nearby habitat Sunday, Jan. 29,…


$100K grant to fight child hunger in rural SD County

San Diego may seem like a wealthy area, but the mountain communities in the eastern part of the county still struggle with hunger and poverty. Now, a new $100,000 grant from Save the Children’s Innovation Lab will fund the development of a program to mailboxes of shelf-stable food to low-income rural families, starting next year. Anahid Brakke, president and CEO of the San Diego Hunger…


Escondido Stadium 16, Imax closing, Regal Cinemas says

Bad news, Escondido lovers of the cinema. Regal Cinemas has included the Escondido Stadium 16 and Imax at 350 W. Valley Parkway in its list of 39 US theaters to close due to the corporation’s bankruptcy filing. Parkway Plaza Stadium 18 and Imax at El Cajon also was scheduled for closing. Regal Cinemas, the second-largest chain of movie theaters in the U.S., will close 39…