GMIA 56th Annual Art & Garden Tour 2025
2025-04-06 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Fire station parking lot, 10105 Vivera Dr, La Mesa, CA, 91941, United States
Four beautiful gardens will be available for viewing. Artists and musicians will be stationed at the properties.
This year, you can drive yourself to each home or take a shuttle and ride in comfort from garden to garden.
Details and descriptions of the gardens can be found in the Spring Viewpoints. Map of garden locations is shown below.

2025 GMIA Annual Dinner
2025-06-21 16:00 - 20:00 | Cuyamaca College Student Center, 900 Rancho San Diego Pkwy, El Cajon, CA, 92019, United States
Grab your tie-dye shirts and peace symbols for the GMIA Annual Dinner, June 21, 2025. We will be celebrating in 60s style at the Cuyamaca College Student Center, beginning with happy hour at 4:30. At 5:30, enjoy a roast chicken dinner with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. Vegetarian dinners also available. Beginning at 4 pm. you can get a tour of Cuyamaca College with a student ambassador. Hear from Andy Lawler, chief of the San Miguel Fire District, and the keynote presentation from Historian Jim Newland, who will talk about the fascinating history of Mt. Helix, and the men and women who settled the area. There will be a silent auction and a slide show of the GMIA activities since last summer. Your picture may be in it! Tickets are $30/each until June 11, when they go up to $35.
Thanks to the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community Community College District and Edco Disposal Co. for their sponsorships of the dinner. Thanks also to Helix Brewing Co. and San Pasqual Winery for supplying beverages for the event.

GMIA Succulent Swap: A Fall Celebration Rooted in Community
2025-09-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Wendy and Ron Caragher’s, 10805 Melva Road, La Mesa, CA, 91941, United States
Forget the pumpkin spice—GMIA is kicking off fall with sun, succulents, and socializing! Join us for the annual Succulent Swap, a vibrant morning of gardening and connection in the heart of our community.

Saturday, September 27
The Caraghers’ Garden, 10805 Melva Road
10–11 AM: GMIA Members-Only Hour
11 AM–12 PM: Open to the Public
Free to all

Whether you’re a seasoned succulent collector or just plant-curious, this event has something for everyone:

Succulent Swap: Bring your best cuttings (no fire sticks, please!) and trade with fellow plant lovers.
PK Pottery Pop-Up: Shop handcrafted planters with flair.
Potting Station: Create your own mini garden masterpiece.
Sip & Socialize: Enjoy Gladly Coffee, sweet treats, and neighborly chats.

It’s more than a plant swap—it’s a celebration of community, creativity, and connection. Come for the clippings, stay for the camaraderie.
Mark your calendars, prep your cuttings, and don’t forget—members first hour and then the fun blooms for everyone at 11 AM!

Start the New Year with Walk to Top of Mt. Helix!
2026-01-03 10:00 - 12:00 | Fire station parking lot, 10105 Vivera Dr, La Mesa, CA, 91941, United States
Go ahead and indulge all you want in the next two months, but then step out in healthy fashion Saturday, Jan 3, 2026! Join your friends and neighbors,10 am, at the San Miguel Fire Station on Vivera Dr. You will be led up the hill (less than one mile) by the Grossmont High School Marching Band. At the top, you will find free coffee (donated by Gladly Coffee in Casa de Oro) tea, hot chocolate and snacks, including doggie treats, and one of the most beautiful views in our county. Some of your friends will be there talking with people from local organizations who make our community better, like the Senior Gleaners, Water Conservation Garden, La Mesa Historical Society, Casa de Oro Alliance, SDG&E Vegetation Management, and the Helix Water District.

GMIA’s Annual Art & Garden Tour
2026-05-03 12:00 - 16:00 | Fire station parking lot, 10105 Vivera Dr, La Mesa, CA, 91941, United States
Five beautiful gardens in the Mt. Helix area will be open to tour on Sunday, May 3 in GMIA’s annual Art & Garden Tour. This is a great opportunity to obtain great landscaping and planting ideas, meet your neighbors and enjoy some local art. Each of the unique gardens will inspire you and it’s always fun to view the hard work of our garden owners.
The gardens range from beautifully terraced yards with landscaping, cozy hidden areas, to villas made for entertaining, an estate that transports you to a fairy tale, and an example of low water and conservation at its best. Each garden will showcase a local artist, some using recycled materials.
This year, three of the gardens will only be accessible via shuttle and two are driveable. Choose your route and start or end with the shuttle. Parking is available in the lot by the fire station at 10105 Vivera Drive. Four shuttles will be operating continuously throughout the afternoon. The shuttle buses were made possible by a grant from County Supervisor Monica Montgomery-Steppe.
This event is open to GMIA members only. Please check your membership status. You can join or renew your membership on the GMIA website, or you can sign up on the day of the event.
Parents can bring their children, but the gardens cannot accommodate strollers. No pets, please.

GMIA Annual Dinner
2026-06-20 16:30 - 19:30 | Cuyamaca College Student Center, 900 Rancho San Diego Pkwy, El Cajon, CA, 92019, United States
Celebrate the start of summer at GMIA’s Annual Dinner! You can visit with neighbors, enjoy a barbecue dinner, and learn about the Sheriff’s Department from County Sheriff Kelly Martinez.
The social hour begins at 4:30 p.m., with beer, wine, and soft drinks. A silent auction will offer a variety of items that are sure to pique your fancy.
If you’re interested, sign up for a quick tour at 4:30 p.m. of Cuyamaca College’s Ornamental Horticulture department, a short walk from the student center. The innovative program trains future horticulturists and landscapers with a full nursery of plants.
A tasty barbecue dinner will be offered, along with a vegetarian option. After dinner, the winner of the Al Platt Award, honoring a person who has contributed to GMIA and the community, will be announced, and a brief business meeting will be held.
The keynote speaker is Sheriff Kelly Martinez, was elected sheriff in 2022 after serving in the department since 1985. As sheriff, she oversees law enforcement for 4,200 square miles of unincorporated San Diego County, nine contract cities, seven jails, and courthouse security. Her department has a $1.2 billion budget and more than 4,700 employees. If you have a question you would like to have Sheriff Martinez address, send an email to yourgmianeighbor@gmail.com or write down your question at the dinner.
Dinner is $30 for members who pay before June 12, and it goes up to $35 per person after that. The dinner is for members only. Not a member? Join now!
A special thanks to our sponsors: Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District; Edco Disposal Co.; San Pasqual Winery, and Helix Brewing Co.
