El Cajon Cancels HauntFest Amid Budget Crisis | San Diego News

El Cajon is canceling its wildly popular HauntFest this year, citing budget shortfalls and a slowing economy as the reason — despite dipping into over $2 million in reserves. The event, which draws 20,000 people and boosts local sales dramatically, costs around $120,000, mostly paid by the city. Business owners and residents are stunned and questioning financial priorities, especially since federal grants for security tech aren’t the issue. The council says core services must come first — but they’re open to bringing HauntFest back if finances improve. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/05016b870bb8cd06