Things to do this December, from holiday lights to a medieval Christmas
Planning December in San Diego? These guides cover holiday events, weekend ideas, East County day trips, Renaissance faires and medieval festivals, and practical tips for a day outdoors in winter. The Yuletide Medieval Festival runs December 5–6 & 12–13, 2026 at El Monte County Park in Lakeside.
Holiday events, weekend ideas, East County outings, and medieval festivals across Southern California
San Diego in December means free holiday festivals, boat parades, light shows at the zoo and Safari Park, a beachfront ice rink and mild, mostly dry days. Here is what is confirmed for 2026, what usually happens, and how to plan around the weather.
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The first weekend of December 2026 is one of the busiest of the season: December Nights fills Balboa Park on Saturday and the La Jolla Christmas Parade marches on Sunday. Here is what is confirmed for December 5 and 6, plus easy outdoor ideas to round out the weekend.
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The headline event of the weekend of December 12-13, 2026 is the San Diego Bay Parade of Lights on Sunday evening. Around it you can fit Santa photos at the Safari Park, skating beside the ocean, a holiday show in Balboa Park or a day out in East County.
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San Diego County’s 2026 Christmas season runs from early-November tree lightings to light shows that last into January. This guide lists the events whose 2026 dates are confirmed by their organizers, plus the long-running traditions worth building a December around.
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San Diego families can fill December with a free festival in Balboa Park, a boat parade on the bay, zoo lights, beachside skating and a holiday train in the backcountry. Here is what runs when in 2026, what organizers say it costs, and how to plan around little ones.
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The best December dates in San Diego mix one festive anchor, like skating by the ocean or a light trail, with a slow dinner or a walk. These ideas come with the 2026 dates and details their organizers have published.
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December in San Diego is usually mild and mostly dry, which makes it a great month for open-air holiday events. Expect days in the upper 60s and cool nights, especially inland, and dress in layers for anything that runs past sunset.
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Plenty of San Diego holiday outings welcome a leashed dog, from Dog Beach and Balboa Park’s leash-free areas to Old Town’s plaza and the grounds of Mission San Luis Rey. Several popular holiday events do not, so check the rules below before you load up the car.
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An experience gift in San Diego can be as simple as a year of museum visits in Balboa Park or as bold as a tandem paragliding flight over the Torrey Pines cliffs. The trick is matching the gift to the person and checking the fine print, because some tickets are tied to a date or a name.
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San Diego’s holiday season is a good time to explore the city’s past, from Old Town’s adobes and the Whaley House to two of California’s missions, a tall ship launched in 1863, and the museums of Balboa Park. Most sites stay open through December but close on Christmas Day, so plan around it.
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San Diego has holiday outings that scale from a carload of cousins to a whole office. Several venues publish group discounts or programs, usually starting at 15 people, and many need booking weeks ahead, so pick early and confirm details by phone.
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East County San Diego trades beaches for lakes, granite peaks and small-town history. In winter that means cool hiking weather, stocked trout lakes, holiday lightings and mountain day trips to Julian and Cuyamaca, all within reach of Lakeside, El Cajon, Santee and Alpine.
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Lakeside is East County San Diego’s lake-and-trail town: a natural lake in the middle of town, a trout-stocked reservoir, a historic flume trail and a rodeo tradition that dates to 1920. Here is what to do there, with hours and rules from the parks themselves.
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El Monte County Park is an 88-acre picnic park at the foot of El Cajon Mountain in Lakeside, open daily from 9:30 a.m. to sunset with $5 day-use parking. Its big lawns, playgrounds and the Historic Flume Trail make it one of East County’s easiest outdoor days.
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Southern California’s faire year runs in waves: big spring faires in April and May, early-summer festivals into June, a fall faire around Halloween, and medieval holiday events in December. Here is how the calendar usually falls, and where to check each event’s own dates.
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California has history-themed festivals in every season: Renaissance faires in spring and fall, medieval festivals in summer, and a cluster of historical Christmas events in December, from Victorian London to Old Monterey. Here is a statewide guide, with the winter events gathered in one place.
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The short answer: a Renaissance faire is usually set in Elizabethan England in the late 1500s and runs on theater and improvised street characters, while a medieval festival is set earlier, before about 1500, and often leans on living history and reenactors. In practice the labels overlap, so the year an event is set in tells you most.
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Jousting is a contest in which two mounted riders charge at each other with lances, aiming to break the lance on the opponent. It grew out of medieval cavalry training and the tournament, became the showpiece of royal courts, faded in the 1600s and has returned today as both theater and a competitive sport.
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Unless an event says otherwise, you do not need a costume to enjoy a medieval festival: comfortable clothes and good shoes come first. If you want to dress up, a long tunic or gown, a belt, a hood or veil and warm layers will get you close to the 1400s, and they work for adults and kids alike.
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Living history means recreating the past with real people, clothing and objects so visitors can see and ask about everyday life. Reenactment recreates a specific event, such as a battle. At a medieval festival, the two meet in guild encampments, where hobbyists demonstrate crafts and combat and answer questions.
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A medieval Christmas started where ours ends. It came after weeks of Advent fasting, began on December 25 and ran for twelve days of feasting and games to Epiphany. There were no Christmas trees, cards, turkeys or reindeer-drawn Santa; those arrived between the 1500s and the 1800s.
Read the guideWhat to expect, kids, dogs, costumes, the feast and a day out in Lakeside
Expect a full day outdoors on the grass at El Monte County Park: jousting, a battle pageant, guild encampments, music, a marketplace and food stalls, with no cell signal. Bring cash and layers, and ask before photographing anyone in costume.
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Kids usually love the jousting, costumes and encampments, but plan ahead: there is no cell signal at the park, children’s areas are not supervised by the festival, and under-10 admission isn’t published, so call (858) 864-0020.
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St. Nicholas was a fourth-century bishop of Myra; Father Christmas began as England’s personification of the Christmas season; Santa Claus grew out of both in 19th-century America. All three appear at the Yuletide Medieval Festival.
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The St. Nicholas Day Feast is a five-course, set-menu meal with entertainment between courses, presided over by King Henry V and St. Nicholas of Myra, at the Yuletide Medieval Festival in Lakeside. Seats are limited to 100 a day.
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Start with a morning walk at Lindo Lake County Park, spend the middle of the day at the Yuletide Medieval Festival at El Monte County Park, and plan around a sunset close to 4:40 pm.
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Leashed dogs are welcome at the Yuletide Medieval Festival on a leash no longer than 6 feet, with waste-bag stations throughout. Whether to bring yours depends on how your dog copes with crowds, noise and horses.
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Pack for a wide temperature swing, no cell signal and a long day on grass: layers, cash, a printed or screenshotted ticket, comfortable shoes, sun protection and a warm jacket for after sunset.
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Use a fast shutter for jousting, plan around a sunset near 4:40 pm, switch on your phone’s night mode for after-dark scenes, and always ask reenactors before taking close portraits.
Read the guideWhich ticket, which day, parking, directions and gifting
| Day | Hours | Feast |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, December 5th | 10:00 am – 8:00 pm | 6:00 PM |
| Sunday, December 6th | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | Noon |
| Saturday, December 12th | 10:00 am – 8:00 pm | 6:00 PM |
| Sunday, December 13th | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | Noon |
Adult admission $35.00 · Military or 65+ $30.00. Tickets and prices
For most visitors 10 and older, the right ticket is Adult Admission at $35 for the day you plan to attend; add the St. Nicholas Day Feast ($110 combined) if you want a seated five-course dinner or lunch, and add parking separately.
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The St. Nicholas Day Feast is worth it if you want a seated, five-course holiday meal with entertainment between courses and King Henry V and St. Nicholas presiding; if you would rather graze from food vendors while you explore, regular admission is enough.
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Pick a Saturday (10 am to 8 pm) if you want the festival after dark and a 6 pm feast; pick a Sunday (10 am to 6 pm) for a daytime visit with a noon feast; and book early on whichever day you choose if you want feast seats or premium parking.
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Parking is bought as an add-on with your tickets: $10 General Shuttle & Parking (park off-site and ride a shuttle in) or $35 Fairgrounds Premium Parking, which is limited; accessible parking is available on request by email.
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El Monte County Park sits east of Lakeside at 15805 El Monte Road; most drivers reach it via I-8 or SR-67, then Lake Jennings Park Road and El Monte Road. There is no cell signal at the park, so download your maps before you go.
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Festival tickets make a good early holiday gift, but they are for a specific day before Christmas (December 5, 6, 12 or 13, 2026), so agree on the date with the recipient and hand them over well before then.
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Military members and guests 65 and older pay $30 for festival admission instead of the $35 adult price; beyond that, the biggest savings come from choosing the $10 shuttle and parking option and planning your food and spending ahead.
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