Holiday Events in Santee and El Cajon: 2026 Guide

2026 holiday events in Santee and El Cajon at a glance

These are the East County holiday events with 2026 dates confirmed on the organizer’s own page, listed in date order. Holiday plans can shift, so check each official site again the week you go.

• Friday, November 20: Santee Holiday Lighting, Santee Trolley Square, from 5:30 p.m. Free.
• Saturday, November 28 to Thursday, December 24: Small Business Season in downtown El Cajon.
• Saturday, December 5: Spirit of Christmas in Lakeside, from 3 p.m., tree lighting at 5 p.m.
• Sunday, December 6: Holiday Lights in Downtown El Cajon, 3 to 7 p.m., tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. Free.
• Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13: Water Lantern Festival at Santee Lakes, 2 to 7 p.m. Ticketed.
• December 5-6 and 12-13: the Yuletide Medieval Festival at El Monte County Park in Lakeside. Ticketed.

Friday, November 20: the Santee Holiday Lighting

The City of Santee opens the season with its free Holiday Lighting at Santee Trolley Square, 9884 Mission Gorge Road. Festivities start at 5:30 p.m. and the tree is lit at 6:15 p.m. The city lists live music by Upstream, face painting, holiday photo spots, sledding and photos with Santa, whose photo spot is set up between Target and Miniso.

The event runs rain or shine. Parking near Trolley Square is limited, and the city encourages guests to ride the trolley’s Copper Line, which stops right at Santee Trolley Square. If you are coming from El Cajon, you can transfer to the Copper Line at the El Cajon Transit Center from the Green or Orange Line. Come early if you want dinner at one of the nearby restaurants first.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving: the Mother Goose Parade tradition

For generations, El Cajon’s holiday season meant the Mother Goose Parade. A local businessman started it in 1947 as a gift for children and a way to bring holiday shoppers downtown, and it grew into one of the biggest holiday parades in the West, traditionally held the Sunday before Thanksgiving along Main Street, with its giant Mother Goose balloon as the highlight.

The parade went virtual in 2020 and 2021 and has not returned as a live parade since. A community effort, backed by El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, has aimed to bring it back by Thanksgiving 2026. As of late October 2026 we could not find an official 2026 date or route from the organizers, so treat any date you see on a generic calendar site with caution and check the City of El Cajon and local news before planning around it.

Late November and December: shopping and Santa in El Cajon

The Downtown El Cajon Association runs Small Business Season from Saturday, November 28 through Thursday, December 24, encouraging holiday shoppers to support the storefronts, restaurants and shops along downtown’s blocks. It pairs well with the December 6 Holiday Lights, when an artisan market of local vendors sets up downtown.

If you want a Santa visit before December, Santa appears at the Santee Holiday Lighting on November 20. In past years the City of Santee has also held a separate, quieter Selfies with Santa evening at Santee Trolley Square in early December for families who would rather skip the lighting-night lines. We have not seen a 2026 listing yet; watch the city’s calendar.

Saturday, December 5: Spirit of Christmas in Lakeside

Just next door to El Cajon and Santee, the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce hosts its 28th annual Spirit of Christmas on Saturday, December 5, 2026. From 3 p.m. there is shopping from local clubs and vendors, children’s activities, craft booths, local youth performances and treats, plus a Mailbox for the North Pole.

At 5 p.m. the Lakeside Historical Society leads the Community Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Olde Presbyterian Church, and Santa arrives. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus are part of the day; the chamber has not posted a time for them, so ask when you arrive.

The same weekend, the Yuletide Medieval Festival opens at El Monte County Park in Lakeside, recreating a holiday in England in 1420 with jousting, a battle pageant, reenactor encampments, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas and Krampus. It runs December 5-6 and 12-13 and is ticketed online in advance, so it can sit alongside the free tree lightings as one more option for a weekend.

Sunday, December 6: Holiday Lights in Downtown El Cajon

Downtown El Cajon’s free, community-wide Holiday Lights runs from 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, 2026. The Downtown El Cajon Association lists a microbubble Snow Zone, live music, kids’ train rides, photos with Santa and an artisan market with local vendors.

The evening’s centerpiece is the tree lighting at 6:30 p.m. in Prescott Promenade, led by Mayor Bill Wells. Sunset that week is shortly before 5 p.m., so the lights will be on full show by then. Arrive in the afternoon for the market and Snow Zone, have an early dinner downtown, then find a spot on the promenade before 6:30.

December 12-13: lanterns at Santee Lakes

On Saturday and Sunday, December 12 and 13, Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve hosts the Water Lantern Festival, listed on the park’s calendar as a holiday edition. Gates open at 2 p.m., with food trucks and music through the afternoon, lantern decorating from 4:30 p.m. and the lantern launch between 5 and 7 p.m. Tickets are sold in advance through the Water Lantern Festival, and the park charges for parking.

Organizers suggest bringing your ticket, a blanket or warm clothes, a camping chair, a camera and bug spray. Evenings by the water get cold in December, so dress for it.

How to find more holiday events

Smaller events, such as church concerts, school performances and neighborhood light displays, are often announced only a few weeks ahead. These are the best places to check:

• City of Santee events calendar: the Holiday Lighting and, in past years, Selfies with Santa.
• Downtown El Cajon Association events page: Holiday Lights, Small Business Season and other downtown events.
• Santee Lakes events calendar: lantern nights and seasonal activities at the preserve.
• Lakeside Chamber of Commerce: Spirit of Christmas details and registration.
• The KPBS community events calendar and East County local news outlets for church, school and nonprofit concerts.
• For the Mother Goose Parade, the City of El Cajon and local news, since no official 2026 announcement had appeared at the time of writing.

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