Lakeside’s Christmas Festival 2026: Dates, Tickets and Getting There

Lakeside’s December festival at a glance

If you are searching for a Christmas festival in Lakeside, this is the multi-day one: the Yuletide Medieval Festival, produced by Historic Event Productions, on the lawns of El Monte County Park. It sets the holidays in England in 1420, in the closing years of Henry V’s reign, with knights in tournament, a daily battle pageant by the guilds, the King’s Procession, and St. Nicholas, Father Christmas and Krampus.

Between the big set pieces, wander the reenactor guild encampments, where guild members give historical demonstrations and answer questions, and the artisan marketplace, with “shops from weapons to whimsy.” Minstrels, jesters, musicians and storytellers work the grounds, food vendors sell turkey legs, meat pies and vegetarian options, and there are children’s areas throughout, though children are not supervised by the festival.

• Saturday, December 5: 10 am to 8 pm.
• Sunday, December 6: 10 am to 6 pm.
• Saturday, December 12: 10 am to 8 pm.
• Sunday, December 13: 10 am to 6 pm.
• Rain or shine, on the park’s grass.

Tickets for a Lakeside festival day

Tickets are sold online by day on the festival’s Events page, and your confirmation arrives by email to show at the gate. Here is what a Lakeside visit costs at the published 2026 prices:

• Day admission, ages 11 and up: $35.
• Day admission, military or 65+: $30.
• Admission plus a seat at the St. Nicholas Day Feast: $110.
• St. Nicholas Feast: $85. Kids Feast (under 10): $65.
• Children 10 and under: free, no admission ticket needed.
• Parking, sold separately: $10 General Shuttle & Parking or $35 Fairgrounds Premium Parking (limited).

Should you add the feast?

The St. Nicholas Day Feast is the festival’s seated holiday meal: five courses, from a mini charcuterie, seasonal soup and garden salad to roasted game hen with a bangor, mash, traditional stuffing and cranberry relish, and apple cobbler, with ale, wine or a festive drink for under-21s. King Henry V and St. Nicholas of Myra preside, with entertainment between courses.

It is served at 6 pm on Saturdays and noon on Sundays, and seats are limited to 100 per day, with 20 Kids Feast seats. If the feast is part of your plan, book it first and build the rest of the day around it.

Parking and the shuttle

Parking is an add-on, not part of admission. General Shuttle & Parking ($10) means parking off-site and riding a shuttle to the festival; Fairgrounds Premium Parking ($35) is limited. The festival has not yet published the shuttle lot location or hours, so watch your confirmation email, or call (858) 864-0020 and write the answer down before you leave.

Need accessible parking? Request it by email at info@yuletidemedievalfestival.com.

Getting there from Lakeside town center

El Monte County Park is east of Lakeside’s center along El Monte Road. A San Diego Reader route description from the heart of town, starting at Maine Avenue or Lindo Lake County Park, heads east on Julian Avenue about a mile to Lake Jennings Park Road, where El Monte Road continues straight across into the river valley; the park is roughly five miles from the start. That description is more than 20 years old, so use it for orientation and follow a current map.

Load your map before you go. There is no cell coverage at the park, and signal can drop on the way. If you bought General Shuttle & Parking, head to the shuttle lot named in your confirmation rather than the park itself.

Before you go: the Lakeside checklist

• Print or screenshot your ticket confirmation; there is no cell coverage at the park.
• Bring cash. ATMs are on site, but vendors may not take cards if the festival Wi-Fi goes down.
• Dress for a cold evening. Sunset is about 4:41 pm, and Saturdays run more than three hours after dark.
• Dogs are welcome on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
• No smoking except in the lot across the street, no outside alcohol and no fireworks; San Diego County park rules apply.
• Facilities include flush toilets, portable ADA toilets, hand-wash stations, a First Aid tent and a Guest Services booth at the park entrance.

Pairing the festival with Lakeside’s Spirit of Christmas

Saturday, December 5, is also the Lakeside Chamber of Commerce’s free Spirit of Christmas on Maine Avenue, 3 to 7:30 pm, with the community tree lighting at 5 pm. If you want both, consider the festival on Sunday, December 6, or the second weekend, so neither feels rushed.

Questions