Things to Do in Santee and El Cajon: December 12-13, 2026

This weekend at a glance

Only one event near Santee and El Cajon has a confirmed date on its organizer’s 2026 page this weekend: the Water Lantern Festival. Everything else here is an ongoing activity you can do any December weekend, so you can mix and match.

• Saturday and Sunday, 2 to 7 p.m.: Water Lantern Festival at Santee Lakes (ticketed, buy in advance).
• Saturday or Sunday morning: fishing, pedal boats or a lakeside walk at Santee Lakes.
• Any day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center.
• Both days: the Yuletide Medieval Festival in Lakeside, Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ticketed).

The Water Lantern Festival at Santee Lakes

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, at 9310 Fanita Parkway in Santee, hosts the Water Lantern Festival on both Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13. The park lists it as a holiday edition. It is a ticketed, family-friendly event: you decorate your own lantern, then set it on the water at dusk alongside everyone else’s.

The schedule is the same both days:

• 2 p.m.: gates open.
• 2 to 7 p.m.: food trucks, music and activities.
• 4:30 p.m.: lantern design.
• 5 to 7 p.m.: lantern launch.
• 7 p.m.: event ends.

How to plan a lantern evening

Buy tickets in advance through the Water Lantern Festival’s website, which sells several ticket tiers and package options; prices change as the date gets closer, so check there rather than relying on old figures. The organizer notes that parking is $10 per vehicle, charged by the park.

The launch begins only a few minutes after sunset, which the U.S. Naval Observatory puts at about 4:42 p.m. in nearby El Cajon on Saturday and 4:43 p.m. on Sunday. Civil twilight ends around 5:10 p.m., so most of the launch happens in the dark, which is the point. Organizers suggest bringing your ticket, a blanket or warm clothes, a camping chair, a camera and bug spray. Add a flashlight or phone light for the walk back to the car.

• Saturday or Sunday? The schedule is identical, so pick the day that suits your weekend.
• Arrive soon after 2 p.m. if you want time at the food trucks before the 4:30 p.m. lantern design.
• Dress for the evening, not the afternoon: inland lows in December average in the low 40s.

A lake day before the lanterns

If you are already heading to Santee Lakes, it is easy to make a full day of it. The 190-acre preserve, owned by Padre Dam Municipal Water District, has seven lakes filled with recycled water and stocked with sport fish year-round, plus playgrounds, walking trails and roughly 230 recorded bird species, which makes a slow loop with binoculars worthwhile even if you never cast a line.

Winter hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Pedal boats run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the sprayground stays closed from November through February. Normal weekend parking is $7 per vehicle, with a higher $10 rate for special events and peak holidays, so expect the event rate on lantern days. Dogs are not allowed in the day-use area, but there is a pet walk on the east side of Lake 5 and around Lake 6.

An easy nature outing: Mission Trails Visitor Center

For a gentler outing than a summit hike, start at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center, One Father Junipero Serra Trail in San Diego. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with exhibits on the park’s history, plants and animals, a library, rotating art exhibits and a gift shop. Outside, the park covers about 8,000 acres of natural and developed recreational land.

The park also offers free nature walks and ranger-led programs; check the Mission Trails website for dates, since none were posted for December when we checked.

If it rains: a backup plan

December sits at the start of East County’s wetter months. NOAA’s 1991-2020 normals give El Cajon about 1.8 inches of rain in December, climbing to about 2.3 inches in January and 2.6 in February, with December highs averaging around 68°F and lows around 42°F. A wet weekend is far from certain, but it is worth having a fallback, especially for an outdoor evening event by the water.

Check the National Weather Service forecast and the Water Lantern Festival’s site and social channels before you set out. On a showery day, the Mission Trails Visitor Center’s indoor exhibits, library and art displays make a good stop, since the center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A medieval Saturday in Lakeside

This is also the second and final weekend of the Yuletide Medieval Festival at El Monte County Park in Lakeside, which recreates a holiday in England in 1420 with jousting, a battle pageant, guild encampments, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas and Krampus. It is ticketed online by day and runs rain or shine. Because it opens at 10 a.m., it can fill a day on its own; pair it with the lanterns only if you choose different days.

Looking ahead to Christmas week

If this weekend gets you thinking about the holidays themselves, note these closures before you make plans:

• Santee Lakes’ campground, day-use park, general store and office close on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
• The Mission Trails Visitor Center closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
• Holiday hours and fees can change, so confirm with each park before a holiday visit.

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