Yuletide Medieval Festival from Santee or El Cajon

The short answer

The Yuletide Medieval Festival isn’t in Santee or El Cajon; it’s next door in Lakeside, at El Monte County Park, 15805 El Monte Road. By road it’s roughly 10 miles from Santee Trolley Square and about 12 miles from downtown El Cajon, according to OpenStreetMap routing, and every route finishes on El Monte Road, which runs about 4 miles east to the park.

Buy admission and a parking add-on online for your chosen day, save your confirmation offline, bring cash, and plan to drive: we couldn’t find a bus that reaches El Monte Road.

Driving from Santee

The usual route uses SR-67, the San Vicente Freeway:

• Get onto SR-67 northbound (from central Santee, Mission Gorge Road becomes Woodside Avenue, with an on-ramp to SR-67).
• Exit at Mapleview Street in Lakeside and turn right (east).
• Continue east; Mapleview Street becomes Lake Jennings Park Road.
• Turn onto El Monte Road and follow it about 4 miles east to the park entrance.

Driving from El Cajon

You have two straightforward options, and map apps pick between them depending on where in El Cajon you start:

• Via SR-67: head north on Magnolia Avenue, which becomes SR-67, then exit at Mapleview Street and follow the Santee directions above.
• Via I-8: take I-8 east to the Lake Jennings Park Road exit, go north on Lake Jennings Park Road for about 1.8 miles, turn right on El Monte Road, and continue about 4 miles to the park.

Before you leave home

There is no cell coverage at El Monte County Park, and signal can fade along El Monte Road. Download an offline map, and print or screenshot your ticket and parking confirmations. Bring cash: ATMs are on site, but vendors may not be able to take cards if the festival Wi-Fi goes down.

Parking is bought as an add-on, not admission. General Shuttle & Parking ($10) means parking off-site and riding a shuttle in; Fairgrounds Premium Parking ($35) is limited. The festival doesn’t publish the shuttle lot location or hours, so call (858) 864-0020 or email info@yuletidemedievalfestival.com before your visit and write the answer down. Accessible parking is available on request by email.

If you’re meeting friends coming from farther away, agree on a meeting spot, such as the Guest Services booth at the park entrance, before anyone loses signal.

Can you take the trolley or bus?

Not all the way. Green Line trolleys end at El Cajon Transit Center, and the Copper Line runs between El Cajon Transit Center and Santee, about every 15 minutes for most of the day. MTS Route 848 runs from El Cajon Transit Center to Lakeside via Broadway and Winter Gardens Boulevard, serving stops such as Lindo Lake County Park and El Capitan High School, but its timetable doesn’t list El Monte Road. We found no transit service to El Monte County Park, so check the MTS trip planner if you want to try, and remember you can’t call a ride from the park without signal.

Which day suits East County locals?

Living a short drive away gives you flexibility that visitors from farther afield don’t have:

• Saturdays, December 5 and 12 (10 am to 8 pm): come after lunch and stay into the evening. Sunset is around 4:40 pm, so the last few hours are after dark, and the St. Nicholas Feast is served at 6 pm.
• Sundays, December 6 and 13 (10 am to 6 pm): better for an early night or small children. The feast is at noon.
• Sunday, December 6: downtown El Cajon’s free Holiday Lights runs 3 to 7 pm at Prescott Promenade, if you want to add a tree lighting on your way home.
• Short on time? A short drive means a half-day visit is realistic; just allow time for parking and the shuttle.

Tickets

Tickets are sold online by day on the Events page, and your confirmation arrives by email to show at the gate.

• Adult admission (11 and older): $35.
• Military or 65+ admission: $30.
• General Admission with the Feast: $110.
• St. Nicholas Feast: $85; Kids Feast (under 10): $65. Seats are limited to 100 per day (20 for kids).
• Parking add-ons: $10 General Shuttle & Parking; $35 Fairgrounds Premium Parking (limited).
• Children 10 and under: free, no admission ticket needed.

What to bring

• Ticket and parking confirmations, printed or saved as screenshots.
• Cash for vendors.
• Warm layers and a small flashlight for a Saturday evening.
• Rain gear: the festival runs rain or shine.
• A leash no longer than 6 feet if your dog is coming.

Questions