Trade Tinsel for Jousting at the Yuletide Medieval Festival in Lakeside
San Diego spends most of December in short sleeves, so a weekend built around armored horses and an open fire lands differently.
The Yuletide Medieval Festival sets up at El Monte County Park in Lakeside for two weekends this holiday season, with jousting, living history, an artisan marketplace, and the St. Nicholas Day Feast on the grounds.
Lakeside is a drive for most of the county, and this is one of the December weekends where the drive is part of the fun.
Jousting is the Reason to Make the Drive
Jousting is the anchor of the whole thing, and it is the part that turns a casual visit into a full day. Armored riders, horses at speed, and a crowd that gets loud on impact.
Around the field, living history fills in the rest of the world those riders belong to, from encampments to working craft demonstrations. It is the kind of setup that rewards slowing down and asking people what they are making.
Gift Shopping, With a Joust Across the Field
The artisan marketplace is where the holiday part of this pays off. Handmade work from people who make it by hand beats one more gift card, and you can do the shopping with a joust going on behind you.
Plan to spend a little past what you budgeted. That is how marketplaces like this tend to go.
A Seat at the St. Nicholas Day Feast
The St. Nicholas Day Feast is ticketed separately from general admission, so a gate ticket alone will not get you to the table. If the feast is the part you want, lock that in early rather than deciding once you are through the gate.
See you there!
Bring layers, leave room in the car for whatever the marketplace talks you into, and give Lakeside one of your December weekends. This one is worth the drive.
📆 Saturdays, December 5 & 12, 10 AM – 8 PM | Sundays, December 6 & 13, 10 AM – 6 PM
📍 15805 El Monte Road, Lakeside
🎟️ View ticket options here
ℹ️ Get the full details here
See you there, San Diego!
