# Water Lantern Festival – Holiday Edition at Santee Lakes > Event for families in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad area (CA). Times are Pacific Time. - When: Sat, Dec 12 (+1 more date) · 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM - Where: Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, 9310 Fanita Parkway, Santee, CA 92071 - Ages: Check age guidance - Price: Tickets from $30.99; general admission early bird $34.99, regular $38.99, last call $48.99 (each includes a lantern kit); on-site parking $10 per vehicle - Organizer: Water Lantern Festival - Official page: https://www.waterlanternfestival.com/events/san-diego - Last checked: Tue, Oct 27 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-diego/activities/water-lantern-festival-holiday-edition-at-santee-lakes--listing-fedd9bbf3ac68fdcf48e43fa ## About A two-day holiday lantern festival on the lakes of Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve. Gates open at 2 p.m. for food trucks, music and lawn games; at 4:30 p.m. everyone decorates a paper lantern with markers and messages, and from 5 to 7 p.m. the lanterns, lit with LED candles, are set afloat on the water as the sun goes down. It is a calm, slow-paced evening that works well for families with school-age children who can sit and decorate, and for toddlers who just enjoy the glowing water. Each ticket covers festival access and one lantern kit (lantern, LED candle and markers) plus a small gift pack, so families decide how many lanterns they want. Bring a blanket or camping chairs, warm layers for the December evening, bug spray and a camera. The organizer expects the event to sell out and raises prices in stages, so buying early is cheaper; parking at the preserve is charged separately by the venue. ## Similar picks in San Diego - [La Jolla Christmas Parade and Holiday Festival](https://grassyknees.com/san-diego/activities/la-jolla-christmas-parade-and-holiday-festival--listing-26094ca0cb732497c35e4c0b) — Sun, Dec 6 · 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM · La Jolla Recreation Center (Holiday Festival); parade starts at Kline and Girard · Free · checked Oct 13. The 70th annual La Jolla Christmas Parade on Sunday, December 6, 2026, kicks off at 1 p.m. at Kline and Girard. 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