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Tim Mossholder

Where can you see Santa in San Diego in 2026?

5 min read Checked November 3, 2026 Report a correction

For 2026, Fashion Valley's Santa set is due to open November 6, Westfield UTC's Peppermint Beach Club (with Santa photos) runs November 20 to December 24, and the Hotel del Coronado does Santa photos on select dates December 4-24. For a free Santa, go to one of the neighborhood events: Surfin' Santa at Seaport Village (Nov. 28), the Chula Vista Starlight festival (Dec. 5) or Holiday Lights in downtown El Cajon (Dec. 6).

Earliest mall Santa
Nov. 6, 2026

Fashion Valley, per its Simon listing (expected opening)

Typical mall package
From $39.99

Mission Valley's 2025 price; 2026 prices not posted when we checked

Best free visit
Dec. 5, 2026

Chula Vista Starlight festival, free Santa photos from 3 p.m. on Third Ave.

Last day
Dec. 24

Most mall and resort Santa sets close on Christmas Eve

The short version

  • Fashion Valley's Santa Photo Experience is expected to open November 6, 2026, at Center Court near Macy's; book at whereissanta.com
  • Westfield UTC's Peppermint Beach Club runs November 20 to December 24, 2026, with Santa photos, timed snowfall and gifts
  • Hotel del Coronado Santa photos run December 4-6, 11-13 and 18-24, 2026, by prepaid reservation, and include a printed photo
  • Free Santa photos: Chula Vista Starlight festival starting 3 p.m. on December 5, 2026, and Holiday Lights in El Cajon on December 6, 2026
  • Mission Valley mall had not posted 2026 times when we checked. In 2025 its packages started at $39.99 and it held pet nights on Mondays

Santa's 2026 San Diego schedule fills in during early November, and as of November 3, 2026 only some venues have posted. Below we list what we confirmed for 2026. Where a venue hasn't posted yet, we give its 2025 pattern and label it that way. For the rest of the season, see San Diego holiday events in December 2026 and free things to do in San Diego.

Mall Santas: what's posted for 2026

Mall and resort Santa sets

  • Fashion Valley (Mission Valley), First Level Center Court near Macy's

    2026 status
    Posted
    Dates
    Expected to open Nov. 6, 2026
    Booking / price
    Reserve at whereissanta.com/mall/0709; price not shown on the listing

  • Westfield UTC (University City), Peppermint Beach Club

    2026 status
    Posted
    Dates
    Nov. 20 - Dec. 24, 2026
    Booking / price
    Santa photos included in the pop-up; price and times not listed yet

  • Hotel del Coronado

    2026 status
    Posted
    Dates
    Dec. 4-6, 11-13, 18-24, 2026
    Booking / price
    Prepaid reservation at hoteldel.com; includes a printed photo

  • Mission Valley mall, Nordstrom Rack Court

    2026 status
    Not posted yet
    Dates
    In 2025: Nov. 28 - Dec. 24
    Booking / price
    In 2025: packages from $39.99, walk-ups if space allows

  • Westfield Plaza Bonita (National City)

    2026 status
    Not posted yet
    Dates
    In 2024: through Dec. 24
    Booking / price
    In 2024: reservations recommended; a Santa Cares session ran Dec. 8

Source: Simon (Fashion Valley), San Diego Tourism Authority, Hotel del Coronado, KPBS event listings, FOX 5; checked Nov 3, 2026

A boy visiting Santa Claus

Fashion Valley's Santa is on the first level near Macy's. Book a slot online to skip the line.

Photo: __ drz __ / Unsplash

Free vs paid Santa, 2026

FreePaid
  1. Free street festivalsBring your own phone; lines at peak times

    Chula Vista Starlight, El Cajon Holiday Lights, Surfin' Santa

    Cost
    $0
    Booking
    None
  2. Mall setsBook a slot or walk up if there's space

    Fashion Valley, UTC, Mission Valley

    Cost
    From $39.99 (2025)
    Booking
    Online slots
  3. Resort SantaPrepaid; printed photo included

    Hotel del Coronado

    Cost
    Not published
    Booking
    Required

Free events often have long lines; paid sets let you book a time slot.

Free Santa visits with 2026 dates

  • Otay Ranch Town Center, Chula Vista (Tue., Nov. 17): free tree lighting event 4-7 p.m. Santa arrives and lights the nearly 50-foot tree on Main Street at 7 p.m. The listing doesn't mention a Santa photo session.
  • Surfin' Santa, Seaport Village (Sat., Nov. 28): listed by the San Diego Tourism Authority for 2026. In 2025 Santa arrived by boat, led a parade to the fountain courtyard and posed on a giant surfboard from 1-4 p.m., and the photo was a free download.
  • Julian's Country Christmas (Sat., Nov. 28): tree lighting with free Santa photos, per the Tourism Authority's 2026 list.
  • Chula Vista Starlight Parade & Festival (Sat., Dec. 5): free photos with Santa from 3 p.m. on Third Avenue between E and H streets, before the 6 p.m. parade.
  • Holiday Lights in Downtown El Cajon (Sun., Dec. 6): free, 3-7 p.m. at Prescott Promenade, with photos with Santa and a 6:30 p.m. tree lighting.
  • North Pole by the Sea, Del Mar (Sun., Dec. 6): free, 1-5 p.m. You can write letters to Santa at the Del Mar Plaza deck, and holiday characters roam the village. The village's own page doesn't promise a Santa photo.
Santa Claus on the beach

For Surfin' Santa at Seaport Village on Nov. 28, get to the boardwalk early. Santa comes in from the bay side.

Photo: photosforyou / Pixabay

Pet nights, sensory-friendly Santa and Scuba Santa

  • Pet photos: none of the 2026 schedules we found had posted pet nights yet. In 2025, Mission Valley held 'Santa Paws' pet photos on Mondays (Dec. 1, 8, 15 and 22). Packages started at $39.99, and pets had to be leashed or kenneled.
  • Sensory-friendly Santa: Fashion Valley's booking site lists sensory-friendly and special-needs sessions, but no dates had posted when we checked. In 2025, Mission Valley ran a free Sensory Santa on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 9-10:30 a.m., before the mall opened, with the music turned down.
  • Scuba Santa: Birch Aquarium has featured a diving Santa during its December holiday event in past years. The last listing we could find was for 2021, when the event cost $19.95-$24.95. Its events page had no holiday listing for 2026 when we checked on Nov. 3.
  • Santa breakfasts: Seaport Village restaurants held Santa breakfasts and lunches in 2025, including Shorebird on Dec. 21 (reservation required). 2026 dates are not posted yet.
Hotel del Coronado decorated for the holidays

The free light show runs nightly from 5 to 9 p.m. Arrive around sunset for the first shows.

Photo: Dirk DBQ / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Where Santa is, 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors

Mall (paid)

Resort (paid)

Free

Mall dates are 2026 where posted; check each link before you go.

See these on the full San Diego map

Is this still right?

We last checked this tip against its sources on November 3, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.

Event dates, times and prices are set by the organizers and can change or sell out. Confirm with the organizer's own page before you plan around them.

This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.

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SOURCES

Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.

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