Annual Lebanese Festival: food, music, dance

St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church is hosting the 22nd Annual Lebanese Festival in El Cajon over Memorial Day weekend, with food, music and cultural performances scheduled from May 22 to May 24. The event is being held at 750 Medford St., on the church grounds, according to the festival website. Organizers describe it as a three-day celebration of Lebanese food and heritage, with live entertainment, vendors and family activities. The festival was also listed among San Diego Memorial Day weekend picks in local events coverage. ### When is the festival happening, and where? May 22, May 23 and May 24 are the listed dates for the 2026 festival, with the event tied to Memorial Day weekend, according to the San Diego Lebanese Festival website. St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church is the host, and the location is 750 Medford St. in El Cajon. KPBS’s event listing shows public festival hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on May 23 and May 24, while the church website separately lists festival-weekend liturgy times for Friday evening and Sunday morning. (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) KPBS noted that dates and times can change and directed visitors to check the organizer’s site for updates. ### What will people find once they get there? (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) The festival website says guests can expect traditional Lebanese dishes including saj zaatar, tabouleh, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, beef shawarma, chicken kabob and kibbeh, along with Lebanese sweets. Organizers say the event is built around food and heritage, with a beer and wine garden and carnival games also listed. (kpbs.org) KPBS’s listing adds desserts, a kids’ fun zone, hookah and a marketplace with vendors and cultural items. The same listing describes the event as family-friendly and says it is intended to bring Lebanese food, entertainment and community celebration to San Diego. ### How big is the event? Festival organizers say the annual event draws more than 8,000 visitors each year from the greater San Diego area, Orange County and Los Angeles. (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) That attendance figure appears on the official festival website alongside the 2026 event announcement. The 2026 edition is billed as the 22nd annual festival. That numbering appears on the festival site, the church’s website and KPBS’s event page. (kpbs.org) ### What kind of music and performances are planned? The festival website says evening live music, dancing and folkloric performances are part of the program throughout the day. KPBS’s event listing similarly says visitors can expect folkloric dancing and live music during the festival. (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) Times of San Diego, in a Memorial Day weekend guide published May 21, said the San Diego Lebanese Festival starts Friday at 6 p.m. in El Cajon and runs through Sunday at St. (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church. That guide identified the event as one of the weekend’s local cultural offerings. ### Who is behind the festival? (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) St. Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church is the named host on the official festival website and on KPBS’s event page. The church’s website also features the festival as part of its Memorial Day weekend schedule. The Maronite Catholic parish has used its church grounds as the setting for the event, framing the weekend as both a cultural gathering and a parish-hosted celebration. (timesofsandiego.com) The church site lists festival-weekend liturgies alongside the public event information. ### Where can visitors check details before going? The official San Diego Lebanese Festival website includes sections for the program, entertainment, food court, beer and wine garden, parking and vendors. (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com) KPBS also directs attendees to the organizer’s website and notes that schedules may change. May 24 is the final listed day of the 2026 festival, and organizers say the event remains centered at St. (stephremchurch.com) Ephrem Maronite Catholic Church in El Cajon. Visitors looking for updated hours, parking information or program details can check the festival and church websites before attending. (lebanesefestivalsandiego.com)