East County Fall Health Fair: Free Screenings and Wellness Resources at Parkway Plaza

Overview

The San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce runs its health fair twice a year, spring and fall, and the fall edition takes over the promenade and breezeways at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon. It is free, open to the public, and aimed squarely at preventative care — the kind of checkup people put off because scheduling one feels like a project.

The draw is the range of what's under one roof. Exhibitors span health, wellness, insurance, senior care, financial planning, educational programs, and emergency response, with free screenings and live interactive demonstrations running throughout. It's indoors and climate-controlled, which in an El Cajon September is not a small detail.

What You Need to Know

When: Saturday, September 26, 2026, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Where: Parkway Plaza, 415 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92020 — throughout the promenade area and breezeways

Cost: Free to attend

Ages: All ages welcome

Host: San Diego Regional East County Chamber of Commerce

Sponsor: Grossmont Healthcare District

Parking: Free in the Parkway Plaza lots

Registration: Not required for attendees — walk in anytime during the four-hour window

Info: Stephanie Deppensmith, VP of Operations · (619) 440-6161 · stephanied@eastcountychamber.org

What to Expect

Free health screenings are the anchor, with live interactive demonstrations spread along the promenade. Around those, expect a broad exhibitor floor: wellness and lifestyle resources, insurance options, senior care services, financial planning, educational programs, and emergency response information.

That mix is worth understanding before you go. This is not a clinic, and it is not a substitute for a doctor's visit. It is a low-pressure way to get a baseline reading, ask questions of people who work in the field, and leave knowing which local resources exist — which is genuinely useful if you've moved to East County recently or you're helping an aging parent figure out what's available nearby.

Because it runs inside a working mall, it also folds easily into a Saturday you were already having. Four hours is a wide window, the promenade is walkable, and there's food and shopping on either end of it.

For Local Businesses: Exhibiting

If you work in health, wellness, insurance, senior services, or anything lifestyle-adjacent, this is a well-priced way to get in front of an East County crowd that showed up specifically to learn about what you do.

Chamber member, business: $175

Chamber member, non-profit: $150

Non-member, business: $275

Non-member, non-profit: $225

Healthy Chamber Package: $550, which bundles a booth with a one-year chamber membership

Exhibitor registration runs through the chamber's event page. Load-in is 9:30–10:45 a.m. and tear-down is 3–4 p.m., so plan on a full day rather than a four-hour one.

Good to Know

Come early for the screenings. Free screenings draw lines, and four hours goes quickly once the mall fills up.

Bring your questions, and a list of medications if you're talking to anyone about insurance or senior care. The conversations are more useful when you have specifics.

It's indoors. Air conditioning, restrooms, and seating — which makes this an easy one for older relatives or a stroller.

Bring a bag. Health fairs generate literature and giveaways, and you will accumulate both.

Check what's offered before you count on it. The exhibitor roster changes edition to edition, so if there's a specific screening or service you want, confirm with the chamber first.