Last updated: November 11, 2024
Get the big picture of the holidays in San Francisco! Our guide includes all the essential festive events and activities. For San Francisco natives and holiday travelers alike, our guide is your festive roadmap.
Popular Events: The San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker enchants audiences with its stunning choreography and classic score, truly embodying the spirit of the season. With vibrant lights and festive displays, Let’s Glow SF captivates visitors with its dazzling light installations. And the beloved Hamilton is something you definitely don't want to miss, as it brings historical storytelling to life with a modern twist. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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San Francisco Holiday Light Displays
Parol Lantern Festival and Parade
The Parol Lantern Festival is an annual celebration at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, featuring traditional Filipino holiday dishes, live music, and a parade of community and professional organizations. The event showcases the quintessential Filipino symbol of hope, blessings, luck, and peace, highlighting mental wellness through the theme "Breaking Dawn: Illuminating Mental Wellness."
Let’s Glow SF
Let's Glow SF is a free outdoor holiday event in downtown San Francisco, featuring high-tech projectors and lasers showcasing large-scale animated art across seven iconic buildings nightly.
Entwined in Golden Gate Park
Entwined in Golden Gate Park features a monumental shade-bearing tree that moves in the wind, carrying a 25-ft canopy with ever-changing illumination and color. The installation incorporates six unique QR codes allowing attendees to control the tree's lighting patterns.
Holidays on Fourth Street Berkeley
Holidays on Fourth Street Berkeley features holiday lights, caroling, puppet shows, and various craft activities along the street, including a holiday artisan market and Santa's mailbox.
San Francisco Holiday Markets and Shopping
The Guardsmen Tree Lot
The Guardsmen Tree Lot offers a vast selection of Christmas trees and holiday decorations, with all proceeds benefiting at-risk youth in the Bay Area. Volunteers in green jumpsuits provide a friendly and welcoming experience, making it a cherished holiday tradition.
Winter Walk in Union Square
Winter Walk in Union Square transforms two blocks into a vibrant pedestrian plaza with lush turf, diverse food truck offerings, enticing bars, and Instagram-worthy arctic-themed décor. The event features live performances and entertainment throughout, making it a celebration of holiday spirit and community.
San Francisco Holiday Shows and Entertainment
San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker
San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker is a classic holiday tradition featuring Tchaikovsky's iconic score, elaborate sets, and costumes. The ballet tells the story of Clara's journey through the Land of Snow and her adventures with the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince.
Kung Pao Kosher Comedy
Kung Pao Kosher Comedy is a San Francisco institution that brings Jewish comedy to a Chinese restaurant setting, featuring a diverse lineup of comedians and benefiting local charities.
Hamilton
Hamilton is a revolutionary musical that tells the epic saga of Alexander Hamilton, blending hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway to recount his rise as a Founding Father. Featuring a score by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, the show has won numerous awards including 11 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a Grammy Award.
A Drag Queen Christmas
A Drag Queen Christmas features a lineup of RuPaul's Drag Race winners, fan favorites, and legends performing live on stage. The event includes a VIP meet-and-greet experience where fans can meet the queens, take photos, and score autographs. The show is known for its adult content, sexual language, and naughty comedy, making it a unique holiday entertainment experience.
Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue
Golden Girls Live: The Christmas Episodes is a drag send-up and heartfelt tribute to the characters from The Golden Girls, featuring Coco Peru, Matthew Martin, D’Arcy Drollinger, and Holotta Tymes. Directed by D’Arcy Drollinger, this show parodies two Christmas episodes of the iconic TV show with a talented cast and live piano accompaniment.
Victorian Christmas
Immerse yourself in Victorian London with music halls, theatres, pubs, and charming shops filled with hundreds of lively and colorful characters from Charles Dickens' imagination. Enjoy Port and Chocolate, Champagne Tastings, a mysterious Pub Crawl, and the Dark Garden Corset Experience.
Beach Break Entertainment Film Festival
The Beach Break Film Festival in Half Moon Bay, CA, features a diverse lineup of films including documentaries, character studies, and music videos. The festival includes a world premiere of the "Divine Journey" trilogy and explores themes such as addiction, mental health, and environmental issues.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Film w/ SF Symphony Orchestra
This lively performance features a screening of the beloved holiday film accompanied by a live orchestra, bringing the story of the Grinch to life in a new way. Audiences can relish the iconic music and heartwarming narrative while sitting in a splendid concert hall setting, making it an exhilarating experience for all ages.
San Francisco Other Holiday Activities
Downtown First Thursdays
Downtown First Thursdays is a free monthly street party in Downtown San Francisco featuring disco, DJs, live music, drag, fashion, and street performances.
SantaCon
Thousands of cheerful Santas, elves, and holiday enthusiasts gather in San Francisco for a vibrant celebration featuring festive costumes, holiday-themed drinks, and lively music at various bars and venues.
Filoli Holidays
Filoli Holidays offers a vibrant holiday celebration with beautifully adorned gardens, historic house tours, and various festive activities. Enjoy daytime delights with warm drinks and hearty lunches, and immerse yourself in the enchanting atmosphere of the estate's grand Ballroom and private fire pits.
Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round
Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round features a historic, hand-carved and painted wooden carousel with calliope-style music, offering rides and a variety of snacks.
Tilden Park Steam Trains at Christmas
Tilden Park Steam Trains transform into a toddler-friendly holiday train during Christmas, offering rides decorated with twinkling lights, tiny snowflakes, and Christmas ornaments. The trains run from 11 am to 7 pm on weekends, weather permitting, and are especially thrilling at night with Christmas lights.
San Francisco Gift Guide 2024
