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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Top Holiday Events In and Around San Francisco
- Hamilton
- Let’s Glow SF
- San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker
- Winter Walk in Union Square
- The Guardsmen Tree Lot
- Entwined in Golden Gate Park
- Filoli Holidays (Woodside)
- SantaCon
- Victorian Christmas
- Parol Lantern Festival and Parade
See these and even more events listed below!
San Francisco Holiday Light Displays
Parol Lantern Festival and Parade
What to Expect:
Celebrating Filipino culture with parol lanterns and mental wellness awareness.
Description:
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."
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Parol Lantern Festival and Parade
Let’s Glow SF
What to Expect:
High-tech projection of animated art on iconic SF buildings.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Let’s Glow SF
Entwined in Golden Gate Park
What to Expect:
Interactive lighting control via QR codes.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Entwined in Golden Gate Park
San Francisco Holiday Markets and Shopping
The Guardsmen Tree Lot
What to Expect:
All proceeds support at-risk youth in the Bay Area.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: The Guardsmen Tree Lot
Winter Walk in Union Square
What to Expect:
Pedestrian plaza with diverse food truck offerings and arctic-themed décor.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Winter Walk in Union Square
San Francisco Holiday Shows and Entertainment
San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker
What to Expect:
World-class ballet performance with elaborate sets and costumes.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker
Kung Pao Kosher Comedy
What to Expect:
Jewish comedy in a Chinese restaurant setting.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Kung Pao Kosher Comedy
Hamilton
What to Expect:
Blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway to tell American history.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Hamilton
A Drag Queen Christmas
What to Expect:
Meet-and-greet with drag queens.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: A Drag Queen Christmas
Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue
What to Expect:
Post-show meet and greet with the cast for VIP ticket holders.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue
Victorian Christmas
What to Expect:
Immersive Victorian London setting with interactive characters and activities.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Victorian Christmas
Beach Break Entertainment Film Festival
What to Expect:
World premiere of the "Divine Journey" trilogy.
Description:
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.
Where: Half Moon Bay | More Info: Beach Break Entertainment Film Festival
San Francisco Other Holiday Activities
Downtown First Thursdays
What to Expect:
Interactive live performances and immersive soundscapes.
Description:
Downtown First Thursdays is a free monthly street party in Downtown San Francisco featuring disco, DJs, live music, drag, fashion, and street performances.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: Downtown First Thursdays
SantaCon
What to Expect:
Immersive holiday celebration with thousands of participants.
Description:
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.
Where: San Francisco | More Info: SantaCon
Filoli Holidays
What to Expect:
Immersive holiday displays and historic natural beauty.
Description:
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.
Where: Woodside | More Info: Filoli Holidays
Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round
What to Expect:
Antique, hand-carved carousel with calliope music.
Description:
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.
Where: Berkeley | More Info: Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round
Tilden Park Steam Trains at Christmas
What to Expect:
Decorated steam trains with holiday lights and ornaments.
Description:
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.
Where: Berkeley | More Info: Tilden Park Steam Trains at Christmas
Festive Fun in Nearby Cities!
Discover Holiday events in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check out these nearby locations for more festive fun!
- Mission District (1 miles)
- Chinatown (2 miles)
- Noe Valley (2 miles)
- Visitacion Valley (4 miles)
- Daly City (5 miles)
- South San Francisco (8 miles)
- Oakland (8 miles)
- Alameda (9 miles)
- San Bruno (10 miles)
- Berkeley (10 miles)
- El Cerrito (11 miles)
- Pacifica (12 miles)
- Richmond (12 miles)
- Millbrae (12 miles)
- Burlingame (14 miles)
- San Pablo (14 miles)
- San Leandro (15 miles)
- San Rafael (15 miles)
- San Mateo (16 miles)
- Foster City (17 miles)
- San Lorenzo (17 miles)
- Ashland (18 miles)
- Lafayette (18 miles)
- Hercules (18 miles)
- Castro Valley (19 miles)
- Belmont (19 miles)
- Hayward (20 miles)
- San Carlos (20 miles)
- Walnut Creek (21 miles)
- Redwood City (22 miles)
- Pleasant Hill (23 miles)
- Martinez (23 miles)
- Danville (23 miles)
- Benicia (24 miles)
- San Ramon (24 miles)
- Vallejo (24 miles)
- Union City (25 miles)
- Concord (25 miles)
- Menlo Park (26 miles)
- East Palo Alto (26 miles)
- Newark (27 miles)
- Dublin (27 miles)
- Palo Alto (28 miles)
- Fremont (28 miles)
- American Canyon (29 miles)
- Bay Point (31 miles)
- Los Altos (32 miles)
- Mountain View (33 miles)
- Petaluma (34 miles)
- Pittsburg (34 miles)
- Sunnyvale (35 miles)
- Livermore (36 miles)
- Antioch (37 miles)
- Cupertino (38 miles)
- Suisun (38 miles)
- Santa Clara (39 miles)
- Fairfield (39 miles)
- Brentwood (41 miles)
- Saratoga (41 miles)
- Oakley (42 miles)
- San Jose (42 miles)
- Rohnert Park (42 miles)
- Campbell (42 miles)