The Best of Winter in the Bay Area 2024/20245: What to Do and See
Holidays
The Best of Winter in the Bay Area 2024/20245: What to Do and See
Time for ice skating, dazzling lights, cozy bars with fireplaces, winter blooms, tree lightings & more
SF's Most Magical Tree Lightings & Holiday Events 2024
Holidays
SF's Most Magical Tree Lightings & Holiday Events 2024
All the biggest lighting ceremonies and the Bay's most special Xmas & holiday events
Built in 1894, SF's Japanese Tea Garden Stuns w/ Newly Revamped Pagoda Plaza
Brand New, Museums / Cultural Institutions, Only in San Francisco, Outdoorsy, Parks & Beaches, San Francisco
Built in 1894, SF's Japanese Tea Garden Stuns w/ Newly Revamped Pagoda Plaza
Golden Gate Park's new scenic paths, newly-planted trees and a brand new plaza at the oldest public Japanese garden in the U.S.
San Francisco December Festivals & Street Fairs 2024
Fairs & Festivals, Festival Updates, Get Out: Events
San Francisco December Festivals & Street Fairs 2024
Here's a round-up of December's winter festivals, holiday lightings and street fairs
Ice Skating Rinks in San Francisco & Bay Area (Winter 2024-25)
Bay Area Favorites, Things to Do
Ice Skating Rinks in San Francisco & Bay Area (Winter 2024-25)
Where to ice skate in the Bay? Here's our updated list for every outdoor and holiday ice rink in San Francisco and Bay Area

Wednesday, December 4

Alcatraz Day Tour: Limited “Buy One Ticket, Get One Ticket Free” (Dec. 3-Mar. 6)
Wednesday, December 4 – 8:40 am - Ends at 1:35 pm | Cost: $45.25 | Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Day Tour: Limited "Buy One Ticket, Get One Ticket Free" (Dec. 3-Mar. 6)

Limited Time Offer! Buy One Ticket, Get One Ticket Free! Alcatraz City Cruises is offering a “Buy One, Get One Free” (BOGO) ticket promotion to all California residents for the Alcatraz Day Tours! This special “Buy One, Get One Free” ticket promotion is available only ...

SF’s Civic Center Plaza Holiday Tree Lighting (2024)
Wednesday, December 4 – 4:00 pm - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Civic Center Plaza
SF's Civic Center Plaza Holiday Tree Lighting (2024)
The annual Civic Center Plaza Holiday Tree Lighting event returns December 4, 4-7pm! A free, family-friendly event featuring festive performances led by Boxcar Theatre’s Artistic Director Nick A. Olivero, the story of Boswick the Clown finding joy in the holiday season unfolds through performances by ...
White Claw + $1 Wing Wednesdays at Underdogs Cantina (SoMa)
Wednesday, December 4 – 4:30 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*No admission charge. Wings are $1 each.
| Underdogs Cantina
White Claw + $1 Wing Wednesdays at Underdogs Cantina (SoMa)

Join us for Wing Wednesdays at Underdogs Cantina with $1 Wings from 4:30pm – Close! $1 Wing Wednesdays Every Wednesday | 4:30pm to Close Underdogs Cantina, 128 King St. (Across from ballpark), SF FREE (No Cover) $1 WINGS from 4:30pm – Close Happy Hour from ...

“Comedians with Criminal Records” Live in SF (2024)
Wednesday, December 4 – 7:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with RSVP for first 50 people. Donations appreciatied
| The Function
"Comedians with Criminal Records" Live in SF (2024)

Crime and comedy collide in San Francisco’s most daring and unique event: Comedy’s Most Wanted: Comedians with Criminal Records, brought to you by HellaFunny. Prepare for a night of laughter and lawlessness as we unveil the Bay Area’s top professional comics who’ve had run-ins with the ...Every Wednesday

FREE Oakland “HellaSecret” Comedy Show (Wednesday Nights)
FREE Oakland "HellaSecret" Comedy Show (Wednesday Nights)

Get ready for our “HellaSecret” speakeasy comedy show in Oakland. A series of pop-up live comedy shows at unique spots all across the bay. We’ll take over a venue and you’ll get an email with the secret location. This HellaSecret comedy show takes place in a ...

SF Symphony’s “The Colors of Christmas” Live in Concert (Dec. 3-4)
Wednesday, December 4 – 7:30 pm - Ends at 9:30 pm | Cost: $29 | Davies Symphony Hall
SF Symphony's "The Colors of Christmas" Live in Concert (Dec. 3-4)

Join the San Francisco Symphony and legendary vocalists Peabo Bryson, Jackie Evancho, Jennifer Holliday, and BeBe Winans for a spectacular program of Christmas classics and greatest hits. Holidays With The Symphony Sunday, 12/1 – A Merry-Achi Christmas – Led by the incomparable José Hernández, Mariachi ...

30% Off Tix to ‘Deep Inside Tonight!’ feat. The Kinsey Sicks at NCTC (Dec. 4 – Jan. 5)
30% Off Tix to ‘Deep Inside Tonight!’ feat. The Kinsey Sicks at NCTC (Dec. 4 - Jan. 5)

BREAKING NEWS: America’s Favorite Dragapella® Beautyshop Quartet is back with a hilarious musical newscast-run-amok! The Kinsey Sicks bring their glorious award-winning harmonies to the New Conservatory Theatre Center stage where it all began in celebration of their 30th anniversary tour. Tune in for outrageous hijinx, ...

$2 Taco Night + Happy Hour Comedy at Skylark (SF)
Wednesday, December 4 – 8:00 pm - Ends at 9:30 pm | Cost: FREE*
*RSVP Required. 2 drink minimum. 21+
| Skylark Bar
$2 Taco Night + Happy Hour Comedy at Skylark (SF)

Join us for a night of laughter featuring Bay Area’s top rising comics! We showcase comedians that have been on Netflix, Comedy Central, Amazon, HBO… so come through and you may see the next big thing! HaHaHappy Hour Comedy at Skylark $5 beer, $2 tacos ...Every Wednesday

Japanese Tea Garden’s Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)
Japanese Tea Garden's Free Admission Hour (Golden Gate Park)

The Japanese Tea Garden provides visitors from around the world with an opportunity to experience the natural beauty, tranquility, and harmony of a Japanese-style garden in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Originally created as a “Japanese Village” exhibit for the 1894 California ...Every Wednesday

SF’s GLBT History Museum: Free First Wednesday
SF's GLBT History Museum: Free First Wednesday

Located in SF’s Castro District, the GLBT Historical Society Museum is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States. The museum celebrates 100 years of the city’s vast queer past through dynamic exhibitions and programming. Normally admission is $10, but on ...Monthly

Free Art Workshop: Parol Clay Ornaments at YBCA (SF)
Wednesday, December 4 – 2:00 pm - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Free Art Workshop: Parol Clay Ornaments at YBCA (SF)
Create art inspired by the Parol Lantern Festival in this series of drop-in art workshops for all ages. Materials will be provided, and you can take your artwork home as a souvenir.   Use clay to mold textures and shapes and craft your own parol lantern-inspired ornament.
2024 SF Civic Center Plaza Tree Lighting w/ Snow & Toy Giveaway | SF
Wednesday, December 4 – 4:00 pm - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Civic Center Plaza
2024 SF Civic Center Plaza Tree Lighting w/ Snow & Toy Giveaway | SF
Civic Center Plaza Holiday Tree Lighting 2024 Join us for a festive evening at Civic Center Plaza as we light up the holiday season! Happening rain or shine! The annual Civic Center Plaza Tree Lighting event returns December 4, 4-7pm! Add this fun, free, family-friendly event to your holiday calendar; featuring festive performances led ...
Movie Screening: “Bitter Melon: The First Cut” + Q&A w/ Director H.P. Mendoza
Wednesday, December 4 – 5:30 pm - Ends at 7:45 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to all, but the movie is not appropriate for children under 15.
| Koret Auditorium
Movie Screening: "Bitter Melon: The First Cut" + Q&A w/ Director H.P. Mendoza
Bitter Melon: The First Cut is an exclusive screening of the first cut of this tragicomic “home for the holidays” movie. A Filipino-American reunites for a Christmas party in San Francisco, but the festivities take a dark turn when they decide they’ve had enough of ...
The Ritz-Carlton SF’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony 2024 (SF)
Wednesday, December 4 – 5:30 pm - Ends at 7:30 pm | Cost: FREE | Ritz Carlton Hotel
The Ritz-Carlton SF's Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony 2024 (SF)
Join us at our annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, hosted by Betty Yu (KTVU-TV Fox 2) and Liam Mayclem (KCBS Radio) and a Make-A-Wish® Greater Bay Area child. The complimentary-to-the-public event will feature live entertainment with Dickens-era carolers and trumpeters, the legendary tree lighting at the ...

Thursday, December 5

Alcatraz Day Tour: Limited “Buy One Ticket, Get One Ticket Free” (Dec. 3-Mar. 6)
Thursday, December 5 – 8:40 am - Ends at 1:35 pm | Cost: $45.25 | Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Day Tour: Limited "Buy One Ticket, Get One Ticket Free" (Dec. 3-Mar. 6)

Limited Time Offer! Buy One Ticket, Get One Ticket Free! Alcatraz City Cruises is offering a “Buy One, Get One Free” (BOGO) ticket promotion to all California residents for the Alcatraz Day Tours! This special “Buy One, Get One Free” ticket promotion is available only ...

SF’s Free “Downtown First Thursdays Block Party (December 2024)
Thursday, December 5 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Second Street (South of Market)
SF's Free "Downtown First Thursdays Block Party (December 2024)

Get ready, San Francisco, for the return of this brand new free monthly party coming back to Downtown SF. A new, free, all-ages street party comes to Downtown SF every first Thursday of the month, from 5-10pm. Free kids activities, disco, two outdoor bars, live ...Monthly

Pop Icon “Rebecca Black” Free DJ Set in SF (Downtown First Thursdays)
Thursday, December 5 – 7:00 pm - Ends at 9:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Howard & 2nd Street
Pop Icon "Rebecca Black" Free DJ Set in SF (Downtown First Thursdays)
Enjoy a free DJ Set by pop icon Rebecca Black, presented by Another Planet Entertainment at SF’s Downtown First Thursdays on Thursday, December 5th! Rebecca Black’s journey from viral sensation to acclaimed pop icon showcases her evolution as a multifaceted artist and advocate. Rising to fame ...
“Black Laughs Matter” (Live at SF’s Only Black-Owned Comedy Club)
Thursday, December 5 – 7:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*RSVP Required
| The Function
"Black Laughs Matter" (Live at SF's Only Black-Owned Comedy Club)

Prepare for a comedic powerhouse like no other with ‘Black LAUGHS Matter,’ a riotous showcase featuring some of the sharpest minds and quickest comedy wits in the game – all under one roof. Join us for a night of uproarious laughter and unapologetic humor as these talented black comedians take ...Every Thursday

“HellaSecret” Free Thursday Night Comedy Show @ Secret Bar (Oakland)
"HellaSecret" Free Thursday Night Comedy Show @ Secret Bar (Oakland)

Get ready for our “HellaSecret” speakeasy comedy show in Oakland. A series of pop-up live comedy shows at unique spots all across the bay. We’ll take over a venue and you’ll get an email with the secret location. This HellaSecret comedy show takes place in a ...

Every Thursday: “Inner Circle” Dance Party at White Rabbit (SF)
Thursday, December 5 – 9:00 pm - Ends at 1:00 am | Cost: FREE | White Rabbit
Every Thursday: "Inner Circle" Dance Party at White Rabbit (SF)

Step into the Inner Circle every Thursday night at White Rabbit on Fillmore St., where the heart of dance music beats! , join us at White Rabbit on Fillmore St. for Inner Circle, a new weekly dedicated to the DJ and our love for ...Every Thursday

Free Day: Final Two Weeks of SF’s Contemporary Jewish Museum (Closing for 1+ Year on Dec. 15)
Thursday, December 5 – 11:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Book free tickets at thecjm.org
| Contemporary Jewish Museum
Free Day: Final Two Weeks of SF's Contemporary Jewish Museum (Closing for 1+ Year on Dec. 15)

The Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) in San Francisco has, unfortunately, announced it will temporarily close its galleries for at least one year, beginning December 16, 2024, due to financial challenges. The good news (if there is any, here) is that in order to give the ...

Free First Thursdays at Berkeley Art Museum
Thursday, December 5 – 11:00 am - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free admission to galleries. Film programs are excluded. No advanced tickets required, but subject to capacity limits
| Berkeley Art Museum / Pacific Film Archive
Free First Thursdays at Berkeley Art Museum

The UC Berkeley Art Museum is the visual arts center of the University of California, Berkeley. Through art and film programs, collections, and research resources, the University aspires to be locally connected and globally relevant, engaging audiences from the campus, community, and beyond. Normally $14, the ...Monthly

SFMOMA’s Small Press Book Bazaar (2024)
Thursday, December 5 – 1:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE | SFMOMA
SFMOMA's Small Press Book Bazaar (2024)
This holiday season, support the Bay Area creative community by shopping this special pop-up sale featuring local presses, zine publishers, artists, and more. From artist books and zines to posters, T-shirts, and mixtapes, you’re sure to find something unique for everyone on your list — ...
SFMOMA’s “Free First Thursdays” Free Museum Day for Locals (2024)
SFMOMA's "Free First Thursdays" Free Museum Day for Locals (2024)

All residents of the nine Bay Area counties are invited to spend a day at the museum on us! From noon–8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month, Bay Area residents can enjoy SFMOMA’s galleries filled with lively and inspiring art and related events ...Monthly

Berkeley’s Annual Holiday Gift Fair (2024)
Thursday, December 5 – 3:00 pm - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Hotel Shattuck Plaza
Berkeley's Annual Holiday Gift Fair (2024)
Spend your holidays in Downtown Berkeley!  The Chamber’s 6th Annual Holiday Gift Fair is coming back on Thursday, December 5th from 3 to 7pm at Hotel Shattuck Plaza.  Get gifts for everyone on your list in one place while supporting local businesses.  First 100 shoppers ...
North Shattuck Holiday Sip & Shop (Berkeley)
Thursday, December 5 – 3:00 pm - Ends at 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE | North Shattuck
North Shattuck Holiday Sip & Shop (Berkeley)
Celebrate the season and shop local while sampling bubbly, hot beverages, cookies, and delicious bites while holiday performers bring joyous sounds to North Berkeley. The boutique shops and restaurants lining Shattuck Avenue and Vine Street are eager to host you with holiday treats, special promotions, ...
6th Annual Berkeley Holiday Gift Fair (2024)
Thursday, December 5 – 3:00 pm - Ends at 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Hotel Shattuck Plaza
6th Annual Berkeley Holiday Gift Fair (2024)
Spend your holidays in Downtown Berkeley! The Chamber’s 6th Annual Holiday Gift Fair is coming back Thursday, December 5th from 3 to 7pm at Hotel Shattuck Plaza. Get gifts for your entire list in one place while supporting local businesses. We hope to see you ...
SF’s Muni’s 1st Annual SweaterFest (2024)
Thursday, December 5 – 3:00 pm - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Chinatown - Rose Pak Station Rooftop Plaza
SF's Muni's 1st Annual SweaterFest (2024)
Get Ready for Muni’s 1st Annual SweaterFest!! ‘Tis the Season to embrace the outrageous! Put on your Icons of San Francisco Sweater or your favorite festive creation and join fellow Muni riders and staff for an afternoon filled with joy and camaraderie. Show off your wildest ...
Golden Gate Park’s 95th Annual Tree Lighting + Holiday Festival (2024)
Thursday, December 5 – 4:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE | JFK Promenade
Golden Gate Park's 95th Annual Tree Lighting + Holiday Festival (2024)
Annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Golden Gate Park on December 5 Rec and Park is hosting the 95th annual holiday tree lighting in Golden Gate Park on Thursday, December 5, 2024 from 4 to 8 p.m. It will feature carnival rides and games, holiday activities, lighted ...
Bernal Heights Holiday Stroll 2024 (SF)
Thursday, December 5 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to all
| Cortland Avenue
Bernal Heights Holiday Stroll 2024 (SF)
Join us for a festive evening of music, shopping and dining along Cortland Ave. Visit Santa at the Bernal Heights neighborhood Center for photos Join holiday caroling outside Bernal Library and a Hanukkah singalong at Or Shalom Shop local and enter to win gift certificates from your favorite ...