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San Francisco’s Winter Festivals & Street Fairs (2024)

All the 2024/25 dates for 20+ of SF’s most fun winter festivals and street fairs including holiday lighting ceremonies, Drag Queens on Ice, Santa Skivvies and more!
By - posted 11/1/2024 No Comment
Downtown SF

Winter is coming! Here’s a round-up of fun and fabulous winter festivals and street fairs you can look forward to this Winter 2024.

> Please note that we’ll be continuing to update our Winter Festivals & Street Fairs Guide for 2024.

NOVEMBER 2024

DECEMBER 2024

Alison Taggart-Barone via NPS

2024 Día de los Muertos in the Sunset

November 1, 2024 – SF (Outer Sunset) – FREE – Come and enjoy a night full of food, music, dance, and compassion as we mourn our loved ones through the joys of life. Watch Folklorico dancers weave a story through performance, and create and set up an ofrenda, or alter offering, for your loved ones.

Sunset Mercantile

“Halloween Hoopla” Kids Festival in the Park 2024

November 2, 2024 – SF (SoMa) – FREE – The 24th annual Halloween Hoopla returns with awe-inspiring performers from Circus Bella plus live music from the Circus Bella All-Star Trio. The Hoopla grand finale is the popular Halloween Costume Parade – all kids are welcome to join in their best Halloween looks.

SF’s 2024 Dia de los Muertos Festival of Altars

November 2, 2024 – SF (Potrero Del Sol Park) – FREE – Every November 2nd, Marigold Project produces the Dia de Los Muertos Festival of Altars to honor your ancestors and understand where we come from with community altar building at 8am, ceremony at noon, and performances at 5pm. Then you can join the Day of the Dead Ritual Procession that typically begins at 22nd and Bryant Streets.

Renegrade Craft

2024 “Dia de los Muertos” 43rd Annual Procession in The Mission

November 2, 2024 – SF (Mission Dist.) – FREE – Join the procession through The Mission to honor our ancestors, with Azteca Dancers leading the way, stopping at each main corner of the four stops and performing a ritual dance.

ralphleon via Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Renegade Craft Fair Winter 2024

November 2-3, 2024 – SF (Fort Mason) – $5 Suggested Donation – Shop from over 250 artists at Renegade San Francisco featuring the best artist-made gifts, creative small biz goods, and handmade treasures, all in time for the holidays.

Photo | Renegade Craft Fair

San Francisco Tea Festival 2024

November 2-3, 2024 – SF (Ferry Bldg) – FREE* – If you love tea, there’s probably no better event all year to attend. Explore and taste hundreds of teas from 30+ different tea makers. Vendors include established brands and local artisans. *Free tickets are sold out! GA Tickets start at $24 and include free tastings and a souvenir porcelain tasting cup.

SF’s Holiday Ice Skating Rink: 2024 Opening Day w/ Free Ice Skating

November 6, 2024 – SF (Union Square) – $20 General Admission (includes skate rental) – One of San Francisco’s favorite holiday traditions returns for the 2024-25 holiday season. From November 6, 2024 through January 20, 2025, enjoy ice skating in San Francisco’s iconic Union Square plaza surrounded by festive lights and the sights and sounds of the season. Plus for Opening Day, the first 100 guests skate for free during the 5:30pm and 7pm sessions on November 6, 2024.

Union Square Ice Rink

SF”s 2024 “Laternenfest” German Autumn Lantern Festival

November 8, 2024 – SF (Presidio) – FREE – Celebrate “Laternenfest” and enjoy German food, student performances, lanterns, and a delightful evening stroll through Eureka Valley’s charming streets.

GISSV - German International School of Silicon Valley

Legion of Honor Free 3-Day Weekend for 100th Anniv.

November 9-11, 2024 – SF (Legion of Honor) – Free but tickets required – In a rare three-day event, San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum will open its doors for free to all visitors from November 9-11, 2024, in celebration of its 100th anniversary with a “cake picnic” on Saturday and special Monday opening for Veteran’s Day.

Legion of Honor / Henrik Kam

The San Francisco Fall Cider Fest 2024

November 9, 2024 – SF (SPARK Social SF) – $59 – Raise your glass and sip your way through unlimited pours of 30+ ciders featuring flavors like sweet honey-sage, agave ginger, sour blood orange, and tropical passionfruit. Indulge in all your fall food truck favorites, warm up by the fire pit with s’mores, and snap Insta-worthy shots at our awe-tumn photo ops—all while grooving to live beats.

2024 “SF Tweed Ride” Dress Up Bicycle Party

November 9, 2024 – SF (Alamo Square Park) – FREE – The Tweed Ride is a dapper bicycle party through the streets of San Francisco. Don your best tweed and join the group ride which stops for a picnic along the route and ends with drinks.

Melissa Davies

Free National Parks Day

November 11, 2024 – All National Parks – FREE –  Enjoy free entry to all national parks and monuments including Muir Woods and Yosemite National Park, and free admission aboard all of the historic vessels at the Hyde Street Pier of SF’s Maritime National Historical Park

NPS

SF’s First Official Diwali Celebration & Night Market

November 15, 2024 – SF (Downtown) – FREE – Bhangra & Beats wraps up the 2024 season with a historic celebration—the inaugural official City of San Francisco Diwali event with a night market with an array of South Asian vendors and food, plus performances on two stage

40th Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair 2024

November 23 – December 22, 2024 – Daly City (Cow Palace) – $45 (Adult General Admission Tix; discounts available) – The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind immersive adventure into Victorian London ~ an elaborate holiday party with hundreds of costumed players performing and interacting with patrons in over 140,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance floors, and festive shops.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair via Rich Yee

Indigenous Peoples’ Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering 2024

November 28, 2024 – SF (Alcatraz) – FREE (but adult boat tix to Alcatraz are $15.50) – The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony is an annual event held every year on Thanksgiving on Alcatraz Island, part of the San Francisco Ohlone Territory, to commemorate the 1969-71 occupation of Alcatraz by the Indians of All Tribes. Typically, there are presenters on current and past Indigenous Peoples’ struggles to defend human rights, sovereignty, treaties, sacred sites, and traditional lands, plus drummers and dancers.

Alison Taggart-Barone via NPS

2024 dates not yet announced (as of Oct. 24)

Ghirardelli Square’s Holiday Lighting Ceremony

Friday, November 24, 2023 – Starts at 4:30p – Sing along to a collection of Holiday Tunes with the SF Boys Chorus, just before Santa comes to officially illuminate Ghirardelli Square with Christmas Lights. Afterwards, visit Santa in the carillon to take a photo and receive a free Ghirardelli Chocolate chocolate square.

Scottish Highland Winter Festival

Sunday, November 26, 2023 – Starts at Noon – Golden Gate Park Bandshell – The golden hues of autumn pave the way for a spectacular celebration of Scottish music and culture. From the rousing tunes of the Prince Charles Pipe Band to the soulful melodies of Peter Daldry, this musical extravaganza promises to transport you to the heart of Scotland.

Thrive City “Winter Wonderland” Lighting Ceremony

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 – 5p-7p – Thrive City – The holidays are here! Winter Wonderland is tipping off the festive season with the annual Lighting Ceremony featuring the Bay Area’s largest tree standing at 90 feet tall! This 2-hour showcase features live music from original member and founder of RUN DMC, Darryl McDaniels!

Union Square Ice Rink

40th Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair 2024

November 23 – December 22, 2024 – Daly City (Cow Palace) – $45 (Adult General Admission Tix; discounts available) – The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind immersive adventure into Victorian London ~ an elaborate holiday party with hundreds of costumed players performing and interacting with patrons in over 140,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance floors, and festive shops.

The Ritz Carlton

2024 Nob Hill Tree Lighting Ceremony

November 2, 2024 – SF (Nob Hill) – FREE – Kick off the holiday season at the annual Nob Hill Tree Lighting Ceremony with live seasonal music from the popular French American Jazz Quartet, cookies and hot beverages and remarks from local community leaders.

Grace Cathedral

Castro Holiday Tree Lighting 2024

November 2, 2024 – SF (Castro) – FREE – Kick off the holidays as San Francisco lights up the iconic Castro Holiday Tree.

Castro Merchants

SF’s Drag Queens on Ice 2024

December 5, 2024 – SF (Union Square) – FREE to watch; $30 to skate (with skate rental) – Lace up your skates and twirl alongside the Queens and Kings or grab a prime spot rinkside to watch the fiercest drag personalities in the San Francisco Bay Area deliver holiday performances that’ll sleigh your heart away.

Union Square Ice Rink

Let’s Glow SF 2024

December 6-15, 2024 – The country’s largest holiday projection event, will return to downtown San Francisco for the 2024 holiday season with whimsical, large-scale pieces of animated art across the facade of eight iconic SF buildings from 5:30-10:00 PM nightly. On Opening Night, the light shows begin at 7 PM following the performances plus there’s free hot cocoa and swag.

Downtown SF

SFMOMA’s Free Family Day

December 8, 2024 – SF (SoMa) – FREE (free for up to 4 adults with a child under 18) – SFMOMA opens up its doors for families. Up to 4 adults can receive free admission with each child under 18 (children under 18 are always free).

Henrik Kam / SFMOMA

2024 SF Holiday Maker Market & Chocolate Gallery

December 8, 2024 – A one-day-only holiday market with everything made right here in San Francisco plus a Chocolate Gallery filled with San Francisco chocolate makers.

Ferry Building

Santa Skivvies 2024: Holiday Underwear Run Through the Castro

December 8, 2024 – SF (Castro) – FREE to watch; Donate to run – The Santa Skivvies Run is a festive romp through the Castro benefiting the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Watch hundreds of bods drop trou, don Santa hats and reindeer antlers to help raise funds to support the free and local services of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

2024 dates not yet announced (as of Oct. 24)

Hayes Valley’s 33rd Holiday Stroll

Friday, December 1, 2023 – 4p-9p – Join the 33rd annual Hayes Valley Holiday Stroll and enjoy an evening of Spectacular Holiday Merriment!