SF’s Most Magical Tree Lightings & Holiday Events 2025
The holidays are just around the corner and you are invited to get into the spirit at tree lightings and holiday festivals all over the Bay Area.
Grab your friends and family and marvel at magical fireworks and twinkling lights, hear carolers sing all your seasonal favorites, as the little ones tell Santa their Christmas wishes.
Bay Area’s Best 2025 Holiday Lighting Events
New! SF City Hall’s Winter Lights
Through December 30, 2025 | 5:30 pm to midnight
San Francisco City Hall, Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue sides
FREESan Francisco City Hall has unveiled a brand new holiday installation, City Hall Winter Lights, a free projection mapping show that transforms the Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue sides of the building into a giant animated storybook. The month-long display runs nightly through December 30 with ten-minute sequences set to synchronized music you can stream on your phone.
2025 “Let’s Glow” Downtown SF Light Show
December 5-15, 2025 | 5:30-10pm nightly
Opening Night Celebration: Friday, December 5, 2025 | 6-7pm
Downtown San Francisco
FREE
The country’s largest holiday projection event with large-scale pieces of animate art across the facade of eight iconic buildings in Downtown SF including the Ferry Building, Salesforce Tower, Transamerica Pyramid Center and more.
Downtown SF Let’s Glow SF
2025 Embarcadero Center’s Lighting Ceremony
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | 4pm
Embarcadero Center, San Francisco
FREE
Celebrate the official start of the holiday season with the 39th Annual Building Lighting Ceremony at Embarcadero Center with a festive holiday market with live music and the breathtaking sight of Embarcadero Center lighting up the sky with 17,000 dazzling lights outlining the buildings.
Conservatory of Flowers’ Photosynthesis Light & Sound Show 2025
Nightly from approx. 30 min after sundown to midnight
Conservatory of Flowers: 101 John F. Kennedy Dr., San Francisco
Free to watch the light show from outside
Photosynthesis is a light and sound exhibition that transforms the iconic San Francisco landmark’s all-white glasshouse into a series of exquisite scenes inspired by the rare tropical flowers growing within this national landmark. Bundle up and spread out a blanket on the lawn in front of the Conservatory of Flowers for an amazing evening of free music and psychedelic visuals in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park every night at sunset.
2025 Macy’s Union Square Great Christmas Tree
November 11, 2025 – January 1, 2026
Union Square Park | Geary and Powell, San Francisco
FREE to watch
San Francisco’s most recognized Christmas tree stands more than 83-feet tall, decorated with 43,000 twinkling energy-efficient LED lights and 700 shining ornaments. Although the tree will make another appearance in Union Square and will be lit throughout the holidays, there isn’t an official tree lighting ceremony in 2025.
Pier 39’s Nightly Tree Lighting Show 2025
December 5, 2025 through January 11, 2026 | 5-10pm
Opening Celebration: December 5, 2025 from 6-9 pm with live music, carolers, and Santa.
PIER 39, The Embarcadero, San Francisco
FREE
Synchronized and choreographed to festive holiday music, the tree “performs” every half hour from 5-10pm, becoming a kaleidoscope of swirling colors and songs, adorned with thousands of glittering specialty lights and ornaments. At the end of each performance, the tree magically returns to a static, elegant, traditional Christmas tree.
Illuminate SF Festival of Light
Year Round
All over San Francisco
FREE
San Francisco’s annual Illuminate Festival of Light typically happens November through January, highlighting San Francisco’s ever-expanding light art scene with 40+ different light sculptures (both permanent and temporary) in 17 neighborhoods by 30+ artists. We’re not sure if there’s an official festival organized for 2025, but many of the light sculptures are permanent installations, so you can make your own tour around The City to view them. View our 2022 guide for permanent installation information and find Illuminate sculptures by neighborhood.
2025 Ghirardelli Square Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friday, November 28, 2024 | 4:30–8pm
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco
FREEGhirardelli Square’s massive Christmas tree lights up for the holidays with an annual holiday performance by the SF Boys Chorus, singing classic holiday tunes around the fountain in the Main Plaza.
San Jose’s Christmas in the Park Opening 2025
November 28, 2025 – January 1, 2025 | Noon – 10pm
Tree Lighting: Friday, November 28, 2024 | 6pm
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, San Jose
FREESan Jose’s favorite holiday tradition, Christmas in the Park is a 2-acre holiday fantasyland with over 40 musical and animated exhibits, glittering lights and the 65-foot illuminated Community Giving Tree. Join in for the traditional tree lighting ceremony starting at 6pm.
2025 Niles Festival of Lights Parade
Friday, November 28, 2025 | 6pm
– Tree Lighting at 6pm
– Parade Kickoff at 6:30pm
Niles Boulevard
FREEThis wonderful holiday tradition features over 60 unique floats and other entries, marching bands, specialty service units, costumed characters and of course, an appearance by the man himself – Santa Claus.
2025 Yerba Buena Gardens’ Carousel Lighting Ceremony
Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 4-9pm
221 4th St, Yerba Buena Gardens, San Francisco
FREEPut a “spin” on a classic holiday tradition this winter as the Children’s Creativity Museum lights up the Bay Area’s oldest and most beloved carousel in Yerba Buena Gardens. Plus, take a spin ’round with free carousel rides. Plus, Yerba Buena Gardens lights up their living coastal redwood on the Great Lawn followed by free roller skating by the Church of 8 Wheels.
2025 Castro Tree Lighting
Monday, December 1, 2025 | 6 pm
Bank of America Plaza | 501 Castro St., SF
FREEKick off the holidays as San Francisco lights up the iconic 28-foot Castro Holiday tree.
Golden Gate Park’s 96th Annual Holiday Tree Lighting
Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 4-8pm
McLaren Lodge in Golden Gate Park, 501 Stanyan Street (and Fell)
FREEJoin in for the 96th annual holiday tree lighting in Golden Gate Park with carnival rides, live entertainment, food for sale, rock wall, archery, hockey shootout, cookie decorating, and the ceremonial lighting of Uncle John’s tree, the historic 100-foot tall Monterey cypress outside of McLaren Lodge.
San Francisco Civic Center Plaza Tree Lighting 2025
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | 4-7pm
Civic Center Community Benefit District, 901 Market Street, Suite 490, San Francisco, CA
FREEThis festive event features holiday entertainment, “snow” flurries, festive bites and drinks, a Makers Village with free holiday crafts, a magician, free book giveaway, and a toy giveaway for 500+ children.
CANCELLED: 2024 Presidio’s 55-Foot Holiday Tree Lights Up?
CANCELLED for 2025? | Dusk (typically the first Friday in December, but the event has been cancelled for 2024 due to construction)
Presidio Main Post, San Francisco
FREE
The Presidio’s 55-foot holiday tree lights up for the first time. Sadly, The Presidio no longer hosts a tree lighting ceremony, but they typically light up their tree the first Friday in December and remains lit through the end of the year.Nothing has been announced yet for 2025 for their holiday lighting as of 11/26/25.
Presidio Tunnel Tops Tree Lighting?
December 1, Ongoing
Presidio Visitor Center, San Francisco
FREEIn 2024, The Presidio’s 55-foot Norfolk Pine took a break for the holidays due to construction, but the trees at the Presidio Tunnel Tops were decked out! Come for an evening stroll along the site, enjoy holiday lights and glowing low lights under the sculptural benches, with a view on the Golden Gate Bridge. Nothing has been announced yet for 2025 for their holiday lighting as of 11/26/25.
Grace Cathedral’s World Tree of Hope Celebration 2025
Monday, December 5, 2025 | 6:30-8pm
Grace Cathedral, 1100 California St, San Francisco
FREESee the world’s most unique holiday tree light up along with live performances. The World Tree of Hope is the largest origami holiday tree in the world inscribed with wishes for the future of the world.
2025 Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade & Fireworks
Saturday, December 13, 2025 | 6-7:15 pm (Parade starts at 6 pm)
Sausalito Waterfront
FREE to watch the parade and fireworks.Watch dozens of brightly lit and beautifully decorated boats parade along the shoreline, followed by breathtaking fireworks show over the Bay.
Monday, January 19
lluminOdyssey is back! Catch the light November 15, 2025 through January 25, 2026. Inspired by the science of light, IlluminOdyssey is an immersive, interactive installation that will mesmerize kids and adults of all ages*. CuriOdyssey’s four-level Redwood Hall will transform into a glowing forest of ...
Sunday, January 25
lluminOdyssey is back! Catch the light November 15, 2025 through January 25, 2026. Inspired by the science of light, IlluminOdyssey is an immersive, interactive installation that will mesmerize kids and adults of all ages*. CuriOdyssey’s four-level Redwood Hall will transform into a glowing forest of ...
Glowfari returns in November 2025! This wildly popular, family-friendly experience features hundreds of ALL new, larger-than-life animal lanterns throughout the Zoo. Each lantern tells the story of the ongoing journey of wildlife, the importance of every species on our planet, and Oakland Zoo’s commitment to ...
