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Free Events

San Francisco… land of the free. Here’s just the free stuff in SF and the Bay Area. Keep your wallet in your pocket and enjoy!

Wednesday, December 31

2025 Macy’s Holiday Windows & Adorable Puppies & Kittens: Final Day | Union Square
Wednesday, December 31 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Macy's (Union Square)
2025 Macy's Holiday Windows & Adorable Puppies & Kittens: Final Day | Union Square

Get ready for a heartwarming holiday tradition as adoptable rescue animals return to Macy’s 39th Holiday Windows, bringing joy and cheer to the festive displays. Macy’s, in partnership with the San Francisco SPCA, aims to inspire families to consider the joy of adopting a furry friend, reminding ...

Irish New Year Bash: Free Champagne Toast at 4p (SF)
Wednesday, December 31 – 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | The Irish Times
Irish New Year Bash: Free Champagne Toast at 4p (SF)
Ring in the Irish New Year with us. We are celebrating New Year’s Eve the Irish way – at 4pm when its midnight in Ireland. Join us for a free champagne toast at 4PM, Great times, and Irish cheer. Why wait till midnight? Start the party ...

SF’s Epic “Photosynthesis” Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers
Wednesday, December 31 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to watch from outside the building.
| San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
SF's Epic "Photosynthesis" Light Show | Conservatory of Flowers

Light up the season with Photosynthesis, This beautiful light art installation was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and was designed by Lumigeek with music by Tim Digulla. The installation uses special projectors to transform the all-white glasshouse into a ...

SF’s 2025 Macy’s Union Square Great Christmas Tree Dazzles
Wednesday, December 31 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Union Square Park
SF's 2025 Macy's Union Square Great Christmas Tree Dazzles

This iconic landmark, Macy’s Great Tree in Union Square, returns decorated in an abundance of festive ornaments and glimmering lights to light up Union Square throughout the holidays. 2025 update – The official lighting quietly took place on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. San Francisco’s most ...

“Wiener Wednesday” Free Hot Dog Night at Rye (SF)
Wednesday, December 31 – 6:00 pm - Ends at 12:00 am | Cost: FREE*
*Every Wednesday, Free Hot Dogs with every Hornitos Cocktail purchase
| Rye Bar
"Wiener Wednesday" Free Hot Dog Night at Rye (SF)

With a name like “Rye,” this bar is obviously whiskey-centric… but on Wednesday nights the bar leans towards tequila is also awesomely hot dog centric! Come to Rye Bar every Wednesday for free hot dogs with every Hornitos cocktail purchase. Mo and Kat are you ...Every Wednesday

Black Hammer’s Free “Hopped Up” Trivia Night (Every Wednesday)
Wednesday, December 31 – 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Black Hammer Brewing
Black Hammer's Free "Hopped Up" Trivia Night (Every Wednesday)

No pens, no paper. Join us for three rounds of fast-paced gameshow-style pub trivia in our taproom every Wednesday at 7PM. Free admission, with bonus points for fastest answer and a live scoreboard. Hopped Up Trivia at 7pm Black Hammer Brewing, 544 Bryant ...Every Wednesday

Whack Donuts NYE w/ Retro Game Tournament (SF)
Wednesday, December 31 – 7:00 pm - Ends at 1:30 am | Cost: FREE | Whackdonuts
Whack Donuts NYE w/ Retro Game Tournament (SF)
Join us as we ring in the new year this new years eve. Donuts, hot drinks, and a retro game tournament !!! The shop will be open regular hours and then open again at night, Watch the fireworks from embarcadero plaza 11:59pm , this was ...
Boogie NYE Bash w/ Free Midnight Toast (Phonobar)
Wednesday, December 31 – 9:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free all night!
| Phonobar
Boogie NYE Bash w/ Free Midnight Toast (Phonobar)
Join us at Phonobar for a Boogie NYE party with DJs discoesq and On the Rocks playing disco, boogie, funk, house, and more all night. Free champagne toast at midnight.
San Francisco New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Midnight (2025/2026)
Wednesday, December 31 – 11:59 pm | Cost: FREE | Embarcadero
San Francisco New Year's Eve Fireworks at Midnight (2025/2026)
Ring in 2026 with San Francisco’s annual fireworks show over the Bay. The big fireworks show will take place at midnight this year (December 31, 2025) on New Year’s Eve 2025/2026. Say goodbye to 2025 and ring in the 2026 new year with 200,000 fellow bundled-up San ...

Thursday, January 1

Free First Thursdays at SF’s Museum of Craft and Design
Thursday, January 1 – 10:00 am - Ends at 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free Admission every First Thursday
| Museum of Craft and Design
Free First Thursdays at SF's Museum of Craft and Design

There’s no better time to visit the Museum of Craft and Design than on their Free First Thursdays. Committed to making art, craft, and design accessible to everyone the Museum of Craft and Design is Free on the First Thursday of every month. .  Museum of Craft and ...Monthly

PIER 39’s Dazzling 60′ Tree Lighting Show (New Year’s Day)
Thursday, January 1 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Pier 39
PIER 39's Dazzling 60' Tree Lighting Show (New Year's Day)

The Holidays are HapPIER at PIER 39! Get into the spirit of the Season at PIER 39 while shopping, dining and strolling The PIER. An awe-inspiring Christmas tree has welcomed millions of visitors at the Entrance Plaza of PIER 39 every holiday season since 1983 ...

SF’s DFT New Year’s Day: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)
Thursday, January 1 – 5:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*FREE with RSVP
| 2nd St & Howard St
SF’s DFT New Year's Day: “Downtown First Thursdays” (2026)
DFT: NEW YEAR’S DAY EDITION. The DFT Street Party on 2nd St. DFT is back for a full year of street parties in 2026! Kick off a brand new season and a brand new year of DFT on New Year’s Day. DJs – Live Performances – ...
Hecklers Welcome: SF’s First Stand-Up Comedy Show That Invites Heckling
Thursday, January 1 – 7:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with RSVP
| The Function
Hecklers Welcome: SF's First Stand-Up Comedy Show That Invites Heckling

Welcome to Hecklers Welcome!, San Francisco’s only stand-up show where you get to talk back. This is not your average comedy night—this is a full-blown verbal brawl, where comics come ready to spar and the audience gets a license to heckle. Got jokes? Bring ’em. Got beef? Air ...Every Thursday

Free Admission Day at SF Botanical Garden for New Year’s Day 2026
Thursday, January 1 – 7:30 am - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free on the 2nd Tuesday of the month, on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and daily from 7:30-9 am
| San Francisco Botanical Garden
Free Admission Day at SF Botanical Garden for New Year's Day 2026

The San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse gardens in the world. A unique urban oasis, the garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, and showcasing over 9,000 different kinds ...Monthly

SF’s 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle” at the Westin St. Francis (Nov. 26-Jan. 2)
Thursday, January 1 – All Day | Cost: FREE | The Westin St. Francis
SF's 12 ft. Tall “Sugar Castle" at the Westin St. Francis (Nov. 26-Jan. 2)

The Westin St. Francis’ iconic Sugar Castle celebrates 20 years of holiday magic in San Francisco. This nearly 12-foot-tall, 1,000-pound masterpiece features more than 20 towers, 15 illuminated rooms, and a running train, bringing a whimsical French château to life in the heart of the ...

2026 NYD Ocean Beach Plunge + Naked Bike Ride (SF)
Thursday, January 1 – 10:30 am - Ends at 3:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Ocean Beach Great Highway & Taraval
2026 NYD Ocean Beach Plunge + Naked Bike Ride (SF)
It’s the 11th Annual New Years Day Polar Plunge and World Naked Bike Ride-San Francisco, Plunge & Beach Party. Since 2011, the Riptide Bar on Taraval sponsored Polar Plunge that has drawn 400 or more people every year. It stands to reason several hundred will show ...
2026 New Year’s Day “Hatsumode” Japanese Shrine Visit (SF)
Thursday, January 1 – 11:00 am - Ends at 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Konko Church of San Francisco
2026 New Year's Day "Hatsumode" Japanese Shrine Visit (SF)
Come on by the Konko Church of San Francisco to experience your traditional Japanese New Year’s Day Shrine Visit, Hatsumode! Come start the year off right and ring the traditional shrine bell for prosperity. Write your wishes and prayers on a Shide (Sacred zigzag paper) and hang it on ...
Cancelled: Free First Thursdays at Berkeley Art Museum
Thursday, January 1 – 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
Cancelled: Free First Thursdays at Berkeley Art Museum

The Museum is closed on New Year’s Day Monthly

SFMOMA’s “Free First Thursdays” Free Museum Day for Locals
Thursday, January 1 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Residents of the nine Bay Area counties are invited to spend a day at the museum on us
| SFMOMA
SFMOMA's "Free First Thursdays" Free Museum Day for Locals

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

New Year’s (& Final) Day at San Jose’s “Christmas in the Park”
Thursday, January 1 – 12:00 pm - Ends at 10:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free, but donations are accepted
| Plaza de Cesar Chavez
New Year's (& Final) Day at San Jose's "Christmas in the Park"

Christmas in the Park is an annual holiday tradition that takes place in the heart of downtown San José at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez. For over 45 years, this whimsical walk-thru event has brought people from all over the Bay Area together during the ...