SF’s "Bay Lights" to Finally Return in March 2026 w/ Twice the Glow
Bay Area Favorites, Bay Area Updates, Good News, Holiday Lights, Only in San Francisco, San Francisco
SF’s "Bay Lights" to Finally Return in March 2026 w/ Twice the Glow
After 3 years dark, the new "Bay Lights 360" will feature nearly 50,000 LEDs visible from south of the bridge for the first time
SF's Festive Larger-Than-Life Ornament Trail is Back for 2025 (Dec. 6-24)
Brand New, Christmas, San Francisco
SF's Festive Larger-Than-Life Ornament Trail is Back for 2025 (Dec. 6-24)
Find all 11 massive ornaments created by local artists along Powell Street
BART Fares & Parking Going Up January 1, 2026
Transportation
BART Fares & Parking Going Up January 1, 2026
Prices go up 6.2% to match inflation in 2023 and 2024 + Daily parking going up 40¢ to $1.60 a day.

Wednesday, December 17

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

Union Square’s Festive “Winter Walk” 2025 (Dec. 13-24)
Wednesday, December 17 – 10:00 am | Cost: FREE | Lower Stockton Street
Union Square's Festive "Winter Walk" 2025 (Dec. 13-24)

San Francisco’s signature holiday event, Winter Walk, returns to Union Square from December 13–24, 2025 for a 12-day celebration that transforms two blocks of Stockton Street into a festive holiday destination. This year’s Winter Walk will feature a holiday marketplace, interactive vendors, food trucks, family-friendly stage ...

$1 Wing Wednesdays at Underdogs Cantina (SoMa)
Wednesday, December 17 – 4:30 pm | Cost: FREE*
*No admission charge. Wings are $1 each.
| Underdogs Cantina
$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 | 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 ...Every Wednesday

2025 Union Square’s Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: 4th Night
Wednesday, December 17 – 4:45 pm | Cost: FREE | Union Square Plaza
2025 Union Square's Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: 4th Night

Lighting it up since 1975, San Francisco celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first giant public menorah outside Israel, a landmark Bill Graham project that went on to inspire thousands of menorahs around the world. This year’s eight-night festival brings music, community gatherings, and nightly ceremonies ...

SF’s “One City One Book” Author Showcase: AI Pioneer Dr. Fei-Fei Li
Wednesday, December 17 – 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE | San Francisco Main Public Library
SF's "One City One Book" Author Showcase: AI Pioneer Dr. Fei-Fei Li
Discover the story behind San Francisco’s 2025 One City One Book selection, The Worlds I See, as Dr. Fei-Fei Li sits down with technology journalist Adam Lashinsky. In this engaging conversation, Li reflects on her journey as an immigrant, scientist, and AI pioneer, sharing insights ...
New for 2025 “Unsilent Night” SF’s Boombox Xmas Parade (Pacific Heights)
Wednesday, December 17 – 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Golden Gate Valley Branch Library
New for 2025 "Unsilent Night" SF's Boombox Xmas Parade (Pacific Heights)
Unsilent Night is a participatory sound artwork by composer Phil Kline, an ethereal, electronic soundscape played by the audience on boomboxes carried through city streets. Each participant gets one of four tracks of music in the form of a MP3 or through the app. All four ...
“Hook-Up Horror Stories” Stand-Up Comedy Show (SF)
Wednesday, December 17 – 7:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with RSVP
| The Function
"Hook-Up Horror Stories" Stand-Up Comedy Show (SF)

We’ve all had bad dates. Lets hear SF’s top comedians make you laugh about them! Bad dates make great comedy. 💘 First 50 RSVPs get in FREE – claim yours now (7p + 8:30p shows) Welcome to Tindervention—the stand-up show where SF’s top comedians spill their most outrageous dating ...Every Wednesday

“Holiday Gaiety” Adult Holiday Show w/ SF Symphony
Wednesday, December 17 – 7:30 pm | Cost: $39*
*Starts at $39 (while supplies last) 
| Davies Symphony Hall
"Holiday Gaiety" Adult Holiday Show w/ SF Symphony
Tis the season to be merry and gay! Naughty fun is guaranteed in this adult-themed holiday variety show filled with iconic guests like Peaches Christ, comedian Evan Mills, Adore Delano from RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Sasha Allen from The Voice. Holiday Gaiety Monday, December 17, 2025 | 7:30p Davies ...

Thursday, December 18

SF’s Alcatraz Night Tour: Alcatraz Island + World-Renowned Cellhouse
Thursday, December 18 – 8:40 am | Cost: $47.95 | Alcatraz Landing
SF's Alcatraz Night Tour: Alcatraz Island + World-Renowned Cellhouse

Enter to win a pair of tickets to the epic Alcatraz Night Tour – with tickets good for up to 1 year! The Alcatraz Night Tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening that includes special programs, tours and activities not offered ...

Union Square’s Festive “Winter Walk” 2025 (Dec. 13-24)
Thursday, December 18 – 10:00 am | Cost: FREE | Lower Stockton Street
Union Square's Festive "Winter Walk" 2025 (Dec. 13-24)

San Francisco’s signature holiday event, Winter Walk, returns to Union Square from December 13–24, 2025 for a 12-day celebration that transforms two blocks of Stockton Street into a festive holiday destination. This year’s Winter Walk will feature a holiday marketplace, interactive vendors, food trucks, family-friendly stage ...

Thrive City’s “Winter Wonderland” 2025 Hanukkah Celebration (SF)
Thursday, December 18 – 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Thrive City
Thrive City's "Winter Wonderland" 2025 Hanukkah Celebration (SF)
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with us at Thrive City’s Winter Wonderland Hanukkah Celebration! Join us for a memorable evening as we light the menorah followed by live entertainment including music from Jerry’s Kosher Deli All Star Band, festive treats, and arts & crafts. Ice ...
2025 Winter Wonderland Hanukkah Celebration at Thrive City
Thursday, December 18 – 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Thrive City Plaza (at Chase Center)
2025 Winter Wonderland Hanukkah Celebration at Thrive City
Celebrate the Festival of Lights with us at Thrive City’s Winter Wonderland Hanukkah Celebration! Join us for a memorable evening as we light the menorah followed by live entertainment including music from Jerry’s Kosher Deli All Star Band, festive treats, and arts & crafts. Ice ...
“On Ellis” SF’s Free Electronic Music Block Party (Third Thursdays)
Thursday, December 18 – 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*N/A
| 63 Ellis Street
"On Ellis" SF's Free Electronic Music Block Party (Third Thursdays)

On Ellis is San Francisco’s newest (and totally free) monthly electronic music block party taking place every third Thursday. It’s funded by the Civic Joy Fund and produced by John’s Grill, 620 Jones, The Midway, and NPU Live Presents. This Thursday’s show (10/16) will also ...Monthly

Flight Club: Adult Flight Night for Ages 18+ at “House of Air” Trampoline Park (SF)
Thursday, December 18 – 6:00 pm | Cost: $20*
*Pricing is Per Hour, House of Air Grip Socks are required to jump.
| House of Air
Flight Club: Adult Flight Night for Ages 18+ at "House of Air" Trampoline Park (SF)

Take full advantage of our 70+ trampolines — without the worry of running into (or launching) a 9 year old! Flight Club is House of Air’s exclusive 18+ takeover where the only thing flying through the air is you. Flight Club: Adult Flight NightThursdays: 6p ...Every Thursday

SF’s Holiday “Castro Wine Walk” (2025)
Thursday, December 18 – 6:00 pm | Cost: $40*
*$40 for one or $70 for 2 (Better Together!)
| The Academy
SF’s Holiday "Castro Wine Walk" (2025)
Join us for the Castro Wine Walk! Sip seasonal pours, sip and stroll through 11 local businesses, and celebrate fall in the gayborhood. Raise a glass—it’s the holiday season in the Castro! On Thursday, December 18, the Castro Merchants Association is uncorking the Castro Wine Walk, ...
Casamigos Tequila Mixology Class at Underdogs Cantina (SF)
Casamigos Tequila Mixology Class at Underdogs Cantina (SF)
Christmas Tequila Cocktails – Casamigos Mixology Class! Looking for a spirited way to celebrate the season? Join us for a hands-on Christmas Mixology Class featuring Casamigos Tequila at Underdogs Cantina, where shaking, stirring, and a little holiday mischief are strongly encouraged. San Francisco Booze School Monthly at 6pm Underdogs ...
Free “Loteria” Game Night (Mexican Bingo) in The Mission
Thursday, December 18 – 6:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free with food or drink purchase
| Tacolicious
Free "Loteria" Game Night (Mexican Bingo) in The Mission

Game Night at Tacolicious: Valencia Join us every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month for an evening of fun, food, and community at Tacolicious on Valencia Street! We’re bringing Mission Lotería to the table—a San Francisco twist on the classic Mexican game. Play for ...

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

Hecklers Welcome: SF’s First Stand-Up Comedy Show That Invites Heckling
Thursday, December 18 – 7:00 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

Yo-Ho-Ho, Not Ho-Ho-Ho: Sea Shanties Lead a Full Holiday Carol Mutiny (Oakland)
Thursday, December 18 – 7:30 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free - but we pass the hat before we PASS OUT!
| Slainte Pub
Yo-Ho-Ho, Not Ho-Ho-Ho: Sea Shanties Lead a Full Holiday Carol Mutiny (Oakland)
The World’s Only “Shantyoke” Takes Over Sláinte Pub – Dec. 18 (Free) Looking for a holiday event that isn’t another round of Mariah Carey and lukewarm cheer? Shipwrecked Shanty is closing out the year with the world’s only officially titled “Shantyoke” — yes, karaoke, but make ...
2025 Union Square’s Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: 5th Night
Thursday, December 18 – 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE | Union Square Park
2025 Union Square's Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: 5th Night

Lighting it up since 1975, San Francisco celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first giant public menorah outside Israel, a landmark Bill Graham project that went on to inspire thousands of menorahs around the world. This year’s eight-night festival brings music, community gatherings, and nightly ceremonies ...

$5 Off: “San Francisco Tonight” Comedy Show in The Mission (SF)
Thursday, December 18 – 9:00 pm | Cost: $11.94*
*FUNCHEAP discount code for $5 off. Normally 17.12.
| Endgames Improv Theater & Bar (SF)
$5 Off: “San Francisco Tonight” Comedy Show in The Mission (SF)

Want to have fun this Thursday night? You’re invited to the city’s most current improv comedy show. Each show, SF Tonight creates new, original comedy out of audience selected headlines and tabloids! You’ll be greeted with newspapers, magazines, and scissors. Cut out any headline you’d ...Every Thursday

Friday, December 19

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 Friday

Union Square’s Festive “Winter Walk” 2025 (Dec. 13-24)
Friday, December 19 – 10:00 am | Cost: FREE | Lower Stockton Street
Union Square's Festive "Winter Walk" 2025 (Dec. 13-24)

San Francisco’s signature holiday event, Winter Walk, returns to Union Square from December 13–24, 2025 for a 12-day celebration that transforms two blocks of Stockton Street into a festive holiday destination. This year’s Winter Walk will feature a holiday marketplace, interactive vendors, food trucks, family-friendly stage ...

“Pay-What-You-Can” Taco Day at SF’s Tato (Every Friday)
"Pay-What-You-Can" Taco Day at SF's Tato (Every Friday)

While many restaurants are struggling, San Francisco Mexican restaurant TATO wants to give back. They’re bringing back their “Taco Love” special which features a two taco plate with sides, and pay-what-you-can pricing. Pay-What-You-Can Taco Day Tato 4608 3rd St. (@ McKinnon) San Francisco (Bayview) Every ...Every Friday

SF’s Festive Larger-Than-Life Ornament Trail 2025 (Dec. 6-24)
Friday, December 19 – 11:00 am | Cost: FREE | Cable Car Turnaround (Market/Powell)
SF's Festive Larger-Than-Life Ornament Trail 2025 (Dec. 6-24)

SF’s Ornament Trail is back in Union Square, bringing 11 oversized holiday ornaments created by local artists to Powell Street and the surrounding area. Running daily from December 6 through December 24, the free, self-guided trail invites you to take a holiday walk through downtown ...

Help Decorate SF’s First Rose Parade Float in Nearly 50 Years (Dec. 19-21)
Friday, December 19 – 11:00 am | Cost: FREE | Lower Stockton Street
Help Decorate SF’s First Rose Parade Float in Nearly 50 Years (Dec. 19-21)

San Francisco is gearing up for a big return to the 2026 Rose Parade with a brand new float that will roll through Pasadena on New Year’s Day. It is the city’s first official float entry in nearly five decades, and the public is invited ...

SF’s New “Fairmont Holiday Rooftop Faire” w/ Epic City Views (Dec. 19-21)
Friday, December 19 – 12:00 pm | Cost: FREE | The Fairmont (San Francisco)
SF's New "Fairmont Holiday Rooftop Faire" w/ Epic City Views (Dec. 19-21)

This winter, local artisans will be part of a brand-new holiday experience: the Fairmont Holiday Rooftop Faire, in the quaint gardens of the legendary Fairmont San Francisco. This unique open-air market will bring the charm of a European holiday village to Nob Hill—complete with lights, festive ...

2025 Union Square’s Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: 6th Night
Friday, December 19 – 2:30 pm | Cost: FREE | Union Square Park
2025 Union Square's Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah: 6th Night

Lighting it up since 1975, San Francisco celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first giant public menorah outside Israel, a landmark Bill Graham project that went on to inspire thousands of menorahs around the world. This year’s eight-night festival brings music, community gatherings, and nightly ceremonies ...

“Off the Grid” Fort Mason: Holiday Night Market w/ 110+ Vendors (December 2025)
Friday, December 19 – 4:00 pm | Cost: FREE*
*Free to attend, but food/drink for purchase
| Fort Mason Center
"Off the Grid" Fort Mason: Holiday Night Market w/ 110+ Vendors (December 2025)
Celebrate the holidays and close out the 2025 season with the Night Market 2025 at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture (FMCAC). Following the success of an inaugural night market that drew more than 10,000 attendees in December 2024, FMCAC and its partners, West Coast ...