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Union Square’s 2026 Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah (2nd Night)

Saturday, December 5, 2026 - 8:00 pm | Cost: FREE
Union Square Park | Geary and Powell, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco

Free / Learn More

Union Square’s 2026 Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah (Dec. 4-11)

Bill Graham Menorah

Lighting it up since 1975, San Francisco celebrates the 51st anniversary of the first giant public menorah outside Israel, a landmark Bill Graham project that inspired thousands of menorahs around the world. This year’s eight-night celebration brings music, community gatherings, and nightly ceremonies honoring leaders and traditions across the Jewish community.

The festival is capped off with a festive menorah car parade rolling out from Union Square (date TBA).

Union Square Menorah Lighting Schedule 2026

December 4-11, 2026

Friday, December 4

  • 2:30 pm – 1st Lighting Ceremony

Saturday, December 5

  • 8:00 pm – 2nd Lighting Ceremony

Ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes, followed by music and dancing.

Sunday, December 6

“Bill Graham Menorah Day“

  • 2:00-6:30 pm – Family Celebration and 3rd Lighting Ceremony
  • 2:30-4:30 pm – Dreidel House Children’s Crafts
  • 2:00 pm – Children’s Chanukah Show
  • 3:00 pm – Live Music (Band TBA)
  • 4:00-6:30 pm – Bill Graham All Stars featuring Jordan Feinstein (keys/vocals, Jordan and the Ritual), Aaron Kaplan (guitar), Ben Bernstein (bass), and Greg Errico (drums, original Sly and the Family Stone)
  • 5:00 pm – Menorah Lighting Ceremony honoring Friends of Bill, dignitaries and special guests

Monday, December 7

  • 4:30 pm – Live Music
  • 5:00 pm – 4th Lighting Ceremony

Ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes, followed by music and dancing.

Tuesday, December 8

  • 4:30 pm – Live Music
  • 5:00 pm – 5th Lighting Ceremony

Ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes, followed by music and dancing.

Wednesday, December 9

  • 4:30 pm – Live Music
  • 5:00 pm – 6th Lighting Ceremony honoring [honorees TBA]

Ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes, followed by music and dancing.

Thursday, December 10

  • 4:30 pm – Live Music
  • 5:00 pm – 7th Lighting Ceremony

Ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes, followed by music and dancing.

Friday, December 11

  • 2:30 pm – 8th Lighting Ceremony (Grand Finale)

Upcoming Union Square’s 2026 Chanukah Festival: 25-Foot-Tall Menorah (Dec. 4-11) Events

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE
Categories: **Annual Event**, *Top Pick*, Fairs & Festivals, Hanukkah, In Person, San Francisco, Tree + Holiday Lightings
Address: Geary and Powell, San Francisco, CA

Other Events on This Day

Saturday, December 5, 2026

9:30 am   Free de Young Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)  FREE*
*Free general admission to Bay Area residents. Valid ID or proof of residency required. This offer applies only to the permanent collection galleries. Advanced timed tickets required.
9:30 am   Free “Legion of Honor” Museum Day for Bay Area Residents (Every Saturday)  FREE*
*Free general admission to Bay Area residents. Valid ID or proof of residency required. This offer applies only to the permanent collection galleries. Timed advanced tickets required
10:00 am   $5 Alameda Rock’n’Roll Flea Market w/ 50 Vendors (2026)  $5*
*Children age 12 and under are free. The market is planned for 50 indoor vendors, with possible outdoor vendors if weather permits.
10:00 am   SF’s 42nd Annual Great Dickens Christmas Fair (Nov. 21-Dec. 20)  $35*
*Tickets start at $35
All Day   Bank of America’s “Museums On Us” Free Museum Weekend (2026)  FREE*
*Free for Bank of America or Merrill Lynch Card Holders. Some venues may be closed on certain days; please confirm directly with participating museums.
10:00 am   “Healthy Parks Healthy People”: Monthly Nature Walks | Bay Area  FREE
11:00 am   SF’s Sunset Holiday Mercantile 2026: 100+ Makers, Food Trucks + Live Music (Dec. 5-6)  FREE
11:00 am   Drawing From Film—Night of the Hunter  FREE*
*free for all
11:00 am   District 10 Bayview Family Summit  FREE*
*Free food and childcare.
11:00 am   Downtown Petaluma Holiday Shopping Stroll  FREE
12:00 pm   World’s Only Terpnami ‘Seed Rave’ Returns to SF: Live DJs, Breeders + Art (Dec 5-6)  FREE
12:00 pm   1890 Bryant Street Studios Holiday Market  FREE
All Day   Madrone Art Bar 2026 Holiday Market (SF)  FREE
12:00 pm   Kinky Holiday Market 2026: “Gear” Swap + Naughty Santa (SF)  FREE*
*$5-10 Suggested donation. Benefits the projects and events of the LEATHER & LGBTQ Cultural District.
12:30 pm   Nike Missile Site Open House & Storytelling | Marin Headlands  FREE
1:00 pm   City of San Rafael’s Winter Wonderland: 45th Anniversary  FREE*
*Attendance is free, no RSVP needed
2:00 pm   La Femme au Couteau (The Woman with the Knife)  $15*
*Adult $15, Senior/Student/EBT $7.50
5:30 pm   “Let’s Glow SF” 2026: SF’s Huge Holiday Projection Arts Festival (Dec. 4-13)  FREE
6:00 pm   Free “Last Supper” Party: Poetry + Music at Cocina Mayah (SF)  FREE*
*RSVP required
6:00 pm   “MAPP” SF’s Free Art, Poetry & Concert Crawl in The Mission (December 2026)  FREE
6:30 pm   2026 Puppet Wars: Silent Night Broken Strings (Alameda)  $20*
*20 online, 30 at door
7:00 pm   “Crazy Funny Asians” Free Comedy Showcase (SF)  FREE*
*Free tickets, but RSVP Required. Donations ($5-$10) greatly appreciated. Otherwise, $25 door tickets also available
7:00 pm   FREE: Oakland Comedy Saturday Night @ Secret Speakeasy (7p + 9p Shows)  FREE*
*Limited free tickets with code FUNCHEAP (donations appreciated). Otherwise use code FUNCHEAP5 for $5 off early bird and general admission tickets
7:00 pm   “Golden Gate Comedy Night” SF’s Most Intimate Comedy Club  FREE*
*Free with RSVP. 21+
8:00 pm   “Puff Puff Laugh” SF’s Cannabis Lounge Comedy Show (Moe Greens)  FREE*
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9:00 pm   Free Tix: HellaSecret “Desi Comedy Night” Live in SF (7p + 9p)  FREE*
*Free with RSVP for first 100 people. $25 at door without RSVP
9:00 pm   SF’s Prince vs. Michael Jackson DJ Party (NoPa)  $10
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9:00 pm   SF Neo-Futurists “The Infinite Wrench” (30 Plays in 60 Minutes, every Fri & Sat)  $18.60*
*$13 + roll of a die at the door, OR $16 online. Group discounts—bring friends!
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