10 Fun Holiday Activities To Do In San Francisco

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Renegade Tours
Stories September 17, 2021 10 Fun Holiday Activities To Do In San Francisco

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks,

Dressed in holiday style,

In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas…

🎵🎵🎵

There is nothing quite like Christmas time in the city: the lights, the music, the trees, the window displays, the ice rinks, the undeniable merry vibe.

And no city does it better than San Francisco.

Okay, okay, maybe I’m a little biased. I’ve been celebrating Christmas Eve in San Francisco for as long as I can remember.

Whether you are a local or traveling through for the holiday season, we’ve got the list for you!

Here are the five best holiday activities in San Francisco happening right now.

#1: Spend The Afternoon In Union Square

It’s impossible to talk about the holidays in SF without bringing up Union Square!

Here are a few of the main things to do in and around Union Square:

  • The Tree: This year’s reusable tree is 83 feet tall and covered with 30,000+ lights and 1,000+ decorations.
  • The Ice Rink: Check out the ice rink’s full list of festive events here. It includes a silent skate party!  
  • #WinterWalkSF: This pop-up pedestrian plaza is adjacent to Union Square, on Stockton Street between Geary and Ellis. Head over for food trucks, beer, wine, holiday craft cocktails and more!
  • Westin St. Francis’s Enchanted Sugar Castle: This 12-ft tall sugar castle takes more than 300 people to make. They start in July!

#2: The Reindeer Romp at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens

You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen…

But do you recall Belle, Holly, and Peppermint?

Okay, you’ve got us: these reindeer aren’t exactly part of Santa’s original crew. These reindeer have another very special job… spreading holiday cheer at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens.

Every day from 11:30-4:00 until January 1st you can find these very real reindeer romping around SF Zoo’s Playfield Lawn.

#3: Pinkmas At The Museum of Ice Cream

If you thought the Museum of Ice Cream couldn’t get any cooler, you were wrong…

This insta-famous (and now permanent) part of the San Francisco scene has revamped its one-of-a-kind totally immersive experience to include a winter wonderland unlike any other …

Their new holiday exhibit is full of hot pink Christmas trees, spinning disco balls, and twinkly lights.

Even their most famous rooms (AKA the one with the sprinkle pool) have holiday-themed makeovers.

Pinkmas will be open through January 6th.

#4: Beach Blanket Babylon’s Holiday Extravaganza

Beach Blanket Babylon’s Holiday Extravaganza is a San Francisco classic. An oldie but goodie. A performance like no other. An epic combination of song, dance, drag, and comedy. A story of self-discovery, full of romance, travel, pop culture and political spoofs. Not to mention the world famous costumes!

The Holiday Extravaganza is all this and more!

Buy tickets here.

#5: Christmas Themed Pop Up Bars

Who doesn’t love a great theme bar?

Outrageous amounts of kitschy decor and a list of cocktails with punny names to match…

This year, San Francisco has not one but TWO Christmas themed pop bars!

Enjoy the cozy atmosphere and over-the-top Christmas decorations with your squad while sipping an on-point holiday cocktail like “Who Stole Christmas” or a “Nog Shot.”

Happy Holidays, San Francisco!! 🎅🍻

P.S. As always let us know in the comments if we missed any f***ing awesome holiday events! We’d love to hear from you!

#6: Dust Off Your Ice Skates

If you’re one of the many California transplants who grew up in those parts of the country that actually have winter, here’s your chance to show off some of those seasonal skills that the rest of us never gained.

Though it’s unlikely you’ll be able to pack a snowball or build the perfect snowman on the streets of San Francisco anytime soon, ice skating rinks abound.

The Union Square rink is one of our favorites, offering the chance to bask in the glow of green energy! The city’s official Christmas Tree towers above you, and was recently revamped to use a reusable tree and LED lights, allowing 10,000 more light bulbs at one-third the previous energy cost.

At the Embarcadero rink, you’ll have the chance to skate with progressive vigor, knowing that the plaza where the rink is located was recently renamed. The City Board of Directors unanimously voted to end the commemoration of Justin Herman, who was head of an urban development program in the 1970s that systemically decimated San Francisco’s African American population.

The newest addition to the SF ice skating family is a mini-rink in the east garden at the California Academy of Sciences. There, you can rest assured that your ticket price will go to support the 200+ scientists whose work is sustained by the Cal Academy. Skating for science! What could be better? I’ll tell you! Drag Queens on Ice. Once a year some of San Francisco’s finest, fiercest Queens get dolled up and skate out onto the ice at the Union Square rink to lip-synch to holiday tunes.

#7: Gingerbread Wars

Each year, the pastry chefs at two famous hotels in San Francisco vie for the title of “Most Impressive Edible Edifice.”

This year, the Westin St. Francis has a rotating 12-ft “Enchanted Castle” complete with a working train and tiny details, like tiny gingerbread trees and miniature elves climbing up the exterior.

The team at the Fairmont Hotel on Union Square built a mouthwatering mansion out of gingerbread that will put even your most ambitious tabletop version to shame. This year’s enormous Gingerbread House stands more than 25 feet high, is 35 feet wide and 10 features more than 10,250 homemade gingerbread bricks, 1,650 pounds of candy and 3,300 pounds of royal icing.

Beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving each year, you can pay homage to these engineering and culinary marvels by simply walking through the hotels’ front door.

#8: There’s a Nutcracker For Everyone

San Francisco has a Nutcracker performance for every taste.

Want to see the classic ballet, performed by world-class dancers? Check out the San Francisco Ballet‘s version. Prefer to stick to a musical rendition? The San Francisco Symphony usually has you covered. Do you prefer cute, tiny sugar plum fairies in training? Several of the local dance schools have more low-key performances. The SF Lesbian / Gay Freedom Band offers a special annual treat: their Dance-Along Nutcracker shows take this traditional story and set it in a new location each year. The last one we went to see was “The Nutcracker: Hawaiian Holiday.” Those pineapple hats and dancing flamingos may not have had as much poise as the professionals, but were entirely festive in their own, unique way.

#9: Experience The Magic of Charles Dickens’ Christmas

Each year the Cow Palace in nearby Daly City is overtaken by an enormous Charles Dickens-inspired Victorian dreamscape. Meet over 750 characters from the world of Pip and Ebenezer Scrooge, from chimney sweeps to wealthy dandies. Visitors are encouraged to come in period garb well, as they wander throughout 120,000-sqft of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance floors, and Christmas shops. And attendees really get into it! Don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with a hearty British-accented “Good Day, Sir.”

#10: Take A Christmas Card Photo Shoot

Sure, coastal California may not offer that classic winter wonderland backdrop for this year’s family Christmas card, but we do have some pretty spectacular scenery to choose from. There’s no need for a fancy camera or those advanced Photoshop skills when you’ve got so much real natural beauty to pose in front of. Besides, what would your friends and family at home love more than a little postal humblebrag about the shores you’ve washed up on?

Final Thoughts

Christmas and the holidays are a great time to get out and enjoy the community. Try the options on this list or ask friends for recommendations!

If you are celebrating the holiday season online, then check out our list of activities for virtual Christmas parties.

written with 💖 by Museum Hack

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