What a wonderful time of the year the holiday season is! If you’re looking for events in San Francisco this December be sure to check out some of these fun and festive happenings in and around the Bay Area.
Events in San Francisco this December
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair
When: Weekends through December 17th, 2017
Where: Cow Palace Exhibition Halls
2600 Geneva Avenue
Daly City, CA
Visit London – at the historic Cow Palace Exhibition Halls!Enter the winding lanes of Victorian London and immerse yourself in a world of music halls, theatres, pubs, dance parties, and charming shops overflowing with hand-made holiday treasures. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Discover holiday revelry in this lamp-lit city brimming with over 800 lively and colorful characters from the imagination of Charles Dickens, the pages of history, and the sometimes saucy world of the Victorian stage. Open from 10 AM to 7 PM, five weekends and one Friday from Nov. 18 – Dec. 17, 2017.
Free BART Shuttle from Glen Park Station every Fair day.
A Christmas Carol
When: Now through December 24th, 2017
Where: A.C.T.’s Geary Theater
415 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA
Featuring a lively cast of dozens, gorgeous costumes, and those deliciously spooky ghosts, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition returns with a sparkling, music-infused production of A Christmas Carol. Bring your family, bring your friends, and check your “humbugs” at the door!
Running time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission
Performances sell out quickly. Act now for the best seats and prices!
To reserve tickets for groups of 15 or more, email groups@act-sf.org or call 415.439.2424.
Gingerbread House at the Fairmont San Francisco
When: Now through January 1st, 2018
Where: Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA
Fairmont San Francisco’s talented culinary and engineering teams have joined forces to meticulously plan construction of this year’s enormous Gingerbread House, which will be even larger than last year’s stunning, two-story-high Victorian! Once complete, the impressive, edible abode will stand more than 25 feet high, 35 feet wide and 10 feet deep and will feature more than 10,250 homemade gingerbread bricks, 1,650 pounds of candy and 3,300 pounds of royal icing. The gingerbread house’s railroad track also delights guests of all ages, who happily gaze upon this favorite feature.
Each year, the Gingerbread House takes center stage and fills the halls with its sweet aroma, but the property’s 23-foot tall Christmas tree in the main lobby is also impressive in its own right.
Oakland Zoo Lights
When: Now through January 1st, 2018
Where: Oakland Zoo
9777 Golf Links Road
Oakland, CA
Experience an all-new ZooLights this year! Soar over the Oakland hills in our festively-lit gondolas and see the entire Bay Area like never before! We’ve added cool new laser light shows and much more to our hundreds of thousands of holiday lights and structures brightening Oakland’s night sky. Other highlights include a candy cane lane-themed Adventure Landing with rides your kids will love, an adventure on the Outback Express train, rocking around the Christmas trees and a music-themed light show that’s sure to blow out any bah-hum-bugs! Don’t forget to warm up with some hot cocoa and homemade s’mores, available at Flamingo Plaza at the Zoo’s main entrance.
Visit Santa Claus at ZooLights! Santa will be here from 6-9pm on the following dates:
12/1, 12/2, 12/3, 12/9, 12/11, 12/15, 12/16, 12/21, 12/22, and 12/23.
Please park in the Upper Parking Lot and proceed to the Main Entrance.
Elfstravaganza San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus
When: December 8th, 2017
Where: Nourse Theater
275 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA
Have you been making a list and checking it twice? Do you long to be home for the holidays? Well, SFGMC has just the show for you!
This season, join the internationally acclaimed San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus at the Nourse Theater for “Elfstravaganza: Making the North Pole Gay Again!”
Once again, the Chorus brings its glorious singing and hilarious hijinks to take you on a journey from the comfort and coziness of your home all the way to the North Pole. Expect the unexpected with 250 elves in holiday drag singing opera, a team of fabulous reindeer, sexy shepherds, and even a few monks thrown in for an unforgettable night of fun.
4th Annual All You Can Eat Crab Feast
When: December 18th, 2017
Where: 428 11th street @ Division Street
San Francisco, CA
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! SoMa StrEat Food Park’s Crab Feast is back! Get ready for the gift that keeps on giving: ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Dungeness crab, plus garlic noodles, and salad! Pair it with a draft beer from the bar or some of our house made sangria and you’ve got yourself a feast! So bring your friends, family, and relatives from out of town and come crush some delicious crustaceans with us!
Union Square Menorah Lighting
When: December 12th – 19th, 2017
Where: Union Square
San Francisco, CA
A tradition that started in 1975 and continues today. The first giant public menorah went up in San Francisco’s Union Square, in 1975. Erected with the support of the late rock promoter and Holocaust survivor Bill Graham, it was known as the “mama” menorah because of the thousands of others it inspired globally.
Saber Battles SF 2017
When: December 16th, 2017
Where: SPARK Social SF
601 Mission Bay Boulevard
San Francisco, CA
Join us for a massive saber battle in San Francisco. Pick a side, good or evil and use a glowing sword to fight in the ultimate nocturnal showdown.
For every $10 ($5 early bird) you contribute we will reserve one glow sword for you. Each saber changes up to 6 colors, is about 3′ long, and you will be able to pick them up or have them delivered.
This year’s venue is an amazing new park and will feature food trucks, a licensed area, and music.
We will start to gather at 8:00, split into two sides a little after 9:00, and the battle will begin. Glow on!
Latkes and Laughs
When: December 17th, 2017
Where: Temple Emanu – El
1010 University Avenue
San Jose, CA
Come enjoy comedy and potato pancakes. Featuring Kira Soltanovich, Jeff Applebaum and Ben Feldman.
Latke Ball
When: December 24th, 2017
Where: The Great Northern
119 Utah Street
San Francisco, CA
Party for a good cause and celebrate the Bay Area’s young adult Jewish community with more than 700 people. Leave your Netflix at home and bring your crew to The Great Northern on December 24, where DJ David Carvalho and Duserock will be spinning the hottest tunes. All proceeds will be reinvested in our local and global Jewish community.