101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in the San Francisco Bay Area - 2025
Christmas concerts, lights, trees, nativities, and more. . . plus activities for Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve. The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many require reserving ahead of time, and please keep in mind that events could be canceled... so click through to make arrangements. Enjoy the holidays!
If you don't already receive KidsOutAndAbout's free weekly e-newsletter for San Francisco, sign up today to make sure you're in the know about free stuff, festivals, classes, camps, vacation ideas, and all the best events near you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas below for holiday family fun! Below the big list are items that have been posted to our calendar. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!
Santa Sightings
| Multiple dates starting on Nov. 21, 2025 | Santa Suite - Fairmont San Francisco |
| Multiple dates starting on Nov. 28, 2025 | Holiday Tree Walk - Roaring Camp |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 2, 2025 | Spirit of The Row - Santana Row |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 2, 2025 | Photos with Santa Claus - Santana Row |
| December 5, 2025 | Once Upon a Garden: Family Night - Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden |
| December 6, 2025 | Santa Arrives by Helicopter - Hiller Avaiation Museum |
| December 6, 2025 | Santa Paws - Santana Row |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 6, 2025 | San Francisco Santa Brunch Cruise - City Cruises™ |
| December 11, 2025 | Making Spirits Bright - Campbell Chamber of Commerce |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 17, 2025 | Visit to the North Pole - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| December 20, 2025 | Winter on the Wharf - City of Santa Cruz |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 3, 2024 | Winter Wonderland - Tilden Park Merry Go Round |
| Multiple dates starting on Nov. 30, 2024 | Santa House - Downtown Martinez & Co. |
Old-Time Christmas
| Multiple date starting on Nov. 22, 2025 | The Dickens Christmas Fair - Daly City, CA |
| Multiple dates starting Nov. 28, 2025 | Holiday Lights Train - Roaring Camp |
Light Displays
Holiday Theatre
| November 22 & 23, 2025 | Smuin's The Christmas Ballet - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| November 28 - 30, 2025 | Once Upon a Christmas - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| November 30, 2025 | A Merry-Achi Christmas - San Francisco Symphony |
| December 3, 2025 | Christmas with the Count Basie Orchestra - San Francisco Symphony |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 10, 2025 | A Christmas Carol, The Musical - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 10, 2025 | A Christmas Carol - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 13, 2025 | Valley Dance Theatre: The Nutcracker - Livermore Arts - Bothwell Arts Center |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 17, 2025 | Visit to the North Pole - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| December 18 - 21, 2025 | The Biggest Gift - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| December 20, 2025 | Nutcracker Puppet Show (Registration Required) - Berkeley Public Library (North Branch) |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 28, 2025 | Reindeer Games - Children's Creativity Museum |
Holiday Concerts
| December 2, 9, & 16, 2025 | Spirit of the Row - Santana Row |
| December 6, 2025 | Livermore-Amador Symphony Free Family Concert |
| December 7, 2025 | Holiday Concert: "Joyful & Triumphant" - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| December 7, 2025 | Deck the Hall - San Francisco Symphony |
| December 10 & 11, 2025 | The Holiday: Film with Live Orchestra - San Francisco Symphony |
| December 13, 2025 | Disney's Frozen in Concert: Film with Live Orchestra - San Francisco Symphony |
| December 14, 2025 | Mostly Kosher: A Hanukkah Celebration Live Music Show - Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall |
| December 14, 2025 | Sing it Yourself Messiah! |
| December 14, 2025 | Holiday Pops - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts |
| December 19, 2025 | HSMC | Holiday Youth Music Festival - Firehouse Arts Center |
| December 20, 2025 | Celebrating 60 Years of A Charlie Brown Christmas |
Christmas Tree Experience
| Multiple dates starting on Nov. 22, 2025 | Christmas Trees - Clancy's Pumpkins & Christmas Trees (7th Ave) |
| ABC Tree Farms |
Ice Skating
| Multiple dates starting on Nov. 5, 2025 | Ice Rink - Union Square |
| Multiple dates starting on Nov. 7, 2025 | Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Rink - Center City Bishop Ranch |
Hanukkah
| December 5, 2025 | Fun Friday: Story Time with PJ Library - Oshman Family JCC |
| December 7, 2025 | Family Cooking: Donuts and Hot Cocoa for Hanukkah - Oshman Family JCC |
| December 14, 2025 | Hanukkah Celebration - Santana Row |
| December 14, 2025 | Mostly Kosher: A Hanukkah Celebration Live Music Show - Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall |
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 14, 2025 | Annual Hanukkah Community Celebration - Downtown Martinez & Co. |
| December 21, 2025 | Giant Menorah Lighting & Gelt Drop - Downtown San Rafael |
| January 2, 2024 | Chanukah Train - Roaring Camp |
Shopping & Craft Fairs
| November 21, 2025 | Pink Friday Sip n Shop & Outdoor Evening Market - Downtown Martinez & Co. |
| November 22, 2025 | Craft Fest - Lesher Center for the Arts |
| November 29, 2025 | Small Business Saturday - Celebrate Antioch Foundation |
| December 5, 2025 | Winter Festival Marketplace - Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden |
| December 6, 2025 | Holiday Craft Fair - Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center |
| December 7, 2024 | Holiday Craft Hop - Downtown Martinez & Co. |
| December 14, 2024 | Holiday Parade & Market - City of Benicia, CA |
New Year's Eve
| Multiple dates starting on Dec. 26, 2025 | New Year's Train - Roaring Camp |
| December 31, 2025 | Happy New Year, Charlie Brown - Charles M. Schultz Museum |
| December 31, 2025 | New Year's Eve Balloon Drop - Chabot Science center |
| December 31, 2025 | Noon Year's Eve - Happy Hollow |
Miscellaneous
Below are holiday events that organizations have posted to our calendars, giving you even more ideas for family fun! If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!