The warm glow of holiday lights is here! The Christmas season is the time of year to deck out the trees, parks, and structures with hundreds and thousands of Christmas lights. And San Francisco is always festive during the holidays. The Golden City shines bright with strings of multicolored lights and plenty of holiday spirit to go around. These light shows are the perfect way to kick off the holiday season and indulge in some sparkling Christmas cheer. Discover places and events where you can visit and see dazzling Christmas lights in San Francisco for an unforgettable family holiday getaway!
San Francisco lights up this holiday season with colorful decorations and festive events that add to the city’s already stunning and magical atmosphere. The City by the Bay sparkles more than it already does during the holidays. From more conventional Christmas light shows to more unique holiday lights displays, you’ll find a range of places to visit, including a Christmas lights drive-thru or walk-thru, forests of lit-up trees, and even a holiday cruise!
But do you know where to find the best places to see holiday and Christmas lights display in San Francisco? Fortunately, we have compiled a list of the best holiday lights and fun Christmas events to explore in the Bay Area this year. Get ready to stroll through brightly-decorated parks, visit dazzling business districts featuring glistening attractions and festivals, and hop in for a magical ride of spectacular drive-thru events your whole family will enjoy.
Find below the best places to see the most whimsical holiday and Christmas lights while taking in the most famous sights of San Francisco!
One Front St., Ste. 2900, San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone Number: (415) 227-2602
November 9, 2022 – January 31, 2023
Schedule:
Daily | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The 10th annual Illuminate SF Festival of Light is back with a city-wide gallery of temporary and permanent light sculptures. Starting at dusk on November 9th, dozens of glowing light art sculptures will flicker into view around San Francisco’s cityscape. This San Francisco tradition has brought us some of the most beloved public art in the city with Christmas lights and holiday events. Get ready to enjoy 62 glowing light installations throughout San Francisco, including never-before-seen temporary displays and permanent sculptures that we all know and love.
Pick from 17 neighborhoods to explore and take the free guided tour to learn more about the artists bringing these installations to life. These glowing works of art can also be found in well-known museums such as the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Salesforce Transit Center, and even the San Francisco International Airport. The bustling art scene in San Francisco means there’s creativity in every corner of the city. For more information, please visit their website.
Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone Number: (415) 981-7437
November 22, 2022 – January 8, 2023
Schedule:
Daily | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
PIER 39 spreads holiday cheer on the San Francisco Waterfront with festive events and Christmas lights displays. Enjoy the holidays all season long with The PIER’s nightly Tree Lighting Musical Moments on its Christmas tree, which will come to life every half hour. Synchronized to holiday music, the tree transforms into a kaleidoscope of swirling colors adorned with thousands of specialty lights and ornaments.
These dazzling Tree Lighting Musical Moments will take center stage all season long. This year’s live tree will be 60 ft. tall, harvested by Carlton Christmas Trees from Siskiyou County in Northern California. Get into the spirit of the season at PIER 39 while shopping, dining, and strolling The PIER. For more information, please visit their website.
291 Geary St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone Number: (415) 781-7880
November 25 – December 24, 2022
Schedule:
Daily | 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
(Closed on November 28-29 and December 5-6)
San Francisco’s Union Square leans into old-world meets new-world traditions this holiday season with its new Holiday Campaign: Winter Wanderland in Union Square, presented by The Union Square Alliance. “Winter Wanderland” encourages locals and tourists alike to “wander” throughout the district, exploring all the holiday activations, old and new, while re-discovering the heart of the City, Union Square, this holiday season.
At Winter Wanderland’s Holiday Village in Hallidie Plaza, located at the Cable Car turnaround (Powell & Market Streets), visitors will discover local, handmade gifts, holiday tree decorations, snow flurries, sweets, and warming drinks, along with live family-friendly entertainment like magicians and carolers, and a larger-than-life Snow Globe photo opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy. For more information, please visit their website.
950 Mason St., San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone Number: (415) 772-5000
November 26, 2022 – January 1, 2023
Schedule:
Daily | All Day
Holiday magic comes to life with the annual life-sized Gingerbread House on display from Thanksgiving through the New Year. With hundreds of bricks of real gingerbread baked by the pastry team and pounds of See’s Candies — the Gingerbread House display brings out the kid in everyone. Looking for a special treat? Book a dining experience inside the private Gingerbread for up to 8 guests and take in the scents and sounds of the holiday season.
The gingerbread house is so big that adults can walk through it. Its railroad track also delights guests of all ages, who happily gaze upon this favorite feature. Kids will especially enjoy the working miniature trains that encircle the creation. The property’s 23-foot tall Christmas tree in the main lobby is also impressive in its own right. For more information, please visit their website.
1 Warriors Way, San Francisco, CA 94158
Phone Number: (888) 479-4667
November 30, 2022
Schedule:
Wednesday | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The holidays are here! Winter Wonderland presented by Fanatics is tipping off the festive season with the annual Lighting Ceremony featuring the Bay Area’s largest tree standing at 90 feet tall. This 2-hour showcase features live music from original member and founder of Journey, Neal Schon with special guest, Teddy Swims, and a performance by SF Philharmonic. Many other special performances and cultural acts are also scheduled to celebrate the occasion.
Enjoy a fully immersive holiday event complete with a market full of local vendors, live reindeer feedings, family and pet photos with Santa, and more. Snap the perfect holiday photo and create memories that’ll last a lifetime. Make sure to grab a seasonal treat and drink while you take part. For more information, please visit their website.
JFK Promenade, Golden Gate Park
501 Stanyan St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone Number: (415) 831-2700
December 1, 2022
Schedule:
Thursday | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Join one of the best holiday events in San Francisco — the annual Christmas tree lighting and more activities and attractions, including a snow play area, carnival rides, kid’s activities, food trucks, live entertainment, and a special appearance by Santa and his helpers. Enjoy public pianos, art installations, and newly installed activities along the car-free promenade.
Rec and Park will enhance entrances to the Promenade (JFK at Kezar Drive and JFK at 8th Avenue) by installing vibrant colors on the pavement and adding tables, chairs, and trees. Lighted attractions, including “Entwined” at Peacock Meadow, will delight the young and young-at-heart. All activities are free. For more information, please visit their website.
Peacock Meadow, Golden Gate Park
501 Stanyan St., San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone Number: (415) 621-3260
December 1, 2022 – March 12, 2023
Schedule:
Daily | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Entwined’s forest of illuminated color will once again light up Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park this winter with new upgrades, immersing park visitors in a realm of art, technology, and nature. New to this year’s installation will be twice a week performances and other engaging art activations. Visitors can explore this newly re-envisioned installation, which now includes sculptural artworks, a seating area, and hidden tree knots where visitors can peek into secret worlds.
The installation features enchanting visual effects such as ripples in a pond, raindrops, and wind blowing tall grass and flowers. Over 150 lighting patterns with hundreds of variations and an accompanying audio system bring another level of immersion to the otherworldly meadow. Local artist Charles Gadeken created this installation to engage people of all ages and walks of life. For more information, please visit their website.
525 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone Number: (415) 634-2251
December 2-11, 2022
Schedule:
Daily | 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Let’s Glow SF, America’s largest holiday projection mapping festival, returns to downtown San Francisco this December, celebrating the Christmas season with 10 nights of lights, animations, and music crafted by artists from the Bay Area and across the globe. Enjoy a festive evening in the city while touring the four breathtaking buildings brought to life through the stunning animations created by cutting-edge digital artists and produced by A3 Visual. Each towering building will feature show-stopping projections that light up the night.
Be among the first to see this year’s enthralling shows. Let’s Glow SF’s 2022 Switch-On Ceremony at 525 Market Street will kick off at 6:30 PM on December 2nd. Let’s Glow SF, produced and funded by the Downtown SF Partnership and made in partnership with A3 Visual, is a FREE light art festival that uses video projection techniques with light, colors, and music to project animated pieces onto iconic buildings throughout San Francisco’s Financial District. For more information, please visit their website.
Grace Cathedral
1100 California St., San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone Number: (415) 431-1485
December 5, 2022 – January 7, 2023
Schedule:
Monday | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
The RWF World Tree of Hope is a holiday tree decorated with thousands of origami cranes, each containing written notes of hope and peace from children and individuals from around the world. Created annually as a symbol of global unity and world peace, the tree is a gift from members of the San Francisco LGBTQ and Japanese American communities to the world – given to inspire hope, love, and humanitarian action.
Wishes from world leaders to school children, from San Francisco to Sir Lanka, make the RWF World Tree of Hope a powerful expression of people coming together to create a better world. You can stop by anytime to see the dazzling Tree of Hope on display in Grace Cathedral. Simply walk inside to visit. For more information, please visit their website.
Civic Center Plaza
335 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone Number: (415) 658-7979
December 7, 2022
Schedule:
Wednesday | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
The annual Civic Center Plaza Tree Lighting event returns this year in San Francisco. Add this fun, free, family-friendly event to your holiday calendar. Featuring festive holiday performances, food, music, a toy giveaway for children, and Makers Village DIY activities for kids and adults, you won’t want to miss it. There will be holiday-themed arts-and-craft activities with SF Etsy in the Makers Village and a book giveaway from the San Francisco Public Library.
The event takes place across from an illuminated City Hall in Civic Center Plaza, an excellent backdrop for a photo, and the evening includes “snow” flurries, performances by the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees and acapella group Business Casual, and visits from Christmas VIPs such as elves, the Grinch, and the man-of-the-hour: Santa! For more information, please visit their website.
As the Bay Area grows colder and the nights grow longer, taking your family to a brilliant display of lights during the holiday season seems like the perfect way to bring the Christmas spirit to everyone. Experience the beauty of San Francisco at Christmastime with the best holiday lights and Christmas displays, and sing along to holiday-themed songs cuddled up with family and your little ones.
Although they are located all over the city, it’s easy to visit these spots independently. Spread the Christmas spirit by visiting as many of these holiday festivals of lights as you can!
San Francisco offers so many opportunities for kids to enjoy and have fun all year round! Check out our list of resources, or browse through our things to do in San Francisco with kids. Still looking for more activities for kids in San Francisco? No problem! Check out our comprehensive listing of places to go in the region and our highly recommended seasonal blog posts.
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Best Places to See Holiday and Christmas Lights in San Jose
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