Order up a glass of Yuletide cheer this week as the holiday-themed pop-up Miracle returns to Pacific Cocktail Haven. (Courtesy of @miracleatpch)
As we all know, Thanksgiving these days is basically just the beginning of Christmas—scratch that, that was Halloween. But anyway, the festive season starts getting bananas this week as themed bars, craft fairs, and more Christmas tree lightings light up the Bay Area.
Plus, catch the SF Gay Men's Chorus performance of "Holigays are Here," ODC's The Velveteen Rabbit, and Yoga Tree's annual gratitude yoga session with Mark Morford. Also, squeeze in some last minute shopping at the Ferry Building's pre-Thanksgiving farmers market, and say goodbye to Marla Bakery in SF. Have a good one!
Friendsgiving Beer Dinner
6pm to 9pm
Drake's Dealership, 2325 Broadway (Oakland), drinkdrakes.com
Nothing feels like friendship more than four local breweries breaking out their best beers for a holiday feast. Start things off with happy hour before indulging in unlimited food and drink like sweet potato tamales, pecan pie ham, fried mashed potatoes stuffed with gravy, pumpkin toaster pastries, and more. Beers will be provided by Drake's, Ghost Town, Flatland, Temescal, and HenHouse breweries. // Tickets ($65) are available on drinkdrakes.com.
Elizabeth Daynes' Find Yourself
Noon to 6pm Tuesday through Friday and the first Saturday of the month, through Feb. 6, 2020
836M Gallery, 836 Montgomery St. (Jackson Square), 836m.org
French artist Elisabeth Daynes' explores the relationship between humanity and technology—especially as it applies to the advent of the smartphone, selfie culture, and the blurring of reality—in Find Yourself, a new exhibit featuring hyper-realistic sculptural works at 836M Gallery.
Bob's Donuts 2.0
7am to 11pm, daily
Bob's Donuts, 601 Baker St. (NoPa), bobsdonutssf.com
The legendary O.G. donut shop Bob's has done the unexpected: They've opened a second location! Head over to NoPa for apple fritters, cake donuts, and donut holes galore.
Pre-Thanksgiving Farmers Market
10am to 2pm
SF Ferry Building (Embarcadero), ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
Still need a pumpkin pie or some ingredients for your Thanksgiving table? Stop by the Ferry Building Farmer's Market at to pick up some last minute goodies—think pies from Three Babes Bakeshop, cheesecake from Crumble & Whisk, oysters from Hog Island Oyster Co., as well as fresh fruit and veggies. // Details on cuesa.org.
Beit Rima's Second Location
11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm daily
Beit Rima, 86 Carl St. (Cole Valley), beitrimasf.com
Beit Rima, the Arabic comfort food spot in Duboce Triangle from the family behind Burgermeister, is now serving meals in a second location in Cole Valley. Stop in for mezze plates, beef kabobs, braised lamb shank, and more.
Vegan Pop-up
5pm to 10pm
Eli's Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr Way (Oakland), elismilehigh.com
S+M Vegan is popping up in the East Bay with such dishes as a tofu, potato and curry sandwich; kale and yuba salad; and crispy congee balls. // Find event details on snmvegan.com.
Last Day for Marla Bakery
7am to 3pm
Marla Bakery, 3619 Balboa St. (Outer Richmond), marlabakery.com
This beloved SF bakery is making a move to Santa Rosa. Stop in today for last call on pastries and Thanksgiving desserts in the city.
Pete Davidson
7pm
Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St. (Hayes Valley), cityarts.net
Crack up with stand-up comedian Pete Davidson—aka SNL's first cast member to be born in the '90s and expert Justin Bieber roaster—at the Sydney Goldstein Theater. // Tickets ($35) can be purchased on cityboxoffice.com.
BassGiving
9pm to 2am
The Valencia Room, 647 Valencia St. (Mission), thevalenciaroom.com
Hit up the Valencia Room for Blackout Wednesday shenanigans at the 12th annual BassGiving celebration, benefiting Family Giving Tree. Dance the night away to beats from DJ Denise, J'aime Ma Vie, and more; plus, bring some canned to donate to the SF Food Bank. // $5 minimum donation (100 percent of proceeds go to Family Giving Tree); event details can be found on facebook.com.
Deck the Halls Bar
4pm to midnight on Sunday through Wednesday, 4pm to 2am Thursday to Saturday, through December 25th
1217 Sutter St. (Polk Gulch), deckthehallsbar.com
Don your Christmas sweater and get ready to get stupid-festive at this annual holiday-themed pop-up bar decorated to the hilt with Christmas trees, giant dreidels, nutcrackers, and ornaments. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots fundraiser and you'll receive a free order of tater tots. // For more info, visit deckthehallsbar.com.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
11am to 7pm, Wednesdays through Sundays; open late with live performances every full moon
2155 Center St. (Berkeley), bampfa.org
Experience a world of art exhibitions, film screenings, performances, and public programs, right in Berkeley. // Tickets ($5-$13) are available at bampfa.org.
Thank you to our partners at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Gratitude Yoga
9am to 11am
Yoga Tree Castro, 97 Collingwood St. (Castro), yogatreesf.com
Sweat it out, give thanks, and work off your Thanksgiving carb fest at Yoga Tree where beloved instructor Mark Morford will lead his annual two-hour, music-filled Vinyasa yoga sesh. // Tickets ($35; $5 of each purchase will go to SF-Marin Food Bank) can be purchased on yogatreesf.com.
Gobble Gobble Give
10am to 11:30am
Slim's, 333 11th St. (SoMa), slimspresents.com
Help care for the homeless this Thanksgiving by swinging by Slim's with your donations of cooked food, toiletry kits, and gently used clothes and blankets. You can also sign up to volunteer. // Information can be found on facebook.com.
Have Thanksgiving dinner out.
Restaurants around the Bay Area
Staying local and don't have plans? Try for a last minute reservation at one of these restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner out on the town.
Work off your Thanksgiving dinner.
9:30am to 11am
The Assembly, 449 14th St. (Mission), theassembly.com
Overdo it on Thanksgiving? The Assembly has your back with sweat-fueled workouts today including CoreBurn (9:30am) and Holiday Detox Flow (11am). On Saturday, sign up for Flow Into Gratitude (9:30am), cardio dance (11:15am), or The Release: Flow (12:30pm). // Tickets and details on theassembly.com.
Off the Grid's Holiday Marketplace
Through December 24th
Salesforce Transit Center and Salesforce Plaza, 415 Mission St. (SoMa), salesforcetransitcenter.com
Off the Grid is bringing you a curated and fantastically named vendor experience for the holidays: Emperor Norton's Holiday Bazaar will feature various handmade gifts and artisan goods, plus plenty of the delicious eats and tasty drinks that OTG is known for. Stop by daily to take in this European-esque holiday marketplace, right up until Christmas Eve. // Free to attend, find more info on offthegrid.com.
Union Square Tree Lighting
6pm
Union Square, 333 Post St. (Union Square), visitunionsquaresf.com
An 83-foot tree, 33,000 twinkling lights, and 1,100 shining ornaments should be enough to put you in a festive mood at Union Square's annual tree lighting. If not, performances by Maelyn Jarmon (NBC's The Voice), the Grammy Award_winning San Francisco Boys Chorus, The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, and more should do the trick. Stop in at Macy's 7th floor before or afterward to drop off your letters to Santa in Macy's Believe Mailbox—Macys will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish for each letter received. // Free to attend.
Miracle at Pacific Cocktail Haven
3pm to 2am
Pacific Cocktail Haven, 580 Sutter St. (Union Square), pacificcocktailsf.com
Our favorite holiday-themed bar is back for more boozy mischief. Get your drink on amongst Santas, wrapping paper, snowy wonderlands, and more over-the-top decor. Beverage specials include cocktails like Snowball Old Fashioned, Run Run Rudolph, Christmapolitan and Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r. // Details on facebook.com.
Santa's Riverboat Arrival
11:30am to 1:30pm
River Plaza Shopping Center, 54 E. Washington St. (Petaluma)
Mr. and Mrs. Claus are coming to the North Bay! Gather 'round the banks of the Petaluma River as the duo arrive and see ballet dancers welcome them to the city. Don't miss your photo op with the Clauses. // Free to attend, details on visitpetaluma.com.
Etsy's 7th Annual Indie Holiday Emporium
Noon to 6pm Saturday, 11am to 5pm Sunday
Pier 27 Cruise Terminal (Embarcadero), sfport.com
Etsy is bringing its best artists and crafters together for one big shopping event to help you find the perfect gift for that special someone. Explore goods from 150+ makers, sample gourmet food items, catch musical performances, artist demos, and craft workshops. Make sure to get a feel of the giant felt sculpture installation and snag a copy of SF Etsy's first ever Coloring Book. // Free to attend, find more info on Facebook.
Cirque de Bohème
1pm, 3pm, and 5pm showtimes today through Dec. 1st and the first three Saturdays and Sundays of December
Cornerstone Sonoma, 23570 Arnold Drive (Sonoma), cornerstonesonoma.com
Catch a show of traditional French performances that came about in Paris during the "Les Années Folles" period. This is an old school 1920's circus with magicians, hand char balancing, hula hoops, jugglers, plate spinning, and more. A portion of ticket sales benefit The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance. // Tickets ($27 and up) can be found on cirquedeboheme2019.bpt.me.
Geyserville Tree Lighting and Tractor Parade
4:30pm to 8pm
Downtown Geyserville (Sonoma County), geyservillechamber.com
Geyserville is getting festive—things kick off tonight with a giant Christmas tree lighting followed by a parade of local tractors, emblazoned with twinkly lights and tinsel. There will also be picture time with Santa and local businesses open with food and drink. // Free to attend, event info on geyservillechamber.com. While you're there, check out our Modern Guide to Geyserville.
Light in the Grove
6pm to 9:30pm
National AIDS Memorial, Nancy Pelosi Drive & Bowling Green Drive (Golden Gate Park), aidsmemorial.org
Help support National AIDS Memorial with an evening of candlelight reflection at the 10th annual Light in the Grove Gala on the eve of World Aids Day. In addition to exploring the illuminated Redwood Grove at night, enjoy cocktails, hors d'oerves, and a buffet dinner, plus musical performances inside a heated tent. // Tickets ($250 and up) can be found on Eventbrite.
The Ferry Building becomes the Merry Building.
11am to 5pm
SF Ferry Building, 1 Ferry Building (Embarcadero), ferrybuildingmarketplace.com
Christmas is officially taking over the Ferry Building with nonstop events and festive decor. Swing by today to peruse gingerbread house creations, including a tasty replica of the Ferry Building. Today's Fog City Flea market will also be holiday themed with cookie decorating demonstrations and a few other programs.
A Scandinavian Holiday Feast
5pm to 9pm, today and Dec. 8, 15, and 22.
Plaj Restaurant, 333 Fulton St. (Hayes Valley), plajrestaurant.com
Our favorite Scandinavian restaurant is putting together a traditional Julbord celebration dinner series leading up to Christmas. On the next four Sundays, make a reservation for a decadent buffet of the classics like salmon, herring, house-made pate, charcuterie, halibut crudo, poached lobster, smoked meats, breads, ice creams, and sorbets. // Reservations ($85 per person) can be made on plajrestaurant.com.
The Velveteen Rabbit
2pm today; various times from Friday, Nov, 29 to Sunday, Dec. 8
Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA, 700 Howard St. (SoMa), ybca.org
Grab tix to ODC/Dance's performance of The Velveteen Rabbit before they're gone! As per usual, the 33rd season of the show uses contemporary dance, music, and costuming to take viewers through Margery Williams' festive, feel-good tale. // Tickets ($20 and up) can be found on odc.dance.
Holidays with the SF Gay Men's Chorus
6pm doors, 7pm show
Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St. (Berkeley), thefreight.org
The SFGMC is here to kick your December holiday season off with a bang. Head to their first show of the season in Berkeley, featuring classic tunes and some fun interpretations like Liza Minnelli's "Ring Them Bells" and a new arrangement of their usual "Silent Night" number. // Tickets ($20-40) can be found on thefreight.org.
Taqueria Miguel at Zazie
5pm to 9:30pm
Zazie, 941 Cole St. (Cole Valley), zaziesf.com
Cole Valley locals and Zazie regulars know that Wednesdays are the restaurant's best kept secret. On this day, Zazie's first ever employee, Miguel Camas, serves his off-menu tacos. Tonight, though, you can munch your way through a three-course Yucatecan feast—offerings include ceviche, guacamole, four types of tacos. and more—all created by Camas before he retires to his hometown of Oxkutzcab, on the Yucatán Peninsula, after 27 years spent at Zazie. // Tickets ($45 per person; all proceeds will be donated to Cama's retirement fund) can be purchased on Eventbrite.
