Merry Christmas to all and to all a good week.
Holiday plans abound with San Francisco at its merriest. Grab holiday cocktails at the St. Regis or afternoon tea at the Beacon Grand, then take in the sparkly lights at Pier 39 and City Hall, and dip into holiday shows all around town. For some non-denominational fun, discover new treats at Nick’s Cove, Equal Parts, and Outerlands.
Jump ahead to this week's top events:
See City Hall come alive with a special light projection show.
Check out the latest Cirque show Echo.
Roll out your best moves at a soul-filled Sunday skate night.
Have a good one.
Revisit scenic Nick’s Cove to check out its restored Boat Shack and celebrate the return of its famous mac and cheese; open Mondays through Sundays. // Nick’s Cove, 23240 CA-1 (Marshall); details at nickscove.com
Finish off 12 days of cocktails. Have your pick of festive drinks at the St. Regis San Francisco with a new cocktail debuting each day. Stay for the 6pm Champagne sabering with a complimentary glass; through Wednesday. // The St. Regis San Francisco, 125 Third St. (SoMa) details at marriott.com
Laugh off holiday stress when Ali Wong comes to town; Monday at 6pm. // Punch Line Comedy Club, 444 Battery St. (FiDi); tickets at ticketmaster.com
Catch the show at Pier 39. The plaza’s 60-foot tree will offer a kaleidoscope of color, light, and music every night to keep the Christmas cheer alight; 5pm to 10pm through January 11th. // Pier 39 (Fisherman;s Wharf); details at pier39.com
See City Hall come alive with a special light projection show that highlights the historic façades of the famed locale; every half-hour from 5:30pm to 12am, through December 31st. // City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Pl. (Civic Center); details at cityhallwinterlights.com
Try out North Beach’s newest hotspot. Equal Parts is offering up craft cocktails and California cuisine with a Mexican twist; open Tuesdays through Sundays. // Equal Parts, 478 Green St. (North Beach); details at equalpartssf.com
Get some last minute shopping done at the Noe Valley Night Market. Enjoy live music, local nosh, and open-air retail and art; Tuesday, 4:30pm to 8:30pm. // Noe Valley Town Square, 3861 24th St. (Noe Valley); details at noemerchants.com
Party with Scopo Divino. Enjoy bottomless food and wine while the Ricky Bobby Trio plays tunes for the wine bar's open invitation holiday party; 4pm to 10pm. // Scopo Divino, 2800 California St., #101 (Pacific Heights); tickets at eventbrite.com
Let the fabulous Bud E. Love serenade you with sweet Christmas hits from Vegas favorites in a cheeky show; Tuesday at 8pm. // The Chapel, 777 Valencia St. (Mission); tickets at eventim.us
Check out the latest Cirque show. Echo promises Cirque du Soleil magic through poetry, tech, and daring acrobatic acts; Wednesdays and Fridays through Sundays. // Oracle Park, Parking Lot A, 74 Mission Rock St. (Mission Bay); tickets at cirquedusoleil.com
Hear the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. Their annual Christmas concert embodies the spirit of joy and unity with the voices of more than 300 singers across faiths, races, and cultures; Wednesday at 7pm and 9:30pm. // Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell St. (Tenderloin); tickets at gamh.com
Soothe your winter blues with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers. Enjoy vintage jazz and blues with a side of dinner in a “Christmas Swingin' Spectacular.” Wednesday at 6:30pm and 9pm. // Biscuits and Blues, 401 Mason St. (TenderNob); tickets at biscuitsandblues.com
Do Christmas dinner on a boat. Dig into a holiday buffet, raise a glass to full bar service, and spend your holiday swaying to live DJ beats and taking in city views; Thursday, 3pm to 6:30pm. // Pier 3, Hornblower Landing (Embarcadero); tickets at cityexperiences.com
Or stay on land—we’ve got your go-to restaurants open for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day right here.
Say farewell to Peter Pan in the final show days of Panto in the Presidio, where the classic tale gets a Bay Area spin; Friday and Saturday at 1pm and 6pm and Sunday at 1pm. // Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Ave. (Presidio); tickets at presidiotheatre.org
Go pinkies up at afternoon tea. Keep up the holiday spirit with house-made scones and muffins, elegant tea sandwiches, and festive desserts in seasonal flavors; Friday through Sunday, 2pm to 4pm. // Beacon Grand, 450 Powell St. (Union Square); reservations at opentable.com
Dig into post-holiday brunch. Executive chef Brenda Landa is slinging fried mortadella sandwiches, smoked salmon, bone broth, and more on the new menu at Outerlands; Saturdays and Sundays, 9:30am to 2pm. // Outerlands, 4001 Judah St. (Outer Sunset); reservations at outerlandssf.com
Change your tune with a night live be-bop and classic jazz from the Greg Hester Quartet. Come for the show or make a night of it with dinner and drinks at the Spirit Bar; Saturday, 6pm to 9pm. // Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave. (Healdsburg); details at drycreekkitchen.com
Give Oasis a proper sendoff. The legendary club’s last blowout before New Years Eve celebrates their 11-year legacy with an epic night of show-stopping drag performances; Saturday at 9:30pm. // Oasis, 298 11th St. (SoMa); tickets at eventbrite.com
Find holiday magic at the San Francisco Symphony. Sing along to Frozen, catch a mariachi performance, or listen to majestic choral music—after grabbing a drink and snapping a selfie in the decked-out lobby. // Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave. (Civic Center); tickets at sfsymphony.org
Thank you to our partners at the San Francisco Symphony.
Ring in the new year a little early at the Asian Art Museum. Take your turn at leaving behind the ills of 2025 with a ringing of a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell in this annual tradition; Sunday at 1pm. // Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St. (Civic Center); tickets at asianart.org
Save the date for one extraordinary concert with three musical giants. Fawzi Haimor conducts the Marin Symphony premiere of Fanny Mendelssohn’s overture, followed by San Francisco Symphony principal clarinet Carey Bell’s performance of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and a grand finale with Beethoven’s exuberant Symphony No. 7; Saturday, January 10th at 3pm and 7:30pm, and Sunday January 11th at 3pm. // 15 Laurel Ave. (Kentfield); tickets at marinsymphony.org
Thank you to our partners at the Marin Symphony.
Roll out your best moves at a soul-filled Sunday skate night with the Godfather of Skate; Sunday, 8pm to 10pm. // Church Of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore St. (Lower Haight); tickets at eventbrite.com
