Celebrate at these festive Christmas and holiday events in San Francisco

Let’s Glow SF is a free 10-night outdoor event with the nation’s largest holiday projection mapping show. Six buildings and Annie Alley are lit up with animated light shows on their façades, a majestic and magical sight that can be seen throughout the city and even the Bay Area, gleaming across the bay waters. Those include the Ferry Building, the Salesforce Tower, the Brutalist PG& Substation on Folsom Street, the Pacific Coast Stock Exchange on Pine, One Bush Plaza and 101 California Street. Don’t miss the huge parties at either end of the festival stretch.

Dates: Dec 6–15

Scared to balance on those two thin ice skate blades? You’ll be so much more comfortable swanning gracefully along in your socks. (Finally, a chance to try that triple Salchow without eating ice!) At Chabot Space & Science Center in the Oakland hills, you can skate in your socks on a special planet-themed artificial ice tile floor that should give you all the slidiness of an ice rink. Wear your own socks or purchase on site (cotton or natural fiber is best for the simulated skate experience). A 30-minute session is free with your ticket to the science center (which is cool as hell anyway); make sure to book your session at the same time you buy your admission, 10am–5pm Friday through Sundays. Tickets for the center are $25 adults, $19 youth and seniors, free for under 2.

Dates: through Jan 5 

It’s not just about the seasonal skating rink—at Winter Walk in Union Square, you’ll be part of 10 days of festivities along a two-block stretch of Stockton Street. Feast your eyes on elaborate holiday decorations and enjoy festive performances across two stages, “programmed snow” and food trucks, drink offerings, activities and a marketplace curated by Sunset Mercantile. A roaming snowman and typewriter poet circulate the crowd to amuse audiences, while visitors can walk an Ornament Trail with eight outsized ornaments designed by artists. There’s even a signature dessert, the Winter Walk Matterhorn made by Flour & Branch to resemble the famous mountain, made of a croissant filled with tiramisu chantilly cream and topped with a blue amaretto glaze. Hours: Monday through Wednesday from noon to 7pm, and Thursday through Sunday from 10am to 9pm.

Dates: Dec 13-22

This year, trade the traditional holiday shows for a classic Christmas parody full of joy, love and all the holiday feels. Join the “Golden Girls”—drag queens Miss Coco Peru (Dorothy), Matthew Martin (Blanche), D’Arcy Drollinger (Rose) and Holotta Tymes (Sophia)—for a hilarious live take on two Christmas episodes from days gone by. It’s raucous fun now in its 19th year, taking place at the Curran Theatre. Tickets start at $39.

Dates: Dec 5–22

Since the 1944 American premiere of The Nutcracker, San Francisco audiences have embraced the sensational ballet as a true holiday tradition. From choreographer Helgi Tómasson, this magical adaptation of the Tchaikovsky composition will delight your family and set the tone for the festivities to come.

Dates: Dec 6–29

You’ll want to join the ice rink for its 17th magical season of outdoor skating on a pop-up rink in the heart of downtown. Special events (some of which have higher admission) include Drag On Ice (don some sequins and skate alongside Kings and Queens—see more details in our separate event entry below), Flashback Fridays (‘80s music on second Fridays), Classical Sundays (skate to classical music), Black Friday with Wild 94.9 (Jeanine da Feen plays modern hits), Silent Skate (headphones on) and Polar Bear Skate (in your swimsuit, just like a polar bear plunge). If you can’t skate and are intimidated, professional instructors will give free lessons each weekend to those who sign up in advance, limited to 50 people per day selected via lottery (open now through November 22 by registering here). Otherwise, tickets for the one-hour session, including skate rentals, are $25 for adults, and $19 for children aged 8 and under. Lockers available at $7.

Dates: Nov 6–Jan 20

Step back in time at this holiday adventure set in Victorian London which features quaint shops, costumed performers, four pubs, an absinthe bar and the aroma of roasted chestnuts. A Bay Area tradition celebrating 40 seasons this year, the Great Dickens Christmas Fair takes over the Cow Palace for several weekends every holiday season. New experiences can be found throughout the fair this year, including Port & Chocolate and Champagne Tastings, a mysterious Pub Crawl with Jekyll & Hyde and the Elixir of Madness, and the Dark Garden Corset Experience. Tickets $45 adults, $25 aged 5-12, free for under 5. Discounts for military and twilight entry. Parking is $20.

Dates: Weekends (plus Nov 29) through Dec 22

Nothing rings in the holidays like visiting the Fairmont’s massive gingerbread house. Each year the hotel’s talented culinary and engineering teams work together to create a life-sized two-story Victorian gingerbread house. It's made with 8,000 gingerbread bricks, each placed by hand with pastry people piping the “grouting” made of icing, and more than 1,900 pounds of candy adorning its façade. Each year, new details appear on the home’s design. Wildly enough, you can book a dining experience—either a holiday dinner or a holiday tea—inside the house for up to eight guests. Tea is $155/adult, $80/child; dinner is $500/party.

Dates: Through New Year

This year, since the Castro Theatre is undergoing renovations, these beloved San Francisco concerts—always built on hilarity, togetherness and singing along—will be held at the Sydney Goldstein Theatre (December 6 and 7) and Davies Symphony Hall (two performances on December 24). You can also attend the north and east bay performances at Green Music Center in Rohnert Park (December 15) and Zellerbach Auditorium in Berkeley (December 21). This year for the first time, two limited edition VIP packages are available. Dress up and bring the kids for these family-friendly concerts.

Dates: Dec 6, 7, 15, 21, 24  

Abstaining from this year’s Christmas celebrations? Grab a seat at the Imperial Palace Restaurant for the city’s longest running comedy show, Kung Pao Kosher Comedy. It’s a hilarious comedic romp that celebrates the classic Jewish answer to Christmas dinner, the Chinese restaurant. Catch the show with an early evening dinner or late evening cocktails and light dim sum.

Dates: Dec 24–26