As the happy holidays roll around, so do the holiday events! Here are eight things to do during the holiday season.
San Mateo Winter Wonderland
San Mateo Park and Recreation’s “Winter Wonderland” opens Saturday, 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Dec. 6, at 50 E. 5th Avenue, San Mateo. The Winter
Wonderland is a family-friendly event offering food and drinks, festive photos, crafts, and more. San Mateo will also be hosting ice skating at San Mateo Central Park, available from Nov. 14 – Jan. 11. Tickets are $19.
Santa photos
South San Francisco’s Park and Recreation will offer free photos with Santa at City Hall during “Santa Comes To Town” on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at South San Francisco City Hall, 400 Grand Avenue. Santa will arrive in a firetruck and take pictures with the community, a great opportunity to create fun and festive memories with loved ones.
Frosty Snow Fest
Dec. 6, 4-7 p.m., Serramonte Center will be hosting a “Frosty Snow Fest,” an event with winter inflatables, hot chocolate, Santa photos and crafts. They will also be accepting unwrapped toy donations for “Operation Santa Claus,” a program created by Daly City Partnership. The program allows families to register for a chance to receive free toys for their children.
Bass Pro Shop: Santa’s Wonderland
Bass Pro Shop’s Santa’s Wonderland is a free 4×6 photo and video with Santa — Bass Pro Shops also offers photo packages with different quantities and dimensions of photos. Registration is required, and Santa’s Wonderland is open until Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.
Let’s Glow, San Francisco
San Francisco’s Holiday Projection Arts Festival: Let’s Glow SF, will transform eight of San Francisco’s buildings into artworks. The Ferry
Building, East Cut Electric, 101 California St., Mechanics Monument Plaza, Yerba Buena Lane at Market St., Hobart Building, Pacific Exchange, Transamerica Pyramid Center, and Salesforce Tower will all be lit up with artworks created by 19 different artists. “Icebergs” will also be scattered between the eight buildings, playing recordings of the first openly-gay chorus: the SF Gay Men’s Chorus. Opening Night of this luminous event will be Dec. 5, at Harry Bridges Plaza, the countdown will take place 6 p.m.-7 p.m., after which the projections will be up until 10 p.m. Let’s Glow SF will run from Dec. 5 through Dec. 14.
Pier 39 Tree Lighting
PIER 39’s Annual Tree Lighting will take place on Thursday, Dec. 4, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Live music from The Death & Taxes swing band, Christmas Carolers, Santa, and more will accompany the 60-foot Christmas tree lighting.
SF botanical garden free admission on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
San Francisco’s Botanical Gardens will be offering free admission on Christmas and New Year’s Day. Experience the botanical gardens decorated in festive lights free of charge. It’s advised to wear comfortable walking shoes and to dress for the outdoors.
Downtown First Thursdays:
Downtown First Thursdays are free block parties held on the first Thursday of each month, on SF 2nd St. between Market and Howard Street. Downtown First Thursdays are free and host a variety of activities, both family-friendly and 21+. The next parties will be on Thursday, Dec. 4, and Thursday, Jan. 1, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. The block party will host curbside karaoke, discoteca, an art gallery, dance halls, outdoor bars, and many vendors.
All graphics done for this story were created by Mia Trejo Vargas.
