92nd Academy Awards Viewing Parties, Sunday Feb 9, 2020, San Francisco & Oakland, FREE and fair-cost2/5/2020 It's Oscar time again, film lovers! |
 Blooming Flowers: Classical Music by Women |  The Edwardian Ball |
 Run For Hot Chocolate |  sfindiefest, 22 |
- Food Truck Brunch: January 1, 2020, Truck Your Resolution: New Year’s Day Brunch has brunch specials from 11 local food trucks, bar specials, and DJ music. Free admission (website date to be updated).
- New Year's Day Run: January 1, 2020, Napa Valley Resolution Run 5K/10K is a run through beautiful Yountville.
- San Francisco Attractions: multiple locations. These discount prices include all taxes and fees.
- Aquarium + cruise + cable car pass + museumsCityPass gives you 5 attractions for $95.
- Bicycle tour of S.F. (2 to 3 hours)Ticket deal 2 for $57 (reserve a day prior)
- Ripley’s Believe it or Not - Fisherman’s Wharf Ticket deal $20 (child $15)
- ZooLights in Oakland: January 1-5, 2020, ZooLights has colorful light displays, laser light shows, gondola rides, Christmas trees, and Santa some nights at the Oakland Zoo. Free parking.
- Art Walks, Bay Area: January 2-3, 2020,
- Visit art galleries that stay open late on the first Thursday or Friday of each month. Free.
- San Francisco - First Thursday Art Walks
- North Beach - First Fridays
- Oakland - Oakland Art Murmur (Friday)
- San Jose - South First Fridays
- Free Art Museum: January 5, 2020, Visit the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco on a First Free Sunday of the month to see its 18,000 objects that represent 6,000 years of Asian art and culture.
- Harry Potter Live: January 8-May 28, 2020, Based on a new story by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child features the grown up versions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione who must “grapple with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs” with illusions and magic at the Curran Theater for age 10+.
- Auto Show in San Jose: January 9-20, 2020, Manufacturers display electric cars, concept vehicles, luxury models, and event celebrities’ cars at the Silicon Valley Auto Show in the San Jose convention center, with test drives available.
- Comedy Festival, SF Comedy Clubs: SF Sketchfest mixes national headliners, local favorites and up-and-coming groups for a variety of sketch, improv, stand-up and alternative comedy.
- International Art Fair: January 17-19, 2020, Untitled is an “international curated art fair” with 60 exhibitors from 10 countries at Pier 35.
- Women's March: January 18, 2020, 11 am-3 pm, Women’s March San Francisco: March and Rally begins with a rally and talks by speakers in Civic Center Plaza, followed by a march. In 2019, the march went down Market Street to Embarcadero Plaza. Free.
- Midnight Bicycle Ride: January 18, 2020, Check for location on website, Meet at a local bar the third Saturday of every month for the San Francisco Midnight Mystery Ride, which is five miles long and ends with potluck snacks. Details are posted on their website on the event day. Free.
- Chinese Flower Fair: January 18-19, 2020, Shop for fresh flowers for Chinese New Year from 120 vendors, and watch traditional Chinese magicians, acrobats, and folk dancers at the Chinese New Year Flower Market Fair in Chinatown. Free.
- Black Comics Festival: January 18-20, 2020, Celebrate African American creativity in the comic arts and popular visual culture at Black & Brown Comix Arts Festival, which includes an expo, kids’ activities, panel discussions, films, and cosplay events at two locations (San Francisco Public Library & City View at Metreon). Free. This is one of several MLK celebratory events happening around the Bay Area.
- MLK Park Day: January 20, 2020, US National Parks, Entry is free at Muir Woods National Monument and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park on Free Entrance Days in the National Parks. Expect more people and less parking than usual.
- S.F Restaurant Week: January 22-31, 2020, San Francisco restaurants
Get a special deal on a fixed-price lunch or dinner meal at 130 restaurants during SF Restaurant Week.
- Victorian/Steampunk Ball: January 24-25, 2020, Crowds of costumed partygoers attend The Edwardian Ball “an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theater, fashion, technology, circus” on Saturday, plus a similar event The Edwardian World’s Fair on Friday at The Regency Ballroom. Video (30 seconds)
- Classical Music by Women: January 25, 2020, (7:30 pm), Ensemble for These Times performs works by nine women during its concert Blooming Flowers at the Center for New Music.
- Dog Show: January 25-26, 2020, Meet dogs of different breeds and their owners at the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show, which has prize competitions both days, a dog fashion show Saturday, and vendor booths in the Cow Palace. No pets.
- Wine Tasting: January 26, 2020, (12-4 pm), aste 200 wines and champagnes at Uncorked: SF Wine Festival, which also features gourmet food trucks and a live DJ in the Festival Pavilion at Fort Mason for age 21+.
- Film Festival - Indie Films: January 30-February 14, 2020, SF Independent Film Festival (SF IndieFest) celebrates maverick filmmakers by screening films made by independent producers at theaters in the Mission District.
FREE stuff in San Francisco, December 24, 25 and 26, celebrate the season. Happy everything!
12/23/2019
Celebrate the season with Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa events and so much more!
Think of it as FREE, fun activities and events.
Looking for something to do to switch up the holidays and refresh, admire, connect and enjoy the City and all it offers -- and at no cost?
Here are some ideas, but there's even more.
Here are some ideas, but there's even more.
 Free Peet's Coffee Day, Christmas Eve 2019  San Francisco Botanical Garden, Free Admission on Christmas Day -- All Day |  SF City Hall Lights Up for Christmas Eve 2019, FREE  First Day of Kwanzaa 2019: San Francisco City Hall Ceremony & Evening Celebration -- All Day |
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
- Free Peet's Coffee Day, all day. The annual Peet’s Holiday Donation Program is entering its 34th year, supporting No Kid Hungry, a national nonprofit that works to end child hunger in America. To celebrate the program’s success and thank donors to the charities, Peet’s is treating Peetnicks to a free small drip coffee or tea; donations appreciated.
- FREE Guided Walking Tours in SF: San Francisco City Guides offer free guided walking tours of many different neighborhoods in the city and will be offering a full slate of free tours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Have friends and relatives in town with nothing to do? Gather up the family & friends and show them the city you love with one of the many tours around Christmas.
- Pier 39's Christmas Eve Nightly Tree Lighting Show, FREE: PIER 39 is spreading holiday cheer on San Francisco’s waterfront. Pier 39 is unwrapping their nightly tree lighting show for the holiday season. Synchronized to holiday music, the tree transforms into a kaleidoscope of swirling colors every half hour from 5 pm-10 pm, through January 5, 2020.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
- San Francisco Botanical Garden, FREE Admission: The San Francisco Botanical Garden is one of the most diverse gardens in the world. A unique urban oasis, the garden is a living museum within Golden Gate Park, offering 55 acres of both landscaped gardens and open spaces, and showcasing over 8,500 different kinds of plants from around the world. Always free admission for SF residents, but Christmas Day is free for visitors/out-of-towners.
- Contemporary Jewish Museum FREE Day, SoMa: Think everything’s closed on Christmas Day? The CJM’s Community Day is a free, fun-filled day of art that has become an annual tradition for Bay Area families. Enjoy the day exploring the galleries with your family and friends or nosh on latkes at Wise Sons.
Thursday, December 26, 2019
- First Day of Kwanzaa 2019; SF City Hall Ceremony & Evening Celebration: The Village Project presents San Francisco’s 14th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration, with seven days of community events striving to unite and strengthen the family, community, and nation, by highlighting each of the seven principles of Kwanzaa (the Nguzo Saba).
- Bank of America's Bonus FREE Museum Days, Dec 26-31: This holiday season Bank of America is inviting their cardholders to enjoy an additional six days of free admission through Museums on Us, from 12/26/19 through 12/31/19.Participating Bay Area museums include the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Legion of Honor, de Young Museum, Oakland Museum of California, Computer History Museum and San Jose Museum of Art.
Check out additional happenings and FREE events at Funcheap San Francisco
Looking to strap on some skates and head outdoors to ice skate?
There are tons of pop-up ice rinks in San Francisco and all around the Bay Area. Start skating!
SF Bay Area residents, visitors, and tourists alike will find lots of spots around the region to enjoy one of winter's most loved outdoor activities... even in California!
Here is a list of the biggest and best SF and Bay Area ice skating rinks for 2019:
Here is a list of the biggest and best SF and Bay Area ice skating rinks for 2019:
San Francisco
Union Square Ice Rink
– Dates: November 6, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: Union Square, SF
– Cost: $18 adults; $13 kids (includes skate rental)
A San Francisco holiday tradition in the heart of Union Square, in the shadow of an 83-foot Christmas tree. Fun theme nights include Drag Queens on Ice (12/5), Silent Skate Party (12/12) & the Polar Bear Skate (1/1/2020).
Civic Center: Winter Park
– Dates: November 22, 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: Civic Center, San Francisco
– Cost: $18 adults; $13 kids (includes skate rental)
Modeled after the internationally-famed Wiener Eistraum ice-skating rink in Vienna, this ice rink also features a 400-foot skating track that weaves ice skating fun through a lighted tree forest.
Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero
– Dates: November 6, 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: Embarcadero Plaza, SF
– Cost: $12 Adults, $7 Kids ($5 skate rental)
The self-proclaimed “largest outdoor ice rink” in the Bay (though San Mateo may actually be bigger) celebrates three decades of skating in SF.
Yerba Buena Ice Skating (Indoors)
– Dates: Open Year Round
– Where: 750 Folsom St., SF
– Cost: $13 ($6 skate rental)
San Francisco’s only year-round full-service ice skating facility with a large NHL-sized skating rink.
East Bay
San Ramon: Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Skating Rink – New for 2019
– Dates: November 15 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: City Center Bishop Ranch, 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon
– Cost: $10-12 depending on date/time ($5 skate rental)
– Skate at the first and only outdoor ice skating rink in the Tri-Valley. Discounts include free skate rentals on weekdays before 5 pm with student I.D. during non-holiday schedule only.
Concord: Ice at The Veranda
– Dates: November 8, 2019 to February 17, 2020
– Where: The Veranda, 2001-2003 Diamond Blvd., Concord
– Cost: $15 per person; $50 for family 4 pack
This 3,500 sq. ft. rink features special midweek discounts on Tuesdays ($6 off).
Walnut Creek on Ice
– Dates: November 8, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: Civic Park, 1365 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
– Cost: $13 – $15 depending on date/time
Get your skate at the 13th annual Walnut Creek on Ice with themed nights, live music, family night, skating lessons and more.
North Bay
Napa on Ice
– Dates: November 22, 2019 to January 12, 2020
– Where: Napa
– Cost: $14 (includes skate rental)
The outdoor rink in downtown Napa is surrounded by restaurants, shops, the riverfront, picnic areas, and, of course, a Wine Train.
Peninsula
Palo Alto: Winter Lodge
– Dates: September 30, 2019 to April 11, 2020
– Where: Palo Alto
– Cost: $15 ($5 for skate rental)
The ice is cold, the fireplaces are warm. Outside Magazine ranked Winter Lodge as one of the Top 10 Outdoor Ice Skating Experiences in the US.
San Mateo on Ice
– Dates: November 9, 2019 to January 12, 2020
– Where: Central Park, San Mateo
– Cost: $17
Get your skate on at the Bay Area’s largest outdoor ice skating rink featuring 11,000 square feet of real ice.
Sunnyvale: Winter Ice Rink – New for 2019
– Dates: November 22, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: CityLine Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale
– Cost: $18 Adults, $15 for 10 & under or Military
Located in the heart of downtown Sunnyvale, skate beneath historic Redwood trees at the inaugural Winter Ice Rink.
– Confirmed 10/31/2019
South Bay and Beyond
San Jose: Downtown Ice
– Dates: November 15, 2019 to January 12, 2020
– Where: San Jose btwn. Fairmont and SJ Museum of Art
– Cost: $18 Adults; $13 for 8 & Under (Includes skate rental)
Skate in true California style. Downtown Ice in San Jose is the only rink in the world that offers skating in and around a circle of 32 palm trees.
Santa Clara on Ice
– Dates: November 21, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: 969 Kiely Blvd Santa Clara
– Cost: $15 Adults, $10 Youth (Includes skate rental)
Get your skates ready and come experience outdoor ice skating in Santa Clara’s Central Park.
San Jose: Holiday Ice at Solar4America Ice (Indoors)
– Dates: Has daily public hours, please see website.
– Where: 1500 South Tenth Street, San Jose
– Cost: $12.50 ($5 skate rental)
Skate your way through the holidays at the largest rink facility west of the Mississippi. Practice your moves at the San Jose Sharks’ official practice facility.
Santa Cruz: Boardwalk Holiday Ice
– Dates: November 16, 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
– Cost: $14.95
Bring the family to enjoy ice skating by the beach – on real ice with ocean view fire pits. Their new 32′ x 90′ covered ice skating rink is open rain or shine.
Union Square Ice Rink
– Dates: November 6, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: Union Square, SF
– Cost: $18 adults; $13 kids (includes skate rental)
A San Francisco holiday tradition in the heart of Union Square, in the shadow of an 83-foot Christmas tree. Fun theme nights include Drag Queens on Ice (12/5), Silent Skate Party (12/12) & the Polar Bear Skate (1/1/2020).
Civic Center: Winter Park
– Dates: November 22, 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: Civic Center, San Francisco
– Cost: $18 adults; $13 kids (includes skate rental)
Modeled after the internationally-famed Wiener Eistraum ice-skating rink in Vienna, this ice rink also features a 400-foot skating track that weaves ice skating fun through a lighted tree forest.
Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero
– Dates: November 6, 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: Embarcadero Plaza, SF
– Cost: $12 Adults, $7 Kids ($5 skate rental)
The self-proclaimed “largest outdoor ice rink” in the Bay (though San Mateo may actually be bigger) celebrates three decades of skating in SF.
Yerba Buena Ice Skating (Indoors)
– Dates: Open Year Round
– Where: 750 Folsom St., SF
– Cost: $13 ($6 skate rental)
San Francisco’s only year-round full-service ice skating facility with a large NHL-sized skating rink.
East Bay
San Ramon: Kristi Yamaguchi Holiday Ice Skating Rink – New for 2019
– Dates: November 15 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: City Center Bishop Ranch, 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, San Ramon
– Cost: $10-12 depending on date/time ($5 skate rental)
– Skate at the first and only outdoor ice skating rink in the Tri-Valley. Discounts include free skate rentals on weekdays before 5 pm with student I.D. during non-holiday schedule only.
Concord: Ice at The Veranda
– Dates: November 8, 2019 to February 17, 2020
– Where: The Veranda, 2001-2003 Diamond Blvd., Concord
– Cost: $15 per person; $50 for family 4 pack
This 3,500 sq. ft. rink features special midweek discounts on Tuesdays ($6 off).
Walnut Creek on Ice
– Dates: November 8, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: Civic Park, 1365 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek
– Cost: $13 – $15 depending on date/time
Get your skate at the 13th annual Walnut Creek on Ice with themed nights, live music, family night, skating lessons and more.
North Bay
Napa on Ice
– Dates: November 22, 2019 to January 12, 2020
– Where: Napa
– Cost: $14 (includes skate rental)
The outdoor rink in downtown Napa is surrounded by restaurants, shops, the riverfront, picnic areas, and, of course, a Wine Train.
Peninsula
Palo Alto: Winter Lodge
– Dates: September 30, 2019 to April 11, 2020
– Where: Palo Alto
– Cost: $15 ($5 for skate rental)
The ice is cold, the fireplaces are warm. Outside Magazine ranked Winter Lodge as one of the Top 10 Outdoor Ice Skating Experiences in the US.
San Mateo on Ice
– Dates: November 9, 2019 to January 12, 2020
– Where: Central Park, San Mateo
– Cost: $17
Get your skate on at the Bay Area’s largest outdoor ice skating rink featuring 11,000 square feet of real ice.
Sunnyvale: Winter Ice Rink – New for 2019
– Dates: November 22, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: CityLine Sunnyvale, Sunnyvale
– Cost: $18 Adults, $15 for 10 & under or Military
Located in the heart of downtown Sunnyvale, skate beneath historic Redwood trees at the inaugural Winter Ice Rink.
– Confirmed 10/31/2019
South Bay and Beyond
San Jose: Downtown Ice
– Dates: November 15, 2019 to January 12, 2020
– Where: San Jose btwn. Fairmont and SJ Museum of Art
– Cost: $18 Adults; $13 for 8 & Under (Includes skate rental)
Skate in true California style. Downtown Ice in San Jose is the only rink in the world that offers skating in and around a circle of 32 palm trees.
Santa Clara on Ice
– Dates: November 21, 2019 to January 20, 2020
– Where: 969 Kiely Blvd Santa Clara
– Cost: $15 Adults, $10 Youth (Includes skate rental)
Get your skates ready and come experience outdoor ice skating in Santa Clara’s Central Park.
San Jose: Holiday Ice at Solar4America Ice (Indoors)
– Dates: Has daily public hours, please see website.
– Where: 1500 South Tenth Street, San Jose
– Cost: $12.50 ($5 skate rental)
Skate your way through the holidays at the largest rink facility west of the Mississippi. Practice your moves at the San Jose Sharks’ official practice facility.
Santa Cruz: Boardwalk Holiday Ice
– Dates: November 16, 2019 to January 5, 2020
– Where: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
– Cost: $14.95
Bring the family to enjoy ice skating by the beach – on real ice with ocean view fire pits. Their new 32′ x 90′ covered ice skating rink is open rain or shine.
Due to the fires and the air quality in the Bay Area, several museums are offering free admission to help people cope.
Note: some museums are free for all, while others are just for people in mandatory evacuation areas.
This week, the SFMOMA permanent collection on Floor 2 will be free to the public through Friday, November 1.
Hopefully these galleries can offer a place for reflection as
we all find ways to cope with the impact of the fire and smoke.
Museum hours this week:
Monday – Tuesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wednesday - closed
Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Hopefully these galleries can offer a place for reflection as
we all find ways to cope with the impact of the fire and smoke.
Museum hours this week:
Monday – Tuesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wednesday - closed
Thursday 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Free San Francisco Museums Due to Fires:
- SFMOMA – Free admission for all to the permanent collection on Floor 2 – No Ticket Required (Through Nov. 1)
- California Academy of Sciences – Free admission for current mandatory fire evacuees – Show valid ID/proof of address (Through Nov. 1)
- Asian Art Museum – Free general admission “through the week.” Visit front desk to gain free admission (Also free on Sunday Nov. 3)
- de Young and Legion of Honor are both free for general admission on Saturday for all Bay Area residents (as they are every week)
Melanie posts:
SF Bay Area updates on upcoming events and what's happening now around town.
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