Things To Do To Enjoy the Holiday Spirit

The SF neighborhood Christmas and Menorah lights and the hotel gala holiday displays are one way to experience the December festive spirit. Take a very rewarding visit to the Embarcadero or over to Union Street’s Victorian homes, or if you want a special zoological treat check out the SF Zoo with its unique lighting display.

Another way to experience the holidays is to attend cultural or musical events, or even ice skating.

Let’s start with the irresistibly frictionless ice skating. Through January 8^th the ice skating rink (largest outdoor rink in the Bay Area) at the Embarcadero is open for uber family fun. And what can be said about the Union Square Holiday Ice Rink other than Wow! And Double Wow!!, and it’s open through January 16^th 2017.

Santa is down from the North Pole and is available for nice or naughty evaluations and gift lists and mobile phone picture-taking at the Westfield, Japantown and Stonestown malls, at the SF Zoo, at the Fairmont Hotel’s life size gingerbread house, Ghirardelli Square and many more yuletide-in-SF locales.

Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol is being beautifully staged (every year) at the SF American Conservatory Theater at Geary until December 24^th. This is a musical version, so get it while it can be got. And there is always the perennial favorite, The Nutcracker ballet running through December 29^th.