Free Coffee, Light Shows and Late‑Night Skating: Christmas Eve in San Francisco

San Francisco residents looking to get out of the house on Christmas Eve will find a long list of events across the city, from free coffee and outdoor light installations to ice skating, concerts and holiday comedy.

Peet’s Coffee is reviving its annual Christmas Eve giveaway, offering complimentary small drip coffee or brewed tea at participating Bay Area locations on Dec. 24 during store hours. The promotion applies only at participating stores, and customers are advised to check with their local Peet’s. The drinks are free, with donations encouraged.

Downtown, Union Square will host the final day of its Winter Walk on Stockton Street between Post and O’Farrell streets. According to the event listing, the temporary pedestrian promenade will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 24 and feature a holiday marketplace curated by West Coast Craft, food trucks, seasonal drinks and live entertainment. Admission is free.

Nearby, the Union Square District is also wrapping up its Festive Ornament Trail on Christmas Eve. The trail includes 11 oversized holiday ornaments created by local artists along Powell Street and the surrounding area. Visitors can pick up a guide at the Cable Car Turnaround at Powell and Market streets, visit and photograph each ornament, and then return to redeem a prize. Prizes will be available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though the ornaments can be viewed at any time. The trail runs from Dec. 6 through 24 and is free to access.

Pier 39 is continuing its Holiday Tree Show on the Embarcadero. The attraction centers around a 60 foot Christmas tree at the entrance plaza that lights up in a music and light show every half hour from 5 to 10 p.m. The tree and the pier are described as being heavily decorated for the season and designed to provide food and photo opportunities. The tree show runs nightly from Dec. 5 to Jan. 11, with free admission.

At the Westin St. Francis hotel on Powell Street, visitors can view the property’s well known sugar castle, which is marking its 20th year. According to the description, the castle is nearly 12 feet tall and weighs about 1,000 pounds. It includes more than 20 towers, 15 illuminated rooms and a running train, and was crafted by Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Francois Houdré and his team. The display also features Francis the Dog, the hotel’s mascot, hidden throughout the castle. Guests who find the mascot can claim a prize at the concierge desk. The sugar castle is on display from Nov. 26 through Jan. 2 at 335 Powell Street, with free admission.

Golden Gate Park will continue its nighttime light programming on Christmas Eve as well. The Conservatory of Flowers hosts a nightly light show called “Photosynthesis” that runs from dusk until midnight. The show transforms the exterior of the historic greenhouse into a shifting display of colorful digital art. According to the event description, it begins about 30 minutes after sunset, runs roughly half an hour, and then repeats on a loop until midnight. The installation was developed in partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, designed by Lumigeek, with music by Tim Digualla. The best viewing spots are along the car free JFK Promenade and on the lawns in front of the Conservatory. The show is free to watch.

City Hall is also a holiday light destination this season. A new installation, “City Hall Winter Lights,” turns the Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue facades into an animated storybook using projection mapping. Each projected sequence runs about 10 minutes and is set to a synchronized soundtrack that viewers can stream on their phones. The show runs nightly from Dec. 1 to 30, every 30 minutes between 5:30 p.m. and midnight, with free admission.

For those who want to be on the ice, the city’s seasonal rink at Union Square will be open on Christmas Eve. The San Francisco Holiday Ice Rink at 333 Post Street offers outdoor skating surrounded by holiday lights in the center of downtown. Sessions last one hour and start every 90 minutes throughout the day and evening. The rink operates from Nov. 5 to Jan. 19, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. General admission is listed at $22 for adults and $17 for children 8 years and under, with skate rental included in the price.

Several indoor performances are also scheduled for Dec. 24. At the War Memorial Opera House on Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco Ballet is staging two performances of “Nutcracker,” described as a family holiday tradition set to Tchaikovsky’s score, which is performed by the Grammy Award winning SF Ballet Orchestra. The productions take place at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Dec. 24, with ticket prices ranging from $59 to $349.

In the nearby Civic Center, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will hold its annual Holiday Spectacular at Davies Symphony Hall, located at 201 Van Ness Avenue. The concert is billed as a festive program that combines holiday classics with music from Irving Berlin, Elton John, Cher, Madonna and Lady Gaga, paired with choreography and seasonal arrangements. Performances are set for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., with tickets from $30 to $105.

For a different kind of Christmas Eve tradition, the 33rd annual Kung Pao Kosher Comedy will return to San Francisco’s Chinatown. The event features Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese restaurant at the Imperial Palace Restaurant, 818 Washington Street. The lineup this year includes comedian Elayne Boosler, along with Orion Levine, Amanda Marks and show creator Lisa Geduldig. Attendees can choose between a dinner show with a six course meal at 5 p.m. for $95 and a cocktail show with light fare at 8:30 p.m. for $70. According to the organizers, partial proceeds will benefit the ACLU and Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay’s free Immigration Legal Services.

Families can also visit Santa Claus on the west side of the city. Stonestown Galleria is offering photos with Santa at its Lower Level Center Court on Dec. 24. Walk ups are welcome from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3251 20th Avenue. Entry is free, with photo packages available for purchase.

For moviegoers, Cinema SF is hosting a Christmas Eve screening of “Die Hard” at its 2200 Clement Street location. The Dec. 24 show is scheduled for 4 p.m. The article notes that viewers can check directly with the cinema for ticket prices.

Many of these events are free or low cost and are concentrated in key commercial and civic areas such as Union Square, Civic Center, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, the Embarcadero and Stonestown. The listings emphasize that several attractions, including light shows at the Conservatory of Flowers and City Hall, the Winter Walk, Ornament Trail, sugar castle and Pier 39 tree, are open to the public without an admission charge, while ticketed events such as ice skating, ballet, concerts and comedy require paid entry.

The original guide also notes that Peet’s Coffee is encouraging donations during its free coffee promotion, and that some events include charitable components, such as Kung Pao Kosher Comedy’s support for civil liberties and immigration legal services. The information provided does not specify whether any of the free attractions have capacity limits or require advance reservations, so visitors may want to confirm details and operating hours before heading out on Christmas Eve.