The holiday season is magical at nearby Union Square. Experience the cable car bells ringing and snowflakes glistening as you walk in the Winter Wanderland from November 25 through December 24. This winter season explore Union Square through its Winter Wanderland Holiday Market as you feast on artisanal treats joyfully prepared by local makers, bakers, and shakers. Find the perfect hand-crafted treasure for the loved ones on your shopping list. Enjoy dazzling performances of your favorite holiday classics. Experience an illuminating burst of imagination with delicate falling snow that is sure to delight your senses. Old traditions meet new. Nostalgic yet novel. This month-long celebration of culture, community, and holiday cheer will have something for all.
Looking for more fun? Skate through the holiday season on the Union Square Ice Rink near the corner of Geary and Powell streets, just a mile from your home at NEMA San Francisco. Lace up those skates and head on the ice now through January 16, 2023. General admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children 8 and under, with skate rental included in the cost of admission with tickets sold online. Ice rink hours are from 10am to 11pm daily. 60-minute sessions start every 90 minutes. Figure and hockey skate sizes range from toddler’s size 8 to adult’s size 15. You may also bring your own ice skates.
Enjoy festive, only-in-San Francisco events this season ranging from the traditional to the eccentric, these entertaining holiday skating events reflect the true spirit of San Francisco and offer something for everyone:
Macy's Great Tree is back! Be sure to visit it with your friends and family. The annual great tree will be decorated with thousands of twinkling energy-efficient LED lights and shining ornaments.
Menorah Lighting: December 18-25. The Bill Graham Menorah Project is an annual Chanukah Menorah Lighting in Union Square and this multiday San Francisco tradition continues to shine bright.
Learn to Skate every Saturday & Sunday. Skaters with little to no experience can learn from professional skate instructors every weekend. Lessons are free (including skate rental) to those who sign up in advance.
Flashback Fridays: Presented By 80s+, November 11, December 9 & January 13. The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Kaiser Permanente celebrates more than a decade of outdoor ice skating by throwing it back to the musical hits of everyone’s favorite decade—the ‘80s—at “Flashback Fridays.” On the second Friday of each month, these special sessions feature 80s+@103.7 personalities on-hand spinning hits by Duran Duran, Pat Benatar, Madonna, Lionel Richie, and more! Skaters are encouraged to don their favorite legwarmers and unitard and come party at this totally tubular event!
Drag Queens On Ice, December 1. Buy your tickets now and don’t miss out on the City’s most popular event of the holiday season—Drag Queens on Ice. This year celebrates 13 years of fun, frivolity, and fabulousness on the ice! If you dare, skate with the Queens as they mingle and warm-up for their entertainment performances, or just grab a spot around the rink and watch San Francisco’s fiercest Bay Area Drag Queens give their holiday performances of a lifetime.
Silent Skate Party, December 8. Silent Skate Party returns for one night only on Thursday December 8! It’s a silent disco on ice that transports skaters to an on-ice dance party like no other! Lace up your skates, don a cool pair of headphones, and skate the night away with WiLD 94.9 Magic Matt and Bay Area’s DJ Von onsite spinning your favorite tunes.
Polar Bear Skate, January 1. Start the New Year off in your swimsuit…on the ice…in the middle of Union Square! As a nod to the popular Canadian tradition, this version of “taking the plunge” invites skaters to wear their wildest and most inventive beach attire, in hopes of walking away with cool prizes, awarded on theme, originality, and overall appearance.
Image credit: Union Square Ice Rink on Facebook
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