Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural invites visitors into the artist’s largest work to date, Super/Natural, an immersive 8-foot-tall stained-glass environment inspired by neuroaesthetics, biophilic design, and the universality of natural elements, pattern, and ornament. CMusereated during Schaechter’s residency at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, this central work, along with seven additional stained-glass lightboxes, reflects her luminous exploration of beauty, light, and imagination.
Wunderkammer: The Collection of Susan Beech offers a rare glimpse into one of the most remarkable private collections of contemporary art jewelry. Drawing inspiration from 18th-century cabinets of curiosity, this exhibition features over 80 bold, playful, and innovative works that celebrate adornment, storytelling, symbolism, and sculpture.
In order to ensure those who need a safe ride home New Year’s Eve have one, many Bay Area transit agencies are offering free rides, but not having any extended service.
Ride Muni for Free on New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. Wednesday, December 31, 2025, to 5 a.m. Thursday, January 1, 2026. New Year’s Eve Muni Service During the complimentary service period from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.:
Please do not tag your Clipper® card. If you tag it, you will be charged. Please do not activate a MuniMobile ticket. Metro fare gates will be open.
Not yet confirmed for 12/31/25. Here’s what happened in 2024:
2024 info: AC Transit continues to support your transit needs, including getting you where you need to go safely on New Year’s Eve. Ride FREE on all buses, including Transbay, from 8 PM on Dec. 31 to 5 AM on Jan. 1. Buses will operate on Sunday schedules on January 1.
Not yet confirmed for 12/31/25. Here’s what happened in 2024:
2024 info: The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) is proud to once again offer free bus rides on New Year’s Eve and during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31)
Buses will operate on a regular weekday schedule.
Free service begins at 8 p.m. and continues through 3 a.m. New Year’s Day (Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025)
Not yet confirmed for 12/31/25. Here’s what happened in 2024:
2024 info: Caltrain is offering free service on New Year’s Eve so revelers can get home safely at the end of their evening. All rides will be free starting at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, until the end of special late-night service, as it has in years past.
New Year’s Eve – Tuesday, December 31, 2024 – Weekday Schedule
FREE Fares after 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Don’t drink and drive.
NYE Specials San Francisco to San Jose Diridon – 1 a.m. (or when full), 1:30 a.m. (or when full), 2 a.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve and Fireworks
Caltrain will be operating regular weekday schedule before the fireworks show begins. In addition to regularly scheduled service, additional southbound trains will depart from San Francisco at 1:00 a.m., 1:30 a.m. or when full, making all local stops to San Jose Diridon after the fireworks, with the last train leaving San Francisco at 2 a.m. SF MUNI will provide additional post-fireworks service connecting with Caltrain San Francisco Station at 4th and King streets.
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day
Caltrain will operate a weekend schedule. Caltrain will resume collecting fares when the service day begins with the first scheduled northbound train out of San Jose’s Tamien Station at 6:51 a.m.
Caltrain reminds customers that open alcoholic beverages are prohibited on the trains beginning at 9 p.m. on special events days and nights. Disruptive passengers will be asked to leave Caltrain property.
More information about Caltrain’s holiday schedules is available online at www.caltrain.com/holidays.
Not yet confirmed for 12/31/25. Here’s what happened in 2024:
2024 info: Continuing our annual tradition, VTA will offer free rides on all buses and light rail services from 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31, until 5 a.m. on Wednesday, January 1.
VTA will operate extended service on all three light rail lines and Bus Route Rapid 500 on New Year’s Eve to make your celebrations even easier. This ensures you can get where you need to go—and back home—comfortably and reliably.
VTA services operate on a regular weekday schedule on New Year’s Eve and Sunday/Holiday schedule for New Year’s Day. Plan your trip using VTA’s Trip Planner or the Transit app for the most up-to-date routes and schedules.
For more information, please visit the following link
San Francisco City Hall has debuted a brand new holiday installation: City Hall Winter Lights, a free projection mapping show that turns both the Polk Street and Van Ness Avenue sides of the building into a giant animated storybook.
The month-long display runs nightly through December 30, with shows every 30 minutes from 5:30 PM to midnight. Each sequence lasts about ten minutes and features a synchronized musical soundtrack that you can stream directly on your phone.
The projections cover both façades of City Hall, transforming the dome and columns into moving digital scenes. For the best viewing angles, head to Civic Center Plaza between Polk and Larkin, or stand along the Van Ness Avenue side to see the full scale of the animations.
For more information, please visit the following link
Ring in 2026 with San Francisco’s annual fireworks show over the Bay.
The big fireworks show will take place at midnight this year (December 31, 2025) on New Year’s Eve 2025/2026.
Say goodbye to 2025 and ring in the 2026 new year with 200,000 fellow bundled-up San Franciscans for an annual tradition as the city once again hosts a free waterfront midnight fireworks show on New Year’s Eve.
San Francisco New Year’s Eve Fireworks Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | 11:59 pm Embarcadero from Mission to Folsom FREE
Arrive by 11:30 pm and head south of the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero for the best view. Fireworks kick off right at the stroke of midnight.
The info below is from past years, but this is what typically happens on SF’s NYE fireworks. We will update this post as soon as we have the confirmed details.
Best SF Fireworks Viewing Location:
The fireworks typically launch from barges located 1,000 feet out in the bay, just south of the Ferry Building near Pier 14 (Mission Street and The Embarcadero), so the best viewing spots will be south of the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero between Mission and Folsom Street.
Please note that standing in front of the Ferry Building will not be a good place to view the fireworks. It’s way too crowded and your view can be blocked by the Ferry Building.
About the Fireworks Show:
Typically, there’s a 15-minute midnight fireworks show. Each year, they unveil a few new and interesting pyrotechnics.
The fireworks are usually synced to music, played out through speakers that are set up along the promenade stretching from Pier 14 down almost to the Bay Bridge. So, although there’s no radio simulcast and no live entertainment, if you’re close to Pier 14, you should be able to hear the music just fine.
For more information, please visit the following link
The cosmos’ annual gift to sky watchers, the Geminids Meteor shower, which is visible from November 19 to December 24, will peak on December 13-14, 2025. In 2025, the moonlight won’t interfere with the meteor shower viewing.
During peak activity and perfect weather conditions, which are rare, the Geminids produce approximately 100-150 meteors per hour for viewing.
The shower will peak at 2 am Pacific Time on December 14, 2024.
For prime viewing, find an area away from city and streetlights, bundle up for winter weather conditions, bring a blanket or sleeping bag for extra comfort, lie flat on your back with your feet facing south, and look up.
Be sure to give yourself at least an hour of observing time. It takes about 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark. Don’t look at your phone as it will ruin your night vision. Try to find a way to block out the moon from your view for optimal viewing.
For more information, please visit the following links
Let’s Glow SF, the nation’s largest FREE holiday projection arts festival, is making a triumphant return to downtown San Francisco for its fifth and grandest year yet.
This all-ages, family-friendly event runs for 10 nights from December 5-14, 2025. Experience breathtaking animated projections illuminating eight iconic buildings across the city’s core, transforming them into colossal, colorful canvases featuring work by 19 artists from around the globe.
Let’s Glow SF is hosted by The Downtown SF Partnership, the community benefit district that oversees 43 blocks across San Francisco’s Financial District and Jackson Square Historic District and presented by Amazon. This signature event is part of citywide efforts to activate downtown’s public realm and increase programming as a form of placemaking across the city and is partially funded through an economic recovery grant from the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Office of Mayor Daniel Lurie.
San Francisco Botanical Garden will transform into a glowing after-dark wonderland this winter with Lightscape, an immersive holiday light and music trail that has wowed crowds in London, Chicago, Melbourne, and New York.
From November 21, 2025 through January 4, 2026, visitors can wander a one-mile path with more than one million twinkling lights, tunnels of color, lantern trees, glowing sculptures, and water features. The trail is custom-designed for San Francisco and will also feature festive food and drinks, including hot chocolate to enjoy along the walk.
This one-of-a-kind experience highlights the Botanical Garden’s 55-acre winter landscape through a kaleidoscope of color, light, and sound. Visitors can gather with family and friends and take in dazzling displays like the Cathedral of Light, the Singing Tree, and the Meadow of Light.
Lightscape San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park, 1199 9th Ave November 21, 2025 to January 4, 2026, 5:00 to 8:15 pm (timedentry every 15 minutes; closed Nov 24, 25, 27; Dec 1-3, 8-10, 15, 16, 24)
$10 “Museums for All” tickets on select dates: November 21, 23, December 4, 7, 11, 17, 18, and January 4. Admission for up to four people may be redeemed through Museums for All by presenting a valid photo ID and EBT card at entry.
Adult tickets are:
$42 – Peak
$38 – Standard
$32 – Off-Peak
Youth (5-17) tickets are:
$24 – Peak
$22 – Standard
$20 – Off-Peak
For more information, please visit the following link
The 2025 holiday photo season has officially arrived. Visit Ghirardelli Square on this festive Christmas night with your loved ones to capture cherished memories with Santa. From 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. sing along to the annual holiday performance by the SF Boys Chorus. Warm up with a cup of peppermint hot cocoa, from Ghirardelli Chocolate, as you experience the magical lighting of the Square and the iconic Ghirardelli sign.
Stop by Barrio to get a free queso with purchase of entree. Santa’s elf will also be handing out gift cards to Ghirardelli Square restaurants at random – you might be one of the lucky recipients.
For more information, please visit the following link
Kick off the holiday season at the 39th Annual Building Lighting Ceremony and watch as Embarcadero Center illuminates the San Francisco skyline with 17,000 holiday lights!
Get into the holiday spirit at Embarcadero Center’s annual lighting celebration. Shop a festive market filled with local makers, enjoy live music, sip seasonal drinks, play games, and snack on delicious bites.
As the evening wraps up, stick around for the grand finale when 17,000 lights illuminate the Embarcadero Center skyline.
Pro tip: Arrive early. The first 400 guests will receive a complimentary drink token or food voucher courtesy of Bar Car and Off the Grid.
Beauty and Wellness: BAKANA, JumpstartMD, OASIIS, Sephora
Home Goods: Demby, Mawamo Candle Co, Portal Artisanal, Secrets of Cint, Sonia Denise Roberts, Viva Frida
Food and Beverage: A Girl Named Pinky, Boho Petite, Camuchas Kitchen, Cheeky Bits Sweets, Company Confections, Dip N Sip, Embarc Wines, Off the Grid, Rosalind Bakery, Jerry’s Roast Pork
Cards and Stationery: Hairy Ear Prints, Hyegraph Invitations and Calligraphy
Fitness and Services: Fitness SF, Four Dental, The Shoeshine Guild
Other: Plant’d, Utku Kids
For more information, please visit the following link
San Francisco’s downtown is about to get a festive new destination as the city’s beloved food truck collective Off the Grid moves into its first brick-and-mortar space. The 30,000-square-foot former Uniqlo at 111 Powell Street, between Ellis and O’Farrell, which has been vacant for nearly four and a half years, will host Off the Grid’s Holiday Food Market, bringing together food, art, music, and immersive experiences across two levels later this month.
Off the Grid has been organizing food truck meetups across the Bay Area for about 15 years, helping boost the popularity of street food and community gatherings. Founder Matt Cohen said this pop-up gives the team a chance to experiment with experiential art, music, design, and, of course, food in a downtown retail space.
The indoor holiday market is part of San Francisco’s Vacant to Vibrant program, a city initiative that fills long-empty storefronts with small businesses and creative projects. Mayor Daniel Lurie announced five new Vacant to Vibrant pop-ups this week. Other recent openings include Dandelion Chocolate, TIAT (The Intersection of Art and Technology), The Wild Fox café, and clothing retailer Fibers of Being.
For more information, please visit the following link
