Embrace the Winter Chill and Check out Lights & Sights!
To make things easier for you, we have put together our top picks of
this year’s holiday lights and sights in the San Francisco Bay Area. Take your pick and make your rounds. Have fun!
Don’t forget to check out our community calendar of events happening around the Bay in the Fall, and you can even add your own public events to the calendar.
Light Up Your Life!
Ruth Bancroft Garden of D’Lights
The Garden of D’Lights at Ruth Bancroft Nursery showcases 3.5 acres of cacti, succulents, and trees under beaming lights sure to make you feel like you’re wandering through wonderland.
DATE | November 25 – January 8
LOCATION | 1552 Bancroft Road, Walnut Creek, CA Map It
OPENING HOURS | Open daily 10 am – 9 pm
ENTRY |
Member: Adult $20 | Child (ages 5 – 17) $12 | Child (ages 0 – 4) FREE
Non-Member: Adult $28 | Child (ages 5 – 17) $16 | Child (ages 0 – 4) FREE
Christmas in the Park, San Jose
Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo de San Antonio, Downtown San Jose, CA
November 24 – January 1 | 12 pm – 10 pm | Free Admission
There is no public parking at the Park
Gilroy Gardens
3050 Hecker Pass Hwy, Gilroy, CA
November 24 – December 31
Visit their website for detailed schedules and ticketing info.
California’s Great America
4911 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara
November 24 – December 31
Check their website for details schedules and ticketing info.
Fantasy of Lights Vasona Park
333 Blossom Hill Rd, Los Gatos
December 5 – December 30 (closed December 25) | 6 pm – 10 pm | Tickets required
Enjoy a magical evening in the warmth of your vehicle as you drive through 1.5 miles of large animated displays while listening to holiday music on your car radio. See the sights and sounds of an erupting volcano in the dangerously fun Dinosaur Den, cheer on Santa shooting hoops, wave at a pen of playful penguins, watch blazing pirate cannons, and sail through tunnels of moving lights. Over 50 themed displays and a 90-foot twinkling tree will have you oohing and aahing throughout your adventure.
Enchant
1123 Coleman Ave – San Jose, CA
PayPal Park | November 24 – December 31, 2023 | $27 (Adult) and $22 (Junior)
Enchant is an immersive experience weaving magic into every corner, perfect for joyful seasonal celebrations. Adventure through Santa’s Magic Timepiece, a captivating, larger-than-life light maze that is the cornerstone of the Enchant experience.
Neighborhood lights
1900 Eucalyptus Ave, San Carlos
Lights start the first weekend of December and until December 26
Willow Glen Holiday Lights
Glen Brook, Ave San Jose
Tunnels of Joy Brentwood
La Costa Drive, Brentwood
Christmas season starting on December 1st
Neighborhood with a beautiful light display and light tunnels
Christmas Tree Lane, Alameda
3200 block of Thompson Ave between High and Fernside
December (start date TBD) | 5:30 pm to 10 pm
Neighborhood with beautiful light displays
Holiday Parade of Lights & Tree Lighting
Broadway Plaza Walnut Creek
NOVEMBER 30, 2023 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM | BROADWAY PLAZA STREET
The “Parade of Lights” is the highlight of Broadway Plaza’s holiday season kick-off and includes music, refreshments, and a special Tree Lighting Ceremony initiated by Santa Claus himself!
Crippsmasplace.org Fremont
The 70+ homes of Crippsmas Place are on Cripps Place, Asquith Place, Nicolet Court, Wellington Place, and the stretch of Nicolet Avenue between Gibraltar Drive and Perkins Street in Fremont
Donations appreciated | Facemasks requested
December 9 – December 31 | 6 pm – 10 pm
There will be candy canes handed out from 6-10 pm starting December 9 through December 27.
Massaro Family Lights
625 Robinson Way, Benicia
Oakland Zoo Glowfari
9777 Golf Links Rd, Oakland, CA
December 26-31 (Sold Out), 2023 | January 1-7, 10-14, 17-21, 24-28, 2024
All Ages | 5 pm – 9 pm | Free Parking
Adults $26 | Children (2-14)/Seniors (65-75) $22 |
Members 10% discount | Under 2 and over 76: Free
Neighborhood Lights
Ascot Drive – Woodland Drive, San Ramon, CA
Beautiful display of lights
Neighborhood Lights
Candy Cane Lane – Arlene Drive, Vacaville, CA
Beautiful display of lights
Winterfest Sausalito
Sausalito Waterfront – Gabrielson Park
December 14, 2024 | 6 -7:15 pm
5:00 pm Reserved Seating Opens
6:00 pm Lighted-Boat Parade begins
7:15 pm Fireworks
Lighted Boat Parade and Fireworks
Cornerstone Sonoma
23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma
– | LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE & SNOWMEN
Parking is limited to Cornerstone Sonoma. Please do not park on Arnold Drive. A ticket does not guarantee parking.
Winter Lights
Santa Rosa Courthouse Square
November 24 – December 31, 2023
Skating on the Square, the annual tree lighting celebration, live performances, and holiday shopping and dining.
Entwined
Peacock Meadow 240 John F. Kennedy Drive, San Francisco, CA
December 7, 2023 – April 28, 2024
Entwined’s forest of illuminated color has lit up Peacock Meadow in Golden Gate Park every winter since 2020, immersing park visitors in a realm of art, technology, and nature. In 2023, the installation is returning as Entwined: Elder Mother, a new iteration of the art installation that features a monumental shade-bearing tree that moves in the wind.
Celebrate the holidays with an array of festive experiences. Winter Wonderland presented by Fanatics is designed for guests of all ages to enjoy the ultimate holiday season, inclusive of live entertainment, multicultural experiences, photo opportunities, whimsical attractions, seasonal treats, and more!
DATE | Check website for event schedule
LOCATION | 1725 3rd St, San Francisco, CA Map It
ENTRY | Free
Let’s Glow SF
525 Market Street, San Francisco
Dec 1 – First Night 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Dec 2-10, 2023 from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM
he FREE outdoor holiday event used high-tech Panasonic projectors and lasers to project large-scale art concepts across the facade of five iconic SF buildings from 5-10 PM nightly, including the Ferry Building for the first time. The Salesforce Tower showcased Let’s Glow SF artwork on the LED panel atop the building, visible throughout the Bay Area.
Castro Street House
68 Castro Street, Castro San Francisco, CA
Decorated house, known for its amazing display!
Neighborhood Lights
752 Valota Rd, Redwood City, CA & Nearby
Beautiful display of lights
Where’s your favorite spot to pick your Christmas trees? Post your photos with #SFBayAreaMoms for a chance to be featured on social media!
