Best SF Bay Area
Events, Weekends & Festivals 2019

We limit our picks to ONLY the best events in the SF Bay area in 2019, personally handpicked for local insiders to enjoy. Many are unique world-class affairs. A few are just a lot of fun. The events below are organized by month & regularly updated including local Pacific Coast time. Also see regular weekly events at the end of each month below and recently past events.

NOVEMBER 2019 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

This month has the fewest tourists and the weather is often surprisingly good … so November is a quiet month for locals to enjoy the many year-round activities and attractions San Francisco offers. For example, weekends on Ocean Beach can be outstanding this time of year.

Fall along the Half Moon Bay Coast
Fall is the best time of year to visit the coast.  See things to see (see map) and trails & beaches (see map) along the Half Moon Bay Coastline. We also recommend visiting Pescadero, our favorite small town between San Francisco & Santa Cruz.

As a final tip, we have noticed that new events are often more unique and pleasant before most of the “world” learns about them. Then they sometimes become more crowded, commercial, and less free wheeling. Also, go early in the day. So don’t wait if you see something you may like. If you have never lived in San Francisco you may not realize that it is definitely a public party town without peer! The inhabitants really do spend a lot of effort throwing outstanding, unique, and fun events. Enjoy these special things to do … only in San Francisco!

Stanford Football Big Game
vs California, Saturday, 11/23/19, at Stanford.  See schedule.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City
Five Weekends, Saturdays & Sundays, 11/23/19 – 12/22/19, 10 am-7 pm
Admission $32/adult, Parking $12/car, Twilight tickets after 3 pm are $20 at the box office.  We like those!
Join the largest cast (over 700 local hobbyists) of costumed Dickensian characters in the world who do an excellent job recreating Charles Dickens’ Victorian London Town. The show fills more than 3 acres and feels even bigger. There is a wide variety of things to do (food, shows, shops, caroling, street performers, wandering the town, etc.) that will get you in the mood for Christmas. See details.

Thanksgiving Day
Thursday, 11/28/19

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Week
Friday, 11/29/19, and Monday, 12/2/19
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year (it’s when retail stores profits often go “in the black”). Here are the best shopping centers in the Bay area.  Cyber Monday, 11/25/18, when shoppers are still looking for bargains on-line from their work computers, has now also become a part of this big weekend.

On-line discounts are never better than these two days. Personally, I make my clothing shopping list for the entire year and buy it all on Black Friday.  Brand items which are almost never on sale can be discounted 30% or more.

Holiday Ice Skating Rinks in San Francisco,
Union Square & Embarcadero Center
Rent some skates or just enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Both are surrounded by festive stores and decorations. See details below.
Embarcadero Center Ice Rink – The “largest outdoor rink in San Francisco” 11/6/19-1/20
Union Square Ice Rink – A holiday tradition for seven years. Open 11/6/19-1/20/20

Here’s a list of ice rinks between San Mateo and Palo Alto.

Fun & Free WEEKLY Events & Activities
Here are some good things to do that happen regularly every week in November.

• Swing Dancing in the Park – Sundays, 11 am-2 pm, year round.  Free dancing & beginners lesson in Golden Gate Park.
• Bicycle Sundays – Open Sundays round subject to weather.  Main roads are closed to cars on Sundays at both Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.

Month of November – Other

• Pro Sports:  See the SF 49ers Schedule and the Golden State Warriors Schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).
• College Sports:  In the Bay Area you can see a variety of interesting collegiate sports up close and at low cost. E.g.,  Check Stanford’s schedules for  all sports.  Also see the Cal Berkeley, San Jose State and San Mateo Jr. College event schedules.
• FREE Monthly Museum Days:
  Typically the first Tue/Wed/Thu, every month at many Bay Area locations
  Many San Francisco Bay Area museums have free admission days once a month. See dates & links. Often these events are quite crowded but if you arrive early enough this is a way to see the best museums for free.

DECEMBER 2019 — SF Bay Area Events & Weekends

Night of Lights Between Main Street & Kelly, in nearby Half Moon Bay
Friday, 12/13/19, 6-9 pm, Free
This local home-made event is a big favorite of Half Moon Bay residents and their children. There are tree lighting festivities, a parade, caroling, roasted chestnuts, booths by local clubs, open retail stores and more.  Mainly locals attend. See details.

Lighted Boat Parade, Fisherman’s Wharf
Friday evening, 12/13/19, 6-8 pm, Free
More than 60 decorated boats will parade along the waterfront (from  Pier 39 to the St Francis Yacht Club and back) in this annual parade.  The Fisherman’s Wharf Fishing Fleet will remain lit at night during the holiday season; best viewing of the fleet is from Jefferson Street between Jones & Taylor.  See details.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair, Cow Palace, Daly City
6 Weekends, Saturdays & Sundays, 11/23/19 – 12/22/19, 10 am-7 pm
Admission $32/adult, Parking $12/car (or free on the street where we usually park, at least during daylight). Twilight tickets after 3 pm are $18 at the box office; we like those.
A big event on three acres transformed into a  facsimile of Victorian London circa 1865.  You can walk around amidst hundreds of amateur “actors” playing different roles. Enjoy “authentic” food, music, shops and a wide variety of free shows inside.  It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.  See details about the fair including any on-line price deals.

Gray Whale Migration Season, Numerous locations along the Pacific coast
12/14/19 – 5/31/20, Paid boat tours or Free from shore
Watch some 20,000 gray whales migrating from the Arctic to Baja, Mexico. Tour boats leave San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Moss Landing and Monterey during this season. Or, watch them from on shore. See more details.

Breeding Sea Lions Tour, Ano Nuevo State Park, 27 miles south of Half Moon Bay
12/15/19 – 3/31/20 (every day except Christmas and last weekend in January).  Admission $7 + $3.99 reservation fee
See 2.5 ton, 16 foot long elephant seal bulls skirmish for dominance during breeding season. Thousands of seals and sea lions gather for a 3-month orgy of fighting, mating, and birthing. This naturalist-led tour of the world’s largest mainland breeding colony for the northern elephant seal is about 2.5 hours and 3 miles long. Advance reservations are recommended since available slots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. See more details.

 

College Football Bowl Games
Saturday 12/20/19 – Monday 1/6/20.  See complete schedule.  
The college football bowls start December 12/20/19 and end on Saturday 1/6/20.  The national championship on Monday, 1/13/20.  
The Fiesta Bowl & Peach Bowl semi-final winners (both semi-finals are played Sat 12/28/19) will play in the College National Championship at 8 pm, Monday 1/13/20. See more information.

Christmas Day, Wednesday 12/25/19
The beautiful 55-acre San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park is free to non-residents (as well as to residents as usual) all day Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.  By the way, the nearby California Academy of the Sciences is open every day of the year including Christmas and New Years Day … see details.

Holiday Ice Skating Rinks in San Francisco,
Union Square & Embarcadero Center
Rent some skates or just enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Both are surrounded by festive stores and decorations. See details below.
Embarcadero Center Ice Rink – The “largest outdoor rink in San Francisco” 11/6/19-1/20
Union Square Ice Rink – A holiday tradition for seven years. Open 11/6/19-1/20/20

Here’s a list of ice rinks between San Mateo and Palo Alto.

New Years Day, Wednesday 1/1/20

Fun & Free WEEKLY Events & Activities
Here are some good things to do that happen regularly every week in November.

• Swing Dancing in the Park – Sundays, 11 am-2 pm, year round.  Free dancing & beginners lesson in Golden Gate Park.
• Bicycle Sundays – Open Sundays round subject to weather.  Main roads are closed to cars on Sundays at both Golden Gate Park and Canada Road (off Hwys 280 & 92, Belmont) for bicyclists & skaters of all levels to enjoy.

Month of December – Other

• Pro Sports:
• Golden State Warriors:  See schedule (or national TV NBA schedule).
• College Football Bowl Games:  See schedule for the bowl games each weekend.
• Pro Football:  Oakland  Raiders:  See schedule.   SF 49ers:  See schedule.
• Hockey:  San Jose Sharks:  See schedule.
• College Sports of all types, including football, are in full swing.  See Stanford, Cal Berkeley, San Jose State and San Mateo Jr. College event schedules.
• FREE Monthly Museum Days:
  Typically the first Tue/Wed/Thu, every month at many Bay Area locations
  Many San Francisco Bay Area museums have free admission days once a month. See dates & links. Often these events are quite crowded but if you arrive early enough this is a way to see the best museums for free.

 

Related Pages:

• PAST SF Bay Area Events.  See events which have already passed.
• Top of page and Home page