Downtown San Francisco's holiday season opens over about three weeks. The Union Square ice rink opened Wednesday. Free crafts on the plaza start today. The two biggest dates this year are both 40th anniversaries, and they fall two days apart, on November 18 and 20. That makes the first half of November the easiest time for skating, plaza visits and hosting guests, before the week before Thanksgiving fills up.
Below is each stage in order, with where it happens and what it costs.
Stage one: the plaza comes back
Union Square Plaza was closed from October 21 through November 3 while the rink was installed, and all regular programming stopped during that time. The free daily amenities came back on November 4 and run 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day:
- Kids Zone with giant foam blocks, toys and children's books
- Recess and Reading Carts with tabletop games, craft supplies and books to borrow
- Big Games including Pop-a-Shot, badminton, ping pong, foosball, cornhole and giant Jenga
Winter Crafts start today, November 5, and run on select Thursdays through Sundays until January 17, 2027. Thursday and Friday sessions run 3 to 6 p.m. and weekend sessions run 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The makers rotate and include Coffee N Cream Press, Rebecca Saylor Studio, SCRAP SF, Maker Studio Kidz, Casey's Craft Club and Spark Studio. Today's project is beaded corn with Coffee N Cream Press and SF Etsy. The full weekly schedule is on the Union Square park programs page.
The rink is on the same plaza. The Union Square Ice Rink is open from November 4, 2026 through Monday, January 18, 2027, daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Each session lasts 60 minutes, and a new one starts every hour and a half. General admission is $22 with skate rental, and children 8 and under pay $17. Lockers cost $5, a skate helper is $6, and gloves and socks are $5 each. On December 31 the rink closes at 9:30 p.m.
Since sessions start on a fixed schedule, plan your arrival around a start time. If you're hosting guests and want the plaza calm and the rink on a normal schedule, book a slot during this first stretch, before the bigger downtown events begin.
A mid-month evening that isn't about the holidays
On Friday, November 13, the free Bhangra & Beats Night Market sets up at Clay and Battery streets from 4 to 9 p.m. San Francisco Travel's November calendar lists it as a regular downtown market, not a holiday event. It's still worth noting here because it's in the Financial District, a few blocks from where the next stage happens five days later.
Two 40th anniversaries, two days apart
Most of November's crowds will arrive in the week of November 16.
Wednesday, November 18. Embarcadero Center holds its Holiday Market and 40th Annual Building Lighting from 4 to 6 p.m. at street level of Three Embarcadero Center. The evening includes holiday shopping and activities, and the buildings are lit at the end. RSVPs go through the Embarcadero Center event page. The event ends at 6 p.m., so the lighting happens just as many downtown offices let out.
Friday, November 20. The SF SPCA Holiday Windows at Macy's Union Square open for their 40th year. Adoptable puppies and kittens will be in the windows from November 20 through December 31, Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. During those hours SF SPCA staff run an adoption information station on Macy's main floor. Macy's is closed on November 26 and December 25.
The window hours are narrower than many people expect. The windows are closed Monday and Tuesday, and on open days they close at 5 p.m. If you're bringing children after school or guests after dinner, plan for a weekend afternoon. The SF SPCA's announcement also lists two ways to take part without going downtown. Holiday Live Cams stream daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at sfspca.org/holiday through December 31. Name Your Price adoptions apply to all animals older than 5 months for the whole holiday period, and the release points to the SF SPCA Adoption Center in the Mission District, where hundreds more animals are waiting.
The SF SPCA's announcement quotes CEO Dr. Jennifer Scarlett on how long the tradition has run:
"The SF SPCA and Macy's Holiday Windows have been bringing joy to San Francisco for nearly four decades, and each year we see the incredible impact of this tradition."
The windows are back at the same store. In November 2025, KRON4 reported that Mayor Daniel Lurie said Macy's Union Square would stay open indefinitely while it works with TMG Partners on plans for the space. SF SPCA confirmed the 2026 windows at that location in September.
The dates still marked TBD
Some of the season's best-known traditions have no 2026 date yet.
The Union Square Tree Lighting Ceremony is listed as "Date TBD" on San Francisco Travel's November events calendar. That calendar describes Macy's Great Tree as decorated with more than 1,500 ornaments. The same calendar lists the Ghirardelli Square Tree Lighting Ceremony as TBD and describes a 50-foot tree with performers, music and children's activities. The "Santa Lights the Square" event still showing on Ghirardelli Square's own events page has last year's date, so don't plan around it for this year.
Winter Walk is in the same position. The Union Square Foundation describes it as a holiday market on Maiden Lane with vendors, wooden chalets and arctic-themed décor, and its Winter Walk page says 2026 dates and times are coming. The Union Square Alliance also counts the Bill Graham Menorah and the Ornament Trail among the square's winter traditions, but hasn't posted 2026 dates for either.
For now, the 2026 calendar has fixed dates for the rink, the plaza programs, the Embarcadero lighting and the SPCA windows. Tree lightings and Winter Walk will be added when their organizers announce them.
The season so far
| Date | What opens | Where | Hours | Cost or note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 4 | Union Square Ice Rink | 333 Post St. | Daily, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. | $22 adults, $17 ages 8 and under, skates included |
| Nov. 4 | Plaza daily amenities | Union Square Plaza | Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Free |
| Nov. 5 | Winter Crafts | Union Square Plaza | Thu–Fri 3 to 6 p.m.; Sat–Sun 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Free |
| Nov. 13 | Bhangra & Beats Night Market | Clay and Battery streets | 4 to 9 p.m. | Free |
| Nov. 18 | Holiday Market and 40th Annual Building Lighting | Three Embarcadero Center | 4 to 6 p.m. | RSVP |
| Nov. 20 | SF SPCA Holiday Windows, 40th year | Macy's Union Square | Wed–Sun, noon to 5 p.m. | Adoption info on Macy's main floor |
Getting downtown without circling Post Street
The Central Subway is the easiest way to reach Union Square. SFMTA's Union Square/Market Street Station is at 200 Geary Street. The T Third stops there, and an underground concourse connects it to Powell Street Station for BART and the other Muni Metro lines. The Powell cable car lines start at Powell and Market, a block and a half from the windows. The Powell/Hyde line runs daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
If you drive, Union Square Garage is directly under the plaza at 333 Post Street and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. SFMTA's posted rates are $6 an hour from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and $5 an hour in the evening. The 12-hour maximum is $40, and special-event rates range from $8 to $58. A daytime skate session plus time to lace up fits in about two hours, or roughly $12 on the posted daytime rate. Rates can change, so check the SFMTA garage page before you go, especially on lighting nights.
Where to eat between stages
Two restaurants that opened in October sit near the two busiest spots this month.
Near Union Square, Bruma opened October 12 at 600 Stockton Street, inside the Ritz-Carlton. Its cocktail menu is built around the city, and the food includes Dungeness crab rolls and a wagyu smash burger, according to Haute Living San Francisco. It's an uphill walk from a rink session to a drink.
Near Embarcadero Center, Shinka opened October 9 on Battery Street with Japanese-French cooking. At opening, Eater SF reported the address as 333 Battery St. and the hours as 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The November 18 lighting is a Wednesday and ends at 6 p.m., so Shinka's weeknight hours start in time for an early dinner afterward. Hours may have changed since opening, so call before you go.
Watching how downtown changes week to week is part of how I keep track of the city's housing markets. If you're thinking about a move this winter, whether across the city or from the Bay Area to the Central Valley, Jose Diaz can walk you through the timing in English or Spanish. Schedule a consultation.
