One of San Francisco’s most beloved holiday events is Golden Gate Park’s Annual Holiday Tree Lighting, from 4-8 pm on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. This exciting afternoon is the ultimate kick-off for December and the holiday season, as Golden Gate Park will be decked out with endless festive activities. The massive tree will be officially illuminated at 6 pm during the festivities.
The annual lighting of Uncle John’s Tree will take place at McLaren Lodge on Stanyan Street. Guests can see the 100-foot-tall Monterey Cypress tree aglow with over 800 bulbs, a tradition that dates back to 1929. McLaren Lodge was built in 1896, sitting at the edge of Golden Gate Park. Today, the lodge serves as the headquarters for SF Recreation and Parks.
Families can enjoy kids’ activities, carnival games, live music, food trucks, and performances. JFK Drive will feature family-friendly carnival rides. All activities are free and there will be plenty of food and drink for sale from local food trucks.
In addition to the new light displays and carnival games, guests can enjoy arts and crafts, cookie decorating, letters to Santa, and the SF Library Book Mobile on JFK. The park will also host an accessible archery range west of McLaren Lodge and a hockey shoot-out and climbing wall on JFK.
The event is one of many tree lightings happening in the Bay Area, including the Civic Center Tree lighting on December 4. You can check out the full list of Bay Area tree lightings here if you want to start the holiday season.
The event is expected to bring a decent amount of foot traffic, and SF Recreation and Parks has a detailed accessibility guide regarding the event on their website. Accommodations include ASL interpreters and frontline wristbands for children with disabilities.
By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn