6 Fun Things To Do This Weekend In The Bay Area: November 25-27

The weekend is here, and Secret San Francisco wants to help you make the most of it! We put out awesome new weekend plans for you each week, so you’ll never find yourself all dressed up with nowhere to go.

1. SF’s famous 22-foot gingerbread house opens Saturday

One of San Francisco’s most celebrated holiday installations is the two-story gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel. The fascinating creation is 22 feet tall, composed of thousands of gingerbread bricks and gallons of royal icing.

The gingerbread house and the rest of the Fairmont lobby’s decor will be revealed at the hotel’s kick-off event on November 26th at 11am. From that point on the house will be on display for the public to enjoy all through the holidays.

2. Grace Cathedral hosts lighting ceremony and wreath-making this weekend

Check out Grace Cathedral’s special events coming up on the calendar, many of which are Christmas-themed. They’re open to everyone, whether or not you’re a frequent church attendee. Here’s what’s happening this weekend:

• Advent wreath making workshop (Nov. 27): A family wreath-making event, materials provided.
• Nob Hill lighting ceremony (Nov. 28): The 50th consecutive tree lighting ceremony will take place at Huntington Park outside of the cathedral. See the outside trees and gardens illuminated with thousands of beautiful lights, while enjoying music from the French American Jazz Quartet and food from local hotels.
• World Tree of Hope Installation (Nov. 26-27), and 17th annual lighting celebration (Dec. 5): Grace Cathedral is home to the largest origami Christmas tree in the world. They partner with Rainbow World Fund to decorate it with over 17,000 handmade origami cranes and stars, each of which is inscribed with wishes and hopes for the future. You can send your wish to be inscribed on a crane for free and added to the tree. They’re accepting volunteers to help trim the tree, and you can see the installation process throughout November. The tree will be lighted on December 6 and stay there until January 7.

3. Holiday lights, Christmas movies, and more kick off at Ghirardelli Square

One of the coziest escapes in the city is Ghirardelli Square, which is a must for shoppers on any day of the year, but turns up the charm during the holidays. Read on for a summary of events and activations happening there through December, from Christmas movie screenings to DIY crafts and live concerts.

Visit the square on Friday, November 25 from 5:30-8:30pm to join Santa as he turns on the official holiday lights.

4. SF’s most festive holiday bar has popped up in Cow Hollow

San Francisco’s beloved Deck the Halls pop-up bar returns to Cow Hollow for its sixth season from November 25-December 25! After a successful run last year serving up flaming Krampus shots in a joyful space aglow with Christmas lights, Deck the Halls is upping the ante with three distinct locations on Union Street.

5. San Jose’s musical drive-through light show is here

Christmas in the Park is back this year! Starting November 25th, San Jose will be decked out in tens of thousands of sparkling lights. Blinky’s Illuminated Holiday is their beloved drive-thru experience starting November 26th, where guests can take a trip through a magical glowing winter wonderland. There will also be a tree lighting and other events at Cesar Chavez Plaza.

6. You can now explore this enchanting illuminated garden in Walnut Creek

The Ruth Bancroft Garden is bringing back its whimsical Garden of D’Lights holiday event starting November 25! Each year, they deck out the plants with multicolored lights, lasers, and more, transforming the already spectacular 3.5 acre space into an otherworldly outdoor adventure. Guests can stroll through the beautiful glowing gardens for 1-1.5 hours to discover countless photo ops and exciting displays.