Everyone knows that the Union Square Ice Rink is the place to be during the holidays in San Francisco. Luckily for us, the massively popular ice rink is open from November 5th, 2025 through January 19th 2026, meaning that there is plenty of time to hit the ice this winter.
Special guests will inaugurate the ice rink at an Opening Celebration on November 5th. Through the rest of the season, guests can once again enjoy popular events like Drag On Ice, the Silent Skate Party, and Polar Bear Skate.
It’s time to layer up with your favorite wintery garb and take a spin in Union Square! Keep reading for all the details.
2025-2026 events at Union Square Ice Rink
As always, the Union Square Ice Rink hosts a fantastic collection of special events. Here’s how to take your skating experience up a notch…
- Opening Celebration (Nov. 5, 5-7pm) – Attend a festive opening ceremony with performances on the ice, plus local celebrity appearances. The first 100 skates are free for the event.
- Drag on Ice (Dec. 4, 6:30-8pm) – Watch a dazzling drag show right on the rink in a festive holiday performance. You can watch for free on the sidelines or grab a ticket to skate your heart out with the queens and kings.
- Silent Skate (Dec. 12, 7pm and 8:30pm sessions) – You’ve heard of silent disco, but this time it’s on the ice.
- Polar Bear Skate (Jan. 1, 2:30-3:30pm) – Forget the polar plunge and start 2025 with a day on the ice in your swimsuit.
- Flashback Fridays (Nov. 21, Dec. 26 & Jan. 16) – Listen to your favorite ’80s throwbacks while skating.
- Learn to Skate (Saturdays and Sundays, 8-9am) – 50 people each Saturday and Sunday will be selected by lottery to receive FREE skate lessons.
- Classical Sundays (Sundays, 10am and 11:30am sessions) – Hit the ice while your favorite classical music plays on Sunday mornings.
Visiting Union Square Ice Rink
Tickets are $22 for general admission and $17 for children 8 and under, including skate rental. 60-minute sessions begin every 90 minutes from 10am until 11:00pm daily, except for December 31st when the rink closes early at 9:30pm.
You can also rent skate helpers and lockers, and there are options for private parties to rent the rink on select days.
📍 Location: Union Square – 333 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
🗓️ Dates: Nov. 5, 2025 – Jan. 19, 2026
🕜 Hours: 10am – 11pm daily
🌐 Learn more: Union Square Ice Rink
More things to do in Union Square during the holidays
While the Union Square Ice Rink is one of SF’s most popular holiday attractions, this part of Downtown SF is packed with additional activities and events to round out your day. We put together a guide to the holidays in Union Square to help you pick your battles — read the full article here or check out a few standouts below.
- Winter Walk (Dec. 13-24, 2025) – SF closes several streets next to Union Square for this seasonal festival with food trucks, beer gardens, and photo ops.
- SantaCon (Dec. 13, 2025) – Thousands of merrymakers don their best Santa costumes for a huge bar crawl starting from Union Square.
- Bill Graham Menorah (Dec. 25-Jan. 2, 2025) – See this 25-foot menorah lighted every night of Hanukkah, accompanied by live musical performances.