As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the residents of San Francisco. Your passionate support for our public spaces—from voting for park improvements to serving as dedicated stewards—is the foundation of everything we do. Thank you for making our city's parks and recreation system one of the most celebrated in the nation.

The dedication of the Rec and Park staff ensures that this support is met with action. Every day, our team works to provide you with clean, well-maintained parks that serve as vital sanctuaries for exercise and connection, alongside creative, relevant recreation programming that enriches lives across our neighborhoods. This culture of service, defined by our responsiveness and commitment to results, is our pledge to you.

I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday filled with peace and warmth. As this marks my last Thanksgiving message as General Manager, I close by offering a final, enduring reminder: Get out and play! It has been an honor to serve you and this city.

- General Manager Phil Ginsburg, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

Lightscape, an otherworldly after-dark experience, debuted this past weekend at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. This installation highlights the beauty of plants and nature through color, light, art and music. The enchanting illuminated light trail spans 1 mile and features show-stopping displays from international artists plus water features and dazzling sculptures that come alive at night with color, imagination and sound. The installation is at the garden through January 4, 2026. For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below. 

(Photo Credit: Drew Alitzer Photography)

Jump into the holiday season with the 96th annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Golden Gate Park on Thursday, December 4 from 4 to 8 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment, archery, hockey shootout, carnival rides, cookie decorating, food for sale, and the ceremonial lighting of Uncle John's tree—the historic 100-foot tall Monterey cypress outside of McLaren Lodge (501 Stanyan Street).

For accommodations, email rpdaccess@sfgov.org or call (415) 831-6841 with at least 72 hours notice to help ensure availability. 

Interested in supporting this San Francisco tradition? Volunteer for an afternoon shift from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. or evening shift from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to help bring holiday cheer to Golden Gate Park! For more information, click the link below.

See additional holiday events in our parks below: 

The children’s play area at West Sunset Playground will begin a resurfacing project that will remove and replace the existing safety surfaces, as well as some play equipment. The project will begin on Monday, December 1 and is anticipated to be completed in March, 2026. Nearby playgrounds include South Sunset (40th Avenue and Vicente Street), McCoppin Square (1321 Taraval Street), and Sunset Recreation Center (2201 Lawton Street).

As we move towards December, a number of parks will begin their annual winter closures:

These closures will help the turf at these parks to rest and recover ahead of spring 2026. Stay tuned for updates and additions to this list.

Sava Pool will be closing for a project that will replaster the pool and repair the facility’s west wall on Tuesday, December 2. We anticipate completing this project in early spring of 2026.  Alternative pools for use during this closure include Rossi (600 Arguello Boulevard) and Garfield (1271 Treat Street).

Note that Mission Pool has closed for the winter season, while Rossi Pool is currently closed for its annual maintenance. Learn more about our pools, including upcoming annual maintenance closures, at the link below.

Calling all Crystal connoisseurs! The San Francisco Crystal Fair is coming to the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, November 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, November 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event features wholesale and retail crystals and minerals, collector specimens, jewelry, candles and more! For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below.

The National AIDS Memorial Grove (Nancy Pelosi and Bowling Green drives) in Golden Gate Park will host its World AIDS Day National Observance on Monday, December 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The annual gathering honors those lost to HIV/AIDS, uplifts stories of leadership and activism, and strengthens efforts to educate younger generations while working toward a future free of stigma, discrimination and fear. For more information and to RSVP, click the link below.

Head to Huntington Park (California and Taylor streets) for its annual Holiday Lighting celebration on Monday, December 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Nob Hill Association, this festive event features holiday music, family-friendly activities, enchanting light displays, and complimentary treats and warm beverages. For more information, click the link below. 

A special thanks to the Nob Hill Association and Nob Hill Foundation for not only hosting this event, but for supporting a number of recent improvements to the park including the painting of park features, repairs to the children's play areas and more! 

San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza (335 McAllister Street) transforms into a holiday destination with the annual Tree Lighting celebration on Wednesday, December 3 from 4 to 7 p.m.  It will feature live entertainment, as well as a toy giveaway for children, holiday crafts in the Makers Village, and a children’s book giveaway. Expect “snow” flurries, holiday beverages and bites for purchase—including Off the Grid’s Melina’s Kitchen—and a special visit from Santa. For more information, click the link below.

Rec and Park's annual Girls Play Sports Hoop Summit brought buckets to Hamilton Recreation Center earlier this month. Nearly 60 girls attended this day of skill-building and inspiration.

Participants rotated through drills led by experienced coaches and volunteers from the Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory girls’ basketball team. Special guests Sol Castro and Olivia Williams from the University of San Francisco's women’s basketball team spoke about setting goals, working hard, and staying committed to their dreams.

The day wrapped up with scrimmages and certificates for each participant, capping off a successful and empowering event for young girls in basketball. Thank you to the volunteers, coaches and guest speakers that make this annual event possible. Learn more about our girls sports offerings at the link below. 

Lottery registration for Camp Mather's 102nd season is currently open and will run through Friday, January 2, 2026. Family Camp will run in weeklong sessions from May 31 through August 15, with Inclusion Week from June 21 to 27.

To register for the lottery, you will need a Rec and Park account. If you don’t have an account, you can create one at sfrecpark.org/register or call us at (628) 652-2900 for assistance. San Francisco residents will need to upload a verification of residency after lottery registration has been submitted, with the deadline for this on January 2, 2026.

For more information, including rules and regulations, as well as fees, click the link below.

Rec and Park's winter class registration begins on Saturday, December 13 at 10 a.m. Classes range from Shred and Butter adult skateboarding lessons, petite bakers for tots, woodworking for tweens, art expression for seniors and more! To view the class catalog and to register on December 13, click the link below. 

Our Video of the Week comes from Broke Ass Stuart and highlights the opening weekend of Lightscape at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. This otherworldly after-dark experience highlights the beauty of plants and nature through color, light, art, and music through January 4, 2026. For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below.

(Photo Credit: Drew Alitzer Photography)

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