Golden Gate Park’s public handball courts came alive this past Saturday for “Echoes of the Alley—Golden Gate Handball,” a special exhibition hosted by the Consulate General of Ireland, San Francisco.

The event, supported by the Consulate General of Mexico, the Gaelic Athletics Association, the United States Handball Association, Rec and Park, and local clubs including the South End Rowing Club, Dolphin Club, United Irish Cultural Center, Olympic Club and Golden Gate Handball Club, celebrated the rich cultural and sporting traditions that have made San Francisco a hub for handball for over a century.

Spectators enjoyed matches featuring juniors, novices, and top-level players, while youth new to the sport participated in clinics and developmental matches. Thank you to everyone who braved the rain and we look forward to continuing this new tradition!

Congratulations to the Bayview United girls soccer team, which captured the San Francisco Youth Soccer 6th Grade Premier Division championship with a 4–2 victory last weekend. The team, made up of primarily fourth graders, along with a handful of fifth graders and one third grader, made it to the championship game after a tense shootout in the semifinals. This title makes it back-to-back for this squad.

Bayview United is a free youth soccer program for boys and girls that expands access to the world’s game in the Bayview-Hunters Point community. The program began in 2019 with a single team whose players were new to the sport. It has since grown to include two boys teams, a coed team, and this girls team, with nearly 50 players in total.

We look forward to this program's continued growth and success! If interested, contact Fulton Mitchell at (415) 361-2872.

(Photo Credit: Brandon Irvin/SF Youth Soccer)

Last week, we celebrated the 16th Annual Apprentice Luncheon at the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, honoring 11 new gardener apprentices and one laborer apprentice for completing their training.

The event highlighted the partnership between Rec and Park, San Francisco Public Works, the Department of Human Resources, LiUNA Local 261, City College of San Francisco, and the Northern California District Council of Laborers, along with other regional, state, and City partners that create pathways to public service careers.

These apprentices have contributed thousands of hours to caring for San Francisco’s parks and public spaces, helping our city continue to grow and thrive. Congratulations to all the graduates and we look forward to their continued service to San Francisco!

Opening this Friday, Lightscape will bring an otherworldly after-dark experience to the San Francisco Botanical Garden, highlighting the beauty of plants and nature through color, light, art, and music. The 55-acre garden will be transformed from November 21, 2025, through January 4, 2026.

The enchanting illuminated light trail will span 1 mile and feature show-stopping displays from international artists plus water features and dazzling sculptures that come alive at night with color, imagination and sound. 

Since 2012, Lightscape has partnered with some of the world’s leading botanical gardens in the U.K., Europe, U.S., and Australia as well as UNESCO World Heritage Sites to deliver large-scale, high-quality events to more than 12 million people. For more information, click the link below.

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: 

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). Learn more about our pools at the link below.

Close out the 2025 season of free concerts with Illuminate Live in Golden Gate Park:

Golden Gate Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive)

For more information, click the link below.

Join Ikebana International's San Francisco Bay Area Chapter for its celebration of autumn’s gifts, with demonstrations by Leona Fung of the Wafu School and Rayko Kurosaki of the Enshu School, as well as exhibitions from members. It'll take place on Friday, November 21 beginning at noon in the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park.

Ikebana, or Japanese flower arrangement, is an ancient Asian art vibrantly practiced in contemporary interpretations by this organization's members. For more information, 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! 

Join Rec and Park and Surfrider Foundation San Francisco to help revegetate the dunes at Ocean Beach. Healthy dunes protect communities from flooding, stabilize sand, and provide habitat for coastal wildlife. Thank you to the volunteers who participated in planting native beach wildrye with partners from Reimagining SF, the California Academy of Sciences, and the Friends of Sunset Dunes the last two weeks. The final round of revegetation in 2025 takes place on Wednesday, December 3 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Judah and Ocean Beach. For more information and to register, click the link below. 

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.

Mobile Rec is at Joe DiMaggio Playground (651 Lombard Street) on Saturday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy free BMX biking, skateboarding and more. Equipment will be provided. For more information, click the link below.

Looking for a fun way to get moving? Shred N’ Butter now offers a beginner skateboarding class that teaches balance, coordination, and essential skate skills in a supportive environment. After a successful fall session, the class will be offered again for adults looking to shred this winter. Enrollment for this, as well as all winter classes, opens on Saturday, December 13 at 10 a.m. For more information, click the link below. 

Head to the Holiday Chocolate Salon at the County Fair Building (1199 9th Avenue) in Golden Gate Park on Sunday, November 23 from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sample artisan and gourmet chocolates, hear talks from expert chocolatiers and authors, and find holiday gifts from more than 25 exhibitors. Our Video of the Week highlights last year's event and all the tasty treats in this land of chocolate! For more information and to purchase tickets, click the link below. 

Job Openings

Rec and Park Gear

Volunteer with Us!

San Francisco Recreation and Parks | sfrecpark.org