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Traditional or Non-Traditional?
10-23-2007
Hard to believe that San Francisco’s Dance-Along-Nutcracker has more than 20 years under its tutu. Even the not-so-traditional holiday celebrations, eventually become classics of a sort in San Francisco.
Track all the holiday events, non-traditional and traditional, on the Web site of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com and start planning a long weekend in the city for holiday shopping and festivities. Beginning Oct. 15 it is the must read resource for special events, holiday hotel packages and, for one lucky winner, the opportunity to win a $1,000 Visa gift card, sponsored exclusively by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Here’s a sampling of some old favorites and new additions to the holiday calendar this November and December. Be sure and confirm dates and times of performances before making plans. Public transportation is always recommended; for transit tips visit www.511.org.
The Dance-Along Nutcracker, Dec. 8-9, was first performed by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band in 1985 and 23 years later it endures as one of the City’s most celebrated, offbeat holiday events. Of equal weight in the mirth and merriment category is Kung Pao Kosher Comedy, Dec. 22-25. Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese restaurant, this hilarious (and delicious) alternative to “jingle bells” is now in its 15th year.
Even beloved classics such as The Nutcracker, Dec. 13-30, have a unique San Francisco twist. The San Francisco Ballet was the first company in America to perform the holiday classic in 1944; however for the 50th anniversary in 2004, the setting for a spectacular new production moved to San Francisco circa early 1900s.
No winter holiday is complete with out a frosting of snow and ice. San Francisco has a bit of both, albeit manmade. More than 200 tons of snow will be dumped in AT&T Park for the return of Esurance ICER AIR, Nov. 2-3. A newly designed ski and snowboard jump will rise 10 stories in the middle of the ballpark. From Nov. 7 through Jan. 15 the Holiday Ice Rink at Embarcadero Center will be open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. The first ice show ever presented at AT&T Park is scheduled for Dec. 5. The Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular will take place on a 60- by 120-foot ice rink and also feature musical guest Barry Manilow along with Olympic Gold Medalists Dorothy Hamill, David Pelletier and Victor Petrenko. The San Francisco Zoo will also have an ice rink from Nov. 18-Dec. 31 and real, live reindeer Holly, Velvet, Peppermint and Belle make their annual visit to the zoo for Reindeer Romp.
Cirque du Soleil will be unveiling a new production under the Grand Chapiteau at AT&T Park beginning Nov. 16; tickets are currently on sale through Dec. 30. A combination of two circus traditions, acrobatic performance and the art of clowning, KOOZA is Cirque du Soleil’s 20th production.
Lighted trees will also adorn PIER 39 (Nov. 18), Union Square (Nov. 23), Ghirardelli Square (Nov. 23), and the plaza facing the Ferry Building (Nov. 24). The historic Victorians on Union Street will be covered by millions of tiny white lights for the annual Fantasy of Lights during the month of December. Union Square is the setting for the lighting of a menorah, Dec. 4-12, in celebration of Chanukah.
Along the Embarcadero, not only will the buildings of the Embarcadero Center be outlined with more than 17,000 lights beginning Nov. 16 but also the interior of the Hyatt Regency San Francisco will feature a cascade of 300,000 lights and a 45-foot tree. Stroll along the waterfront to enjoy decorated piers and boats illuminated from stem to stern.
A San Francisco tradition as cherished as the window displays around Union Square, A Christmas Carol returns to the Geary Theatre Dec. 5-23. Individuals with a Dickensian proclivity will also enjoy the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, Nov. 23-Dec. 23, at the Cow Palace.
The Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, the oldest existing conservatory in North America, will be drenched in colorful flowers from Nov. 20 through March 3 for Color: A Winter Carnivale.
Musical performances run the gamut from the San Francisco Symphony to Home for the Holidays with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. A Chanticleer Christmas will unfold in Bay Area venues from Dec. 10-22, and Yerba Buena Gardens and its Center for the Arts will be the setting for a number of special events and performances including the Fifth Annual Parol Lantern Festival on Dec. 8; The Velveteen Rabbit from Nov. 23-Dec. 9, and Smuin Ballet’s annual holiday show featuring four new original works is Dec. 13-23. On Dec. 12 at Davies Symphony Hall the San Francisco Sinfonietta reprises the Sing-It-Yourself Messiah for the 29th time.
Kick-off time is 5:30 pm Dec. 28 for the sixth annual Emerald Bowl, a match between the top teams from the ACC and PAC-10. The Japanese New Year Bell Ringing Ceremony at the Asian Art Museum is a family favorite on New Year’s Eve and fireworks over the bay that evening send off the old year with a bang.
It’s all part of the Holidays … Only in San Francisco.