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SantaCon SF: Details for the 2025 Event in San Francisco
By: Jill Loeffler • Updated: February 5, 2025 • Published: December 12, 2013
This year's SantaCon SF is on Saturday, December 13, 2025. You will find this annual event in almost every large city in the US and around the world.
What is SantaCon? It's when thousands of people dressed in Santa costumes walk through the streets spreading good cheer.
It's a non-political, non-violent, non-controversial day fueled by fun-loving people, revised Christmas carols and, of course, a few holiday drinks.
I've attended several years in San Francisco and even in a few other countries. Over the years, I've met new people and have created lifelong friendships during this event.
Jill's Five Things to Know About SantaCon
- It's a free 21+ annual event that starts in Union Square at 11:30 am.
- Includes a toy drive, so please bring along an unwrapped toy to donate.
- You don't need to pay to participate. Even though the event is free, there are paid events the same day. Some of these are sanctioned by the SantaCon organizers, but many are not.
- You can dress as a Santa or in any other holiday costume.
- Many bars around town offer drink specials to those in costume.
It's free to participate--just put on your Santa costume (or any costume that shows your holiday spirit), follow the walking routes and sing along for fun.
You must be 21+ to participate.
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SantaCon Event Details
The Santas behind SantaCon like to keep the details under lock and key until the last minute. They plan to follow a similar schedule as they have in past years.
The event will once again start in Union Square at 11:30 am.
They will also have a toy drive again this year.
- 11:30 am: Drop off your toy for this year's toy drive. Open until 1:30 pm.
- 12 pm: Everyone meets at Union Square at noon on Saturday. Mingle with other Santas and then head out on one of the routes.
Toy Drive
This year, they are also asking that you bring along a new (not used, please) toy for the SFFD toy drive. Please make sure it's unwrapped, so they can see the toy and provide it to the right child.
A truck is set up to gather the donations. The location of this truck is at Union Square.
Please drop your toy off here before heading to Union Square. The fire truck will collect toys from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.
Here are a few tips for picking up a toy for the drive:
- Toys for kids 12 years and younger
- Most requested items for girls are dolls and arts & crafts kits
- Most requested items for boys are sports equipment
More Tips to Enjoy SantaCon SF
This event gets a little crazy and I request that you please, please, please be kind and respectful to those around you. This is meant to be a fun way to meet new people and spread some holiday cheer.
Also be aware that not all bars welcome Santas, so look out for any "No Santas" signs before you enter. It's important to follow this rule, so that this event is allowed to come back next year.
This Year's Participating Bars
You will find dozens of bars with drink specials all day long. You can visit their Facebook page for a list of who is all participating. They will continue to update their list as the date draws near.
You will find a large concentration in Union Square, Nob Hill, and North Beach. There are also quite a few participating in the Castro and the Marina. Most bars are open all day long so you will have plenty of time to hang out and/or catch up with your friends if you want to join in on the fun later.
Additional Things to Note About SantaCon
The Lombard stroll is one of the official events organized by SantaCon. They usually meet mid to late afternoon at the top and then all walk down together.SantaCon is a free event, but every year opportunists create paid entertainment to try to make money from the crowd. Very few of these are sanctioned by the official SantaCon organizers, so be careful.
In previous years, I've seen people create bar crawls that you have to pay for. This is not necessary as there are many bars with special drinks and prices for all santas.
You will also see that some bars require that you pay to enter. While this is fine, it also isn't necessary as there are dozens of bars you can enjoy without having to pay to enter.
These are just a few things I've seen in recently year. Once they announce the officially sanctions "other" or "paid" events for this year, I'll list then here so you know which ones are official and which aren't. Again, you are free to attend these other events, they just aren't officially supported by the SantaCon organizers.
Where to Stay in Union Square Near SantaCon
If you want to stay near the start of the SantaCon event, then I recommend staying in Union Square. You'll be right in the heart of the action and there are tons of great places to stay.
The Westin St. Francis: This is a wonderful, historic 4-star hotel just across from the square. You'll be steps away from the event with a lot of wonderful other things to do near by. Find out more.
Handlery Union Square Hotel: This is another popular option that is highly rated by recent guests. This 3-star hotel is about a 10 minute walk away from the square. Find out more.
Grant Hotel: If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, the 2-star Grant Hotel is an awesome choice. It's also just a few minutes walk away from the square. Find out more.
More Things to Do on Friday Night
Here are some fun ideas for the night before SantaCon, Friday, December 12th. I'll continue to add to this section so you know about other fun things to do the night before this fun event.
Find more details and ticketing details below!
- Double Decker Night Bus Tour, leaves from Fisherman's Wharf at 6:30 pm
- California Sunset Boat Cruise, leaves from Fisherman's Wharf at 5:30 pm
Hi, I'm Jill!
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