Christmas Past
It can feel wonderful to put aside contemporary holiday stress, suspend disbelief, and step into Christmas Past. Here are a few local holiday productions where you can visit a simpler time.

Admission is limited for some programs. So, you may want to get a jump and purchase tickets well in advance

Christmas at Ardenwood
A Victorian-style holiday! Visit the beautifully decorated Patterson House, sing Christmas carols, and visit Father Christmas. Enjoy live musical performances and much more.

Friday, December 8th from 5:30 to 8:30 PM
Ardenwood Historic Farm, Fremont
Tickets and more information can be found here.

The Nutcracker
San Francisco Ballet
Step into the reverie of little Clara in this unforgettable holiday tale and enter a magical wonderland of toy soldiers, a blizzard of snowflakes, and a kaleidoscope of more than 150 dancers. Battle the Mouse King and of course, dance through the land of the Sugarplum Fairy.

December 10-30
War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco
Tickets and more information can be found here.

Great Dickens Christmas Fair
A Drive-Through Victorian Holiday Party
Bring friends and family for a ride through this newly envisioned outdoor Grand Concourse in the comfort of your own vehicle. Enjoy a curated selection of delicious foods, delightful entertainments, and handmade crafts of the Fair. There is also a Dickens At Home option and an online store.

December 4-5, 11-12, and 18-19
11 AM ’til 5 PM.
Cow Palace Lower Exhibition Halls, San Francisco
Tickets and more information can be found here.

The Christmas Revels
La Sirène—A Solstice Journey Through Time
Dive into the Age of Sail, blending 19th Century London with folklore and traditions from the Caribbean and Gullah Islands in an odyssey across the Atlantic. From sea chanties, mermaids, and Christmas carols to Jonkonnu and Papa Bois, we’ll celebrate the Winter Solstice through the eyes of Joseph Johnson, a man who lived his life in all these traditions. You can purchase tickets to attend in person or stream online.

Eight performances from December 11-12 and 17-19
First Congregational Church
2501 Harrison Street, Oakland
Tickets and more information can be found here.

A Christmas Carol: On Air
For the first time in its 44-year history, the Bay Area’s favorite holiday tradition comes to life as a fantastical immersive audio event—A Christmas Carol: On Air.

Reimagined as a spatially-designed radio play for our virtual era, and adapted from the critically-acclaimed stage production seen by over half a million theatergoers, A Christmas Carol: On Air invites you and your household to gather together to take in this timeless story of optimism and humbugs, memories and redemptions, spooky presents and hopeful futures.

American Conservatory Theater
December 5 through 32

Tickets and more information can be found here.