Best Free Holiday Events In The Bay Area

We love the whimsy when parking meters are turned into candy canes and shops stay open until 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday evening. The 25th Annual Union Street Fantasy of Lights is a free outdoor stroll from 3 to 7 pm. on Dec. 5, 2015. Up and down Union Street between Van Ness and Steiner and on Fillmore St. from Union to Lombard streets, the party is on, rain or shine. Hop on the free horse drawn carriage ride, see jugglers perform, visit with face painters, meet balloon artists, costumed characters, singers and live entertainers. You can decorate cupcakes while waiting for Santa and his elves to arrive at 5:30 p.m. at 2040 Union St.

Here's a good opportunity for a photo with Santa that's not in a mall. Mountain View's annual Community Tree Lighting Celebration gets underway at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2015 in Civic Center Plaza. Remember to bring your camera along for photos with Santa, who arrives at 5:45 p.m. Crowds can enjoy free refreshments, live entertainment, crafts for kids and a real snow zone -- held together through the magic of hay carted in specially for the occasion. The free party winds up at 7:30 p.m.

Imagine the Mission at the holidays nearly 200 years ago. Four candlelight choral sessions are part of a Christmas experience led by the high school choir. Join in for group singing of Christmas carols while the atmospheric Mission and the Barracks are lit without electricity and a campfire glows in the courtyard. Come between 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2015 for one of the carol sing-alongs. Refreshments are served in the breezeway. Tickets will be available at the Mission from two weeks prior to the event, which is free of charge; donations are welcome.

Beautiful scenery is the backdrop for art and crafts at the annual fair on Dec. 12, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Textiles, ceramics, fine art, holiday knick-knacks, jewelry, home and fashion accessories, gourmet gifts and handcrafts from the garden are on display and for sale. There are activities for children and a local caricature artist is on-hand, drawing fun mementos of the day. Food and snacks will be available all day from a café on the balcony with lovely beach views where the only white Christmas is the sand. Admission is free, and a shuttle is provided from the Muir Beach parking lot.

Browse here to find something original for holiday gift-giving. Produced by the same family-run company that brings us Treasure Island Flea on each final weekend of the month, Jack of All Trades is an outdoor market with antiques, artists, makers, indie designers and lots more. Dog-friendly, kid-friendly and complete with live music and food trucks, entry is free every second Saturday of the month, including Dec. 12, 2015 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Watch for holiday-themed events at the flea market.