Some kids want to grow up and be a firefighter, an astronaut, a hockey player. But who wouldn't want to grow up and be Santa, at least for a day? And because it's San Francisco, we make room for that. Santacon was in full swing when we passed through the Marina & Cow Hollow this afternoon. PS If you have small kids, tune into the NORAD Santa Tracker on Christmas Eve! read more

See all

This was my very 1st time ever going to this event!!! And I wanna go next time because it was so much fun seeing a lot of people dressed up as Santa's!!! read more

See all

LOOK!!! There's a Santa... and THERE'S a Santa... and wait, over there, and there.... Thousands of SANTA'S!!! My favorite part of SantaCon is later in the evening, when you bounce down the street and see these disheveled Santa's smoking in the alley... quite surreal read more

Santarchy & Santacon - After a long day at Santa-con... - Local Flavor Near Me

You better watch out, You better watch out! You better watch out, You better watch out, Santa Claus is Coming to Town! Hundreds of wild-eyed party seekers dressed in red and white with Christmas cheer on their faces and in their brown paper bags speckled the streets of San Francisco on December 4, 2010. What a sight it was to see City Hall swarmed with belligerent, yet creatively dressed Santa's, reindeers, nutcrackers and toysoldiers (to name a few) shouting, "HO! HO! HO! HO! HO!" This unofficial parade of debauchery and chaos is like the new bad-boy version of Bay2Breakers circa pre-alcohol ban. The highlights: - Greeting fellow Santa's in the street with a "HOHOHO!" - Running through the streets on a leash as Rudolph with Ms. Claus - Acting a fool - Singing "Don't Stop Believin" collaboratively with everyone at the bar. - Singing Xmas songs in the street - Dancing with a Rabbi - Cheap beers/drinks - Spreading Cheer and Merriment It was quite an interesting experience. But I have a feeling this party is headed down the same destructive path as Bay2Breakers. It was not a good day to be driving down Polk Street or running into a Santa mob while strolling downtown. Some people delayed or even blocked the flow of traffic while others tried to jump on cars like they were sleighs. Alot of the bars that were on the route seemed to be completely unaware of the event because they only had one bartender working, which made it virtually impossible to get a drink. If I ever decide to do this again, I'll get a bigger group of friends and go all out with the costumes, cohesively. Backup bars/meeting locations highly recommended and stick to one kind of hard liquor if you're going to have any... read more

See all

What started off as a way to protest consumerism around the holidays has just gone on too long and become that which it originally protested: go BUY crap for a silly costume and then go out and buy booze and get drunk in the streets dressed like Santa/Elf/Santa-Wench/Elf-Wench etc and act like an idiot with your friends. Yes, I did this before - but the event has grown so large that it's basically another "we're so original" conformist event. There are far more creative & fun ways to spend your time - don't bother. read more

SantaCon lived up to the hype: a drunken sh!t show in a sea of red. I have always been skeptical of such large city events. I'm too old for it at times, and often refer to it as amateur hour for the bridge and tunnel crowd and/or techies. Yes, I've always been "that guy". This year, I decided to be a team player and get involved with 2 good friends who have never participated and wanted to check it out. Boy oh boy, it was interesting. Ill start by saying that my idea of what it was is spot on.... But the crowds were friendly enough. I was expecting parades of frat guys bro'ing out and shot gunning jager bombs; well, that definitely happened but everyone was in the holiday spirit. Random dudes buying me shots, no fights, no pretentious bartenders etc. Where I thought we made a good call was getting started early, roughly at union square by 11:30, bar by 1. By 2, the bar (mcteagues) was at capacity and we had seats at the bar....unheard of in such an event. We posted up, drank with fellow santas and made new friends. Is this the best event I've been to in the city? Nope, but ill lighten up on the hater remarks and would probably participate again with the right people. I showed up in all red (no santa outfit or hat) and by the end of the day I left with a santa hat on.... Who's is the mystery. Come with the right people/attitude, be marry and jameson with eggnog backs to your heart desires. Cheers! read more

Santarchy & Santacon - Local Flavor Near Me

Soooo...I probably didn't do Santacon the way every else did (being a very FUEL-EFFICIENT alcohol drinker), but I did walk around with the bf and admire the Christmas decorations in our Santa Claus / Mrs. Claus costumes. This year had a significantly smaller turnout than years previous given that it was pouring rain at noon when everyone was supposed to meet at Union Square. Still though, it was quite entertaining to see people in Santa costumes wander about on the streets of downtown San Francisco. We looked into a couple of bars and saw them packed with people in Santa outfits, as well some elves and reindeer. We'll continue using it as a socially acceptable excuse to wear Santa hats! Kind of like that time the bf and I wore Harry Potter scarves all day for no apparent reason.... read more

Santarchy & Santacon - Packed bars of Santas! It's like I've arrived at the North Pole. - Local Flavor Near Me

You haven't lived until you've witnessed this event in person. I'm more of a people-watcher/spectator. I was really impressed by all the creative costumes people came up with this year. The Naked Santa event was also pretty hilarious. San Franciscans love to have any excuse to get naked. I laughed a lot at this event...it's too bad I couldn't find my friends. I still managed to enjoy it on my own though. Next time I'll have friends in tow. read more

Update!!! This is my holiday. Everybody knows it. They say "that's so jane to do"... Yup It's that time of the year to drink alcohol and sing Xmas carols for breakfast. Retreading my first review, can't help but smile. 2011 - my best SantaCon memory. I am seen in a lot of YouTube videos of the infamous "all I want for Christmas is you" singalong. Had a blast with my friends. Drunk and eating crunchy tacos, Blocking the streets, giving high fives to people in cars, jumping In trollies and hanging off the edges singing Xmas carols while tourist have no clue what's going on. Drinking and dancing on the street all day then hit up some after parties at lounges that start at 5pm. We were done out by 8pm. 2012 - was raining. Wasn't as much fun. My friends didn't want to join my xbf and I. Can't blame them, who the hell in their mid 30's wants party with someone who's 44yrs old with a mindset of a 24yr old. Waste of a memory, for sure. It wasn't that fun this yr. Wish I was with my friends making better memories. However, we made front page of sfgate as 'bad santas' 2013 - TBD!! It will be fun. We are rolling 15-20 deep. Mostly santas but I will be an Elf this yr. if you see us, come say hi!!! We will be fueled up with Jameson and Jaegar this yr. Ho ho ho'ing the streets, come join us. read more

SANTA CON SANTA CON!! I didn't know they had one in SF. Was pretty excited when I heard of this. Stayed with my friend in their apartment by union square so traffic was not a problem thank goodness. Union Square was a sight to see. Young old kids dogs. Cops, Giant beach balls protesters, Christmas tree, tourists. Santa santa santa'a helper. Big santa little santa fat santa skinny santa. REAL SANTA. Make sure you get to Union Square to see the beautiful view. From there everyone disperses. A lot ended up on Polk street. Quite festive. Some places have free cover if you are Santa. We were walking down the street and some guy at the toy store walks out with a snow machine blower and blows snow over us as we walked. Don't get that everyday. Don't miss out on Santa Con!! Also be a NICE SANTA. read more

See all

This was my 1st year participating in Santacon and it was FUN! At least what I remember. All the Santas were nice and the bartenders were too. read more

See all

This was my first year participating in Santa Con and I had a blast! It is completely ridiculous, massive bar-crawl but that's obviously what makes it fun. Plus, who doesn't want to run around the city dressed as Santa, elves, reindeer, snowflakes all day?! Some things to keep in mind: - Get a huge group together, the more people you have the more fun you'll have - Wear costumes! There's tons of cheap Santa costumes out there - Pre-drink ;) - Make sure you check the route ahead of time so you can hang out with all the other Santa's - Certain bars all around the city participate so be sure to try new spots out - HAVE FUN and takes tons of pictures! If you don't like Santa Con, you seriously have no sense of humor! I definitely think everyone should check it out at least once. This year was tons of fun and I'm excited for next! read more

Santarchy & Santacon - Local Flavor Near Me

I've been going to this for years and it's always the blast. The only reason I'm giving it four stars is because Santa needs to learn to Leave No Trace. I know it sounds all burning-man-hippy but Washington Square park was a mess and Santas should remember to be respectful and clean up after your drunken selves ok? Also Santa should be a professional and not an amateur, so let's keep from trashing our city so we can keep on enjoying this for years to come... [/off soapbox] Oh yeah, i clicked "not sure" on the "Good for Kids" field. I guess it depends on the kids and the Santas... read more

Santarchy & Santacon - at 15 Romolo (get the Pimms cup!) - Local Flavor Near Me

See all

Santa dodge ball was awesome. cant wait for next years. read more

Santarchy & Santacon - ninja santa - Local Flavor Near Me

Pros: Great for people watching. Bad: Old naked dudes with Santa hats, crowds drunk bros. read more

See all

1,000,000 + stars. Best event all year long, no joke. We had virgin Santacon friends with us this year, and it lived up to my endless hours of hype. Don't believe me? Make it a priority next year, get a hot/badass santa suit (or any other holiday costume) and rock out. You will NOT be sorry. Guaranteed. Since we have something along the lines of a pre-party apartment, our day started with huge breakfast burritos, getting all dolled up, blasting Pandora (club music mixed with Santa favorites), spiked egg nog with a candy cane mixer and our friends pouring in. We gathered the troops, took lots of cheesy pictures, and headed to the TL-Polk-TL-SOMA-Union Square. We hit a number of fun divey/dancey/booze-filled bars and clubs, shut down the street with a super fun dance party, and ended up all over the city. The best part about Santacon is the sea of red. Literally all you see is masses of red with some other creative costumes thrown in between. Everyone is rocking out, happy, and having fun. We've decided that we like Santacon better than B2B, as well as even Halloween. It's a better crowd, and everyone is super positive and filled with holiday cheer. Love it, and I can't wait for next year! read more

.... sooooooooo this is why I LOVE AMERICA. Find ANY and EVERY reason to drink and act like a fool... Wweeeeeeee!!!! Be Santa for a day. Be Grinch for a day. Helllllll.... create your own "WHO" VILLAGE!!!!! No one is there to judge or let alone, CARE! Thousands of people together, celebrating the holidays and having a Jolly Good Time. I will definitely participate again in 2012. read more

It's events out of this world that make San Francisco what it is. It's the people who dress up and take this opportunity to reflect on current events and carry a sign saying "Elves are the 99%" It's the man who recruits the naked Santas. It's the approach we all have towards SantaCon. It's so much fun! Personally, I know someone who fell in love with San Francisco thanks to SantaCon. read more

How can you NOT like this even, few years running now and still going it has to be the best ever. Where can you gather a couple thousand if not several hundred people dressed up as the jolly man himself with supporting elves and even the occasional security detail??? huh where .. where you tell me.. SF but of course and many many other places. I have ventured through the bart, the muni, taken a fairy across the bay, took over a shopping center, skating on the ice rink only to be chased away. Those kids must be horrified that the worker would chase Santa away like a rotten criminal!!!! Start the day with a beer, have a few vodka redbulls chase your lunch down with some shots of vodka, grab a few jager bombs maybe some more holiday juice meet your fellow santas and oh yah Grab a flock of friends a few drinks(understatement), "no officer my belly really is this big, but don't mind that its is getting smaller and smaller throughout the day" hahaha this is pure insanity. I remember our group meeting someone on the Bart which followed us back into the city, (new had no idea what this was), next thing you know shes wearing an elf suite, WTF did she get an elf suit?!?! sheer madness happens anything can happen its just pure adulterated FUN!!!! Santa Dodgeall, the crashing of a wedding wow the list goes on. Starts out super early and goes till Santa is no longer jolly or passed out. If you have not yet had the chance to be a part of this Holiday event you must mark your calendars because this year will be nothing short but awesome!!!!! read more

This is an event where the idea is better than reality. This was my first Santacon and my last. While I observed some creative outfits, the scene was utter pandemonium. The lowest point was spotting a girl urinating in the street next to me. I did a double take because it was in the middle of the day. Gross. Rogue Ale was not participating in SantaCon which worked out fine because it was a source of calmness. In addition, learned that it costs bars more to replace damages caused by disrespectful individuals. Would not recommend. read more

First time at this event and yes super fun. Another opportunity to get dressed up and creative in frisco. Santas, reindeer, and elves on my! PICTURE HEAVEN. so fun! Loved seeing both the typical santa fits, santa beards, beer guts, trousers, suits, and hats all over the city. Also loved seeing all those that went beyond and got creative. Only wished all the Santas all stuck together, but you can't expect that from intoxicated Santas. As time passed through the day there was less santas but they came in flocks at the different bars along the route. Was a joy for all the people on the street to be happy to see us all dressed up and festive. Overall glad that it isn't too crazy and crowded or else this event would be banned from SF. I hope this event is around for awhile. Met a lot of friendly peeps just out for fun and just straight up down. Thanks again to Jessica for the lovely FUC costumized and sparkly Santa Hats. Ho ho ho...see YOU NEXT YEAR SANTAS. read more

Gotta love that most Yelpers have a love or hate relationship with this event (notice most reviews are 5 stars or 1 star). Womp womp. Going with 3 stars because I can see both sides of the story. If you are a Santa: - Expect drinking. Lots of it. - Wear a costume. Yes a fucking Santa costume or something (one) related to the holiday. Here's some ideas: elf, present, a tree, get the picture? - Go to bars that are welcoming you. Believe or not, some people don't want to smell your Abercrombie and Fitch cologne under that damn outfit (see below) - Be merry, hydrate. Hand jobs only at private(ish) areas. - Observe the 5 F's. Bring candy for children and a present to donate. Make sure it's a new one and not some dirty bear sitting on your futon. If you are a decent human being: - Ignore urges to donkey punch every Santa in the balls. - Try not to stare at the naughty Mrs Clause too long. Their assbag boyfriend/some guy she's fucking may get mad and turn into the incredible Douche-Hulk. Avoid confrontation. - Try to stay in until 5-6 ish. Santa Bros/Bras are strictly diurnal on this day. They'll be asleep on the daddy-bought couch or mommy's hand knit throw blanket by then. - Complain to your local supervisor about the bro-festation. read more

One of the best events I have ever done in SF. Some highlights: Snowball Fight in Dolores Park Bounce House in Duboce Park ( I saw a shirtless Santa doing Whipits inside) Dance Party at Powell Station Dance Party in YBCA (security eventually led us out) Crashing at Zeitgiest I did the Mission Castro crawl but all santas eventually meet up. OMG who could have known dressing up as Santa for 12 hours could be so much fun? read more

Holy Freaking Santa Balls. This event is by far one of the most CRAZY things I have ever done in San Francisco. Santas, Elves, Reindeer, Snowmen, Waldos, and even Jesus himself can be seen in all shapes and sizes, clothed and unclothed. It was one crazy event. The website lays out a really cool map to let you know where all the Santa zones are. People are literally running around in holiday gear and just drinking there faces off. Be sure to bring cash with you, as some of the bars to not take credit. I highly reccomend it, seeing I got my wallet stolen this day. (Awesome) But nonetheless, it was awesome....even if Santa stole my money. I hope to be back next year! read more

As they say....It's the mooooost wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeear! Do you like the movie Bad Santa? Then you'll love this. I go every year rain or shine, and seriously everything from the leadup to the end of this event is pure joyful. From the fun of telling friends who have never heard of it all the details, to little kids asking my boyfriend at the Muni stop, "Santa, where are the reindeer?", and the "HEY SANTA!" that everybody screams at each other, I can't get enough. And I this is the one day I LOVE how touristy our city is because people are always rolling down car windows to ask what's going on. I'll be going to this when I'm 80 I am sure. I've done the day thing, I've done the night thing, and let me tell you....LAYERS. The bars get so hot, you'll take half your clothing off by the end of the night (even without sexy santas ;) ) read more

Did you know that Santacon originated in San Francisco? And yes, it was initially meant as a protest against holiday consumerism, but in part due to the prolific use of social media in San Francisco and our love for massive drunken gatherings, it has definitely strayed from it's subversive roots. That said, it's a whole lotta fun. You do have to come with an open mind and a sense of humor. Vive et vivat -- it's the San Francisco mantra! Dressing full garb is definitely recommended. It's not an event where you just wear a Santa hat and call it a day. Many people found cheap costumes at Daiso. The quality is like thin felt, but hey, you're probably going to shed some of it before the night is through. Also, there are a few places that waive their cover if you donate a toy. This past year was my very first and there were a quite a few highlights. -- We brought candy canes and passed them out to everyone we saw. Remember to ask parents first if you're offering candy to kids. Walking through the Tenderloin/6th Street and passing out candy canes to street people was definitely an experience. All of them were profusely thankful, but it's probably not something we'll repeat. -- The Union Square dance party was the starting point for most people. We saw a couple of awesome costumes here including a Krampus getup and a lost Easter rabbit. And of course, the dancing robot stole the show! -- The Duboce Park snowball fight was a dud because the snow arrived 30 minutes before the event was scheduled to happen and melted before everyone got there. We did see an impromptu wrestling match along with a bunch of wacky costumes full of SF color. Even a Flintstones golf cart! It's a cool place to hang. It's true, there are going to be obnoxious folks who intentionally block traffic and participate in overzealous drunken caroling/shouting. But don't let that hinder you from enjoying the sea of red and having a blast with friends! It's a crazy, candy-colored spectacle and it only happens once a year. P.S. Be prepared for many, many bad "Ho, ho, ho" jokes. Facepalm. read more

It was a fun time!!! I highly recommend taking public transit into the city- Take the bart to the powell street exit or mission or civic center exits as well! we started off at Union Square and then my friends and I decided to walk down Market on the way to Castro.. but there were NO bars on the way so we took the bart one stop all the way to 16th and and Mission and found some bars around there to drink at. Bartenders are super nice :) Just don't be a slopasaurus. The snowball fight at Duboce DID NOT happen which was a huge downer since my friends and I walked down that route just for that reason. We then took the Lower Haight route to find some more bars. There were protests as well around Union Square to keep a headsup for that! Just get a group of friends, dress up, drink up, and have fun! read more

I've only been to SF during Santacon at night when it's technically over, but people are still in their Santa hats and costumes. We go mainly to have an excuse to wear Santa hats and also to enjoy the holiday lights and decorations of union square. It's always fun. However, now that I see what it looks like during the day from the pics I see posted on here, maybe we will go during the day next year. read more

Santarchy & Santacon - Local Flavor Near Me

See all

If you don't think this is one of the most fun events of the whole year, then you're a regular ol' Scrooge! Ho ho ho, mofos!

Way too bizarre, which is one of the many other reasons SF is such a great place to live. This year's event was almost as good as being in Vegas and being surrounded by Elvis impersonators. In fact, I was looking for Elvis in his Santa suit... read more

I always love theme, but seeing THOUSANDS of people dressed like Santa is crazy! (In a good way). It all starts in Union Square and you pub crawl your way until you can't drink anymore. There's a TON of people, the bars are packed and it's super crowded everywhere. I had no idea which bars we went to - pretty much whichever didn't seem crazy crowded. Dress up, go with a good group, drink up and you will have fun. read more

Uhhh.... Does the title need more to convince you to check out this raging red river of Santas? I've gone every year since 2013 and its a blast each time, people are cordial and there are quite some sights to see! As long as you follow the given list/participating venues you're bound to have a great time. Do's: -take public transportation, it may be full of santa-tivities but well worth it since the streets are full of people, parking is a nightmare, and well... no DUIs please. -dress up! I mean, do I really have to say that? -have fun, be cordial to the bartenders and venues that allow Santas, we want them to allow us to come back next year! -pregame (if you so choose to partake in the intoxication that awaits), on the train... in your house/hotel, it's more fun that way. -meet up in Union Square (or wherever they decide if its changed) at noon, personally it's my favorite part. -tip your 'tender! Don'ts: -try not to fall asleep on the street -try not to get too rowdy in a quaint venue -pushing, shoving, yelling, fighting... just because we are dressed like imaginary characters doesn't mean we have to act like a tween. -try not to take it too seriously, have fun with your pals and your new appropriately dressed friends. -dont bring your children... seriously... Overall: Have fun! It's a pre-NYE festival filled to the gills with jolly jingling jesters, enjoy it! read more

Cruising down Union street tonight and then North Beach and stumbled upon so many Santas from Santacon. Some of the ladies' santa outfits were rockin'. Looks hella fun. I gotta get into this next year. read more

First year in the Santarchy, and buddy, did I have a great time. I fully admit that my costume was weak, but the booze wasn't. So much fun with friends. I'm already planning to step my santa suite game up for next year. read more

The spirit of Christmas is never better than at Santarchy & Santacon! I never thought dressing up as Santas can be so much fun! We literally painted the town red. Santas crowding confused tourists at Fisherman's wharf, Santas invading North Beach, Santas playing tug a war in the middle of the street drunk, Santas ice skating at Union Square (Okay, that was just me, I guess that's the result of 15 hours of drinking and 2 and a half bottles of Jaeger later). Definitely will be doing this every year! read more

this is one of the many reasons san francisco is the greatest city in the world!! total organized chaos is how I would describe this "event". The pre-game action I engaged in with friends was all the indication I needed that this was not only a totally awesome way to spend a beautiful december saturday afternoon, but that it will now be a tradition for me as long as I can hang with the crazy partying crowds. It's really fun just to see what sort of crazy outfits people come up with, but add to that how friendly and hilarious everyone who participates makes the experience, how could you not have fun?? heck, my friend even misplaced her wallet (it was later returned by SF police after being turned in by a good samaritan, thank god!) and we stlll stayed and made the most of the day!! seriously, not to be missed. my only suggestion is to break up from the crowd a bit and try some bars more off the beaten path in order to NOT be literally stuck in the middle of a crowd. I think next year, I will try and space out my drinks a little better. drinking in moderation won't impede on the fun...it might actually enhance the experience. go figure read more

SantaCon has a bad rap, but it is so much fun! We've went for the past 5 years and have found our groove. We look forward to this each year. Our first rwo years, we went at night when so many people are super wasted, but we had fun meeting new people and basking in this truly unique experience. We then discovered that the real fun is at the starting point at noon, usually at SF Union Square. The fire department collects toys, a marching band comes through, everyone is in high, jpyful spirits. For those that knock it as just a bunch of youngsters getting wasted, keep your eye out for those making it a great experience, you can make a difference! We bring toys for the collection, make buttons each year to hand out, scarves and gloves for the homeless, candy canes for the kids, blow bubbles, sing carols, bring percussive doodads for impromptu jam outs, great reggae music for a dance party. And yeah... A flask of cheer tucked here and there. Smiles from ear to ear all day long, great costumes, happy energy. One of the coolest things to do. Get a room nearby, make it a day.... Treat everyone with kindness, you can't go wrong. read more

you have to be nicer when your dressed as santa; its moronic otherwise definitely a fun time and met a lot of fun random people. interesting side note of the night was that a friend and I broke off from the bar crawl schedule and somehow ended up in front of the Orpheum theater as that night's showing of Wicked was letting out. I am sure the look of two drunk santas waving/screaming at the theater goers would have been priceless but i have no memory of doing it sad read more