Jack London Square Tree Lighting
The square in Oakland kicks off the holidays with the lighting of its massive 55-foot Mt. Shasta fir Christmas tree, with an assortment of seasonal activities. Visit with Santa, feed live reindeer and shop from more than 90 popup vendors. Friday, 12/4, 5-7pm.

Los Gatos Christmas Parade
Enjoy the small town charm of Los Gatos while watching the 59 th annual Christmas parade, with marching bands, Santa Clause, and the Cucuzza Squash Drill Team expertly wielding massive gourds. Some 235 parade entrants will be marching along Santa Cruz Ave. Saturday, 12/5, 11am.

Union Street Fantasy of Lights
The Cow Hollow thoroughfare lights up for the holidays, with horse-drawn carriage rides, ponies dressed as reindeer, and of course Santa and his team of elves. Saturday, 12/5, 3-7pm.

Caltrain Holiday Whistle-Stop Tour
Santa travels by Caltrain this weekend for his annual whistle-stop tour from San Francisco to Santa Clara stations. The train is decked out with 70,000 lights, a rolling band, “snow” and Santa and his many friends. Check schedule for station stop times. Saturday and Sunday, 12/5-6, 4-9pm.

SF Ballet Meet & Greet w/ Light Show
It’s Nutcracker time of year again, and members of the San Francisco Ballet will be under the dome at Westfield Mall in downtown SF to meet admiring fans, while an animated 3D light show replays every 30 minutes. Saturday, 12/5, 5-6pm.