holiday

Holiday listings are compiled by Cheryl Eddy. For information on how to submit a listing, see 8 Days a Week.

attractions

Exploratorium 3601 Lyon; 563-7337. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm (Wed until 9pm). $6-10. The museum hosts a variety of holiday events. Upcoming events: "Physics of Toys" workshop (Sat/21, noon-4pm); "Holiday Films" program with "A Child's Christmas in Wales" and "The Sweater" (Sat/21, 2pm); "Holiday Animation Program" (Dec 26-30, 1 and 3pm); "Sparkling Science (Champagne)," a workshop on the science of sparking wines (Dec 28, 4pm).

Randall Museum 199 Museum Way; 554-9600. Tues-Fri, 4-5:40pm (pre-registration required); Sat/20, 1-4pm (drop-in class). $3-10. The museum hosts a series of gift-making classes and drop-in craft workshops for kids and adults.

benefits

'One Warm Coat' coat collection drive Stonestown Shopping Center, 19th Ave at Winston; 759-2623. Sat, noon-6pm. Through Jan 6. Bring new or gently used coats for donation.

'A Manly Twisted Xmas Show' Marlena's, 488 Hayes; 864-6672. Sat/21, 10pm. Free. Donations raised at this fiesta ("get your manly funk on!" is the tag line) go toward the gift-giving program held in conjunction with Tenderloin Tessie's Christmas Dinner.

'A Very Gay Christmas Cabaret and Red Ribbon Awards' Edge, 4149 18th St; 863-4027. Thurs/19, 8-11pm. Free. The Monarchs Charity Fund benefits from this party, which features cabaret entertainment and appearances by Mr. and Miss Gay San Francisco, plus more.

Volunteer at Tenderloin Tessie's Christmas Dinner First Unitarian Church, 1187 Franklin; 637-3550, 922-0422. Dec 25, 11am-6pm. Help prepare and serve dinners to the elderly, disabled, and homeless, as well as other community members. Bay Area

'Crippsmas Place' Cripps Place, in the Brookvale neighborhood, Fremont; (415) 625-1107. Weeknights, 5-10pm; weekends, 5pm-noon. Through Dec 31. Donations accepted. To raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, more than 50 homes in the neighborhood are decked out with holiday decorations.

celebrations

'Christmas Eve Service' First Baptist Church, 22 Waller; 863-3382, ext 221. Tues/24, 6-7pm. Free. The church holds a Christmas Eve service.

'Fillmore Solstice' Fillmore from Bush to Clay; www.fillmorestreetsf.com. Sat/21, noon-4pm. Free. Festive clowns, musicians, magicians, and other performers take to Fillmore Street for this event.

'Latke Ball' Factory 525, 525 Harrison; 1-877-YAD-1818, www.yad.org. Tues/24, 8:30pm. $22. Party on Christmas Eve at the largest event for young adult Jews in the Bay Area.

'House of Voodoo Deathmas Ball' Big Heart City, 836 Mission; www.houseofvoodoo.com/event.html. Fri/20, 9pm-3am. $5-8. See 8 Days a Week.

'Las Posadas' Mission Presbyterian Church, Capp at 23rd St; 461-0313. Fri/20, 7:30pm. Free. Mother Lode Musical Theatre presents its annual performance of the traditional tale of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.

'Maya Sacred Circle Celebration' Dolores Park, Dolores between 18th and 20th Sts; 824-2534. Sun/22, 6am-9am. Free. See 8 Days a Week.

'San Francisco Women's Political Committee Holiday Party' Hayes and Vine Wine Bar, 377 Hayes; www.sfwpc.org. Thurs/19, 5:30-8pm. $10. The SFWPC celebrates the success of San Francisco's recent female candidates at this party.

Santa Claus 2122 Union; 885-1335. Sat/21, 11am-4pm. Free. Santa greets kids every Saturday in his gingerbread Victorian.

music

'Black X Mass' Edinburgh Castle, 950 Geary; 885-4074. Sat, 8:30 pm $5. See 8 Days a Week.

'Carols and Lullabies' Mission Dolores Basilica, 370 Dolores; 668-GGMC. Wed/18, 8pm. $15. The Golden Gate Men's Chorus performs a holiday concert.

'A Cathedral Christmas' Grace Cathedral, 1100 California; 1-866-468-3399, www.ticketweb.com. Sat/21-Sun/22, 3pm; Mon/23, 7pm. $15-50. The Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys performs Christmas songs.

'A Celtic Peace' Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez; 454-5238. Sat/21, 8:15pm. $13-15. (Also Sun/22, 7pm, Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk; 510-845-8542. Same price). Uilleann piper Todd Denman is the featured performer at this show of traditional Irish music in honor of the solstice.

'A Chanticleer Christmas' St. Ignatius Church, 650 Parker; 392-4400, www.cityboxoffice.com. Sat/21, 8pm; Sun/22, 7pm. $22-37. The 12-man a cappella chorus performs sacred and traditional holiday music.

'Christmas Concert' Fellowship Hall, Holy Trinity Cathedral, 1520 Green; 447-4232. Sun/22, 2pm. Free. The Holy Trinity Cathedral Choir performs hymns and an international selection of carols.

'The Complete Christmas Music for Liszt for Solo Piano' Englander House, 807 Franklin; 362-6080. Sun/22, 3pm; Tues/24, 8pm. $15-20. Pianist Seth Montfort performs.

'Festival of Carols' First Unitarian Church, 1187 Franklin; 221-5590. Sun/22, 4pm. $8-14. The San Francisco Choral Society presents its annual holiday concert, which includes a variety of audience sing-along selections.

'Handbell and Choral Music of the Holiday Season' Wells Fargo Bank Museum, 420 Montgomery; (510) 887-5311. Fri/20, noon-1pm. Free. (Also Mon/23, 11:30am-1pm, 101 California, lobby. Same phone and price). The Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers performs.

'Holidaze in Hicksville' Fillmore, 1805 Geary; 421-TIXS. Sat/21, 8pm. $35. Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks and special guests perform in honor of the holidays.

'Home for the Holidays' Castro Theatre, 429 Castro; www.sfgmc.org. Tues/24, 5, 7, and 9pm. $15-20. The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus performs.

Oakland Interfaith Gospel Ensemble Slim's, 333 Eleventh St; 522-0333. Tues/24, 7 and 9:30pm. $15. See 8 Days a Week.

'San Francisco Symphony Holiday 2002 Concerts' Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness; 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org. This week: "The Colors of Christmas," featuring Peabo Bryson, Jon Secada, Oleta Adams, and Jody Watley (Wed/18, 8pm, $15-73). "Handel's Messiah" (Fri/20-Sat/21, 8pm, $15-79); "The Wondrous Sounds of Christmas" (Sun/22, 2 and 7:30pm, $10-49).

'A Smooth Jazz Christmas' Nob Hill Masonic Center, 1111 California; 478-2277, www.tickets.com. Sat/21, 8pm. $38-48. Dave Koz performs with David Benoit, Rick Braun, Brenda Russell, and Peter White.

Bay Area

San Francisco Girls Chorus St. Isabella's Church, 1 Trinity, San Rafael; (415) 479-1560. Thurs/19, 8pm. Call for price. (Also Mon/23, 8pm, Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness; 392-4400, www.sfgirlschorus.org. $12-40). See 8 Days a Week.
kwanzaa

'Holiday Taste Celebration' Bayview Opera House, 4705 Third St; www.bayviewoperahouse.org. Sat/21, 2-6pm. Free. This event features a variety of performers, games, and crafts, as well as a world food fair, a Kwanzaa ceremony, and more.

Bay Area

'Integrating the Ngyzo Saba: The Heart of Kwanzaa' Oakland Museum of California, Tenth St at Oak, Oakl; (510) 238-2200, www.museumca.org. Dec 29, noon-4pm. $4-6. The Oakland Museum of California hosts a community party with ceremonies and demonstrations, craft activities, African and African American dance and drumming, and more.

'Kwanzaa Celebration' Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds, Fort Baker, Sausalito; (415) 487-4398, www.badm.org. Dec 26, noon-4pm. Free. Learn about the seven guiding principles of Kwanzaa, create a traditional woven mat, and enjoy drumming and dancing at this family celebration.

'Kwanzaa Celebration' Oakland City Center, above the 12th St BART station, Oakl; (510) 628-8490, www.oaklandcitycenter.com. Wed/18, noon-1pm. Free. Jazz and blues singer Faye Carol performs at this celebration.

'Kwanzaa Dance Celebration' Castlemont High School, 8601 MacArthur , Oakl; (510) 652-2344; (510) 637-0200; (510) 763-8000. Sun/22, 3pm. $5-10. Dance for Power presents a Kwanzaa performance featuring Akwaaba Music and Dance, plus Castlemont High School's goseph choir and African dance ensemble.

nutcrackers

'The Nutcracker' War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness; 865-2000, www.sfballet.org. Wed/18-Mon/23, Dec 26-29, 7pm (also Wed/18-Mon/23 and Dec 26-29, 2pm); Tues/24, 11am and 4pm. $12-130. The San Francisco Ballet performs.

'The Nutcracker' San Francisco School of the Arts Theatre, 555 Portola; 731-2237. www.sanfranciscoyouthballet.org. Sat/21-Sun/22, 1pm (also Sat/21, 7pm). Call for price. The San Francisco Youth Ballet Theatre performs.

Bay Area

'The Nutcracker' Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium, Marin Center, San Rafael; (415) 472-3500. Fri/20-Sat/21, 7:30pm (also Sat/21, 3pm); Sun/22, 1pm. $14-21. The Stapleton School of the Performing Arts performs.

'The Nutcracker' Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakl; (510) 625-8497, www.oaklandballet.org. Thurs/19-Sun/22, 7pm (also Sat/21-Sun/22, 2pm); Mon/23, 2pm; Tues/24, 11am. $10-55. The Oakland Ballet performs.

'The Nutcracker' San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden, San Jose; (408) 288-2800, www.balletsanjose.org. Wed/18-Sun/22, 7:30pm (also Sat/21, 1:30pm); Mon/23, 4pm. $22-65. Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley performs.

theater, comedy, and performance

'Aladdin' Zeum Theatre, Yerba Buena Gardens rooftop, Fourth at Howard; 422-2222, www.sfshakes.org. Wed/18-Thurs/19, 11am; Fri/20-Sat/21, 7:30pm (also Sat/21, 3:30pm); Sun/22, 3:30pm. $16-29. The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival presents an original holiday musical, very loosely based on the Arabian Nights tale.

'Beach Blanket Babylon' Club Fugazi, 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St); 421-4222. Holiday schedule: Wed/18-Thurs/19 and Dec 26, 8pm (also Wed/18 and Dec 26, 5pm); Fri/20-Sat/21 and Dec 27-28, 7 and 10pm; Sun/22 and Dec 29, 1 and 4pm; Dec 31, 7 and 10:15pm. $25-65. The long-running musical revue unfurls its annual "seasonal extravaganza."

'The Christmas Ballet' Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission; 978-2787. Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Thurs, Sat, and Tues/24, 2pm; no show Dec 25); Sun, 2 and 7pm. Through Dec 29. $35-55. Smuin Ballet performs their annual holiday show, a blend of traditional and contemporary dance styles and songs.

'Cinderella' Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon; 1-866-462-2838, www.acteva.com/go/Shakes. Dec 28, 3 and 8pm; Dec 29, 2 and 7pm. $17-22. The African American Shakespeare Company performs an original adaptation of the classic fairy tale.

'Circumstance' Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, Marina at Laguna; 345-7575. Opens Wed/18, 7:30pm. Runs Thurs/19-Sat/21, Dec 26-28, and 30, 7:30pm (also Sat/21, Dec 26-28, and 30, 2pm); Sun/22-Tues/24, Dec 29, 31, and Jan 1, 2pm. $16-26. The New Pickle Circus performs a holiday show about a young woman who joins an eccentric circus troupe.

'An Evening of Kung Pao Kosher Comedy' New Asia Restaurant, 772 Pacific; 522-3737, www.koshercomedy.com. Mon/23 and Dec 26, 6 and 9:30pm; Tues/24, 9:30pm; Dec 25, 8:30pm. $35-50. Chinese food and Jewish comedians Jeffrey Ross, Cory Kahaney, Eddie Sarfaty, and Lisa Geduldig mix it up at this popular annual show. Tickets go fast, so call early.

'Fred Anderson's Holiday Juggle-Rama' Pier 39, Center Stage, Embarcadero at Grant; 771-4201, www.comedyjuggler.net. Fri/20, Mon/23, Dec 26, 3pm; Dec 27, 30, 4:30, 5:45pm. Free. Juggler Fred Anderson performs.

'It's a Wonderful Dyke' Spanganga, 3376 19th St; 621-1287, www.mendels.com. Thurs/19, Fri/20, Sun/22, 8:30pm. $10-12. This holiday spoof centers around a lesbian couple who are set to adopt a child until a mix-up threatens the happy event – and It's A Wonderful Life-style events begin to transpire.

'A Lush Xmas Eve' Lush Lounge, 1100 Polk; 771-2022. Tues/24, 9pm-midnight. Free. Chanteuse Veronica Klaus performs blues, jazz, cabaret, and holiday tunes.

'Noise: Midnight Mass 3' Bindlestiff Studio, 185 Sixth St; 974-1167, www.bindlestiffstudio.org. Thurs/19-Sat/21, call for time. $7-12. The Bindlestiff Players delve into "the darker meaning of Christmas" with this sketch comedy show.

'The Nightmare of Christmas' OmniCircus, 550 Natoma; www.marsarizona.com/shows.html. Fri/20, 8pm. $10. Mars Arizona performs with openers Dimitri Vandellos and Sofa.

'The Super-Happy-Fun-Time, Sensational, Non-Denominational Holiday Variety Show' San Francisco State University, Creative Arts Bldg, Studio Theatre, 1600 Holloway; 338-1341. Thurs/19-Sat/20, 8pm. Free. See 8 Days a Week.

Bay Area

'Amahl and the Night Visitors' Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic, Walnut Creek; (925) 943-7469. Fri/20-Sun/22, 7:30pm (also Sat/21-Sun/22, 2:30pm). $17-22. Solo Opera, a chamber opera company, performs its annual Christmas production of the tale of a young boy who befriends the three kings en route to Bethlehem.

'Big Year-End Kiss Off Comedy X' Julia Morgan Center for the Arts, 2640 College, Berk; (925) 798-1300. Dec 26, 8pm. $17. Will Durst offers a comedic take on the events of the past year at this annual show.

'The Christmas Revels' Scottish Rite Theater, 1547 Lakeside, Oakl; (510) 893-YULE, www.calrevels.org. Fri/20, 8pm; Sat/21-Sun/22, 1 and 5pm. $17-35. This celebration of the winter solstice uses music and dance to re-create how the holiday was celebrated in Spain at the end of the Renaissance.

'Cinderella' Marin Shakespeare Company, 142 Throckmorton, Mill Valley; (415) 499-4488. Fri-Sat, 7:30pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 7:30pm. Through Dec 29. $15-20. The Marin Shakespeare Company performs the fairy tale Panto-style, with Vaudeville-style entertainment and audience participation.

'Fiddler on the Roof' sing-along Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, 200 N San Pedro, San Rafael; (415) 444-8000. Dec 25, 11am-3pm. $20-30. See 8 Days a Week.

'Holiday Memories' Main Street Theatre, 104 N. Main, Sebastopol; (707) 823-0177. Thurs/19-Sat/21, 8pm. $12-15. Sonoma County Repertory Theatre performs a play that combines Truman Capote's short stories "The Thanksgiving Visitor" and "A Christmas Memory."

'Home for the Holidaze' Black Box, 1928 Telegraph, Oakl; (510) 595-5597, www.oaklandplayhouse.com. Dec 26, 8pm. $10. The Oakland Playhouse Improv Troupe performs a 90-minute improv show to celebrate the holidays.

'Incorruptible' Stage, 490 So. First St, San Jose; (408) 283-7142. Wed/18-Sat/21, 8pm; Sun/22, 2pm. $16-36. San Jose Stage Company performs Michael Hollinger's "irreverent comedy for the holidays," a farce about a feud between French monasteries over possession of the miracle-granting bones of a patron saint.

'The Long Christmas Dinner' Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave, Mtn View; (650) 254-1148. Thurs/18-Sat/21, 8pm. $10-15. Pear Avenue Theatre presents Thornton Wilder's holiday classic; also on the bill is Col. Partridge's Pear Oil Radio Show, by the Pear Playwrights Ensemble.

'La Posada Mágica' Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock, San Jose; (408) 272-9926. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Through Dec 29. $8-17. Teatro Visión performs Octavio Solis's bilingual play, a celebration of the Mexican tradition of the posada.

arts and crafts

'Clay Studio Annual Holiday Sale' Clay Studio, 743 Harrison; 777-9080. Wed/18-Sat/21, 10am-5pm. Free. Ceramic items by students, artists, and teachers highlight this sale.

'Fetish Fair' Jezebels Joint, 510 Larkin; 345-9832. Sat/21, 3-8pm. $3. Check the fetish enthusiast off your Christmas list with a gift from this two-story sale of kinky goods.

'The Great Dickens Christmas Fair and Pickwick Comic Annual' Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva; 897-4555, www.dickensfair.com. Sat/21-Sun/22, 11am-8pm. $8-20. Holiday shopping meets 1850's London at this crafts fair/historical re-creation experience.

'The Lola Gallery Bizarre Bizaar' Lola Gallery, 2519 Mission; 401-6800. Wed/18-Sat/21; Mon/23, 2-8pm. Free. More than 25 artists show fine art, photographs, crafts, and more.

'Mad Dash Holiday Bash Gift Bazaar' Mimi Barr, 3153 16th St; 640-8269. Fri/20, 6pm-midnight; Sat/21, noon-midnight; Sun/22, noon-6pm. Free. DJs and other entertainers liven up this sale for last-minute shoppers, which features works by 15 local women designers.

'Oh Crap – I've Only Got $100 to Spend, a Ton of People to Buy Gifts for, and a Few Days to Do It Holiday Gift Fair' Lula Design Studio, 3589 21st St; 206-1529. Sat/21-Sun/22, 10am-2pm. Free. Last-minute shoppers can find handmade clothes, jewelry, and other accessories by local designers.