There are a lot of great events coming to San Francisco this month. Christmas and the New Year don’t slow down the city by the bay! There are cultural celebrations, art exhibitions, comedy shows, film festivals, and there’s a long-distance run (followed by hot chocolate, natch). Writing this list can be hard, but that’s what I’m here for. Deep breath – these are the 10 best things to do in SF in January. Enjoy and stay safe! 

1. VISIT A MUSEUM FOR FREE (DATES THROUGH JANUARY)

For several days of the month (and for some special people on every day of the month) many SF museums are free. We have great museums, largely because of all the rich people that have lived here and given their collections to them, and these are great opportunities to experience some.

Exploratorium: free admission for EBT cardholders and San Francisco Medi-Cal or CalFresh recipients. Also free for California public school teachers.

SF Botanical Gardens: free admission second Tuesday of every month.

Japanese Tea Gardens: free Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9-10 am.

De Young Museum: free first Tuesday of every month, also free every Saturday for Bay Area residents.

SFMOMA: free first Thursday of the month for Bay Area residents.

Legion of Honor: free Saturday’s for Bay Area residents and free Tuesday’s for all.

2. SF: FOOD + HISTORY + ART TOUR (EVERY SUNDAY)

We recently started a food, history, art and culture tour in the Mission District. It runs every Sunday, starting at midday, and we take guests on a journey back in time to the founding of San Francisco, at the Mission San Francisco de Asis. This created huge problems for the First Americans already living here of course, and the Mission District has often provided sanctuary to marginalized people since then. This has created one of the best neighborhoods for muralists in the city – and it’s also got some of the best food in the Bay Area.

Join us on this exploration of one of San Francisco’s most fascinating, and fun, neighborhoods.

More information here.

3. HOT CHOCOLATE 15K / 10K / 5K (JANUARY 8)

This annual race is starts and ends in Golden Gate Park. Bizarrely the more you pay the longer you have to run – shouldn’t it be the other way around ;-)? Nevertheless, a chocolate lover’s oasis awaits at the post-run party, with more, much more, than just hot chocolate. It’s the perfect way to bring in the New Year.

More information here.

4. GO TO A GAME (DATES THROUGH JANUARY)

The Golden State Warriors start the year off with a bang, playing the Atlanta Hawks January 2, and they have seven games at the Chase Center this month. They’re one of the most successful teams in recent NBA history (they’ve reached the final in six of the last eight years) and Stephen Curry is still turning out for them. It’s a great time to catch a game!

Tickets available here.

5. VISIT CHINATOWN FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR (TO JANUARY 21-22)

Take the opportunity of the Lunar New Year to visit one of the oldest, biggest and most vibrant Chinatowns in the U.S. Although the big parade is on February 4, to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, there’s no better time to have yum cha / dim sum than in Chinatown on this weekend.

More information here.

6. GO TO A CONCERT (ALL MONTH)

Seeing an artist that you really like perform live can be a fantastic experience. We’re lucky in that we get a lot of great musicians and performers coming though the Bay Area (many are from here). This month Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Blink 182 and Shania Twain are all coming to town. Check for tickets here.

Another option? Go to a concert at the San Francisco Symphony, Elim Chan is conducting Tchaikovsky… More information here.

7. GO TO A COMEDY SHOW (ALL MONTH)

Who couldn’t do with a good laugh? SF has a thriving comedy scene, as you might expect, and shows often feature lineups of established and up-and-coming stand-ups at comedy nights all over the Bay Area. Cobb’s, the legendary North Beach comedy club, has a series of shows throughout the month. Did I mention they’re free (although there is a two drink minimum)?

Also Jerry Seinfeld is doing a set in Stockton on January 27…

8. SEE THE LIGHTS (ALL MONTH)

The 10^th annual Illuminate SF will be in place until January 31, with a series of light art installations in and around the downtown area bringing illumination to San Francisco. There are eleven installations at different points along Market Street, stretching from the Embarcadero to Castro, and more than forty in total. It’s definitely one of the best things to do in SF in January. More information here.

The Exploratorium has brought back its light exhibition,GLOW: Discover the Art of Light. See brand new and expanded installations created by six artists, until January 29, at the Exploratorium on Pier 15. More information here.

9. SEE JURASSIC PARK, WITH A LIVE ORCHESTRA (JANUARY 6 AND 7)

See the Steven Spielberg directed classic, with the John Williams score performed live by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at the Davies Symphony Hall.

More information here. 

10. GO A FILM NOIR FESTIVAL (JANUARY 20-29)

Who hasn’t imagined themselves to be in a Noir movie at some point – with a femme fatale trying to convince you to do something really bad, and your client or boss trying to kill you. Or maybe that’s just my imagination. Nevertheless, one thing these genre films have in common with is that all of them are always entertaining. There’s a mystery, there’s a beautiful girl, there’s a dangerous villain and there’s a tough and handsome good-ish guy. What’s not to love?

Noir City Festival has been going for twenty years and is well-established, with a fantastic line-up of feature films and talks at the Grand Lake Theatre, in Oakland. More information here.

If you have any feedback on the 10 Best Things to Do in SF in January please email us or reach out on social media, we’d love to hear from you.

– By Damien Blackshaw (Twitter)