Berkeley for the Holidays

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year in Berkeley! It's filled with joy, interesting experiences, and one-of-a-kind shopping. From outdoor holiday markets and themed events to strolling cheerful commercial districts, the city offers something special for everyone. Begin with charming neighborhood lights, move on to local craft fairs and live performances, and cap it all with thoughtful keepsakes from independent stores. Make this year memorable in Berkeley.

More spirit. Less stress. Revive, revel, and yes, relax! Create your new/throwback holiday tradition in Berkeley.

Holiday Events in Berkeley

Fourth Street Berkeley Dazzling Holiday Light Celebration

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 5-7pm
Location: Fourth Street at Delaware

Ring in the holiday season on Fourth Street at the Fourth Street Berkeley Dazzling Holiday Light Celebration, where the Christmas lights are turned on for the first time! Then, throughout the holiday season, you can enjoy activities, events, and the enchanting atmosphere under the twinkling lights.

The Berkeley Holiday Gift Fair

Date: Thursday, December 5, 2025
Time: 3-7pm
Location: Hotel Shattuck Plaza | 2086 Allston Way

Enjoy a fun evening of shopping, holiday cheer, and supporting local businesses and makers. Find unique, one-of-a-kind gifts and enjoy perusing the tables for the best gift.

Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair

Date: December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 2025
Time: 11am-6pm
Location: Adeline between Ashby and MLK Jr Way

Good cheer, great music, fine food, and handcrafted gifts? Sounds like the perfect holiday market! Take this opportunity to buy fine original art and inexpensive gifts in the same place, with over 200 local artisans offering their handcrafted wares.

Carols of Birds, Bells, and Peace from Ukraine: A Holiday Celebration

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025
Time: 2pm
Location: Zellerbach Hall | UC Berkeley

Choral director Marika Kuzma, a first-generation Ukrainian American and professor emerita of music at UC Berkeley, brings her acclaimed Ensemble Cherubim and a selection of special guests for this holiday show. Performed in Ukrainian and several other languages, the program of songs, hymns, carols, and spoken word captures the intimacy of music traditionally sung in Ukrainian homes, churches, and town squares during the holidays.

Soweto Gospel Choir: Peace

Date: Sunday, December 14, 2025
Time: 3pm
Location: Zellerbach Hall | UC Berkeley

This holiday concert brings the multi-Grammy-winning South African cultural ambassadors to Berkeley to sing songs of love and peace, from gospel classics and spirituals to feel-good pop songs by Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen, and others, all delivered with a unique vocal blend and dazzling showmanship.

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Holiday Spectacular 2025

Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
Time: 2pm and 8pm
Location: Zellerbach Hall | UC Berkeley

Both naughty and nice, the beloved San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus returns for its annual Christmas pageant at Zellerbach Hall. The hilarious and heartwarming spectacle is different each year, as the chorus offers clever mash-ups of pop culture and political figures, along with chart-topping hits and classic holiday carols.

Holiday Shopping in Berkeley

Holiday shopping is a time to celebrate the season, behold twinkling lights, and take a well-deserved "cheer" break. Berkeley offers a high-quality holiday experience to celebrate the season. Joy, Berkeley-style, includes finding a parking space, local and organic snacks (and craft beer and natural wine) on nearly every block, an abundance of holiday spirit, friendly shopping streets, and local, independent retail in neighborhoods all around.

Here are just a few stand-out shops to check out this holiday season:

Mr. Mopps' Toy Shop

Address: 1405 Martin Luther King Jr Way

Low-tech toys that you won't find in big box stores. They offer toys that foster open-ended play and inspire imagination and fun for kids of all ages, from newborns on up.

Games of Berkeley

Address: 2510 Durant Ave

This is the area's one-stop shop for games, toys, activities, and other geeky fun, from the traditional to the obscure, the ancient to the new.

Fern's Garden

Address: 1831 Solano Avenue, A

Fern’s Garden is an affordable place to find the work of American and fair trade artisans. Find tons of things like wind chimes, pottery, jewelry, books, bird feeders, greeting cards, hand-blown glass, and more.

Mrs. Dalloway's

Address: 2904 College Avenue

Mrs. Dalloway’s is an independent neighborhood bookstore in the historic Elmwood District. They're known for their skillfully curated fiction, non-fiction, poetry, garden book, and children’s book sections.

510 Skateboarding

Address: 2506 Telegraph Ave

A locally owned skate shop that is beloved in the local skateboarding community. Find skateboards, clothing, shoes, accessories, and friendly faces willing to chat and give advice and suggestions.

Berkeley Potters Guild

Address: 731 Jones St

Every Saturday from 11am-5pm, shop through handmade ceramics that are special enough to one day become precious family heirlooms. From classic celadon and ruby-red porcelain to avant-garde sculpted vessels, ceramic jewelry, wood-fired tumblers, and whimsical teapots, there’s a piece for every taste.

These shops are in addition to numerous clothing, book, antique, gift shops, and more! There are more than enough shops in Berkeley to cover everyone on your list, and maybe even get a little something for yourself!

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