Festive Favorites Guaranteed to Please

’Tis the season of beloved holiday traditions, and in the spirit of grandma’s secret pumpkin pie recipe and your uncle’s resplendent Christmas sweater, we’re thrilled to break out our own sleigh-full of time-honored favorites. From drag queen legends and sensational artists, to mariachi masters and Sinatra-level crooners, these returning crowd-pleasers are sure to add a festive kick to your holiday outings with loved ones this month.

Had too much “nice” and want a little more “naughty”? Then spice up your holidays with big laughs, big fun, and bigger hair at Holiday Gaiety, December 15, hosted by conductor Edwin Outwater and San Francisco drag icon Peaches Christ. This show is about “checking your everyday life at the door, and just having fun, laughing, and enjoying the music and comedy,” says Peaches. Revel in an evening of campy adult fun with delectable artists, drag queens galore, festive hits, and the power of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus for the first time in Holiday Gaiety history!

There’s nothing quite like the brassy thrill of a top-notch mariachi ensemble. Hear for yourself when the incomparable José Hernández returns to lead his famous Mariachi Sol de Mexico® in A Merry-Achi Christmas, December 23. “Of all the venues we’ve played around the world, Davies Symphony Hall sounds the best,” says Hernández. “And we are so totally energized by the audience!” This festive musical tribute to Mexico’s Christmas traditions guarantees exhilarating holiday cheer and spectacular showmanship from masters of mariachi.

Before the clock strikes midnight, kick off your festivities with New Year’s Eve with Seth MacFarlane and the San Francisco Symphony! Famous for creating and voicing characters on popular animated comedies like Family Guy, MacFarlane’s rich baritone won him multiple Grammy nominations for jazz albums that would do the Rat Pack proud. Case in point: His vocal coach trained MacFarlane’s idol―Frank Sinatra! Don’t miss your chance to experience MacFarlane’s classic, velvet vocals and cool pizzazz in a big band era performance of jazz standards and holiday hits, December 31. Holiday Bonus: Want more jazz? Check out Cool Yule Christmas on December 13!

Get your tickets to these holiday concerts and explore the full winter lineup!

More than Meets the Ear

For the past several seasons, SF Symphony Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser has delighted Bay Area audiences of all ages with his welcoming podium presence. For Daniel, captivating an auditorium of young listeners in programs like Music for Families and Deck the Hall has a deeper meaning: "It isn't just a kids’ concert—it’s a future violinist’s concert, or teacher, or singer, or conductor, or donor.”