Celebrate the Winter Solstice

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Sat, Dec 21, 2025

Celebrate the official onset of winter in the Bay Area with a variety of kid-friendly events! Enjoy festivities celebrating the shortest day of the year. Embrace the spirit of family fun this Winter Solstice. Regardless of your faith, we all come together for this unique earthly occasion, which serves as a reminder of the steady and timeless rhythms of our natural world—a necessity for our world, now and always.

Featured
Bodega Bay: Winter Solstice Sea Star Search
Dec 17
Shell Beach
Bodega Bay: Winter Solstice Sea Star Search
Shell Beach

Before coming to the coast for this event, please note that storms, tides and ocean conditions can erode the beach and beach access.

Shell Beach
Winter Solstice Celebration
Dec 18
Mill Valley Public Library
Winter Solstice Celebration
Mill Valley Public Library

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with an enchanted evening of magic and wonder.

Mill Valley Public Library
Winter Solstice Inner Sunset Art Walk
Dec 19
Inner Sunset
Winter Solstice Inner Sunset Art Walk
Inner Sunset

Join us for the Winter Solstice Inner Sunset Art Walk, a vibrant celebration of local art and business in the heart of the Inner Sunset

Inner Sunset
Winter Solstice Walk
Dec 21
Big Break Visitor Center at the Delta
Winter Solstice Walk
Big Break Visitor Center at the Delta

Experience the season at Big Break Regional Shoreline! Join us for a guided walk along our trails as we uncover the subtle signs of winter.

Big Break Visitor Center at the Delta
Winter Solstice & Holiday Sing-Along
Dec 21
St. Alban's
Winter Solstice & Holiday Sing-Along
St. Alban's

Sing-along holiday fun: treats, soloists, door prizes!

St. Alban's
Secrets of the solstice
Dec 21
Miwok Meadows trailhead
Secrets of the solstice
Miwok Meadows trailhead

This year, we’re seeking out the last bit of sunshine on the cusp of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. Join us as we take a special walk around one of our most peaceful locations, Miwok Meadows. 

Miwok Meadows trailhead
Winter Solstice Celebration
Dec 21
Coyote Hills Visitor Center
Winter Solstice Celebration
Coyote Hills Visitor Center

Celebrate the longest night of the year with stories, music, hot drinks and s’mores by the fire, as well as nature observations at dusk and solstice nature crafts.

Coyote Hills Visitor Center
Winter Solstice Lantern Walk
Dec 21
Blue Heron Lake
Winter Solstice Lantern Walk
Blue Heron Lake

Join us to carry light in the darkness, and share songs for the season of longest nights. Materials are provided to make your own child-safe lantern.

Blue Heron Lake
Ursid meteors peak at the solstice
Dec 22
The Sky
Ursid meteors peak at the solstice
The Sky

This low-key meteor shower – which always peaks around the solstice – is somewhat overlooked due to the holiday season. Its hourly rate is lower than that of the Geminid shower, which peaked over a week before. In 2025, you’ll have dark skies to watch for them all night. And the Ursids are worth a look!

The Sky

All event listings are checked at the time of posting but schedules may change without notice. Links are available to all venues for your convenience. Please confirm information with the website. And come back often! Events are updated and added frequently.