Dates and Where It Is
The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square (333 Post St) opens Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and runs daily through January 18, 2027. The rink's own page places it in the heart of Union Square, near the corner of Geary and Powell, and it is presented by Kaiser Permanente and produced by Willy Bietak Productions. Every shop in this guide is within the Union Square district, so you can plan a session around an afternoon of shopping. Our Union Square district page lists every shop we cover around it.
The Opening Celebration runs 5–7pm on November 4 with performances on the ice, and the first 100 guests skate free during the 5:30pm and 7pm sessions; you register when you arrive, so come early if you want one of those spots.
Prices and How Sessions Work
General admission is $22, and kids 8 and under are $17. Both prices include skate rental. Tickets are sold online through the rink's website, and you book a specific session rather than a day pass.
Sessions last 60 minutes and start every 90 minutes, from 10am to 11pm daily. Each session is a set hour, and rental skates are picked up at the rink, so allow time to lace up before your start time. The rink closes early, at 9:30pm, on December 31; check the site for any other holiday hours.
Extras are paid on top. A locker is $5, a Skate Helper is $6, and gloves and socks are $5 each. If you bring your own skates, there is a $5 charge that is refunded to your card. Skate Helpers are for beginners 48 inches tall or shorter who can stand and push one on their own, one skater per helper, and they are handed out first come, first served. Rental sizes run from toddler 8 to adult 15.
Groups can rent the whole rink. Private parties are $10,000 for up to 250 guests, on select Monday to Wednesday evenings from 4 to 7pm, and are not offered November 23–25 or December 21 to January 3.
What to Wear and What Happens in Bad Weather
If weather closes the ice or a session ends early, your ticket stays good for any available date and time through January 18, 2027. You rebook through the confirmation email using its "Change booking" link, so keep that email. The rink's own advice is to dress in layers, since the ice can feel chilly or warm depending on the time of day and how hard you skate. A hat and gloves help, and the rink sells gloves if you forget yours.
Restrooms are in the Union Square Garage, and you can't wear rental skates off the rink, so go before you lace up. The rink's phone number is (415) 295-1588.
Theme Nights and Free Lessons
The rink's event calendar adds themed and ticketed sessions to the regular schedule. Wednesday 8:30pm sessions have themes (Friendsgiving falls on November 25). Flashback Fridays are November 27, December 18 and January 15. Classical Sundays run at 10am and 11:30am. Ticketed specials include Drag on Ice on Thursday, December 3 (6:30–8pm, $35), a Silent Skate with headphones on Thursday, December 10 (7pm and 8:30pm, $35) and a Polar Bear Skate on New Year's Day (2:30–3:30pm, $30).
Free Learn to Skate lessons run Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 9am, with spots given out by lottery. The rink's home page lists the lottery for December and January lessons as open November 2 through 23; check the site for the current window before you plan around it.
Where to Shop Before or After You Skate
If your session is a few hours away, the stores around the square fill the gap. Macy's (170 O'Farrell St) is Union Square's department store, with clothing, housewares and gifts over several floors and a Cheesecake Factory on the 8th floor for a sit-down meal. Its posted hours are Mon–Sat 10am–8pm and Sun 11am–8pm.
On the corner of Powell and Geary, Nintendo San Francisco (331 Powell St) has exclusive collections, amiibo, game demo stations and a kiosk to customize a Switch console. It is open Mon–Sat 10am–8pm and Sun 11am–6pm. On the rink's opening night it also hosts a late-night game launch from 9 to 11pm. Entry needs a free Warp Pipe Pass reservation through a Nintendo Account, one per attendee.
On Post Street, Apple Union Square (300 Post St) runs free Today at Apple sessions and Genius Bar appointments, and it is open Mon–Sat 10am–8pm and Sun 11am–7pm. Its open plaza on Post Street works as a meeting point if your group splits up.
For gifts with a local angle, head to Market Street. Uniqlo (801 Market St) opened its new flagship on October 9, 2026, with a Muni collaboration T-shirt line and shirts designed by students at Ruth Asawa School for the Arts. Also on Market Street, Levi's Market Street (815 Market St) has a Levi's Tailor Shop and Levi's Secondhand trade-ins (Mon–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 11am–7pm).
If you are buying something that lasts, Gump's (250 Post St) sells tabletop, barware, crystal and jade and pearl jewelry (Mon–Sat 11am–5pm, closed Sunday), and Cartier (199 Grant Ave) has a jewelry and watch salon and an in-house care service. For the full route through the luxury houses, use our Union Square shopping walk, and for smaller gifts see San Francisco gifts 2026.
The SPCA Windows and the Tree
From November 20 to December 31, 2026, the SF SPCA Holiday Windows fill Macy's Union Square windows with adoptable puppies and kittens. Window viewing is Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 5pm, and Macy's is closed November 26 and December 25. A live camera runs 9am to 6pm daily. The animals in the windows can be adopted; the SF SPCA site explains how. If you want to see the windows on the same trip as a skate, plan for a Wednesday to Sunday afternoon.
We have not found a 2026 lighting date for the Macy's tree in Union Square Park as of November 1, and will add it here once it is posted. In 2025 it was lit quietly on November 11 with no ceremony, and it was viewable through January 1.
Transit, Parking and Construction
Powell Street station (BART and Muni Metro) is at Powell and Market, and the F line streetcars run above ground at Powell and Market. The rink also lists the Powell-Hyde cable car and several Muni bus lines, including the 38 and 38R.
If you drive, the Union Square Garage (333 Post St), at the rink's address, is open daily 5am–11pm, with entrances on Post and Geary. SFMTA posts rates of $6 an hour from 9am to 6pm and $5 an hour after 6pm, with a 12-hour maximum of $40. The Post Street entrances have a 6-foot-7 height limit. Check the rates on the SFMTA page before you go, since they can change.
Expect work on Powell Street this season. The Powell Street Improvement Project, a redesign of Powell Street from the cable car turnaround up into Union Square, is expected to break ground in November and take about a year, with the corridor staying open for business. If you arrive by cable car or walk up Powell from Market, expect work zones along the way. Staying over? See our hotels near San Francisco shopping, and for dinner after skating, our MICHELIN guide marks the restaurants near Union Square.
