TL;DR summary: The Great Dickens Christmas Fair returns to the Cow Palace Exhibition Halls in Daly City, on the San Francisco border, for five weekends from November 21 to December 20, 2026, plus the Friday after Thanksgiving. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets are sold online only through dickensfair.com, with no on-site sales, so buy in advance. Parking is $20 per vehicle, and Muni's 8 bus connects from Balboa Park BART.
Traditions that families return to every December, like a day in Dickens' London at the Cow Palace, become part of what makes a neighborhood on the city's southern edge feel like home. If you are picturing your own holidays in the Bay Area, see which San Francisco homes are on the market today.
What is the Great Dickens Christmas Fair?
The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is an immersive holiday event that recreates Christmas Eve in Charles Dickens' Victorian London. Hundreds of costumed performers fill more than 140,000 square feet of theatrically lit music halls, pubs, dance floors, and shops inside the Cow Palace Exhibition Halls. The organizers describe it as a Bay Area tradition since 1970.
The fair is produced by Red Barn Productions and the Patterson family, and it has been held at the Cow Palace since 2000.
San Francisco's Victorian-era Painted Ladies are a reminder that the city has its own 19th-century story, a fitting backdrop for a fair that brings Dickens' London to life. Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash
When and where is the 2026 Dickens Fair?
- Dates: Five weekends, November 21 through December 20, 2026, plus Friday, November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving)
- Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Venue: Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City
- Tickets: Online only at dickensfair.com; tickets are not sold on site
The Cow Palace sits on the border between San Francisco and Daly City, a short drive or bus ride from the city's southern neighborhoods. The entire fair is indoors, so it runs regardless of the weather.
How much are tickets?
According to the official ticket page, tickets are date-specific, daily attendance is limited, and dickensfair.com is the only authorized seller. Listed base prices for 2026 are below; fees are added at checkout.
- General admission (on sale from November 1): $50 adults (13+), $30 youth (5–12)
- Twilight admission (entry from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.): $35 adults, $20 children
- Children under 5: Free
- Pickwick Club Season Pass: $200 for all 11 days, parking not included
- Active military: Free for the service member and three family members on the first two weekends, with photo ID at Will Call
Early Bird tickets ($40 adults, $25 youth) were sold only from October 16 to 31 and are valid for the first two weekends. All tickets are non-refundable but fully transferable, so they can be gifted to someone else. Ticketed add-ons, such as the Port and Chocolate Tasting and the Jekyll and Hyde Pub Crawl, are sold separately.
What is there to do at the fair?
Stage shows and street performances are part of the experience. Visitors wander a recreated London filled with music halls, dance parties, storytelling, and characters drawn from Dickens' novels, including Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim.
- Live entertainment: Continuous performances on multiple stages, from sing-along music halls to dance lessons in Fezziwig's Warehouse.
- For children: Punch and Judy puppet shows, Father Christmas, the Adventure Carousel, and hands-on Victorian crafts.
- Shopping: A holiday handcraft marketplace with Victorian reproductions, jewelry, fine art, and gifts.
- Food and drink: Fish and chips, bangers, desserts, and five pubs pouring craft ales, with prices from about $4 for desserts and coffee to $22 for a full plated meal.
- Victoria Station: The upper lobby, where you pick up Will Call tickets and can buy a separate ride on a miniature live steam train "to London."
Select shows are interpreted in ASL on Saturdays, November 28, December 5, and December 12.
Holiday lights and a classic cable car set the seasonal mood in San Francisco, where the Dickens Fair has become a Thanksgiving-to-Christmas tradition for many families. Photo by Prakhar Singh on Unsplash
Do you need a costume?
No. Victorian costumes are welcome but optional, and many guests simply add a hat or bonnet. The fair asks guests not to dress as principal characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge, the Ghosts of Christmas, Queen Victoria, Father Christmas, or Charles Dickens himself. Full head masks are not allowed, and costumes that clash with the Victorian theme, such as superheroes, may be turned away. The official FAQ has the full costume guidelines.
How do you get to the Cow Palace?
Driving is the most common option. Vehicles enter at the main Cow Palace entrance, 2600 Geneva Avenue, and parking costs $20 per car, payable by cash or card. Rideshare drop-off is on Geneva Avenue, about 100 feet south of the main entrance.
There is no shuttle from BART. The fair suggests taking BART to Balboa Park station and connecting to the Muni 8 bus to the Cow Palace; confirm the route with Muni before you leave. For a broader look at getting around the city without a car, see this guide to San Francisco public transportation.
Candlelit chandeliers, garlands, and glowing trees capture the old-fashioned holiday spirit the Dickens Fair recreates inside the Cow Palace. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
What should you know before you go?
- Buy tickets in advance. There are no on-site sales, and daily attendance is limited.
- Consider an early arrival. Arriving close to opening gives you more time to see shows before the afternoon rush.
- Expect a bag check. Wagons, folding chairs, glass containers, balloons, selfie sticks, outside alcohol, and wrapped gifts are not permitted, and oversized bags have size limits.
- Use the coat check. Coats, small parcels, and backpacks cost $3 to check; strollers, coolers, and large parcels cost $5.
- Leave pets at home. Only service animals are allowed.
- Re-entry is allowed. Get a hand stamp when you exit to come back the same day.
Is the Dickens Fair accessible?
Yes. The fair offers reserved accessible parking, golf cart shuttles, accessible restrooms, designated seating, baby changing and nursing areas, and ASL-interpreted shows on select days. Guests with mobility needs can be dropped off at the white tent inside the main parking entrance, and wheelchairs can be rented at the coat check for $15 per half day or $30 per full day. Staff in green "London Guest Services" jackets can help on site.
How can you make it a full holiday season in San Francisco?
The Dickens Fair pairs well with the city's other December traditions. Downtown, the Union Square ice skating rink and the Winter Walk holiday marketplace keep the season going after a day in Victorian London. For more ideas, this roundup of San Francisco's festive events and cozy getaways covers more ways to celebrate across the city.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Great Dickens Christmas Fair in 2026?
The fair runs on five weekends, from November 21 through December 20, 2026, plus Friday, November 27. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where is the Dickens Fair held?
The fair is held at the Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Avenue, Daly City, on the border with San Francisco.
Can I buy tickets at the door?
No. Tickets are sold online only through dickensfair.com and are not sold on site.
How much does parking cost?
Parking at the Cow Palace costs $20 per car, payable by cash or card at the lot entrance. RVs and buses cost $35.
Do kids need a ticket?
Children under 5 are free. Youth tickets cover ages 5 to 12, and adult tickets apply from age 13.
How do I get to the Cow Palace by public transit?
Take BART to Balboa Park station, then transfer to the Muni 8 bus to the Cow Palace. There is no BART shuttle, so confirm the route with Muni before traveling.