Visitors can enjoy free parking in all three downtown parking garages on the following days: Thanksgiving Weekend: 11/27, 11/28, 11/29, 11/30 Every Sunday in December: 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28 Christmas Eve/Day: 12/24, 12/25 New Year’s Eve/Day: 12/31, 1/1

The City of San Luis Obispo is thrilled to bring back the Buy Local Bonus program— an incentive program that rewards shoppers for supporting local businesses. Here’s how it works:Spend $100 or more at local retail stores, then submit your receipts to receive a $25 gift card to another participating San Luis Obispo business. The program is funded by the City of San Luis Obispo and administered by the San Luis Obispo Chamber of...

Santa's House Opening Day Celebration Fri, Nov 28, 2025 at 1 PM | Mission Plaza Free, family-friendly, and open to the public — Watch Santa arrive to Mission Plaza and be among the first to visit and take photos with him! Photo Pricing Take-Your-Own ($10): Capture your own photos on your personal cell phone or camera. Printed Souvenir Photo ($15): Let us take your photo and receive...

Spend Black Friday and Small Business Saturday supporting local shops downtown and enjoy a Thanksgiving Weekend Map Challenge! Play along for a chance to win a complimentary stay at Hotel Cerro! How it works: For every three participating businesses you “check in” to on your mobile device, you will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize! Visit all of the businesses for the maximum...

Free, family-friendly, and open to the public — Join Downtown SLO, the City of SLO, and our sponsors and community partners as we "switch on" the lights in the Plaza, ushering in the start of the 2025 holiday season! Grab a cozy drink downtown and enjoy live music and community.

The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden presents Nature Lights, an immersive outdoor light and music experience. Visit the garden to enjoy this beloved holiday event. The event will feature lighting exhibitions throughout eight acres of the Garden - including many new displays. Guests can enjoy live music on two stages each night.  Wine, beer, food, and our new hot cocoa bar will be available.  We'll...

Don’t miss the Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s performance of Frozen: The Broadway Musical, showing select days November 6th through December 21st! The Broadway sensation that will melt your heart! A Central Coast Premiere. For the first time in forever, Disney’s Frozen comes to life on the PCPA stage with all your favorite songs from the Academy Award-winning animated film—plus new ones that you are sure to...

A San Luis Obispo Holiday Tradition! Celebrate the holiday season with A Christmas Story, the beloved stage adaptation of Jean Shepherd’s classic tale of 1940s childhood dreams and holiday misadventures. Follow 9-year-old Ralphie Parker on his determined quest for the ultimate Christmas gift—a genuine Red Ryder BB gun. Along the way, he pleads his case with cranky parents, stern teachers, even Santa himself! The consistent response:...

Ditch the Black Friday lines and come out to dance & sing with Cass Winery. The renowned Killer Dueling Pianos will be entertaining with humor and special requests into the night. Great for bringing family members after Turkey Day!

’Twas a brisk November eve when the fine folk of San Luis Obispo gathered ‘round the barrels at Rod and Hammer’s, their spirits high and their whiskies higher, to toast ten splendid years of the brassy bedlam known as Brass Mash. And lo, when the horns did sound and the drums did thunder, the crowd was struck quite daft with delight—why, even old Scrooge himself...