Rec & Park eNews - December 24, 2025

[San Francisco Recreation & Parks]

Your weekly scoop on San Francisco parks


###  Highlights, News & Announcements

### Happy Holidays from Rec & Park

>From tree lightings and toy giveaways to boat parades and holiday markets, our parks--from McCoppin Square to Huntington Park--have been spreading holiday cheer. We're thrilled to add a little magic to your season and wish you all happy holidays. We look forward to seeing you in our parks in 2026!



### Renewed Lincoln Park Playground Welcomes Families Back

After suffering major fire damage earlier this year, the cherished Lincoln Park Playground welcomed families back last week with brand-new play equipment and safety surfacing.

In May 2025, an arsonist set fire to the Richmond District playground, destroying its main play structure, safety surfacing, and several nearby trees. Rec and Park's Operations team quickly mobilized to restore the playground, leveraging the department's new Playground Renewal Program to prioritize a swift, cost-effective, and high-quality rebuild for neighborhood families. Now the playground is fully rebuilt, bringing the total turnaround from damage to reopening to just seven months.

Located on the southeastern edge of the 100-acre Lincoln Park, the refreshed playground now features a new play structure with a tower, slides, and climbing elements, along with new safety surfacing and fresh plantings.

The $600,000 renewal project was funded through Rec and Park's Deferred Maintenance Budget and delivered through the Playground Renewal Program. The program uses a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement that allows Rec and Park to purchase and install high-quality play equipment through pre-bid contracts shared by multiple agencies, reducing costs and accelerating project delivery. For more information, click the link below.


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### Park Closures Due to Stormy Weather

Stern Grove and Pine Lake are closed until Friday, December 26 due to wet and windy weather. These parks will remain closed until park staff inspect conditions, which we anticipate taking place Friday morning.

Additionally, we anticipate the Japanese Tea Garden and San Francisco Botanical Garden to open on Thursday, December 25 at 10 a.m. after staff inspect conditions.

If using your parks, please be alert as strong gusts can topple healthy trees and snap limbs. Stay up to date at
sfrecpark.org (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/41alxv).



### Lake Merced Volunteers Honored at the Recreation & Park Commission

Last week, staff and community leaders were recognized for their outstanding volunteer contributions to restoring and caring for Lake Merced during the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission meeting.

Working alongside Rec and Park staff, volunteers planted more than 200 native California coastal scrub plants near the lake's Penguin's Prayer statue.Their work supports local wildlife while preparing the area for a future shoreline stabilization project in spring 2026. Honorees included Park Service Area Supervisor Gabrielle "GG" Gaudet; Vince Yuen of Refuse Refuse San Francisco; Bob Hall of the California Native Plant Society; and longtime Lake Merced steward Bob Sheridan.

We are grateful to these honorees, as well as to all volunteers whose community stewardship helps keep San Francisco's parks healthy and thriving.



### Volunteer-Led Dune Restoration Plants 700 Wildrye at Ocean Beach Dunes

Rec and Park, in partnership with the Surfrider Foundation San Francisco, has planted 700 beach wildrye dune grasses at the Ocean Beach dunes near Judah Street. During three volunteer workdays held from November through December, native beach wildrye (Leymus mollis) was harvested on-site and transplanted into a dune blowout to help stabilize the shoreline. This pilot project, which also includes brush matting installed with the National Park Service, is testing effective ways to restore dune habitat and support a biodiverse coastal corridor linking Fort Funston, Lake Merced, Golden Gate Park, and Land's End. Thank you to all the volunteers who made these plantings possible. We look forward to getting back to work in winter 2026!



### Additional Highlights, News & Announcements

  *
Sunset Dunes Survey (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/kublxv)
open through the end of 2025
  *
Community Opportunity Fund Applications (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/0mclxv)
to open in January 2026
  *
Lightscape (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/gfdlxv)
at the San Francisco Botanical Garden (1199 9th Avenue) Open through January 4
  *
San Francisco’s Commission Streamlining Task Force Meeting (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/w7dlxv)
at City Hall (1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place) on Friday, January 14 at 1 p.m.
  *
Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/c0elxv)
(333 Post Street) Open through January 19

  *
15% Off Tickets for Super Bowl Experience from February 3 to 7 (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/ssflxv). Use code PARTNER15





### Upcoming Events

###  Kwanzaa Celebration at Minnie & Lovie Ward Rec Center on December 29

Join community partners for their Lakeview/OMI Kwanzaa celebration at Minnie and Lovie Ward Recreation Center (650 Capitol Avenue) on Monday, December 29 beginning at 6 p.m. Kwanzaa, which is celebrated annually from December 26 through January 1, pays tribute to the rich cultural roots of Americans of African ancestry. This free event features live performances, a libation ceremony, food and drink, and community resources.
 (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/8kglxv)For more information, click the link below.


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### BORP Wheelchair Basketball Tournament at Glen Park Rec Center January 10

Take part in BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation's wheelchair basketball tournament at Glen Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) on Saturday, January 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free, four-team tournament is open to players and spectators alike, and organizers are currently recruiting teams. For questions or to get involved, contact jorge at borp.org (mailto:jorge at borp.org) or molly at borp.org (mailto:molly at borp.org).



### Harvey Milk Photo Center: "A Measure of Uncertainty" Opening on January 17

Explore "A Measure of Uncertainty," a fine art photography exhibition presented by the Bay Area Photographers Collective (BAPC) at the Harvey Milk Photo Center (50 Scott Street) from January 17 through February 21, 2026. Curated by Heather Snider, the show brings together work by 22 artists examining how imagination, technology, and photography intersect with instability in the natural world and contemporary life. An opening reception will be held Saturday, January 17 from 2 to 5 p.m., with meet-the-artist events on Saturdays, January 24 and February 7 from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, click the link below.


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### Additional Upcoming Events

  *
Claude Forever: A Celebration of Life (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/kyilxv)
at the Golden Gate Park Bandshell (75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive) on Sunday, January 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.





### Regular Programming & Series

### 2026 Camp Mather Lottery Open through January 2

Lottery registration for Camp Mather's 102nd season is currently open and will run through Friday, January 2, 2026. Family Camp will run in weeklong sessions from May 31 through August 15, with
Inclusion Week from June 21 to 27 (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/0qjlxv).

To register for the lottery, you will need a Rec and Park account. If you don't have an account, you can create one at
sfrecpark.org/register (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/gjklxv)
or call us at (628) 652-2900 for assistance. San Francisco residents will need to upload a verification of residency after lottery registration has been submitted, with the deadline on January 2, 2026.

For more information, including rules and regulations, as well as fees, click the link below.


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### Additional Programming & Series

  *
Daily activities and classes at the Civic Center Plazas (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/c4llxv)
  *
Free Holiday Programming in Union Square (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/swmlxv)(333 Post Street) from Thursdays to Sundays through January 18
  *
Weekend programming (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/8onlxv)
at the Randall Museum (199 Museum Way)
  *
Drop-In Saturday Wheelchair Basketball (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/oholxv)
at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) from 3 to 6 p.m.
  *
Mat Yoga (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/49olxv)
at Sunset Dunes & Judah Street on Sunday, December 28 from noon to 1 p.m.
  *
Swing into Stories (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/k2plxv)
at Garfield Playground (Treat & 26th Streets) on Tuesday, January 6 from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
  *
The Annihilation of Fish (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/0uqlxv)
screening at Glen Canyon Park Recreation Center (70 Elk Street) on January 6 at 6 p.m.
  *
San Francisco Sea Lions Underwater Hockey (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/gnrlxv)
recruiting for
new youth season (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/wfslxv)
at Martin Luther King Jr. Pool (5701 3rd Street) beginning on Friday, January 9.
  *
Birding for Families (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/c8slxv)
at Heron's Head Park (32 Jennings Street) on Saturday, January 10 from 10 a.m. to noon.
  *
Mobile Rec (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/s0tlxv)
at Hilltop Park (La Salle Avenue & Whitney Young Circle) on Saturday, January 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.





###  Video of the Week


 (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/8sulxv)


### Betty Reid Soskin, oldest National Park Service Ranger, Passes at 104

Betty Reid Soskin, the nation's oldest National Park Service (NPS) ranger and a longtime docent at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, passed away recently at her home in the Bay Area. She was 104.

Soskin, who became a permanent NPS employee in 2011 after beginning work with the park service in her 80s, was widely known for helping bring forward the untold stories of Black Americans during World War II. Our
Video of the Week (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/olvlxv)
comes from NBC Bay Area and highlights her life.

Learn more about Betty's work and legacy from the National Park Service at the link below.


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Job Openings (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/0yxlxv)


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Rec and Park Gear (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/wjzlxv)


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Volunteer with Us! (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/s40lxv)




San Francisco Recreation and Parks |
sfrecpark.org (https://t.e2ma.net/click/cgnmck/wfcl20hc/8w1lxv)


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