PAROL
LANTERN
FESTIVAL
December 12, 2026
The Filipino American Development Foundation presents the 24th Annual Parol Lantern Festival on Saturday, December 12, 2026 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) from 3-8pm.
This free, family-friendly festival continues the tradition of the parol lantern—a quintessential Filipino symbol of hope, peace, and community during the holiday season, and can be found lighting up windows in Filipino homes throughout the world.
Tanglaw means beacon. It is the light that guides us. It’s the lamp left burning in the window, the parol hung at the door, a star over the ocean, the beacon that shows our people the way home.
Ten years ago, our community came together to reclaim SoMa as a home for Filipino culture, history, and belonging in San Francisco. For a decade we’ve organized, created, healed, and celebrated together. Through displacement, uncertainty, and loss, the light of our spirit cannot be extinguished.
Now it is time to look ahead. Tanglaw ng Dekada reaches back to honor the decade that brought us here, and asks us to shine our vision forward into the next ten years. It asks what we want to build together, and who we want to become.
Tanglaw ng Dekada: Beacon of Hope and Resilience
Schedule
FiliPINX
7pm
SF Bay Area Filipin(x)
Drag Supergroup
Taste of Christmas
3pm–5pm
Featuring traditional Filipino holiday dishes in the YBCA Forum
5pm–7pm
A parade of community & professional organizations
6pm–7pm
Celebrating the decorated parols that reflect the theme
Get your groove on
to cap the night off
Until Closing
3pm–8pm
Support behind the scenes!
Volunteer with Us
Be our shining stars behind the scenes! Join our super team of volunteers supporting registration, Taste of Christmas, and our Parol Stroll.
Taste of Christmas
Enjoy a free sampling of traditional Filipino desserts and delicacies served during the Christmas season that is sure to take your tastebuds on a trip back to the Philippines. Since the very first Parol Lantern Festival, community food vendors have contributed to the Taste of Christmas!
Samples are provided by our own community vendors such as Kababayan Restaurant, Ate Tess of JT’s Restaurant, and many more. Pre-register to get in the priority line for Taste of Christmas tickets for a sweet taste of your favorite Filipino holiday treats!
Parol Stroll
Join our annual tradition of showcasing our parol lanterns! The Parol Stroll is a parade of lights, lanterns and community faces illuminated through the Yerba Buena Gardens.
This year's Parol Stroll is at Yerba Buena Gardens and ending at the YBCA Forum. The route features stunning parol lanterns, celebrating Filipino culture. Attendees can enjoy scenic landmarks, parol installations, and community displays, making for a memorable evening. Each stop reflects the rich heritage illuminated by the lanterns as the stroll progresses through these iconic spaces.
Tala Award Competition
The TALA Awards will continue the tradition of judging parols submitted based on festival theme, craftsmanship, concept execution & creativity, and exhibition presentation.
Keeping the light on for each other also means caring for our hearts and minds. Many in our community carry heavy burdens this season. Immigrant families are living with fear. LGBTQ+ and trans community face threats to their safety and dignity. Elders and workers are struggling to stay in the city they helped build. Too often we carry that weight in silence. This year, we’re making space for kwentuhan, for kapwa, and for awakening to the remembrance of our shared oneness.
This year’s Tala Awards, co-hosted by the Filipino Mental Health Initiative-SF (FMHI-SF), honor the tala, the stars of our community. The light has guided us through the past decade and will help lead us into the next.
So we gather. We make and light our parol together. We sing, dance, and share food, not to look away from hardship but to remind each other that no one carries it alone.
One parol lights a doorway. Hundreds light a neighborhood. Together, we light the next ten years.
Parol Gallery
Come view and enjoy a gallery display of parol lanterns imported from the Philippines. Parols by SHOP Farol and parols created by community organizations competing for the Tala Awards will also be on display in the YBCA Forum.
ACCESSIBILITY
All YBCA public entrances are accessible. At the Gallery Forum Building, both the 701 Mission St
and Garden Esplanade entrances have electric push-button doors.
There will be reserved seating with tables for seniors or people with mobility issues
available during 3-5PM; and additional seating throughout the program.
COVID PROTOCOL
YBCA is following the Health & Safety protocols set forth by the city of San Francisco.
Masks are strongly recommended for visitors indoors at YBCA, except when actively eating.
If you are feeling unwell or exhibiting any cold or COVID-19 symptoms,
we ask that you cancel your visit to YBCA and take the time to rest and recover.
PLANNING YOUR TRIP
MUNI: For Bus Lines along Market St., disembark at Market Street and 4th Street/Powell Street.
On Mission Street, turn left into the Yerba Buena Gardens.
BART: For all BART Lines, disembark at the Powell Street Station.
Exit to 4th and Market streets. On Mission Street turn left into Yerba Buena Gardens.
PARKING: If traveling by car, we recommend parking at 5th Street Garage
on 833 Mission Street, SF, CA is walking distance (two blocks from YBCA).
DONATE
Your generous donation fuels the brilliance of the Parol Festival, supporting our mission to celebrate and share the richness of Filipino culture. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps us illuminate this cultural extravaganza, ensuring its success for all to enjoy.
Together, let's ignite the spirit of giving and keep the festival aglow for years to come.
Your support creates magic!
THE 23RD ANNUAL PAROL LANTERN FESTIVAL IS MADE POSSIBLE
WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF:
COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS
PARTNERS
CITY FUNDERS
SPONSORS
