Our upcoming holiday shows include some Freight traditions as well as holiday interpretations from around the globe —  and the year ends with two nights of celebrating with Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band.  For returning artists like Tuck & Patti, Laurie Lewis, Barbara Higbie, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and A Back Porch Jug Band, the holidays are a time to gather with extended communities for annual shows.

Dec 4:  Hawaiian soul phenom Kalani Pe’a kicks off December with his Hawaiian Christmas extravaganza, featuring Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winner Patrick Landeza and local hula instructor Kumu Hula Mahealani Uchiyama and dancers from Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine. 

Dec 11: The boundless joy — and choreography and surprise costumes — of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus fills the halls at the Freight with their holiday exuberance. 

Dec 12: The Freight’s longtime partner San Francisco Chamber Orchestra presents a festive take on their annual Viola Mania concert as part of the Classical at the Freight monthly series. 

Dec 15:  Singer-songwriter Karla Bonoff brings intimate storytelling to her “Home for the Holidays” concert. She is joined by Livingston Taylor.

Dec 17: In a unique cross-cultural experience, klezmer ensemble The Klezmatics pays homage to folk legend Woody Guthrie with their rendition of Guthrie’s recently discovered Hanukkah songs. 

Dec 18:, Multi-instrumentalist and composer Barbara Higbie’s annual Winter Solstice concert doubles as a CD release party and features Jami Sieber, Vicki Randle, Michaelle Goerlitz and Dewayne Pate.

Dec 20: For the musical explorer, try the zesty stylings of A Back Porch Jug Band Christmas — a Bay Area musical tradition. 

Dec. 21: Irish Christmas in America brings a combination of traditional Celtic song, dance and storytelling for their wildly popular, family-friendly event. 

Dec. 30 and 31: The Freight is sending off 2022 with two nights of dazzling Latin Jazz from legendary conguero Poncho Sanchez, culminating in a New Year’s Eve dance party. Sanchez embraces the legacy of past legends, such as Mongo Santamaria and Tito Puente, while at the same time exploring his own take on the Latin Jazz canon and blazing trails with his original compositions.  Freight Artistic Director Peter Williams has worked with Sanchez for more than 20 years.