Read this guide before you go to A Charlie Brown Christmas Live at the San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall with kids so you can be prepared! What to expect, what to bring, and what it is like to go to a Charlie Brown Christmas at the San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall!

We had a great time with Henry (almost 3) at A Charlie Brown Christmas Live at the San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall. We decided to leave Andrew at home (11 months) and we are happy we did, but there were plenty of babies there too. The show is 90 minutes long, and I was on my toes wondering even if Henry will make it through. He did!

* Spoiler Alert * This is a review for those who like to know what to expect and prepare accordingly. Totally not for those who like some element of surprise. So read on, only if you want to know exactly what to expect when going to the Charlie Brown Christmas at the San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall!

Parking

We parked at the Civic Center garage because the Performing Arts garage was full when we got there, about 30 minutes before showtime. It was about a 5-10 minute walk, depending on how fast you walk (especially if you are walking with a toddler…).

Getting the Tickets

We got our tickets online, through their website. They have special child pricing! So be sure to select the right one.

Food, Drinks, and Snacks

They had wine, beer, champagne, juice, water, and soda. As for food, they had a small cafe, and they had cookies. When Tony went to go buy food in between one of the songs, he was able to only snag cookies so bring snacks of your own and be prepared just in case!

 

Pre-Show Entertainment

They had a pianist playing music, a little piano to recreate Schroeder, lots and lots of decorated Christmas trees! Some were full ones, some were the “Charlie Brown” style. There was a sculpture outside that kids were climbing on, if you have antsy ones. Not sure if it was allowed officially, but many kids were doing it. 🙂

The Show

The show is 90 minutes long, without intermission. We got there around 1:30 pm for the 2 pm show, and left right around 3:30. We pretty much expected to leave halfway, or not even that long, but Henry (almost 3), who is usually not one to sit still, sat through the entire show! We also did not see any other kids leaving.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The first few songs were not Charlie Brown related, so it was thrilling for us to see when the Charlie Brown and Snoopy was going to come out that we oh so promised Henry. He kept asking “where’s Charlie Brown? Where’s Snoopy?” But the show was entertaining enough, and they were Christmas songs that Henry knew, so he was fine.

The Charlie Brown portion was super cute and pretty similar to the Charlie Brown Christmas movie. There is a big screen behind the orchestra that projected scenes, and actors were on the stage dancing and acting. Three kids read the parts of the cast of the peanuts. Much to our surprise, Snoopy (we thought someone dressed up as a character would be on stage), did not make an appearance. Instead, it was a dancer dancing in a white outfit. Just so you know, and don’t tell your kid all day that he was going to see Snoopy. Henry actually didn’t question it at all at the end!

Towards the end of the show, we all participated in signing a few Christmas songs. It was an overall feel-good show and we had a great time!

Seating

We sat at the center of Premium Orchestra seating and it was great. Close enough that Henry was able to see. Many people were there with kids, so we all kind of seated our kids behind one another so an adult wasn’t blocking their view. The seats were the kind that fold (like many theaters and movie theaters), so Henry couldn’t really figure out how to sit on it, so he sat on our laps. 🙂 We are happy we got him a seat regardless because it was nice to have that extra space for him to stand if he wanted to (his height wasn’t tall enough to block everyone else behind him).

What to Wear and Bring

Henry wore a shirt, tie, and pants, but that’s also because his preschool recital was also the same morning. People ranged from casual to dressy to holiday attire. Some kids wore Charlie Brown shirts, which was cute!

You cannot bring a stroller in the hall, especially to your seats.

Bring some snacks if your kid has his/her go-to. (See food section above.)

The Takeaway

We had some doubts bringing our almost 3-year-old to a symphony, but it was totally worth it! The show made us feel so lucky to live in such a great city where we can expose him to a world-famous symphony at such a young age. We really appreciate the SF Symphony for putting on such a family-friendly event. We are fans, and can’t wait to go back with Andrew next year!

Looking for other fun things to do in San Francisco? Check out our San Francisco page for more inspiration and ideas!

Did you go to the Charlie Brown Christmas at SF Davies Symphony Hall? Tell us what you thought about it!