Creators of the Great Dickens Christmas Fair are trying their hand at a different type of show, one that takes you back to California in 1849.
Red Barn Productions, in partnership with the San Francisco Historical Society, is transporting attendees to the city’s Gold Rush era with an immersive experience at Pier 35 called the San Francisco Historium Spotlight for one weekend only.
This event has been in the works for quite some time, said Drew Patterson, general manager of Red Barn Productions and co-producer of the new event.
The idea first sparked for him in 2018, but was waylaid by the pandemic and logistics. He was inspired by his grandparents, Ron and Phyllis Patterson, who founded Red Barn Productions in 1961 and hosted an event in 1973 called the Old San Francisco Waterfront Fair & Nautical Exposition on Hyde Street Pier.
“This has been a long time coming, and I'm very excited to get to start this process with the San Francisco Historian Spotlight this year,” Patterson said.
The team also received input from the San Francisco Historical Society, which served as consultants and provided historical content and context.
The organization’s deputy director Lana Costantini said they also connected Patterson and his father to historians who specialized in aspects of San Francisco history, from old maps to the makeup of the early waterfront, and supplied Red Barn Productions with interpretive panels from their museum, the Museum of San Francisco, about topics like buried Gold Rush Ships.
Costantini wants patrons to leave the interactive event with an understanding that history can be fun and fascinating and that they learn about the city’s vibrant and surprising past.
“There are many paths to the discovery of history,” Costantini said. “These include research, adventure and exploration, watching documentaries, having conversations with elders, and in the case of Historium, fun and immersive experiences. Every path that leads to a better understanding of history is valid. Partnering with other organizations is a very powerful way to bring more creativity to the table and increase impact.”
The two-day all-ages show will feature two themed stages, a lively indoor town square installation, and an outdoor shipyard, with artisanal vendors selling goods like stoneware, hand-blown glass, leather goods, period clothing, soaps, and activities like gold panning, brass rubbing and knot dollies that convey what it was like to live and eat back then.
Patrons will also be able to meet iconic historical figures like Mark Twain, Mary Ellen Pleasant, Emperor Norton and Lola Montez, among others, who will be roaming around the premises or have shops set up like Samuel Brennan’s general and mining supplies store, where attendees can purchase a shovel, a nod to Brennan’s business during the Gold Rush.
All sets for this project have been hand-made with dozens of new scenic designs by over 30 crew members. Once the show is live, over 200 performers will help bring the experience to life with performances from the Black Irish Band, Fiddlers Three, Greenwich Mean Time, Lucky Elias the Juggler and more.
“Something that's really important to me is that people understand that this isn't just coming in to learn about San Francisco history,” Patterson said. “This is also coming in to support local artists and local craftspeople who are trying to make a living doing theater and making their own art.”
One aspect that Patterson is most excited for is in partnership with the nonprofit Call of the Sea, which will be providing a Matthew Turner-style three-masted tall ship that will be parked along the pier for patrons to tour.
Having ships of any kind was also a selling point for Patterson, who admittedly wanted to have boats on the water for this installation, and influenced the decision to host the event on Pier 35, versus at Cow Palace, where they host The Great Dickens Christmas Fair.
In addition to the entertainment, patrons can enjoy fine food bites from Kai’s Meat Pies, Forrest Fire BBQ, Hopmonk Tavern, Mountain Sage Coffee and Napala’s Seafood and Chowders. The event will also have two full bars, one called the White Star Saloon and the other I've Seen the Elephant Saloon, with themed cocktails and beverages like local craft beer from Standard Deviant Brewing and whiskey from Redwood Empire Distillery.
Though they are debuting this event for the first time, Patterson’s goal is to eventually have it as a recurring multi-weekend and annual event.
Tickets are on sale for $40 per adult and $20 per child. Cash and card for vendors, food and beverages are accepted.
San Francisco Historium Spotlight
Address: Pier 35, on the Embarcadero
Date: Aug. 22 – 23, 2026
Time: Both Days, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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