These Local Family Entertainment venues and performers are the 2025 winners of Best of Bay Area Parent reader poll. Read the full list of winners here.
East Bay
Gold: Children’s Fairyland. This whimsical storybook park allows families with young children to explore magical playsets, meet friendly animals, watch puppet shows and enjoy rides. Oakland. fairyland.org.
Silver: Grand Lake Theater. Oakland. renaissancerialto.com.
Bronze: Pacific Pinball Museum. Alameda. pacificpinball.org.
Peninsula
Gold: Ricky Roo & Friends Puppet Shows. This kids’ entertainer offers puppet shows with themes of sharing, kindness and courage. rickyrooandfriends.com.
Silver: San Carlos Children’s Theater. San Carlos. sancarloschildrenstheater.com.
Bronze: LaserMaxx San Carlos. San Carlos. lasermaxxsancarlos.com.
San Francisco/Marin
Gold: Lamplighters Music Theatre. Founded in 1952, this nonprofit theater company is renowned for producing Gilbert & Sullivan operettas and similar works. San Francisco. lamplighters.org.
Silver: San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. San Francisco. sfzoo.org.
Bronze: San Francisco Symphony. San Francisco. sanfranciscosymphony.org.